Outlook

AFX UK at a glance share guide

LONDON (AFX) - Leading shares are tipped to open a touch higher, building on gains on Wall Street overnight, as a host of retailers including J Sainsbury update on Christmas trading but gains could be capped ahead of the Bank of England's rate decision at noon, dealers said.
According to spread betting firm CMC Markets, the FTSE will start 4 points higher at around 5,736, having closed yesterday 42.7 firmer at 5,731.5.

MARKETS
FTSE 100 5,731.5, up 42.7
FTSE 250 8,928.0, up 84.9
DJIA 11,043.40, up 31.80
Nasdaq Comp 2,331.36, up 1.04
S&P 500 1,294.20, up 4.50
Tokyo: Nikkei closed at 16,445.19, up 81.60
Hang Seng midday 15,716.39, up 65.51
Gold 544.95 usd (541.70 usd)
Oil - Brent Feb 62.17 usd (61.92 usd)

TODAY'S PRESS
* GLAXOSMITHKLINE considering a bid for Serono, the Swiss biotech group worth 12 bln usd, as a deadline nears for offers for the controlling family's stake - FT
* Blair lobbies Bush for ROLLS-ROYCE; PM 'very forceful' with US president over 24 bln usd fighter engine contract; UK urges Pentagon to reverse decision to drop programme - FT
* BRITISH AIRWAYS pilots warn of strike over pensions - FT
* Actuary advises BA to go bankrupt - Times
* Taxman wins right to probe offshore; landmark tribunal ruling means banks must divulge account information to Revenue and Customs - FT
* Harris Associates raises stake in TRINITY MIRROR to 8.1 pct, making it the third largest investor - Guardian

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on BP (BP offers oil investors a compelling, defensive prospect; new upstream projects should support an enterprise free cash flow yield of 11 pct for 2006), Lottomatica/GTech (the 4 bln eur stake Lottomatica is putting up to buy GTEch of the US is very large, but the logic is sound), DuPont (its valuation assumes that it can grow and maintain the large gap between its returns and its cost of capital), Italian banks (still attractive), PSA/P&O (little to choose between the two cash bids; P&O's shareholders can only be grateful for the massive transfer of value from far-away taxpayers from which they seem destined to benefit)
Mail
NUMIS (rumours it is on the verge of bidding for PANMURE GORDON) - INDEPENDENT RESOURCES (rumours it is on the verge of a deal with a major European gas company)
Guardian
EMI (Apple Computer bid speculation)
Telegraph
INVENSYS (takeover speculation) - QUESTOR: BP (hold on), BODY SHOP (sell), SAVILLS (buy)
Independent
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: BURBERRY (buy), GAMING VC (hold), SAVILLS (buy)
Times
Rumour of the day: HITCHENS, HARRISON (word it is poised to announce a push into South Africa) - TEMPUS: BP (well worth holding on to), BALFOUR BEATTY (hold), RDF MEDIA (buy) - BRANDON HIRE (hopes of rival interest)

Good morning all.

Morning all looking for another good day on TXO.

Good morning all

BT.A is getting hammered today

LW - France Telecom profit warning scared telecoms all round....

End-of-day Market Summary

Thanks Greystone, lets see what tommorrow brings..... maybe worth topping up on BT.A .....