S&P Futures

US telecoms rocket after the confirmation that Cingular will buy AT&T Wireless

Standard Life mutual insurer hit by tough new funding rules said it had surplus assets in excess of four billion pounds and was cautiously optimistic for 2004. They said its surplus under the new requirements was more than twice the risk capital margin and said UK sales in the first few months of its new financial year had continued at expected levels.

Cadbury Schweppes posted a 33% fall in profit last year to $699 million on costs but said it was on course to hit its financial targets for 2004.

Associated British Ports posted an estimate-beating five percent rise in year profits and the contract book looks strong for the future. They posted profits of 145.5 million pounds compared with pre-tax profits of 139.1 million pounds in 2002 exceeding analysts forecasts.

Kingfisher owner of market leaders B&Q in Britain and Castorama in France reported stronger-than-expected fourth quarter sales and said year profits would be at the top end of expectations.

Eurotunnel to take on part of Channel rail link

ABP Associated British Ports Holdings (F) CBRY Cadbury Schweppes (F) STAN Standard Chartered (F), BLT BHP Billiton Temple Bar Investment Trust (F), Bradford & Bingley (F) CRC Group, Microgen Kingfisher Trading statement (Q4)

ADCT ADC Telecommunications Inorated Q1 AMAT Applied Materials Inc Q1 JNY Jones Apparel Group Inc Jones Apparel Group Inorated Q4 INTU Intuit Inc Intuit Inorated Q21.30pm  Building Permits, Housing Starts

Ex Dividend: BP PLC 3.674 Compass Group PLC 5.7 Compel Group Plc 0.5 Diagonal PLC 1.2 Fiske Plc 2 Gartmore Fledgling Trust PLC 1.5 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 14 Inter Link Foods PLC 1.85 1Viridian Group Plc 9.46 Astrazeneca Rate 29.4p

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