Good morning traders!

In Asia, the Nikkei was last down 53.13 points at 12,933.65 and the Hang Seng ended the morning down 52.52 points at 14,988.50.

Oil prices weakened further in Asia and New York's light sweet crude for delivery in October, fell 26 cents to $64.49 a barrel from its close of $64.75 in the US overnight.

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

Happy Friday!

G.

SHIRE PHARMA CUT TO 'NEUTRAL' VS 'BUY' AT UBS

GCap Media cut to 'underperform' vs 'neutral' at CSFB, price tgt 264p

INTERTEK CUT TO 'NEUTRAL' VS 'BUY' AT UBS

Standard Chartered downgraded to 'reduce' at ABN Amro

LONDON (AFX) - Leading shares look set for a flat early performance this morning following a mixed showing overnight on Wall Street and weakness in Asia, and with triple-witching futures and options expiries due today, dealers said.
Spread bettors IG Index expect the FTSE 100 index to open flat at around 5,385.4. The UK blue chip index closed last night 36.1 points higher at 5,383.5.

MARKETS
FTSE 100 5,383.5, up 36.1
FTSE 250 7,866.6, up 3.5
DJIA 10,558.80, up 13.90
Nasdaq Comp 2,146.15, down 3.18
S&P 500 1,227.75, up 0.60
Tokyo: Nikkei midday 12,906.79, down 79.99
Hang Seng midday 14,988.50, down 52.52
Gold 454.15 usd (448.25 usd)
Oil - Brent Oct 63.16 usd (63.37 usd)

TODAY'S PRESS
* B&Q and NEXT add to retail depression - FT
* IMF cuts British growth forecasts - FT
* NHS slips 250 mln stg into the red this year - FT
* A private equity consortium led by Apax Partners bidding for TDC, the Danish telecoms company, which is valued at 8 bln stg - FT
* BAE SYSTEMS insists it has strict rules governing dealings with consultants after allegations that advisers to the defence group made payments to former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet - FT
* BAE SYSTEMS could face inquiry by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission over Pinochet bribes claim - Times
* US politicians foiled in effort to ban web gaming - Independent

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on NEXT (still looks like a comfortable seat to be in), Airlines (for now, investing in airline stocks looks set to remain a dreary experience, sprinkled with a few seconds of sheer terror after every temporary spike), CENTRICA (risky for a utility stock), Skandia/OLD MUTUAL (Skandia's board is split on the deal) - AGGREKO (may not be much upside potential) - ABBOT GROUP (significant scope for upgrades) - SMALL TALK: Israeli start-ups are making their home in London
Independent
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: AGGREKO (buy), LUMINAR (steer clear), PROSTRAKAN (worth tucking away for the long term) - FIRST TECHNOLOGY (worries it might need to raise fresh capital)
Times
RUMOUR OF THE DAY: MOWLEM (talk it is coming under pressure to break up after July's profit warning) - DIRECTORS' DEALINGS: GREAT PORTLAND ESTATES (non-executive chairman sells stock for 414,700 stg) - TEMPUS: NEXT (hold but keep an eye out for signs that the firm is being led astray by dangerous share price targets), 888 HOLDINGS (flotation game is one to sit out), KIER GROUP (buy)
Guardian
BOC (Linde bid speculation; BASF stakebuilding talk) - FRIENDS PROVIDENT (Axa ups stake to 15 pct) - KESA ELECTRICALS (talk it could be vulnerable to a leveraged buyout) - PHARMAGENE (City speculators convinced it has received an approach)
Telegraph
QUESTOR: CENTRICA (worth a look for income investors), GOSHAWK (risk averse investors should avoid), DIGNITY (no more than a hold)
Mail
MORGAN CRUCIBLE (may well be vulnerable to a takeover - analysts)
Express
SHARE WHISPER: BOWLEVEN (could be about to announce a positive drilling update) - WHO'S DEALING: IMPAX GROUP (boardroom buying)
Investors Chronicle
TIPS - LARGE COMPANIES: BSKYB (buy), ACAMBIS (sell), TURBO GENSET (buy); TIPS - SMALLER COMPANIES: SOVEREIGN REVERSIONS (buy), EVOLUTEC (buy), ASCENT RESOURCES (buy); TIPS - UPDATE: PUNCH TAVERNS (buy), BOND INTERNATIONAL (buy), MFI (sell), AVESCO (buy)

Morning

TIME got a nice trial?

ADC got new order - where's Prissy? ;-)

EKA start mining

BDI have another contract

IIR reporting GOOG sued by German outfit.

ITO profit warning

Pretty quiet out there.

End of day market wrap