STAGECOACH INITIATED 'UNDERWEIGHT' AT MORGAN STANLEY; PRICE TARGET 105P

RENTOKIL INITIATED 'OUTPERFORM' AT CSFB; PRICE TARGET 185P

Investors Chronicle

TIPS - LARGE COMPANIES: O2 (Sell), SPRING (Buy), BAGGERIDGE BRICK (Sell) - SMALLER COMPANIES: PARKDEAN HOLIDAYS (Buy), African Eagle (Buy), BIZSPACE (Buy) - TIPS UPDATE: CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY (Sell), PERSONAL GROUP (Buy), EUREKA MINING (Hold), BALFOUR BEATTY (Buy)

MARKETS
FTSE 100 4,894.4, down 6.3
FTSE 250 7,130.5, up 46.9
DJIA 10,503.76, down 37.17
Nasdaq Comp 1,999.23, down 6.44
S&P 500 1,180.59, down 0.82
Tokyo: Nikkei ended morning 11,689.98, up 21.03
Hang Seng midday 13,447.94, down 68.94
Gold 431.10 usd (429.50 usd)
Oil - Brent April 55.40 usd (53.99 usd)
BREAKING NEWS
* Mercedes-Benz recalled almost one in three of the 4 million cars it has sold in the past four years to fix electronic problems that have tarnished its reputation for high-quality cars - The FT
* Baugur is preparing a second bid for SOMERFIELD - The FT
* CARDPOINT has emerged as a possible suitor for its smaller rival MONEYBOX which said yesterday that it had received a number of takeover approaches - The FT
PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on COMPASS GROUP (Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has earned much goodwill from his crusade to improve school meals in the UK. Compass Group, the world's largest contract caterer, must wish it could do the same with shareholders), House Prices (The signs of subsidence are increasing. UK house prices fell a seasonally adjusted 0.6 pct in March, according to the Nationwide building society, their biggest drop in a decade), AIG (If there is one lesson everyone needs to relearn from the sorry saga at American International Group, it is the need to focus on what is driving transactions), EUROPEAN TELECOMS (The wedding bells are ringing again. On Thursday, the end of Cesky Telecom's search for a Prince Charming came into sight, with Spain's Telefonica in the lead)
Independent
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: WOLVES & DUDLEY (However, W&D shares at 11.25 pence are still not over-priced on 13 times earnings and they yield a decent 3.6 pct dividend. Hold.), KINGSTON COMMS (There could be news soon on sales of overseas businesses, but there must be significant evidence of market share gains in the UK before Kingston can be an attractive bet for the private investor), MAIDEN (The election really ought to be just a timing issue for the company but at 240 pence, its shares are trading on a forward multiple of 22 times, which means they are not tempting)
Times
TEMPUS: COMPASS GROUP (Avoid), WARNER ESTATES (Buy), PRELUDE INVESTMENT TRUST (Buy)
Telegraph
QUESTOR: COMPASS (Buy, but don't expect a smooth ride), NATIONAL GRID TRANSCO (Hold for now), ARLA FOODS (The shares haven't gone sour yet, but any further upside is likely to be limited)
Express
SHARE WHISPER: MONEYBOX (Cardpnt seen as potential bidder) - WHO'S DEALING: PATIENTLINE (chief executive and non executive director buy shares)
Investors Chronicle
TIPS - LARGE COMPANIES: O2 (Sell), SPRING (Buy), BAGGERIDGE BRICK (Sell) - SMALLER COMPANIES: PARKDEAN HOLIDAYS (Buy), African Eagle (Buy), BIZSPACE (Buy) - TIPS UPDATE: CAMBRIDGE ANTIBODY (Sell), PERSONAL GROUP (Buy), EUREKA MINING (Hold), BALFOUR BEATTY (Buy)

Morning all.

SM - apologies for post 2, but Bullshare is indeed correct in noting the date. ;-)))

ZOO - going wireless
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200504010700034266K.html

RNO - profit warning
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200504010700064359K.html

BGC - trading statement
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200504010700074391K.html

AKT - selling technology to the Germans
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200504010700084416K.html

TLW - they went where others wouldn't. Should be good for a laugh!
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200504010700104437K.html

IXF - Fins owner going along OK
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200504010700104434K.html

OSH - interesting
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200504010700104431K.html

AUW - "higher than current market expectations."
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200504010700104430K.html

CTF - longest trading update in history!
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200504010700124466K.html

TTL - mkt cap's only 10m!
http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200504010700164529K.html

Looks like about enough for today

Morning all.

Morning, very little volume if any, on the stocks on my watch list this morning so far.

long BBY 315 s/l on

long CTM 49.50 s/l on