Hello traders,

In the US tonight, stocks closed deep in the red with blue chips ending at their lowest level since late January as a disappointing March retail sales report raised questions about the strength of the economic recovery.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 104.04 points at 10,403.93. It was the first triple-digit decline for the blue chip gauge since March 16th and its lowest close since January 24th.

The Nasdaq Composite tumbled 31.03 points to 1,974/37 and the S&P500 lost 13.97 points at 1,173.79.

Bears picnic in the morning, I guess.... ;-)

See you then.

G.

I can see the forsale signs going up in the morning on a few holdings,,nice.

Good morning traders!

The Asian markets are broadly down following the Wall Street slump last night.

On the face of it, a quiet day in prospect in London with only Wimpey's trading statement and BP's AGM scheduled amongst the bigger boys.

Off to find some UK news.....

Happy trading!

G.

The future of UK retailer Woolworths has been called into question after venture capital firm Apax dropped a bid citing concerns over "key cash items". Apax had offered 837m, or 52.8p for every Woolworth share, but withdrew the bid late on Wednesday after having been given access to the firm's books......

GlaxoSmithKline faces a class action lawsuit by shareholders for allegedly concealing problems associated with its selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drug, Paxil....

BRITISH AIRWAYS UPGRADED TO 'ADD' FROM 'HOLD' BY ABN AMRO

RANK CUT TO 'SELL' VS 'HOLD' AT CITIGROUP

CENTRICA RAISED TO 'BUY' VS 'HOLD' AT CITIGROUP

Morning all.

AFX UK at a glance share guide - 2

MARKETS
FTSE 100 4,960.8, up 14.6
FTSE 250 7,244.1, up 17.1
DJIA 10,403.90, down 104.10
Nasdaq Comp 1,974.37, down 31.03
S&P 1,173.80, down 13.95
Tokyo: Nikkei closed at 11,563.17 down 74.35
Hang Seng midday 13,747.82, down 51.80
Gold 428.60 usd (427.30 usd)
Oil - Brent May 50.48 usd (51.98 usd)

BREAKING NEWS
* Apax Partners drops its proposed 837 mln stg takeover offer for WOOLWORTHS GROUP - FT
* Blair guarded on business tax; PM refuses to rule out increase; 'New Labour' programme aimed at cementing reforms; reapproachment with Brown underlined - FT
* RYANAIR and BAA agree on fuel levy

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on BURBERRY (may already be too fashionable for their own good in absolute terms), Oil prices (recent fall in crude prices from their all-time peak may have further to run), Morgan Stanley, Generali
Times
RUMOUR OF THE DAY: ECKOH TECHNOLOGIES (talk that ITV has renewed its contract for premium rate phone services until at least next June) - DIRECTORS' DEALINGS: BOND INTERNATIONAL SOFTWARE (chief executive sells 1 mln shares for 950,000 stg) - EGG (fears that OFT will launch a direct investigation into payment protection insurance) - TEMPUS: IG GROUP (leave well alone), BRITISH LAND (buy), JJB SPORTS (hold)
Express
GW PHARMACEUTICALS (talk of a bullish update) - SHARE WHISPER: ULTRAFRAME (rehashed gossip that it might be taken private) - WHO'S DEALING: ELECO (chairman picks up 135,000 shares at just over 32 pence each)
Guardian
GALLAHER (rumoured bid target) - LODORE RESOURCES (rumours it is working on an equity fundraising)
Telegraph
QUESTOR: SAGE GROUP (better value elsewhere), JJB SPORTS (while trading conditions remain tough, the shares should be shunned), MOSS BROS (don't sell yet)
Mail
CATTLES (talk of bid from PROVIDENT FINANCIAL)
Independent
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: MOSS BROS (hold), CAREFORCE (worth buying), WS ATKINS (a buy) - REUTERS (City bets on bullish update)

Morning all.

Morning all.

Morning all

Morning all.

AFX at a glance - Today's UK, European broker recommendations

LONDON (AFX) - UK and European brokers' recommendations issued today, as collated by AFX News from a range of market sources.

LEHMAN BROTHERS
Reiterates Equalweight Scottish & Newcastle, raises target to 460 pence from 440

CHEUVREUX
Downgrades to Underperform from Outperform Burberry -- Upgrades to Outperform from Underperform Barclays

MERRILL LYNCH
Remains Overweight ASML, cuts target to 14 eur, trims estimates

PANMURE GORDON
Initiates coverage on Yell as Buy, 465 pence target -- Starts HSBC as Sell -- Downgrades to Hold from Buy Morse, cuts target to 100 pence from 130

EVOLUTION
Downgrades to Reduce from Add Woolworths

DEUTSCHE BANK
Reiterates Buy Vedanta, raises target to 590 pence from 565, lifts estimates -- Upgrades to Hold from Sell Antofagasta -- Buy Xstrata, raises target to 1240 from 1140 -- Sell Lonmin, raises target to 890 pence from 880

MORGAN STANLEY
Global Banks; Drops Credit Agricole from Global Banks Model Portfolio -- Overweight ASML, cuts target to 15 eur from 15.2

GOLDMAN SACHS
Reiterates In Line ASML, cuts estimates -- In Line AB Foods, raises estimates -- Underperform Burberry, cuts estimates -- In Line Deutsche Post, raises estimates -- French Banks: Downgrades to In Line from Outperform BNP Paribas -- Outperform Credit Agricole, raises estimates -- In Line Societe Generale, raises estimates

CSFB
Downgrades to Underperform from Neutral Belgacom, 33 eur target

CITIGROUP SMITH BARNEY
Downgrades to Sell from Hold Rank -- Upgrades to Buy from Hold Centrica, raises target to 260 pence from 240 -- Reiterates Buy Burberry, raises target to 480 pence from 460 -- Initiates as Buy Mobilcom

ABN AMRO
Reiterates Underweight Airlines and Airports: Downgrades to Hold from Buy Air France-KLM, Downgrades to Hold from Add British Airways -- Downgrades to Hold from Add Lufthansa -- Downgrades to Reduce from Hold Iberia -- Sell SAS, Add Easyjet and Hold Ryanair

JP MORGAN
Upgrades to Overweight from Neutral ING

Quiet sort of company - nice steady growth since the big write off, 2 years ago.

LONDON (AFX) - WSP Group PLC said chief executive Christopher Cole and finance director Malcolm Paul have each acquired 20,000 ordinary shares in the company at 267.5 pence per share.

Following these purchases, Cole holds 928,777 ordinary shares, representing 1.54 pct and Malcolm Paul holds 842,976 ordinary shares, representing 1.39 pct.

The company said it has also been informed that the WSP Employee Benefit Trust today purchased 150,000 ordinary shares in the company at 267.5 pence each and now holds 317,146 ordinary shares in the company, representing 0.52 pct.

newsdesk@afxnews.com

Anyone else getting no data after clicking on to the company Trades button?

ttt

Stan - It is working OK for me....

Thanks G,

It was a site outage as reported at the top of the board.