Good morning traders!

After such a long break, where do we begin....

In Asia this morning, markets are generally trading in narrow ranges with no guidance from the US. The Hang Seng Index just ended the morning up 55.16 points at 13,900.26.

RYANAIR FY ADJUSTED PROFIT AFTER TAX 268.9 MLN EUR VS 226.6 MLN EUR

Off to find some more news. Back in a mo...

G.

Shares outlook
http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=806815

LONMIN UPGRADED TO 'BUY' VS 'NEUTRAL' AT UBS

ARRIVA CUT TO 'REDUCE' VS 'NEUTRAL' AT UBS

AFX UK at a glance share guide - 4

MARKETS
Tokyo: Nikkei midday 11,235.73 down 30.60
Hang Seng midday 13,90.26 up 55.16

BREAKING NEWS - TUESDAY
* Blair set to shelve EU referendum; plans to be halted if Dutch vote against constitution; PM cites French rejection as symptom of anxiety about economy; ECB promises to defend euro - FT
* Chirac to announce new strategy as he seeks to recover from stunning setback - FT
* INTERNATIONAL POWER wins a bidding battle to pay 500 mln stg to take control of one of Britain's most modern power stations, at Saltend near Hull - FT
* Multiplex announces that Wembley Stadium will not be finished on time as the Australian construction company said - FT
* Subsidy row grows as US calls in WTO; call for an end to all support for AIRBUS may spark trade war; Washington attacks Mandelson's publicity move; counter-filing is threatened by Brussels - FT
* Mandelson offers to cut 230 mln stg of AIRBUS aid to end US spat - Times
* Trade tensions between China and the EU rise sharply as Beijing scraps export tariffs designed to curb the flood of cheap Chinese textiles into Europe - Times
* BOOTS agrees a 400 mln stg deal to outsource part of its back-office operations in an effort to cut costs - Times
* Airlines face losses of 6 bln usd as fuel costs soar - FT
* Italy's UNICREDITO and Germany's HVB trying to wrap up a large cross-border banking merger in the next couple of weeks after being forced by market regulators to confirm that they are in talks - FT
* AVIVA hopes to win two more licences to sell life assurance policies in China this year - FT
* VODAFONE workers net 230 mln stg bonus - Express
* One of the biggest recruitment companies in Scotland, Search Consultancy, to list on AIM in July with an estimated market value of 45 mln stg - Express
* ARRIVA to spend 84 mln stg on new buses this year - Express
* TRISTEL, a company trying to stop dangerous infections spreading in hospitals, planning to float on AIM

TUESDAY PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on the French no vote, US yield curve, US housing
Independent
Small Talk: Stephen Foley comments on CI TRADERS (running into difficulties with its purchase last month of two former Safeway stores), EASIER (hundreds of shareholders locked in could be close to getting answers about what has happened to the 5.4 mln stg unaccounted for), Average cash shell outperforms other types of flotation, acording to DigitalLook, ZGROUP (planned float will be first test of whether Durlacher's client relationships have survived its takeover by Panmure Gordon)

Regal (RPT) should be interesting today.

With no added 'nasties' in the results and statement, the tentative rally from the lows should continue imo.

Morning all.

Morning

CRH - IFRS restatement
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310700028789M.html

HMY - FY look OK
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310700068895M.html

BPRG - review
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310700078905M.html

PXC - in bed with Bill Gates. Hmm
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310700088944M.html

SPH - launch looks like good news?
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310700098950M.html

ADC - interesting company. I like 'em
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/20050531070010M3982.html

SPD - not clever?
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310700128978M.html

PEA - they're very upbeat for a retailer
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310700158996M.html

JRVS - more dosh!
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310700189006M.html

VED - Indian zinc
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310700399065M.html

RYA - results. Unhedged in oil for the summer. Hmm
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310700459084M.html

AGL - MRSA test in a day.
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310700509095M.html

MLS - sale of intellectual property
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310700579119M.html

ERT - Pat heads for HBO stateside. I like this outfit
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310700589122M.html

DOO - results and placing at 265p
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200505310730039104M.html

Today my only day this week due to work commitments. Have a good one.

Morning all. Just hoping that BARC will end up higher than 522 at the close tonight.!!

Afternoon all,

Sorry to hear aboaut your bad month MB - but they do say if you don't have one bad month from time to time - be worried!!!

Today is Tax Freedom Day, the point in the year when the average worker has earned enough to pay off their annual tax bill.

Thanks to a succession of tax rises, they have had to work three days longer this year for the Chancellor.

They have actually worked six days longer than they did in 2003 and there is little hope of it getting better. By 2009, the average Briton should be working until June 7th to pay off the tax man.

The Chancellor's controversial increase in National Insurance two years ago is one of the main reasons for the fact that tax freedom arrives later each year. Inflation-busting increases in council tax have also contributed.

Britain's performance contrasts sharply with many of our main competitors. In the US, tax freedom day is April 11th and, in Japan, May 5th.

In high-tax Europe that the situation is worse than in Britain. The average German has to work until June 7th, while in France they start earning for themselves on July 5th.

A couple from Hereford have made it into the Guinness Book of Records for having the world's longest marriage.
Percy and Florence Arrowsmith, who are 105 and 100 respectively, celebrate their 80th anniversary on 1 June.

Mr and Mrs Arrowsmith may also hold the record for being the oldest married couple in the world.

Mrs Arrowsmith said: "I would say we are lucky that we are still together. The most important thing is that we still love one another."

I wonder what Mr Arrowsmith had to say!

Just keep saying "yes Dear" I think was his answer to one question.

LOL

Where's Limpsfield off to then?