London shares - midmorning features

FTSE 100 risers
Rentokil Initial 165-1/4 up 6-1/4
PurusCo bid for ISS excites; 'in-line' from 'underperform' - Cazenove
Scottish & Newcastle 480-1/2 up 10-3/4
Talk of 600 pence-a-share bid from SABMiller
Centrica 227 up 1-3/4
'Buy' from 'neutral' on valuation grounds - UBS
EMAP 839 up 6
Trading update tomorrow
Standard Chartered 950 up 2-1/2
Barclays bid speculation; Teather & Greenwood 'buy'
Tate & Lyle 545 up 4-1/2
Trading in line with expectations; Williams de Broe 'buy'
HBOS 821-1/2 up 6
Buys back 500,000 shares at 816.4 pence apiece

FTSE 100 fallers
BAE Systems 258 down 3-3/4
Profit-taking
BAA 586 down 5-1/2
'Hold' but could take some profits - Williams de Broe
WPP 607 down 3
UBS targets 605 pence
Next 1,610 down 22
CSFB cuts estimates
J Sainsbury 291-1/2 down 1-1/2
Goldman Sachs cuts estimates

FTSE 250 risers
Egg 116-1/2 up 2
'Equal-weight' from 'underweight with 125p target - Morgan Stanley
Burren Energy 517 up 5
Full-year results due next Monday
VT Group 313-3/4 up 1/2
In-line trading update; Numis/Williams de Broe/Arbuthnot/Panmure positive
Luminar 495 up 1-1/2
Arbuthnor reiterates 'buy' with 630 pence target
Ultra Electronics 743 up 5
To buy Horizon Aerospace's cockpit instrumentation business; Arbuthnot 'buy'

FTSE 250 fallers
London Stock Exchange 460 down 14
OFT probe could delay any takeover
WH Smith 346-1/2 down 9
High street spending worries
Whatman 244 down 3-1/2
Full-year results due Tuesday April 5
Somerfield 204-3/4 down 2-1/4
Awaiting bid developments
Pilkington 115-1/2 down 1
Morgan Stanley targets 108 pence

Other risers
Triple Plate Junction 45 up 4-1/2
Vietnamese licences award
Retail Stores 250 up 25
Sales showing strong growth; debt reduction moves; interims
XKO Group 83 up 7-1/2
Co to focus on software operations following disposal
Avesco 102-1/2 up 7
Mail on Sunday comment on fund manager's stake buying
Deal Media Group 2-1/2 up 3/4
Move to profit in year ended December
Hambledon Mining 8.62 up 0.37
5 mln stg placing completed
Intec Telecom Systems 68 up 3
New chairman

Other fallers
Longbridge 14 down 7-1/2
Accounting policy revision results in 2004 losses of 660,000 stg
Scott Tod 34 down 5-1/2
Disappointing interims
Jarvis 15-1/4 down 1-3/4
Dilution threat; secures additional short term financing
Ottakar's 258-1/2 down 4
LFL sales for 7 weeks to March 19 down 1.6 pct; FY results
First Calgary 845 down 90
Bidders raise concerns about steep price tag - Sunday Telegraph

Good to have you back Digger. :-)

Thanks for all the news...