Hello traders!

In the US tonight, the Dow Jones was up 118.77 points at 12,499.79, while the
S&P500 gained 10.74 points to 1,363.85 and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 12.21
points to 2,316.16.

See you in the morning with the latest....

G.

Morning all. Market reports:

Telegraph
The Times
The Times (Need to know)
The Independent
The Guardian
This is Money

Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said the US economy has stalled and may take longer to recover than normal. The longer growth is frozen, the more likely the US is to see its economy start to contract, Mr Greenspan also warned.
Alan Greenspan downbeat on US economy

A proposed $3 billion (1.5 billion) bailout of Ambac, the bond insurer, by a consortium that includes Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland could be at least a week away and may not be enough to rescue the firm.
Fears that $3bn may not be enough to save Ambac

If a bailout for the bond insurers is finalised, this could well mark the turning point in the global financial crisis.
Bear market: This is the latest buying opportunity

Qatar's 30bn sovereign wealth fund, which is on a shopping trip for shares in major banks, is more interested in European than US lenders due to fears about further fallout from America's sub-prime mortgage crisis.
European lenders top Qatar buying list

The European Union will agree tomorrow on "a set of principles for transparency, predictability and accountability" for Sovereign Wealth Funds, according to the president of the European Commission, JosManuel Barroso.
EU to agree code of principles for sovereign wealth funds

Buyout bosses were hoping for better times but the credit crunch has wiped out the private equity world as we knew it.
Private equity chiefs gather as credit crunch takes its toll

Buyout firms are seeking bargains by purchasing sub-par debt in the wake of the credit crunch.
Seeds of bad debt can yield a rich harvest

Nervous retail investors pulled record amounts from funds last month, confirming fears that the credit crunch and market jitters have taken their toll. Far more investors removed their capital than invested it, according to figures from the Investment Management Association yesterday.
Investors rush to exit stock market savings

Some good news for the housing market emerged yesterday, as the British Bankers' Association reported "exceptionally strong" demand for funds to remortgage property. That would suggest that the credit crunch may not be affecting those refixing their mortgages quite yet, contrary to some of the more gloomy predictions about their plight.
Remortgages fuel small jump in home loan figures for January

Mortgage borrowers unable to muster a big deposit have become the latest victims of the credit crunch after Britain's biggest building society effectively shut its doors to all but the most cash-rich buyers.
Nationwide squeezes all but the most cash-laden buyers

The Government's crackdown on tax evaders stepped up a gear yesterday, with HM Revenue & Customs admitting it paid a substantial sum to an informant for a list of UK citizens holding bank accounts in Liechtenstein, a secretive European tax haven.
HMRC paid informant for secret tax details

The estimated 100,000 payment to the ex-employee of a Liechtenstein bank by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is of a different magnitude and type to the norm. It is much bigger and, crucially, it is for information stolen from a bank, rather than for data honestly obtained or a tip-off freely given.
Taxman is getting tougher with super-rich dodgers

NIKKEI 225	AUSTRALIA ASX200	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Nikkei ended down 89.85 points at 13,824.72, while the Hang
Seng closed the morning session up 259.92 points at 23,529.06.

New York's main oil contract, light sweet crude for delivery in April, gained four
cents to $99.27 per barrel.

Happy trading!

G.

OUTLOOK Standard Chartered FY pretax profit seen up 24 pctOUTLOOK Persimmon FY pretax profit seen marginally higherTFN economic and business calendarAustralian shares close higher on Wall Street gains, strong earnings

Australian shares close higher on Wall Street gains, strong earnings - UPDATE

TFN UK calendar and forecasts for today

The Tuesday Press Roundup

BROKERWATCH Centrica cut to 'equalweight' vs 'overweight' at Lehman Brothers

London shares outlook - firmer as NY rallies; banks, housebuilders likely focus

*FOCUS SOLUTIONS WINS 765,000 STG CONTRACT FROM HSBC

Thomson Financial UK at a glance share guide

Morning!

BROKERWATCH Severn Trent upgraded to 'buy' from 'neutral' at Merrill Lynch

First Day of Dealings

UK smallcap opening - Focus Solutions firms on HSBC contract win

UK smallcap opening - Ultrasis up on Oldham Primary Care Trust contract

UK smallcap opening - Verona Pharma edges up on progress report

London shares open fimer, housebuilders gain as Persimmon reports strong figures

UK smallcap opening - Genus advances on satisfactory interims