LONDON (AFX) - Leading shares are expected to open flat today following a weak performance overnight on Wall street as crude prices moved higher again on supply concerns, dealers said.
Spread bettors IG Index expect the FTSE 100 index to open at 5,339. The UK blue chip index closed 25.2 points lower yesterday at 5,340.7.

MARKETS
FTSE 100 5,340.8, down 25.1
FTSE 250 7,806.7, down 43.6
DJIA 10,595.90, down 37.60
Nasdaq Comp 2,166.03, down 6.00
S&P 500 1,231.65, down 4.70
Tokyo: Nikkei closed at 12,692.04, up 158.15
Hang Seng midday 15,109.62, down 56.55
Gold 447.15 usd (445.20 usd)
Oil - Brent Oct 63.08 usd (62.89 usd)

ECONOMICS
UK July trade data (0830 GMT)

TODAY'S PRESS
* Crude oil supplies overwhelm refineries; US figures show stocks have fallen less than expected; suspicions that governments are trying to cap prices - FT
* Ebay in discussions with Skype - FT
* Anglo-Russian oil and gas venture TNK-BP looking to sell non-strategic assets that represent 11 pct of its total production - FT

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS (growth strategy looks worth backing, but it comes with higher risks attached), InBev (trading at 18 times earnings, they hardly look irresistible), Lafarge (only trusting souls will take the latest disappointment as a buying opportunity), Skype (selling out now at a multi-billion valuation would be attractive for Skype's backers; for a buyer, it would be a very pricey option on the future) - MFI (look massively overvalued) - BENFIELD (do not look good value) - ARRIVA (a tentative hold) - MCBRIDE (downside looks limited) - SCOTTISH MEDIA GROUP (do not look particularly expensive)
Mirror
BUY! BUY! SELL! SELL! Henk Potts, equity market strategist at Barclays Stockbrokers, says now could be a good time to buy EMAP
Times
RUMOUR OF THE DAY: AVANTI CAPITAL (word that Soho Bars has tabled an offer for its 28-strong Po Na Na night club chain) - DIRECTORS' DEALINGS: CRC GROUP (directors sells 25,000 shares at 290 pence) - CELTIC RESOURCES (hit by Russian deal fears) - TEMPUS: INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS (hold), PREMIER FARNELL (hold), GALLIFORD TRY (buy)
Telegraph
QUESTOR: PUNCH TAVERNS (still worth holding), SCOTTISH MEDIA GROUP (stay away), PREMIER FARNELL (worth holding still)
Guardian
RESURGE (will seek new opportunities)
Mail
SIGNET (Whitehall Jewellers acquisition speculation)
Express
SHARE WHISPER: VIANET GROUP (Coca-Cola contract win rumour) - WHO'S DEALING: VTECH (chief executive picks up 2.7 mln shares)
Investors Chronicle
TIPS - LARGE COMPANIES: ENTERPRISE INNS (buy),HELPHIRE (buy), NESTOR HEALTHCARE (sell); TIPS - SMALLER COMPANIES: ROC OIL (buy), QUESTAIR TECHNOLOGIES (buy), SMC (buy); TIPS - UPDATES: GRESHAM COMPUTING (good value), MINERVA (buy), CHURCHILL CHINA (fairly priced), TIKIT (good value), BIOCOMPATIBLES (buy)

a href="http://www.companyannouncements.net/cgi-bin/articles/20050909070000P7170.html" title="http://www.companyannouncements.net/cgi-bin/articles/20050909070000P7170.html">FPL abandon well and move on.

DTC confirm their whole existence revolves around an MJ documentary! ;-0

AKR wins court battle. Priced in?

VPC on line in time for the winter gas price. Lucky them!

MCTY having to incentivise buyers and numbers still down.

ITF sales seem very good indeed.

MPH Finance Director obviously thinks buying a house is a better investment than his own company. LOL!

SOF satisfied with fall in sales? Hmmm.

TCSC NAV well up. Yield's garbage! ;-) Chart getting ragged.

CPH trading well it seems.

RTD interims look OK

Morning Druid2

End of day market wrap

Independent week ahead