Morning all. Friday's market reports:

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

Saturday

Growth in the economy fell to its weakest in three years in the first quarter as the credit crunch sapped activity in key parts of the services sector, official figures showed yesterday.
Economic growth at lowest in three years

UK house prices will fall by almost 20pc over the next two years, according to analysts at Capital Economics. The economics consultancy has slashed its forecasts for UK prices and now expects them to fall 8pc this year and 10pc in 2009, down from its original expectation of a 5pc fall in 2008.
UK house prices will fall almost 20pc in next two years

The era of the amateur landlord has all but ended, with banks effectively refusing to lend to new entrants to the buy-to-let market. Thousands of existing landlords also face huge increases in the cost of remortgaging, experts said yesterday.
Banks pull the plug on buy-to-let landlords

The centrepiece of the Governments plan to unclog Britains money markets could be disrupted by European regulators because it falls foul of state-aid rules, competition lawyers said yesterday. The Bank of Englands scheme to free up Britains home loan market by injecting 50 billion into the banking sector risks contravening the rules because it gives unfair advantage to British banks over rivals, experts say.
EU may declare Bank's 50bn money market rescue 'Out'

Germany's finance minister, Peer Steinbrk, blamed the Bank of England yesterday for the collapse of Northern Rock and the loss of 2,000 jobs, savaging the central bank for not pumping enough liquidity into money markets last year.
German minister blames Bank of England for Northern Rock debacle

Nationwide building society increased the interest rate paid on one of its savings bonds yesterday to 6.6% as Britain's savers were enjoying a bonanza because of the credit crunch. Banks and building societies are desperate to raise more funds because the crisis has closed off international money markets.
High-street savings war erupts as banks try to boost cash reserves

Abbey, the high-street bank owned by the Spanish group Santander, will today launch the latest stage of an aggressive drive to win market share from its struggling banking competitors, as it launches one of the first credit cards to offer cash withdrawals for free.
Abbey bids to cash in on rivals' credit crisis woes

Sunday

Board directors at HBOS, Britain's biggest mortgage lender, will tomorrow discuss potential plans to tap shareholders for billions of pounds of fresh capital. The bank, which will accompany its annual meeting on Tuesday with a trading update, was last night undecided about such a move, which will be formally debated at a board meeting tomorrow.
HBOS to debate cash call as property investments struggle

The board is being asked to consider raising between 2 billion and 4 billion from investors. It is still possible that the group, which has a market value of 18 billion, could attempt to ride out the credit crisis without raising additional funds.
HBOS board to consider rights issue

Homeowners face the threat of soaring repossessions this year, with a 25 per cent increase in the number of properties expected to be seized by the banks and building societies as mortgage costs remain stubbornly high.
Repossessions set to soar as costs spiral

Global private-equity giant Blackstone is raising a European property fund of up to 3.5bn (2.8bn) in an attempt to begin picking off the most attractive players in the sector as values continue to fall.
Blackstone property fund to cash in on slump

THE investigation into the collapse in the share price of HBOS last month on a rumour that the bank was facing a liquidity crisis, has been widened to take in other banks that have suffered similar falls.
FSAs shorting inquiry widens to other banks

Pension funds for defined benefit company schemes are facing huge shortfalls because members are living far longer than expected, according to a report seen exclusively by The Independent on Sunday.
'Apocalypse' warning to company pension funds as life expectancy rises

The nation's top military officer said yesterday that the Pentagon is planning for "potential military courses of action" as one of several options against Iran, criticizing what he called the Tehran government's "increasingly lethal and malign influence" in Iraq.
U.S. Weighing Readiness for Military Action Against Iran

Monday

HBOS was last night drawing up plans for a rights issue raising up to 4 billion pounds of fresh capital after taking the view that it wants a big cushion of capital as Britain enters a housing downturn.
HBOS set for rights issue to bolster balance sheet

House prices could fall by 25 per cent if the credit crunch persists, with the market declining by 10 per cent this year and by a further 15 percentage points in 2009, a new study suggests.
House prices could fall a quarter over next two years, agents warn

The number of companies entering insolvency has risen to the highest level for five years due to the ongoing credit crisis.
Company insolvency climbs 17pc

Hopes that plunging American residential property prices may soon start to bottom out were raised yesterday after one Wall Street fund that specialises in buying distressed real estate revealed plans to start spending its $1 billion (504 million) investment portfolio in the next three to six months.
Weis Group move to scoop up 1bn of US property

Renowned investor Jim Rogers has revealed that he has begun buying Chinese shares again as the market has bottomed.
China a buy for top investor Jim Rogers

Frustrated creditors have forced Smith & Williamson, the administrators of collapsed broker Global Trader Europe (GTE), to bring in rival accountancy firm Grant Thornton as a joint liquidator.
Global Trader Europe creditors vote for joint liquidator

NIKKEI 225	AUSTRALIA ASX200	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

US Video: Stock Market Technical Analysis 4/25/08

Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Hang Seng finished the morning session up 94.81 points at
24,611.59, while the Nikkei was recently down 96.96 points at 13,766.51.

New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in June,
touched $119.93 a barrel in electronic deals and was later trading in Asia at
$119.35, up 83 cents.

Happy trading!

G.

OUTLOOK - UK companies results for 2 weeks to May 9TFN UK calendar and forecasts for todayTFN economic and business calendar to Friday May 9Thomson Financial Europe AM at a glance share guide: Stocks mixed; oil surges

Thomson Financial UK at a glance share guide - weekend

*UNIQ SAYS Q1 UK SALES UP 0.6 PERCENT, OUTLOOK BECOMING CLEARERLondon shares outlook - up as NY closes firmer, HBOS right issue talk

BROKERWATCH Sage to 'underweight' vs 'overweight' at Morgan Stanley, target 185pThe Monday Press Roundup

BROKERWATCH Prudential target raised to 800 pence from 750p at ING; 'buy' kept

Thomson Financial UK at a glance share guide

BROKERWATCH Centrica reduced to 'sell' from 'hold' at Soc Gen; tp 260 pence

BROKERWATCH Shire downgraded to 'underperform' at Credit Suisse, 823p targetBROKERWATCH Drax cut to 'hold' from 'add' at Dresdner Kleinwort

Australian shares close off highs after BHP falls

UK smallcap opening - Micap rises on disposalsTokyo shares close higher as credit concerns ease

BROKERWATCH Banco Sabadell cut to 'sell' from 'underperform' at Cheuvreux

UK smallcap opening - Ultrasis advances Primary Care contract news

BROKERWATCH India's Hindustan Zinc upgraded to 'buy' at EdelweissUK smallcap opening - Bateman Litwin higher on $85 million contract winLondon shares open firmer after higher Wall Street close; Whitbread, banks gain

STOCKWATCH Colonial resumes trade sharply higher after creditor agreementsUK smallcap opening - Indago Petroleum runs back as Al Jariya-1 well plugged

Australian shares close off highs as BHP drags - UPDATE

STOCKWATCH Cadbury Schweppes rises after Goldman Sachs resumes with 'neutral'STOCKWATCH Supermarkets mixed on OFT raid news; Merrill Lynch dismissive