NIKKEI	AUSTRALIA	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

OUTLOOK Reckitt Benckiser Q1 boosted by product launches, increased A&P spendOUTLOOK ARM Holdings set to confirm on track for 2007 targetsOUTLOOK ABN Amro AGM could provide heated talks, but no vote on takeover bidsOUTLOOK L&G Q1 sales expected to rise 17 pct

*BAYER AFFIRMS 'POSITIVE' OUTLOOK FOR FY

Asian markets summary

Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Hang Seng closed the morning up 212.23 points at 20,749.01,
while the Nikkei recently stood at 17,453.14, up 216.98 points.

New York Mercantile Exchange's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for
delivery in June, was up 6 cents at $65.90 a barrel from $65.84 in late trading in
the US overnight.

Happy trading!

G.

BT.A reiterated underweight - JP Morgan
GMG reiterated buy - target 195 from 183 - Goldman Sachs
GSK reiterated neutral - target 1475 from 1447 - HSBC
HMV reiterated overweight - target 168 - Lehman Brothers
NFDS downgraded to sell from neutral - Merrill Lynch
SHP reiterated equal-weight - target 1100 from 1070 - Lehman Brothers
WLF buy - target 350 from 310 - Lehman Brothers

Asian economic and corporate news summary

The Thursday Press Roundup

STOCKWATCH Bayer seen opening higher on positive Q1 results

Thomson Financial UK at a glance share guide

Morning all. I wonder which way BARC share price will go today?

Tokyo shares close higher after Dow crosses 13,000

Australian shares close higher as Dow Jones surpasses 13,000

STOCKWATCH Rolls Royce tgt price upped to 550 pence from 440 at Morgan Stanley

CTM reiterated overweight - target 170 - Credit Suisse
HBOS upgraded to in-line from underperform - target 1175 - Fox Pitt Kelton
RAB initiated at buy - target 122 - ABN Amro

STOCKWATCH RBoS target price cut to 2,100 from 2,200 by HSBC, maintain 'neutral'UK smallcap opening - CeNeS firms on FDA OK for M6G drugLondon shares outlook - higher on record breaking Wall StreetAustralian shares close higher as Dow Jones surpasses 13,000 - UPDATE

UK smallcap opening - Pixology surges on agreed bid from PhotochannelTokyo shares close higher after Dow crosses 13,000-point mark - UPDATE

STOCKWATCH Kensington up after Bradford & Bingley deal; Altium Securities 'buy'

UK smallcap opening - Ptarmigan rises on property dealUK smallcap opening - Intelek higher after positive update

STOCKWATCH Sodexho rises to highest level in nearly 6 yrs on H1 results, outlookUK smallcap opening - ValiRx ticks up on patent grant