AFX UK at a glance share guide

MARKETS
FTSE 100 4,971.8 up 9.1
FTSE 250 6,934.3 up 3.2
DJIA 10,471.91 down 21.28
Nasdaq Comp 2,046.42 up 3.84
S&P 500 1,189.28 down 1.67
Gold 417.25 usd (420.85 usd)
Oil - Brent Jun 48.03 usd (47.88 usd)

BREAKING NEWS - WEEKEND
* Stuart Rose will shift MARKS & SPENCER's focus away from the high street to out-of-town retail parks this week as he presides over a further slide in sales - Independent on Sunday
* Joel Glazer, the American businessman heading the 800 mln stg takeover of MANCHESTER UNITED, to publish an open letter to the club's investors and fans setting out his commitment and pledging a four-year 100 mln stg budget to buy players - Sunday Times
* Sir Ken Morrison, executive chairman of WILLIAM MORRISON SUPERMARKETS, accused of holding up attempts to modernise the group's board and appoint four new non-executives - Sunday Times
* Ofcom investigating allegations that BT engaged in predatory pricing in the sale of cordless telephones - Sunday Telegraph
* One of the leading figures in the traditional gaming industry, Lord Leonard Steinberg, to embrace the internet side of the business by becoming chairman of TRADAL, an online poker group that is planning a 550 mln stg flotation - Sunday Times
* London Stock Exchange to investigate why the sale of nearly a quarter of the shares in troubled oil company REGAL PETROLEUM was never disclosed to the market - Sunday Times
* FSA and AIM investigate timing of REGAL PETROLEUM's bad news announcements - Sunday Telegraph
* Simon Duffy, the chief executive of NTL, understood to be willing to stand down to smooth the way for a proposed 5.5 bln stg merger of the company with TELEWEST - Sunday Telegraph
* GUS to go ahead with Experian demerger - Sunday Telegraph
* Lufthansa looks at Thomas Cook sale - Sunday Times
* Camelot, the British lottery operator, expected to announce on Monday that sales have hit as much as 4.7 bln stg on the back of a 600 pct increase in interactive business - The Business
* FIRST CALGARY PETROLEUMS, the biggest group on AIM, finalising a multi-million-pound joint venture this weekend with Spanish oil giant Repsol - Mail on Sunday
* LAURA ASHLEY faces a shareholder revolt over executive pay - Sunday Telegraph
* Royal Mail sell-off wins DTI backing - Mail on Sunday
* Mail unions pledge to fight Leighton's 'privatisation' - Observer
* WHITBREAD launching a budget version of its David Lloyd Leisure club brand in an attempt to improve performance at its worst sites - Mail on Sunday
* Euro sinks over poll fears; currency falls against dollar on French data; investors concerned at EU charter rejection; regional voters set to give Shroeder a mauling - Saturday FT
* BRITISH LAND in 764 mln stg bid talks with PILLAR PROPERTY - Saturday FT
* LAND SECURITIES in talks to buy the assets of LXB Properties, a private property company, for about 500 mln stg - Saturday FT
* TESCO now selling more non-food goods than MARKS & SPENCER, according to research - Saturday FT
* Inmarsat, the satellite operator controlled by Apax Partners and Permira, aims to raise as much as 408 mln stg from flotation in London next month - Saturday FT
* Electricals chain Maplin, which was bought by Montagu Private Equity in a 240 mln stg deal last year, thought to be close to breaching its banking covenants - Sunday Express
* Department of Trade and Industry to meet MARCONI management to seek commitments from the telecommunications equipment company to keep research and development in the UK - Saturday FT
* Anglo-Dutch UNILEVER to sell its perfume business to US-based Coty for 436 mln stg
* GREENE KING forced on the defensive after a group of its own tenants threatens legal action against it; the 91 tenants claim they cannot compete with Greene King's managed pubs, which are able to buy beer from the company at much cheaper prices - Independent on Sunday
* Acrimonious takeover bid to create world's biggest gold miner collapses in a farce as judges rule that it should have been halted five months ago; HARMONY GOLD calls off its 2.4 bln stg bid for rival GOLD FIELDS after the shock decision - Saturday Mail
* Share buying by directors rises sharply - Saturday FT
* Credit card debt falls for the first time since 1994; British Bankers' Association says Britons paid back 40 mln stg more than they borrowed last month
* PartyGaming in discussions with four banks for a flotation of the Gibralter-based online gaming group - Saturday FT
* KINGSTON COMMUNICATIONS sells Arche Communications for 32.3 mln stg
* T20, the investment vehicle run by entrepreneur Robert Tchenguiz, buys the YATES group of pubs for 202 mln stg
* Robert Tchenguiz in talks with Spirit Group to acquire a 250 mln stg package of pubs - Mail on Sunday
* Westinghouse, the US nuclear arm of BNFL, put up for sale by the British government, attracting interest from a variety of bidders, including a private equity firm chaired by Dan Quayle, a former American vice president - Saturday Independent
* Michael Spencer, chief executive of ICAP, understood to be seeking legal agreements among rivals to put an end to the damaging spiral of poaching staff that is costing the brokerage firms millions in settlements - Saturday Independent
* Punch International, the Belgian industrial group, to spin off its printing arm, Punch Graphix, on to London's AIM on Thursday, raising 19.3 mln stg; the company, which will have a market value of 100.8 mln stg, will be the second-largest AIM float this year - Saturday Independent
* Owners of MG Rover facing the prospect of two separate legal challenges: one from ST MODWEN, the property developer that owns the Longbridge site, and another from unions seeking compensation for workers who have lost their pensions - Sunday Express
* MG Rover set to pursue Phoenix Four for 40 mln stg - Independent on Sunday
* Five bidders are waiting in the wings for MG Rover - Saturday Telegraph
* Directors of MG Rover likely to face a full-blown Department of Trade and Industry investigation after it emerges that a key report on the carmaker's accounts will deliberately tell only half the story, leaving the rest to a goverment inquiry - Saturday Times
* Land Rover to cut production of the Freelander, its most popular model, and halt US sales because it can no longer buy engines from MG Rover - Saturday FT
* Administrators for MG Rover in detailed talks with three bidders for its MGTF sports car business; they are understood to be Chapman Automotive, TVR and a group of businessmen led by Rover's former engines boss Fraser Welford-Winton - Saturday Mail

