Compass Group The world's biggest catering firm said it would hit its financial targets for the year and was confident about the coming fiscal year, despite economic uncertainty. They said like-for-like turnover growth would be at least six percent in the year with like-for-like margins up 20-30 basis points.

mmO2 reported strong customer and average revenue growth through the second quarter, but it expected revenue growth in its core UK market to slow in the second half. Europe's fifth-largest listed mobile phone operator also said it expected full-year capital expenditure to be between five and 10 percent below a previous forecast of 1.3 billion pounds

Severn Trent said in a trading update that underlying pre-tax profit at its Biffa waste division was expected to be around four to eight percent ahead of the first half of last year, excluding the impact of any change to pension valuations. First-half profit at the group's services division was expected to be more than 20 percent higher than a year earlier.

Thus telecoms said it was on course to meet forecasts for turnover and earnings growth in its year ending in March after a strong first-half performance. They also said it was confident of achieving its target for sustainable positive cash flow after interest and capital expenditure in the fourth quarter of the current financial year.

Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries said that trading for its 51 week period to September 20 was in line with its own expectations. The group which also runs over 1,600 pubs said that good summer weather contributed to satisfactory trading in its second half, but warned of continued pressure from rising employee and regulatory costs.

United Kingdom Calendar (F)inals (I)nterim	United States  (GMT)	Europe & World (GMT)
Mon 29th Sep Reporting Company Updates Financial Data Close Brothers (F) PBT 82m exp, Alexon Group (I), Hardy Underwriting (I), Personal Group (I), White Young Green (F) Compass Group Trading Statement, HMV Trading Statement mmO2 Trading Statement, SABMiller Trading Statement Scottish Radio Trading Statement, Severn Trent Pre-Close Statement Biocompatibles (BII). Return of Capital and Consolidation Ex Date. Terms are 25p per share and 11 New Shares for every 13 Ordinary Shares held 00.01 September CBI Pay Settlements, 09.30 August Final M4 Money Supply y/y 09.30 August Net consumer Credit 1.7bn exp, 09.30 September Preliminary M0 Money Supply y/y 7.6% exp. 09.30 2nd Quarter Business Investment q/q, 10.30 September Gfk Consumer Confidence 2.0 exp.	13.30 August Personal Income 0.3% exp. 13.30 August Personal Spending 0.8% exp.	07.00 October German Gfk Consumer Confidence
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Headlines: Italy in grip of massive power cut that have plunged the nation into crisis.

Cars: Sales are on track to top targets of 2.52m this year, says the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, as customer take advantage of cheap finance and free insurance offers.

Euro: City sentiment has swung against the single European currency following Sweden's vote against joining.

Air France: The carrier is set to unveil the terms of an alliance with Dutch peer KLM, potentially paving the way for a 2.5bn merger

British Sky Broadcasting has hired headhunters to find a new chief executive, indicating it is resisting pressure from Rupert Murdoch to appoint his son James, Sunday Telegraph The Safeway's board will tell William Morrison Supermarkets to offer 3.5 billion pounds for the supermarket company, Sunday Times Talisman Energy, Canada's No. 2 oil explorer, is nearing a test project for a North Sea wind farm that could lead to one of the world's largest such ventures, with an estimated cost of 580 million Asda cuts petrol prices A SMALL rise in corporate bond yields and a modest rally in shares is all that is needed to wipe out the multi-billion pound pensions deficit at British firms, according to a prominent financial figure.

Boots to widen Irish footprint Scottish Radio to broadcast growth Morrison bid for Safeway cleared AIB revises Govett offer in bid to aid liquidation Ofgem in Powergen pricing probe MM02 needs a plan not just a deal Safeway, William Morrison seeks 500m sweetener

Ryanair strikes deal in airport subsidy row BAE UK could make $300bn warplane Abbey banks on fresh start with rebranding Ireland: RBoS refused Conduit 12.5m for UK launch Queens Moat to quit Continent Lloyds TSB Hatchet man tackles Widows 100m crisis

HBOS 100m expansion bid as City Inn moves south

Texas Oil & Gas pays its own boss 200,000 for oil wells BSkyB erects hurdle in James Murdoch's path Supermarkets fear new crackdown on 'bully-boy' tactics Torex to sell retail arm to buy-in team for 62m

Cable & Wireless and IBM bury the hatchet Diamond plots Barclays exit Met's 80m crime-scene profiler to be sold by 3i

William Morrison Sainsbury fears bid by Green Scottish and Southern Energy Powergen to swoop for Midlands Banks will try to buy Canary Wharf on cheap British Airways Air France-KLM merger threatens BA dominance Trinity Mirror Beckham sale boosts record United profits

Safeway, Sainsbury fears bid by Green BSkyB revolt gathers pace Gold miners to sue Anglo British Energy on the brink

Asda to quit fight for Safeway, Path cleared for Morrison offer Iceland facing full fraud probe, Retailer hit by insider dealing claims 'Act now to save pensions'ABI in plea at Labour conference Chelski boss goes shopping Abramovich planning Fulham mall buy Funds fight over Sky succession, Murdoch scheme angers City investors How ex-Equitable bosses cashed in, Court papers reveal 2m fees bonanza Our cynical rivals, by new-look Abbey, Arnold lashes out over 'best buy' ploys EMI turns to City for bid funds, Music giant in fresh tilt at Warner Boxing deal on despite legal row, Sports & Leisure caught in broker clash Freight firms hit back at rail cuts, Fury over watchdog's belt-tightening

Tie Rack sets out new stall, Eighties icon targeting woman Shadow over Boots factories, Cost-cutting retailer mulls pull-out Germans eye stake in BBC books C&W stuck with 300m loss-maker, Bankers scupper management buyout Man U set to score record profits, Shares' two-year peak on takeover buzz 21m hand-out for Alexon investors Bay Trading company in shares buyback City takes its profits on Headlam, Funds unload shares in floors firm Rivals vie for S&N spoils, Pubmaster, Punch in the hunt

BP and Shell lined up to redevelop Iraq's oilfields  

MoD's 2bn cutbacks strike at the heart of BAE

Man U results will play second fiddle to takeover talk Why the Murdoch spin machine is in a frenzy over top BSkyB job Old Mutual favourite to land AMP's 1bn UK assets BAE Systems delays aerostructures sale Kane confirms Lloyds' support for Widows

John Wood Group Motherwell Bridge in 30m buy-ou Aberdeen Asset sees bumper return on Xyratex investment British Energy escapes administration RBS reveals its strategy on the funding of Scottish start-ups

Out of running for Scottish & Newcastle

Tips: Buy Provident Financial (PFG) at 671p - Robert Walters (RWA) at 92p - Jennings (JBC) at 206p - Mayborn (MBY) at 162p - Primary Health Properties (PHP) at 215p. Sell Luminar (LMR) at 482p.Company News:Buy Antisoma (ASM) and Glisten (GLI).

Plays of the Week: Buy Hornby (HRN) at 10.20 - Highland Gold Mining (HGM) at 244p - Arena Leisure (ARE) at 36.75p - Parkdean Holidays (PDH) 175p.Tip Updates: Buy Filtronic (FTC) and hold Invox (INX), Caledon Resources (CDN), Telecom Plus (TEP) and Sterling Energy (SEY).Revaluing Tech Shares: Arm Holdings (ARM) - Autonomy (AUTN) - iTouch (ITU) - Superscape (SPS) - TTP Communications (TTC) - ServicePower (SVR) - London Bridge Software (LNB) - Dicom (DCM) - Pilat Media (PGB). News Feature:Marks & Spencer (MKS).