AFX UK at a glance share guide - 2

MARKETS
FTSE 100 5,377.5, up 13.8
FTSE 250 7,734.6, up 32.2
DJIA 10,594.40, down 21.30
Nasdaq Comp 2,157.81, down 16.38
S&P 500 1,229.15, down 2.25
Tokyo: Nikkei closed at 12,263.32, up 165.24
Hang Seng midday 15,439.03, up 92.62
Gold 436.30 usd (433.70 usd)
Oil - Brent Sept 63.99 usd (61.98 usd)

BREAKING NEWS
* Bank damps rate cut hopes; King rebukes Brown over economic cycle move; grip on policy needed to hit 2 pct inflation target; forecast for growth in 2005 is sharply reduced - FT
* Lakshmi Mittal says he might be willing to dilute his 88 pct stake in Mittal Steel, in a move that could release a tranche of shares worth up to 2 bln usd - FT
* A firm owned by Warren Buffett buys stakes in KINGFISHER and American DIY chain Home Depot, reigniting speculation that a takeover for the British business could be in the offing - Guardian
* Investors lose 1.25 bln stg in STANDARD LIFE switch to bonds - Times
* Britain's biggest property website, Rightmove.co.uk, hires UBS to advise on a flotation which could see it valued at 200 mln stg - Express

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on Bank of England inflation report, French deals, Insurance (investors may take some profits), Renminbi - OLD MUTUAL (until the uncertainty over Skandia is lifted, it will continue to weigh on the shares) - XSTRATA (even in the absence of a large acquisition, there may be upside in the stock) - RENSBURG SHEPPARDS (seems a little mean to rate the company at a discount to the rest of the sector) - NICHOLS (a discount to its nearest but much larger rival, rival AG BARR
Guardian
BRITISH ENERGY (FTSE 100 promotion prospects) - FRENCH CONNECTION (Brandes Investment Partners has 3.4 pct stake) - RANK GROUP (break-up rumours)
Times
RUMOUR OF THE DAY: WHITTARD OF CHELSEA (talk that bid interest has waned amid tougher trading conditions) - DIRECTORS' DEALINGS: HALMA (chief executive buys stock for 25,245 stg) - TEMPUS: XSTRATA (still worth buying), OLD MUTUAL (well-covered 4.3 pct dividend yield provides ample reason to hold), SCOTTISH POWER (hold)
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: MITCHELLS & BUTLERS (preferred as a long-term tip to ENTERPRISE INNS and PUNCH TAVERNS), WOLVERHAMPTON & DUDLEY (looks better value than GREENE KING), JD WETHERSPOON (looks a speculative recovery punt), XSTRATA (worth buying for the long-term)
Telegraph
QUESTOR: XSTRATA (a bit heady at this level), OLD MUTUAL (avoid, VANCO (hold on)
Mail
RANK GROUP (talk of private equity bidder) - ELY (the Irish property services group joins AIM today)
Express
SHARE WHISPER: PILKINGTON (Nippon Sheet Glass in frame as a likely predator) - WHO'S DEALING: HALMA (director buys 17,000 shares at 148-1/2 pence)

Afternnoon all,

Happy this morning - I put some ARX @6p into my SIPP recently and so far they are 9p+. As it is a long term investment I'm going to ignore it! :-)