Outlook

LONDON (AFX) - Leading shares are expected to open higher this morning, following gains on Wall Street last night after minutes from the latest FOMC meeting appeared to suggest US rate hikes may soon end, dealers said.
According to spread-betting firm IG Index, the FTSE 100 index is expected to open around 15 points higher at 5,532.

MARKETS
FTSE 100 5,517.2 up 19.3
FTSE 250 8,245.8 up 16.6
DJIA 10,871.40 up 51.10
Nasdaq Comp 2,253.56 up 11.89
S&P 500 1,261.25 up 6.40
Tokyo: Nikkei closed
Hang Seng midday 15,024.25 up 138.60
Gold 491.75 usd (488.00 usd)
Oil - Brent Jan 56.41 usd (55.33 usd)

TODAY'S PRESS
* AMEC understood to have received a takeover approach that values the construction and infrastructure froup at more than 1.2 bln stg - Guardian
* Factories rush to cut output as gas prices surge 40 pct - Telegraph
* UK faces setback over US weapons; intransigent Congress thwarts five-year campaign - FT
* Fed hints at an end to interest rate rises - FT
* The tenure of George Burnett, veteran chief executive of ASHTEAD, being challenged from within the company by covert efforts to oust him from the plant equipment and tool hire group - FT

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on E.on/SCOTTISH POWER (Scottish Power chief executive must now convince shareholders he can lift the share price above E.on's offer within the next year or so), EASYJET (investors are betting on a bid by FI Group), Microsoft's Xbox (within Microsoft, Xbox is unlikely to rival the importance of servers as a third leg; but moving into profit would boost investors' faith that Microsoft can develop attractive new businesses beyond the PC), Japanese yen (there are hints that capital outflows are growing - suggesting a weaker yen could persist), Parmalat (share price implies a 15 pct recovery of all claims in 2009; that looks prudent rather than unfair), Turkeys (while the case is harder to make for turkey prices, that does not mean that turkey farmers should expect good times to last)
Independent
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: ENTERPRISE INNS (a good time for shareholders to take some of their considerable profits), INNOVATION GROUP (buy), SIGNET (hold) - LONDON CLUBS (Genting bid talk)
Mail
LONDON CLUBS (revived talk of a 155 per per share bid from Genting) - HOMEBUY (forthcoming interims should exceed market expectations by a country mile)
Express
SHARE WHISPER: CARTER & CARTER (speculation it has been short-listed for a two-year contract to train apprentices for government-funded courses)
Times
Directors' dealings: MOSS BROS (chief executive buys stock for 18,625 stg) - Rumour of the day: ADDLEISURE (talk it has signed a three-year licensing tie-up with Brunswick, the American fitness equipment maker) - SKYEPHARMA (rumours of suitor sounding out support) - TEMPUS: ENTERPRISE INNS (buy), GREAT PORTLAND (hold), SSL INTERNATIONAL (avoid)
Telegraph
QUESTOR: ENTERPRISE INNS (hold), EASYJET (hold), SSL INTERNATIONAL (a possible takeover approach is reason enough for existing investors to hold; others drawn by SSL's charms are best off resisting the temptation)

Good morning all.

Morning All,

SPW giving people another chance to buy I see.

Good Morning all

End-of-day Market Summary