Lloyds TSB said on Monday that its plan to concentrate on UK financial services will deliver improved performance by the second half of 2004. It said it is aiming for a minimum total capital ratio of 9 percent and that it does not need to sell businesses to meet that goal.

Royal Bank of Scotland said it had agreed to buy Irish rival First Active Plc FTA.I for 887 million euros. The 6.2 euro per share offer for First Active, which runs 173 branches in the Republic of Ireland and 90 branches in Northern Ireland, is a 33 percent premium to Friday's closing price.

Scottish and Newcastle said it had sold its UK pubs to the private-equity backed Spirit Amber group for 2.51 billion pounds.

Scottish & Southern Energy said it had agreed to buy out its partners in Medway Power Ltd for 89.8 million pounds in cash.

Smiths Group British aerospace said it had been picked by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics to supply cable assemblies in a contract potentially worth over $500 million. The contract marks an increase to the firm's work for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme.

United Kingdom Calendar (F)inals (I)nterim	United States  (GMT)	Europe & World (GMT)
Mon 6th Oct Reporting Company Updates Financial Data HIT Entertainment (F) PBT 39.5m exp.Lloyds TSB Strategy Update 10.30 UK Sep NTC, Deloitte &REC Report on Jobs		11.00 EMU July Retail Trade m/m 0.5%
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