SATURDAY PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on mortgage lending (the whole sector should get a lift from the prospect of a possible interest rate cut in the next twelve months; but careful investors can stlll shop around), Crude oil (pullback in crude prices may not have much further to run), France, Maytag/Electrolux (with appliance markets still spinning downwards, would-be bidders for Electrolux might be tempted to wait a little longer) - WOLVERHAMPTON & DUDLEY BREWERIES (growth prospects look fully priced into the current share price) - Weekend share watch: ALEXON (probably worth a look), ASTON VILLA (Trefick, the vehicle of Jack Petchey, property investor, has built a 20 pct stake; fellow shareholders may also wish to play the long game), PURSUIT DYNAMICS (this week announced first sale of its Sonic 25) - MARKET REPORT: HAMMERSON (seen as next sector target), CABLE & WIRELESS (France Telecom bid speculation), WHITE NILE (Finspreads sees a price of 70-80 pence per share when share are relisted on Monday) - ANALYST WATCH: PERSIMMON (Largest player in the industry has grown through acquisitions, but rival BARRATT DEVELOPMENTS may trigger the sector's next round of consolidation - MONEY & BUSINESS p.23)

Independent
PRIVATE INVESTOR: Sean O'Grady will be welcoming WILLIAM HILL back to the portfolio shortly - NO PAIN, NO GAIN: Derek Pain comments on CHORION (may soon slip into his buying range), PREZZO (consider realising at least some profit), PROFILE MEDIA (considering asset sales, and will presumably tap shareholders for more cash) - MARKET REPORT: O2 (traders bet on private equity swoop), CABLE & WIRELESS (rumours of possible bid from France Telecom)

Telegraph
THE MARKET: JURYS DOYLE (dealers reckon that Precinct Investments may return with a higher offer of around 16 eur or another bidder could emerge) - QUESTOR COLUMN: KINGFISHER (for those that don't mind a bumpy ride, buy), 3i (worth holding), BRAEMAR SEASCOPE (still a solid buy)

