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News Headlines:    US Stock prices ended little changed despite some pressure from investors taking profits after the recent strong rally.

Abbey National says that its restructuring is progressing as planned and that its core personal financial services unit would deliver profits in-line with guidance. While mortgage sales continued to be strong and credit quality remained good in the first half of the year, investment sales to retail customers had fallen significantly

International Power, British Energy: Britain's energy regulator Callum McCarthy said wholesale electricity prices in the UK are unlikely to recover from their current lows until the country's surplus of power stations is cut substantially. George Wimpey said results for the six months to the end of June are expected to show excellent progress on the same period of 2002.The group said lower volumes in George Wimpey UK will be more than offset by improved average selling prices and margins, a 'useful contribution' from Laing Homes and 'encouraging further growth in volumes and margins' in Morrison Homes.It added that strong order books provide a firm foundation for an improved outlook for the year as a whole.

Boots & Severn Trent go ex-dividend which will be to take 1.3 points off the FTSE 100

Hays PLC said over overall trading remained in line with its expectations but said 'Forecasts of economic conditions and business sentiment are inconclusive and the short term outlook for our business remains difficult to predict accurately'.

Firms' demand for commercial property has fallen into negative territory for the first time in five years, a six-monthly survey by the Confederation of British Industry shows.

Calendar All GMT	United Kingdom (F)inals (I)nterim	United States (Click Flag)	Europe & World
Wed 18th         Ex Dividend:	Domino Printing Sciences (I), Abbey National Trading Statement, Misys Trading Statements George Wimpey Trading Statement, Taylor & Francis (AGM) 09.30 Bank of England MPC Minutes Stock Option Expiry 10:00 10:30	Morgan Stanley (Q2)	Hennes & Mauritz (Q2) 11.00 May Euro-Zone CPI y/y 1.9% exp. US: 11.00 April Euro-Zone Trade Balance
	3i Group (8.6), Bank of Ireland (EUR0.238), Boots (20.2), Brown (N) Group (4.1), Character Group (1), DawsonHoldings (2.6), Electrocomponents (11.75), Fuller, Smith & Turner (11.37), Helphire (1.5), Liontrust Asset Management (3), Liontrust Asset, Management Special Dividend (8.25), London Merchant Securities (4.3), London Scottish Bank (1.65), Moss Bros (0.75), Severn Trent (28.56), Uniq (3.8)
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