Hello traders!

In the US tonight, the DJIA was last up 38.43 points at 12,758.66, heading for the
close. The S&P500 was up 5.44 points at 1,381.38 and the Nasdaq Composite
23.6 points better at 2,400.54.

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

G.

Morning all. Market reports:

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

Marcel Rohner, the UBS chief, told angry shareholders that the group's investment banking business would be slashed in size.
UBS ends an era in investment banking

The number of mortgages taken out slumped by nearly 50 per cent last month as the mortgage drought left buyers scrambling to secure home loans in the wake of the credit crunch.
Buyers scramble for home loans as drought intensifies

Two options; one nasty dilemma for the Bank of England. In particularly stark and simple terms, this is the question tearing a major split through the Monetary Policy Committee, which decides interest rates.
Bank of England's dilemma: A house price crash or soaring inflation

Minutes from the Monetary Policy Committee's meeting revealed that two members voted to keep borrowing costs unchanged while another called for a more dramatic half percentage point cut. Six of the MPC, including Governor Mervyn King, voted for the quarter point cut.
Bank of England split three ways in interest rates decision

For the second time in a year, Cattles, the sub-prime and doorstep lender, seeks capital to shore up its balance sheet.
Cattles to milk markets for another 200m

Robert Shiller, the Yale university economics professor who accurately predicted the top of the internet boom, said today that there is a good chance that residential property prices will fall further than those sustained during the Great Depression when home values fell by 30 per cent.
Schiller says US house price fall may double

The roaring oil boom of the last few months may be on its last legs as economic growth slows hard across the world and a clutch new refineries come into operation, Lehman Brothers has warned in a hard-hitting report.
Lehman warns that oil boom will deflate

The price of rice has touched a new high, setting off fresh alarm around the world where export cuts by rice-producing nations have already led to food riots in countries that depend on imports to keep their populations fed.
Commodities 'out of control' as rice hits new high

The global trade in rice lurched to the brink of a 1970s-style oil shock today as prices surged 2.3 per cent to a new high and speculation mounted that Thailand, Asias predominant rice superpower, may join other regional producers in curbing exports.
Rice hits high as Thailand threatens supply curb

With supplies dwindling and customers hoarding stocks, the US giant Wal-Mart and British stores are starting to restrict sales.
Food crisis: rationing introduced in bid to protect rice supplies

The Office of Fair Trading has been forced to apologise to supermarket chain Wm Morrison as it settled a libel action linked to the regulator's long-running probe into the alleged price-fixing of milk.
Office of Fair Trading apologises for Morrisons attack

NIKKEI 225	AUSTRALIA ASX200	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

US Video: Stock Market Technical Analysis 4/23/08

OUTLOOK AstraZeneca Q1 sales seen up 13 pct as generic outlook easesOUTLOOK Punch investors look for trading reassurances but see little news on M&BOUTLOOK Sabadell Q1 expected to confirm banking credit quality concernsOUTLOOK Reckitt Benckiser Q1 sales growth at top end of its target rangeOUTLOOK Bayer Q1 opg seen edging up as drop in plastics offsets drug unit's gainTFN economic and business calendarThomson Financial Europe AM at a glance share guide: Stocks rise; oil mixed

Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Hang Seng ended the morning up 400.99 points at 25,690.23,
while the Nikkei was recently down 7.58 points at 13,571.58.

New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in June, slipped
35 cents to $117.95 per barrel.

Happy trading!

G.

The Thursday Press Roundup

London shares outlook - down, as US companies disappoint; AstraZeneca reports

Thomson Financial UK at a glance share guide

STOCKWATCH Bayer higher pre-bourse on strong Q1 result

Tokyo shares close lower on caution about local corporate earnings

BROKERWATCH SonaeCom cut to 'neutral' by Credit Suisse; target 2.8 eurosAustralian shares close lower led by declines in banks

STOCKWATCH Persimmon down after weak sales update, outlook; Landsbanki cuts ests

UK smallcap opening - Domino's Pizza climbs on encouraging AGM; Altium 'buy'

Australian shares close lower led by banks - UPDATE

CORRECTION Tokyo shares close lower on caution about earningsUK smallcap opening - Ethanol Investments rises on transformational move

Tokyo shares close lower on caution about earnings - UPDATE

UK smallcap opening - Rockhopper lifted by operational update

STOCKWATCH William Hill lower after trading statement; Merrill Lynch 'neutral'

UK smallcap opening - EnCore Oil firms on Dana discovery news