LONDON (AFX) - Leading shares are set to show modest gains -- despite the weak end on Wall Street last night -- as investors await updates from Prudential and Egg, dealers said.
According to spread betting firm IG Index, the FTSE 100 should add about 8 points upon open after closing down 25.5 points down at 5,182.1 yesterday, its lowest level of the day.

MARKETS
FTSE 100 5,182.1, down 25.5
FTSE 250 7,535.6 down 14.7
DJIA 10,377.87, down 7.13
Nasdaq Comp 2,109.54 down 6.38
S&P 500 1,196.54 down 2.84
Tokyo: Nikkei midday 13,373.29, up 92.67
Hang Seng midday 14,439.97, up 15.09
Gold 472.30 usd (466.55 usd)
Oil - Brent Dec 60.24 usd (58.24 usd)

TODAY'S PRESS
* Royal Mail finance director will resign today, leaving the postal operator with a crucial board vacancy - FT
* Santander plans to turn its Abbey National subsidiary into a full competitor to the UK's largest banks - FT
* The planned merger of Boots and Alliance Unichem will penalise shareholders who are higher-rate taxpayers - Daily Telegraph
* There is growing speculation on Wall Street that Michael Bloomberg may sell his financial information service for up to 9 bln stg - Independent


PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on RWE/THAMES WATER (the rationale for emphatically closing the book on Kuhnt's legacy remains strong), MARCONI (by finding a buyer and some share price upside, Marconi's executives have delivered a happy ending to a sorry tale), GRUPO SANTANDER (when it comes to acquisitions, management's opportunism keeps undermining the message), ASIAN INTEREST RATES (Asia's central bankers will be watching the new man at the Fed like hawks).
Telegraph
MARKS & SPENCER (takeover rumours revived) - QUESTOR: WHITBREAD (hold), CARPETRIGHT (hold), WESTBURY (hold)
Guardian
CABLE & WIRELESS (takeover speculation with France Telecom linked with bid)
Independent
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: CARPETRIGHT (avoid), WESTBURY (sell)
Times
Directors' dealings: IMPERIAL ENERGY (Four directors buy stock for combined 138,600 stg)
Rumour of the day: DELTRON ELECTRONICS (confirms bid approach - Abacus linked)

Good morning.

Good morning all

End-of-day Market Summary