Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Nikkei was up 69.63 points at 8,897.89, while the Hang Seng
is closed for a public holiday.

Crude oil traded at $50.85 a barrel on Nymex.

Happy Friday!

G.

Morning all. Market reports:

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

Leading City analysts shrug off poor growth figures and fears of swine flu pandemic to hail surge in equities as end of recession.
FTSE rally prompts talk of new bull market

The FTSE 100 rounded off its best month since 2003 and entered bull market territory, which is defined as a 20 per cent rise from recent lows, for the first time last night since the onset of the financial storm.
Blue chips see best month in six years

Chrysler is headed toward bankruptcy because the deal it offered creditors was too stingy. Might GM face similar problems?
Creditors Scuttle a Chrysler Deal. Could the Same Happen to GM?

A flu pandemic could wipe more than 7pc off Britain's economic output, and trigger the worst recession since the early 1920s, according to Bank of England calculations.
Flu pandemic could wipe 7pc off UK economy, warns Bank

While the worlds best brains work furiously to try and alleviate the current financial crisis with all sorts of monetary and fiscal measures, Michael Lardelli posting on Australias Online Opinion platform presents another explanation for the crisis. Lardellis explanation notably doesnt blame liquidity, but declining global energy resources.
Its not a liquidity crisis, its an energy crisis stupid

NIKKEI 225	AUSTRALIA ASX200	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

KOSPI	VIX	GOLD	NYMEX CRUDE

BA Morgan Stanley: upgraded to overweight from equalweight, tp cut to 470 from 540
BG. ING: reiterated hold, tp raised to 1150 from 1120
BSY JP Morgan: reiterated underweight, tp raised to 500 from 420
BSY UBS: neutral, tp raised to 525 from 500
COLT Oriel: buy, tp 170
DSGI Deutsche Bank: upgraded to hold from sell, tp raised to 35 from 18
GMG Deutsche: buy, tp raised to 210 from 190
GOG Citigroup: downgraded to hold from buy, tp raised to 1290 from 1191
HMV Deutsche Bank: buy, tp raised to 170 from 160
HOME Deutsche Bank: hold, tp raised to 250 from 210
HSBA Deutsche: hold
INF UBS: reiterated buy, tp 500
KGF Deutsche Bank: buy, tp raised to 210 from 170
LLOY Deutsche Bank: sell
LMI Investec: upgraded to hold from sell, tp raised to 1300 from 1135
MKS Deustche: sell, tp raised to 300 from 250
MKS UBS: reiterated neutral, tp raised to 340 from 235
NXT Deutsche: hold, tp raised to 250 from 210
NWG UBS: initiated neutral
PNN UBS: initiated buy, tp 495
RBS Deutsche Bank: hold
RTO Seymour Pierce: reiterated sell
SIG Deutsche: buy, tp raised to 1400 from 1150
SHP UBS: reiterated buy, tp cut to 1050 from 1100
SMWH Deutsche Bank: buy, tp raised to 470 from 420
STAN Deutsche Bank: sell
SVT UBS: initiated neutral, tp 1065
TNI Citigroup: upgraded to buy from sell, tp raised to 90 from 25
UU. UBS: initiated sell, tp 470
VED Citigroup: buy, tp raised to 1230 from 725
WLF Citigroup: reiterated hold, tp raised to 125 from 90

RBS upgrades European industrials sector to overweight from neutral
RBS cuts European telecoms sector to underweight
RBS raises European utilities sector to overweight

End-of-day Market Overview

I will put together the Traders Thread for Tuesday 5th May on Sunday.

Have a great weekend all!

G.

Have a good weekend, don't work too hard.