Hello traders,

After a particularly quiet start to the week with poor volumes, I'm not sure there is enough in the pipeline for Tuesday to make it much more enthralling.

However, in the US, the Dow has done its bit to help tonight with a rousing performance, adding 112.17 points at 10,252.29, partially recouping losses seen last week when it fell 2%. The Nasdaq Composite was up 17.65 points at 1,994.43 while the S&P500 climbed 11.64 points to 1,165.89.

Crude for June delivery ended down 6 cents at $48.61 a barrel.

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

Sweet dreams!

G.

Good morning traders!

Asian markets are looking weak this morning. The Hang Seng ended the morning down 214.16 points at 13,652.65, and the Nikkei was recently down 35.72 points at 10,911.50.

The oil price nudged slightly higher but is still trading under $49 a barrel.

Off to find some UK news.......

Happy trading!

G.

MICHAEL PAGE DOWNGRADED TO 'NEUTRAL' FROM 'OUTPERFORM' BY CSFB

HAYS DOWNGRADED TO 'UNDERPERFORM' FROM 'NEUTRAL' BY CSFB

ST JAMES'S PLACE UPGRADED TO 'NEUTRAL' FROM 'SELL' AT MERRILL LYNCH

Morning all on this nice sunny morning. Hoping it will be an UP day today.

AFX UK at a glance share guide - 2

MARKETS
FTSE 100 4,884.2, down 2.3
FTSE 250 6,805.5, up 10.5
DJIA 10,252.30, up 112.20
Nasdaq Comp 1,994.43, up 17.65
S&P 500 1,165.70, up 11.65
Tokyo: Nikkei closed at 10,825.39, down 121.83
Hang Seng midday 13,652.65, down 214.16
Gold 419.25 usd (420.60 usd)
Oil - Brent June 48.05 usd (48.66 usd)

BREAKING NEWS
* New rules on equity release; government plans to bring property schemes under FSA regulation; homeowners to be compensated in event of mis-selling - FT
* Florida jury orders Morgan Stanley to pay tycoon Ronald Perelman 604 mln usd over Sunbeam fraud - FT
* Glazer debt may hit 894 mln stg - FT
* Lord Hollick waives bonus - FT
* Voting advisory service Pensions Investment Research Consultants urging WILLIAM MORRISON SUPERMARKETS investors to oust Sir Ken Morrison as the supermarket chain's executive chairman - FT
* Association of British Insurers stands shoulder to shoulder with Sir Ken Morrison
* WILLIAM HILL to buy STANLEY LEISURE's 624 betting shops for 504 mln stg cash
* A golf club has decided to go to court rather than pay a fee to HAYS, the recruitment group, because it is so "appalled" at the service it received - Independent

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on MANCHESTER UNITED (fans are talking of a boycott; the football club's buy-out could eventually provoke a similar rejection among financiers), UK gambling, Gulf stock markets, Telefonica - ROBERT WISEMAN DAIRIES (Hopes that First Milk will build a bigger stake may underpin them) - CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY TECHNOLOGY (abandoning the target may enable it to make the most of its alliance with ASTRAZENECA in the longer term)
Independent
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: UNITED BUSINESS MEDIA (worth holding to see how Levin does), GAMING CORPORATION (buy), CARDPOINT (a buy, but not without risk)
Guardian
ARTEMIS ALPHA TRUST (its second biggest holding is a 3.2 pct stake in WHITE NILE) - NAPIER BROWN FOODS (absence of an update on bid talks could be ominous)
Times
DIRECTORS' DEALINGS: GAMING CORPORATION (chairman picks up 350,000 shares at 13-1/2 pence) - TEMPUS: DCC (buy), CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY (avoid), RM (buy)
Telegraph
ACTIF GROUP (takeover talk) - QUESTOR: DCC (should be some upside left in the shares), ROBERT WISEMAN DAIRIES (worth hanging on to), RM avoid for now)
Express
REXAM (hopes for a business boom from a summer heatwave) - SHARE WHISPER: EUROVESTECH (stake in ToLuna, which is to float on AIM) - WHO'S DEALING: ULTIMATE FINANCE (directors buy stock)
Mail
ADMIRAL (fears of increased competition) - DESIGNER VISION (talk of an imminent placing at 6-1/2 pence to raise around 500,000 stg)