A Brief Look At The Week Ahead

The threat of an interest rate rise on Thursday has the potential to smother any good sales news from the likes of Marks & Spencer this week, with the Bank of England handing down its decision on whether consumers will be spending more on their mortgages. Analysts are tipping rates to jump from 4.75% to 5%. Analysts think M&S will continue to outperform its peers when it reveals all on Tuesday, predicting that first-half pre-tax profits will jump 32% to 406m. The group is expected to lift its dividend by at least 8% to 5.2p. It will be the retailers performance during the long hot summer that comes under scrutiny this week, after the unseasonal conditions triggered a string of disappointing results from its competitors. On Wednesday, London Stock Exchange, reports its interim results. Investors have spent the past couple of years watching the group defend offshore takeover bids, and speculation is rife in the market that America's hi-tech exchange, the Nasdaq, is poised to launch a fresh offer. Investors will also be on the look-out for hard information about recent reports that the company is working with another exchange on a joint venture, with Tokyo in the frame for a liaison according to weekend press speculation. FirstGroup also delivers interim results on Wednesday. Barclays analysts expect Britain's biggest train operator to post a pre-tax profit of 59.8m, up from 55.5m in the same period last year. BT Group publishes interim numbers on Thursday. The City will be seeking information on BT's much-hyped pay-as-you-go internet TV service, BT Vision. The company had said it planned to launch BT Vision this autumn, but as more leaves fall off the trees, there is still no launch date. Analysts expect BT to post a pre-tax profit of 594m, up from 559m last time. Amongst others in the headlines this week are :- Ryanair on Monday; AB Foods and Yell on Tuesday; Cable & Wireless on Wednesday and Punch Taverns and Royal & Sun Alliance on Thursday. Plenty there to keep us all busy. Good hunting! Greystone (Greystone is Alan English, City Editor at MoneyAM.)

Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Nikkei closed up 14.74 points at 16,364.76, while the Hang Seng ended the morning up 62.68 points at 18,812.37.

New York's main oil contract, light sweet crude for December delivery, was down 35 cents to $58.79 a barrel from $59.14 in late US trade Friday when the contract had jumped $1.26.

Happy trading!

G.

Morning all. Nice to see oil down again.

Good morning all
AN "UPS" for today selected a bit earlier.........

Master RSI - 6 Nov'06 - 10:27 - 31 of 32 edit
UPS
FEP 81 - 85p
The last 3 days the shares are droping but recovering every time from lows and losing less and less. Today could be the day of turn around after the large drop recently and shares doing a FLAP on the chart, Indicators ready for the turnaround aswell at oversold.
L 2 of 2 v 2 and able to buy at 84p

Another one for the "UPS"

BFC 58 - 62p
Reason - Bouncing from the last month lows and indicators at oversold, plant working well with the last production update "shipments to customers arerecommencing" with its expansion plansthe Group plans to construct concurrently two additional 200,000 tonne plants

Last week "UPS" MCGN 55 -57p +5p

is doing well again after news of late last Friday director bought 250K at 51p

End-of-day Market Roundup