AFX UK at a glance share guide - 2

MARKETS
FTSE 100 5,270.3, up 6.7
FTSE 250 7,577.1, up 22.8
DJIA 10,755.55, up, 118.46
Nasdaq Comp 2,198.44, up 12.22
S&P 500 1,243.72, up 6.93
Tokyo: Nikkei 11,888.96, up 30.65 (midday)
Hang Seng 14,876.52, up 63.20 (midday)
Gold 427.80 usd (424.25)
Oil - Brent Sept 58.76 usd (58.01)

BREAKING NEWS
* ASTRAZENECA finance chief mulls future as he fails to get top job - Times
* Wal-Mart sues former vice-chairman for more than 5 mln usd amid claims of abuse of expenses - Times
* Brown will have to raise another 10 bln stg a year to balance the public finances - The Guardian
* MPs call for transparency in Olympic venue deals - The Guardian

PRESS COMMENT
FT
The Lex Column: ASTRAZENECA (One option, especially for such an undergeared industry, is a further round of cost driven consolidation. Perhaps Sir Tom's departure marks the point at which to bang that drum); ROLLS-ROYCE (The good news is very much in the price, and - with the aerospace industry forecast to remain highly challenging - it is hard to see positive surprise on the horizon); BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (After expected upgrades to forecasts after these results BAT will probably trade on a price/earnings multiple of 12.8 times - still at the bottom of its peer group. The prospect of further upside from that particular number is hard to argue with); DaimlerChrylser (For once the different parts are moving in the right direction. it will be tough to keep them that way and some investors are taking a sanguine approach. Deutsche Bank used yesterday's share price strength to sell a 3.5 pct stake. But after Mr. Schrempp's blunders it is hard to see his successor doing any worse)

Times
Rumour of the Day: BRITANNIC (Resolution Life is weighing up a further bid-ticket acquisition after last month's 1.8 bln stg merger with BRITANNIC. Its target is said to be Winterthur, part of Credit Suisse) -- Smaller Stock to Watch: E2V TECHNOLOGIES -- Tempus: LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL (Dull and worthy it may be, but for investors looking for a stable long-term home for their cash, Liberty would be hard to beat. Hold); NORTHERN ROCK (For those who believe that the economic environment will remain benign, the shares are due for a re-rating and are worth buying); VEDANTA (With bulls seemingly outweighing bears, hold on to the shares)

Telegraph
Questor: REED ELSEVIER (Shares still look decent value); CAPITA (No compelling reason to buy at this level); LEGAL & GENERAL (The shares are worth holding)

Independent
Investment Column: GLAXOSMITHKLINE (Still a good bet for the long term. Buy); BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (Shares look to high for new investors, but are a hold); LEGAL & GENERAL (Buy)

Express
Share Whisper: OCEAN POWER TECHNOLOGIES (dealers suggested pacts with energy groups were in the pipeline) -- Who's Dealing: PLUSNET (None-executive chairman Kevin Adams increased his stake to 37,200 shares or 0.13 pct) -- Market Report: WHITE NILE (talk of an imminent announcement which would support White Nile's exploration rights in an area in southern Sudan to which French oil giant Total has laid claim)

Mail
Market Report: SCHRODERS (talk of 1,050 pence per share bid from US group)

Investors Chronicle
TIPS - LARGE COMPANIES: WHITBREAD (buy), CAPITA (sell), GRESHAM COMPUTING (buy); TIPS - SMALLER COMPANIES: STERLING ENERGY (buy), CHAMBERLIN (buy), COLEFAX GROUP (buy)

Good morning all.

Morning. Thought this thread was more appropriate than the Trader's one:

'Melrose Resources plc today announces the results of the latest wells to be
drilled in Egypt. Three have been successfully drilled and tested and all will
be put on production.'

The Board of BioProgress is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Ibbetson as non executive Chairman with immediate effect.

Peter Ibbetson, aged 49, is an experienced banker and non-executive director
with an extensive background in Corporate, Investment, and Retail banking.

