LONDON (AFX) - Leading shares are expected to make a flat start this morning in the absence of any lead from Wall Street and with little corporate news scheduled aside from a trading update from supermarket giant Tesco, dealers said.
Spread betting firm IG Index expect the FTSE 100 index to open around 3 points lower at 5,508.

FTSE 100 5,511 down 21.7
FTSE 250 8,289.7 down 16.8
DJIA Closed
Nasdaq Comp Closed
S&P 500 Closed
Tokyo: Nikkei closed 14,784.29 up 41.71 points
Hang Seng midday 15,050.77 down 33.62
Gold 493.37 usd (490.6)
Oil - Brent Jan 55.30 usd (56.21 usd)

TODAY'S PRESS
* WPP is expected to declare by today's "put up or shut up" deadline at noon that it is not going to launch a bid for Aegis, reports - Daily Telegraph

PRESS COMMENT

FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on BRITISH LAND (investors will need to see evidence of success in "sweating assets for British Land's valuation gap to narrow), DOLLAR/EURO (as the interest rate story becomes less attractive, the current account deficit is likely to return to the forefront of investors' minds), CHINESE CARMAKERS (for investors looking for exposure to Chinese cars, it would be safer to buy those partners directly), EUROPEAN SUPERMARKETS (discounters and market leaders may be converging on the soft-discount model, but the competition will remain vicious), BNP PARIBAS (the share have outperformed this year but still trade at a 5 pct discount to the sector which looks a bit mean)
Times
Rumour of the day: SWEET CHINA (the cash shell is expected to buy a Hong Kong-based supplier of confectionery to the likes of Wal-Mart and Harrods for 5 mln stg) - HBOS (rumours of bid for St George, Australia's fifth-largest lender) - TEMPUS: GCAP MEDIA (sell), KESA ELECTRICALS (hold long-term potential but hang fire at least until after Christmas), HALFORDS (the shares, which trade at a discount to peers, should be bought)
Telegraph
QUESTOR: AMEC (sell), BRITISH LAND (hold), HALFORDS (buy)
Independent
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: BRITISH LAND (buy), EUROMONEY (buy), IMAGINATION TECHNOLOGIES (avoid)
Investors Chronicle
Large Companies -- TESCO (buy), KENSINGTON (buy), VECTURA (buy) - Smaller Companies -- PREMIER DIRECT (buy), AFRIORE (buy), SHED PRODUCTIONS (buy),

Good morning all from a "white" North Wales.

Good Morning All

I cashed in all my shares in House builders 3 months ago, and since then they have all gone up an additional 40%! Obviously been paying too much attention to the press etc.......

Druid2,

Is it a nice snow, or an "inconvient snow"? I think what I'm asking is it lovely, enjoyable or disruptive! Personally I don't like the snow, but I've been told I could be missing out.

Morning all and if you are snowed in, I hope you are warm, well-stocked with
all the essentials and do not have to go anywhere!
If all these are the case, snow is pretty otherwise it can be a pain!
:>)

Morning All,

House builders, surprised a lot of us I think LW.

End-of-day Market Summary