Times
TEMPUS: F&C EMERGING MARKETS INVESTMENT TRUST (there are more accountable rivals with superior records: the emerging markets funds of TEMPLETON and GENESIS are both worth a look; sell), HILTON GROUP (hold), PILLAR PROPERTY (the cautious would be wise to lock in some profits)

Guardian
Market forces: FRENCH CONNECTION (rumours that Baugur is looking to pick up stock)

Mail
INVESTMENT EXTRA: BRITISH ENERGY (on balance, present share price looks about right; if BE can run its stations better and win a slice of any future expansion, the shares will look cheap; but that is still a long way off) MARKET REPORT: WHITE NILE (after setting an initial opening price of 73 pence for the return of the suspended oil minnow's shares on Monday, IG Index saw a flurry of buyers yesterday - pushing the opening spread up to 90 pence-100)

SUNDAY PRESS COMMENT
THE ALCHEMIST: Clem Chambers thinks ROLLS-ROYCE and CENTRICA are excellent selections for a portfolio - MID-CAP INVESTOR: ROTORK (worth considering as a long-term investment) - AIM INVESTOR: CANTERBURY FOODS (speculative buy) - BENCHMARK: Grant Clelland comments on J SAINSBURY (ironically, it is by Justin King taking a leaf out of the Sir Terry Leahy book that he is giving Sainsbury the chance to succeed), US Airways (devastated American airline industry may be on the brink of a consolidation that could help some of its carriers to survive).

Mail on Sunday
Will EVOLUTION bosses survive the scrum Brokers who made their clients rich face uproar after a share disaster follows a string of scandals (Financial Mail p.3) - Lisa Buckingham explains why ports are suddenly going down a storm (p.4) - MIDAS: CARDPOINT (we have no hesitation in selling at a small loss); MIDAS UPDATE: AVEVA (traditionally trades at a premium to the sector and we think the rating is deserved; hold) - COMPANIES AND MARKETS: FTSE giants (GLAXOSMITHKLINE, ITV, ROYAL & SUN ALLIANCE) face a grilling over director payoffs, EMI (profits nosedive), VODAFONE (will reveal details of a large share buyback programme on Tuesday); SECRET DEALINGS: DEBT FREE DIRECT (Patrick Evershed holds DFD through his New Star Select Opportunities fund and has added 75,000 shares this month, or 1.99 pct of the company)

Sunday Times
JUDGMENT DAY: SHOULD YOU BUY SHARES IN SERCO Andy Brough, fund manager at Schroders, and Tim Steer, fund manager at New Star, both say buy - INSIDE THE CITY: John Waples says size matters in property deals; what PILLAR provides for BRITISH LAND is an entree into property fund management and this will be big business; TT ELECTRONICS (chairman's wife transfers 150,000 stg from her bank account to buy up shares; don't just follow the director, follow the wife as well); MARKET MOLE: PARAGON (Old Mutual stars Ashton Bradbury and Dan Nickols, who hold top Citywire AAA-ratings, have this month purchased 83,000 and 88,000 shares respectively) - DIRECTORS' DEALS: UNITED BUSINESS MEDIA (Charles Gregson chops more than a third of his holding to raise just shy of 580,000 stg); PADDY POWER (co-founder sells 500,000 shares at 920 pence each, netting 6.7 mln eur)

Observer
THROG STREET: Richard Wachman comments on the Anglo Saxon private equity groups and hedge funds buying into German companies for allegedly short term gain, COMPASS (Sir Francis Mackay is heading for the door marked exit; he is to retire early in the new year, but his achievement in building up the group - it will still produce annual turnover of 12 bln stg and profits of around 700 mln - is surely worthy of recognition)

Sunday Telegraph
Equity View - BLUE CHIP VALUES: ROYAL & SUN ALLIANCE (biggest attraction is that the shares yield 6 pct, which makes them worth buying at this level), INVESTEC (should have further to go); Look who's trading: SEVERFIELD-ROWEN (five directors have been buyers; hold on); SMALL CAP COMMENT: SCS UPHOLSTERY (take profits), DATAMONITOR (sizeable premium to media sector looks justified), STATPRO (keep buying), SOVEREIGN REVERSIONS (buy) - THE NUMBERS GAME: Tony Jackson comments on J SAINSBURY (my hunch is that Sainsbury has indeed turned the corner; but I'm not buying until the price is right)
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