Good Morning all,

good start first thing, will it last? Friday and the end of the month?

AFX UK at a glance share guide

MARKETS
FTSE 100 5,282.3 up 12.0
FTSE 250 7,605.1 up 28.0
FTSE techMARK 100 1,252.04 up 2.80
DJIA 10,640.91 down 64.64
Nasdaq composite 2,184.83 down 13.61
S&P 500 1,234.18 down 9.54
Brent Crude: September 59.37 usd vs 58.76
Gold: 429.50 usd vs 427.80

WEEKEND BREAKING NEWS
* CI Financial of Canada has appointed investment banking and legal advisers
to work on a formal bid for AMVESCAP - Sunday Telegraph
* AMVESCAPs newly appointed CEO has been hired on a package that could be
worth more than 50 mln usd - Sunday Times
* SAINT GOBAIN set to make fresh 4 bln stg offer for BPB - Sunday Telegraph
* LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE understood to be demanding that potential bidders make
an offer of more than 600 pence a share before it will enter discussions -
Sunday Telegraph
* ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND facing showdown with some major shareholders unhappy
with its plans to invest in China and concerned about the banks leadership -
Independent on Sunday
* ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND chairman Sir George Mathewson is set to stand down in
July 2006 - Sunday Times
* CADBURY SCHWEPPES hires Goldman Sachs to find a buyer for its European soft
drinks business - Independent on Sunday
* CENTRICA joins bid for 70 mln stake in North sea Quasimodo gas field -
Business
* Nick Ritblatt, son of chairman John Ritblat, is to quit as a director of
BRITISH LAND - Sunday Telegraph
* BT GROUP still pursuing big global IT outsourcing contracts despite
UK defence snub - Business
* GENERAL MOTORS asbestos-related claims lawsuit against ROYAL & SUN ALLIANCE
could top 1 bln stg - Sunday Telegraph
* TESCO grabs biggest share of new personal finance market - Observer
* WOOLWORTHS set to announce the sale of its loss-making record and video shop
chain, MVC - Financial Mail on Sunday
* TENON has held talks with Alchemy Partners about taking the firm private -
Sunday Times
* MARKS & SPENCER CEO Stuart Rose puts pressure on Per Una founder George
Davies to stay - Telegraph
* Retail entrepreneur Kevin Stanford acquires further 5.9 mln shares in
MARKS & SPENCER taking his total holding to nearly 1 pct - Sunday Times
* NEXT set to overtake MARKS & SPENCER sales in the next three to four years,
according to broker Bridgewell - Sunday Express
* BT GROUP suffers blow from EASYNET broadband option - Express
* FRIENDS PROVIDENTs interest in acquiring the UK arm of SKANDIA is thought
to have waned - FT
* Fish protest forces ROYAL DUTCH SHELL to delay Russian oil terminal -
Telegraph
* Safety incidents plague BP in the North Sea and Texas - FT
* WYEVALE GARDEN CENTRES asks for formal auction for would-be suitors - FT
* REGAL PETROLEUM seeks better offer for Ukraine gas assets - FT
* M&C SAATCHI likely to retain BRITISH AIRWAYS account - Mail
* Betfair dumps finance director in preparation for 1 bln stg float -
Independent
* Debenhams private equity backers consider float this year - FT
* Bookmaker Coral Eurobet set to gamble on 800 mln stg float - Sunday Times
* Online betting firm Trident gambles on 100 mln stg flotation - Observer
* Arab pay-TV operator, Showtime Asia ponders switching on a London listing -
Sunday Times
* Texan oil firm Vanco renews Aim listing plan after replacing Evolution
with Seymour Pierce as joint adviser alongside Citigroup - Business
* EDF announces big price increases for its gas and electricity customers -
Guardian
* EADS to go for 2 bln usd US army helicopter contract - Business
* Lachlan Murdoch unexpectedly quits NEWS CORP posts - FT
* Trust fund and holiday rows caused Lachlan Murdoch to step down from NEWS
CORP board - Business
* GENERAL ELECTRIC draws up plans to bid for Dreamworks SKG - Business
* Tax complications could lead to a radical restructuring of NTL deal with
TELEWEST - Sunday Times
* Staff at WAL-MART-owned Asdas distribution centre in Tyne & Wear may strike
again - Sunday Express
* Former directors of SSL cleared as SFO case collapses - FT
* Expansions planned as Icelanders buy Jane Norman retail chain - Times
* Sir Richard Branson considering building 1 bln stg oil refinery to combat
cost of jet fuel - Independent on Sunday
* Former Mirror boss David Montgomery to secure US hedge fund backing for
plans to acquire major European media assets - Sunday Times
* World advertising market slowing more rapidly than expected, according to
data published by Zenith Opt media - Observer
* British and European firms in pole position to benefit from US energy
deregulation - Business
* Party could be over for Red Letter Days - Mail
* Buy-to-let investors avoiding deposit rule by counting discounts on new
flats as deposit - FT
* Inland Revenue to close loophole in new pensions rules which would allow
people to shelter assets such as property - FT
* UK film industry buoyed by proposed tax incentives - Times
* Hopes for farm deal fade as WTO talks break up - Times
* Rivals closing in on Royal Mail monopoly - Financial Mail on Sunday
* Abu Dhabis royal family has snapped up 500 mln stg of prime London property
in the past fortnight - Observer
* Defence minister John Reid orders secret review of Britains defence
industry - Observer
* German results cast doubts on UKs wind farm proposals - Independent on
Sunday
* Failed MG Rover bidder Shanghai Automotive could restart production at the
Jaguar plant in Coventry - Independent on Sunday
* Terror strikes in London this month are likely to cost more than 600 mln stg
in lost tourism and transport revenues, according to industry estimates -
Financial Mail on Sunday
* Bank of England poised to cut UK interest rates to revive economy - Observer
* UK base rate vote too close to call as retail gloom persists - Sunday Times

