S&P Futures

U.S stocks tumbled as traders bailed out investors bailing out on worries about interest rates and increased fighting in Iraq

House prices in Britain rose 2.1 percent in April, the Nationwide building society taking it to 18.9% over the last 12 months

BASF chemicals profits up 17% beating expectations, there seems to be good news throughout the sector.

Shell have surprised the markets by announcing profits 25% higher than expectations at 4.25 Billion. They have also announced they are going to recommence buying back shares worth 2.3 billion pounds.

ICI reported a 29 percent rise in first-quarter profits to 67 million pounds at the top end of forecasts as it continues to recover.

SkyePharma: Delays in signing partnership deals for key drugs caused the company to make a big annual loss of 43.2 million against a 1.1 million profit last year. But they added that talks were advanced on two outstanding deals.

Friends Provident reported flat first quarter new sales at 92 million pounds at the bottom of expectations, and said it had made 2 new deals to increase mortgage related business over the next year.

Body Shop posted a 40 percent jump in full-year profits to 28.5 million pounds and announced a 100 million pounds expansion programme. However Body Worldwide sales of 699.5 million however store sales for the year fell four percent.

Punch Taverns reported a 30 percent rise in half-year profits to 72.5 million pounds slightly above analyst forecasts and said the integration of its recently-acquired Pubmaster pubs group is going well.

JD Wetherspoon reported a 3.7 percent rise in third-quarter sales showing a slowdown since annual sales were running up 4.5 percent Profits for the year could now come in at the lower end of analysts' expectations the group said in the third-quarter update.

First Choice Holidays said it was confident about its full-year result helped by higher sales and profit margins in line with the group's expectations

HMV's trading has remained strong since Christmas, meaning profits for the year will be at the top end of market forecasts It plans to open 30 new stores over the next 12 months.

Proactive Sports (I), Punch Taverns (I), Sportingbet (I), Shire Pharmaceuticals (I), Body Shop (F), Surgical Innovations (F), Vista (F), Atrium Underwriting (F), John David (F), Sportingbet (F), GlaxoSmithkline, Shell (I), HMV (F), ICI (I)

Amvescap (AGM), AstraZeneca (AGM), Barclays (AGM), Scottish & Newcastle (AGM), Alvis (AGM), RMC (AGM), Tikit (AGM), Zotefoams (AGM)

08:30 BBA March mortgage lending data 09:30 GfK consumer confidence survey

Dow Chemical, Exxon Mobil, Gillette, Duke Energy, Goodrich, Liz Claiborne, NCR, Nicor, Gateway, Eastman Chemical,

13:30 Chain Deflator-Adv. (2%) 13:30 Employment Cost Index (0.9%) 13:30 GDP-Adv. (5%) 13:30 Initial Claims (340k) 15:00 Help-Wanted Index (41)

Altana, BASF, Bayerische Hypo-und Vereinsbank, Hugo Boss, Rhoen-Klinikum, Fielmann, Merck KGaAIDS Scheer,

Suez, HAVAS, Peugeot, Aventis, France TelecomDassault Systemes, UBI Soft Entertainment,

David@SnappyTrader.com   www.SnappyTrader.com