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News Headlines:   US stocks powered ahead after bullish analyst calls in the technology sector pushed the major indexes to levels not seen in well over a year.

The FTSE 100 is expected to open up some 20 points higher after U.S. equity markets surged through 14-month high following more evidence of a recovery.Gallaher Group tobacco reported a seven percent rise in in half-year profits and said that group trading remains in line with expectations for the full year. They reported first half profits of 241 million pounds compared to forecasts of 227-237 million pounds.

Associated British Ports posted a one percent dip in first-half profit to 66.6 million pounds which was less severe than the market feared.

LogicaCMG computer services reported a first half pretax profit of 39.4 million pound 28 percent lower on the previous six months. Sales were three percent lower at 854 million sterling and Europe's No. 3 computer services company said order intake in the first half was strong, providing a solid start of the year.

Serco Group industrial and government services firm reported a 10.2 percent rise in first-half pre-tax profits on Wednesday and said it was confident of achieving sustainable profit growth. They reported profits of 31.3 million pounds with the market expecting 29.8 million pounds to 31.5 million pounds.

Cable & Wirelesss may hand its loss-making U.S. business to management in a deal that could avoid full closure costs of up to 850 million poundsVernalis biotechnology company is preparing to axe more than half its drug pipeline to leave it enough cash for three yearsBP, SHELL may be affected by the seven percent fall in oil prices overnight.

McCarthy & Stone the UK's biggest builder of retirement homes said it expected a "highly satisfactory" set of full year results and it had beaten its turnover targets for the year, with unit sales and average selling prices "well in advance" of last year.

Somerfield which rebuffed a takeover approach in June, said overall performance was in line with management expectations. Like-for-like sales at Somerfield stores were up two percent, but down 1.5 percent at the group's Kwik Save budget supermarkets.

SIG Europe's biggest distributor of insulation products posted a 10-percent rise in first-half profit on Wednesday and said it expected conditions in the second half to be similar to the first.

Calendar All GMT	United Kingdom (F)inals (I)nterim	United States (Click Flag)
Wednesday	Associated British Ports (I) PBT 69m exp Gallaher Group (I) Regent Inns (F), Savills (I), Serco Group (I), SIG (I), Signet Group (I), Cambridge Antibody (I), Charter, Clarkson (I), Costain Group (I),  Delta (I), Devro (I), , Heywood Williams (I), James Beattie (I), Isotron (F), LogicCMG (I), Lookers (I),  Melrose Resources (I), Somerfield AGM & Q1 Trading Update, Quintain (AGM), British Airways Aug Traffic Figures 09.30 Aug Services PMI 56.0 exp. 11.00 July CBI Distributive Trades 20% exp.	15.00 July Construction Spending m/m 0.5% exp. 19.00 Fed Beige Book, ISM Services
		Europe & World
		08.55 Aug German Services PMI 49.0 exp. 09.00 Aug Services PMI 51.0 exp. 10.00 June Retail Trade m/m 0.5% exp.
	Ex Dividend: Beale (1.95), Brewin Dolphin (1), Cattles (3.95), EMI Group (6), First Technology (6.1), Glanbia (EUR 0.021), Greggs (25.5),  Hilton Group (3.4), International Greetings (4.45), Low & Bonar (1.5), Metal Bulletin (1.9), Mitie Group (1.1), Mouchel Group (1.45), Oxford Instruments (6),  Peel Holdings (10.2), Persimmon (7), ROK Property Solutions (1.75), Radstone Technology (2), Reckitt Benckiser (14), Royalblue Group (1.85),  Scottish & Southern Energy (24.5), Slough Estates (5.8), Stagecoach Group (1.8), Tops Estates (2.7), Reg Vardy (9.95), VP Plc (3), Wagon (5)
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