SATURDAY PRESS COMMENT
FT
Lex Column: European Bourses (Without the driver of price tension, both
potential bidders for the LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, like the UKs Competition
Commission can play a pragmatic game); Germany (Incentives for corporate
Germany to invest at home. Barring disasters in export markets, that should
translate in to new jobs, and eventually higher consumer spending); US
Utilities (Even if European predators might balk at the likely acquisition
premiums, they are not known to be an effective deterrent to Asian suitors);
IBERIA (The airline may consider buying a low-cost Spanish carrier, but
investors would probably be better served by a further return of cash) --
Weekend share watch: INVENSYS (still a lot to do before making a declaration);
LOW & BONAR (Not letting the grass grow under its feet); CHAPELTHORPE
(Everything depends on the price that was paid)

Daily Telegraph
The Market: EMI (vague takeover rumours); DOMNICK HUNTER (Dealers hoping for
a bid as high as 550 pence a share) -- Saturday Questor : LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL (Buy) -- Small Cap Values: RAB CAPITAL (still worth buying);
ELECTRIC WORD (buy); SYGEN (worth a tentative look)

Times
Tempus: Tobacco firms prove they have not run out of puff -- Stock Market:
RENTOKIL INITIAL (suggestions Sir Gerry Robinsons new investment vehicle
Raphoe was buying stock)

Independent
Market Report: RENTOKIL INITIAL (talk of Raphoe bid); COOKSON (vague rumours
of a possible bid); WYEVALE GARDEN CENTRES (Jack Petcheys Treffick ups stake
to 7.4 pct)

Daily Mail
Market Report: PREMIER OIL (Rumour of possible CNOOC interest in UK market)

Express
Market Report: RENTOKIL INITIAL (Raphoe bid target speculation); WHITBREAD
(also seen as a possible target for Raphoe); YOUGOV (talk of a big market
research commission)

SUNDAY PRESS COMMENT
Sunday Times
Agenda: Telecoms (That old chestnut -- TELEFONICA to buy O2 -- could still
turn out to be true); Autos (Get ready for more departures after Schrempps
resignation from DAIMLERCHRYSLER); ASTRAZENECA (Astranomic profits') --
Judgment Day: CARPHONE WAREHOUSE (Andy Brough of Schroders says buy at 175
pence; Tim Steer of New Star says buy) -- Inside the City: Banks (This half-
year reporting season will show that the retail banking landscape is becoming
tougher but for now it is restrained); NEWCASTLE UNITED (Whoever is
considering leaving their brain at the entrance to St James Park and buying a
28 pct stake in the club from its life president Sir John Hall should think
again. It will not buy you control) -- Market Mole: DELTA (shrewd buying after
the death of its chairman and 24 pct shareholder Edouard Stern in March)

Sunday Telegraph
Blue chip values: LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL (keep buying); SMITH & NEPHEW (remain
a buy) -- Look Whos Trading: D1 OILS (Recently appointed chief financial
officer buys shares) -- Small Cap comment: BROWN & JACKSON (Buy); HUVEAUX (now
look good value); NCC GROUP (shares trading in line with its IT sector peers,
but too low for a fast growth company); LONDON SCOTTISH BANK (Keep selling) --
Breaking Views: REUTERS (garbled message to shareholders)

Independent on Sunday
Market whispers: PETER HAMBRO MINING (Cazenove expected to become firms joint
brokers, joining Canacord); SCOTTISH POWER (shift back to its Scottish roots)
-- The Interview: Prince Alwaleed bin Talal

The Business
Benchmark: German corporate governance (After Schrempps departure DAIMLER
CHRYSLER shares jumped 8.3 pct. You can only hope investors at other stricken
German companies have taken the hint); ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND (Investors
rightly nervous about holding a minority stake in a big Chinese bank.
Nevertheless, Fred Goodwins judgement has held up to scrutiny in the past,
and he deserves the benefit of the doubt); Italian banking (There appear to be
too many people in Italy whose interests seem to be directly opposed to the
development of a transparent financial system); US unions (the truth is the
American economy does best when the labour movement is weak. The recent spat
will help it grow even stronger) -- Inside the Market: Fund of the Month
(Insight Foundation); Small Cap Investor: PRIMARY HEALTH PROPERTIES (Long term
buy); AIM Investor: CAPE (at level are a buy) -- The Alchemist:
ALLIANCE UNICHEM and WOOLWORTHS both looking good value

Observer
Throg Street: REUTERS (Bears believe the share price could fall back to 360
pence, but bulls have penciled in targets of around 600 pence. But that looks
some way off); MARCONI CORP. (Investors like certainty and it would be
difficult to design a less certain picture that at Marconi - which is why they
are likely to avoid it for the time being)

Financial Mail on Sunday
Midas: BRITISH ENERGY (buy at anything below 450 pence) -- Companies and
Markets: TT ELECTRONICS (set to announce sale of Houchin generator business
this week to a trade buyer for 8 mln stg); CABLE & WIRELESS (takeover talks
with Energis are deadlocked in a row over price); URBIUM (Tiger,Tiger
nightclubs owner has received takeover offers from at least two private equity
firms) -- Secret Dealings: THOMSOM INTERMEDIA (fund managers bought on recent
weakness) -- Taking Stock: RENTOKIL INITIAL (A bid by Gerry Robinsons vehicle
Raphoe for Rentokil does make more sense than for COMPASS, but it is just a
rumour Robinson will do a deal, but his name will also be used time again in
the City by rumour mongers over the coming months, The trick will be spotting
which rumour is true); BELLA MEDIA (A roadshow to attract investors is thought
to be underway)

Sunday Express
Brokers Notes: SHIRE PHARMACEUTICALS (Merrill Lynch buy); NORTHUMBRIAN WATER
(Deutsche Bank buy); WILLIAM MORRISON (Charles Stanley hold); YELL (Teather
& Greenwood buy); BG GROUP (Charles Stanley downgrade to hold)