Monday's newspapers:

UBS is preparing for a multi-billion rights issue just weeks after securing a 13bn Sfr (6.5bn) capital injection from sovereign wealth funds. One London-based equity market banker said UBS was likely to announce a rights issue within the next two weeks and that an issue size could be as much as 10pc of the Swiss bank's 58bn Sfr market value.
UBS 'weeks away from rights issue'

Britains biggest lenders are bracing themselves for fresh turbulence on the wholesale markets amid suggestions that it may be weeks before the Bank of England agrees to free up the banking system with a bumper cash injection.
Lenders braced for fresh market turbulence until Bank of England acts

The Bank of England yesterday rejected persistent lobbying from Britain's banks to follow the example set by the US Federal Reserve and buy "toxic" mortgage-backed securities from ailing banks hit by the credit crunch.
King refuses to bail banks out of toxic mess

Senior HBOS staff spent almost 6 million bumping up their shareholdings in the FTSE 100 mortgage bank the day after malicious rumours that it had run into funding problems sent its stock price plummeting.
HBOS chiefs raise their investments as rumours send shares plunging

Mike Ashley, the maverick retailer who owns Newcastle Football Club, has made a thumping multi-million-pound loss on a bet on HBOS bank. Sources close to the situation admitted that Mr Ashley, deputy chairman of Sports Direct, had lost tens of millions. A spokesman for him declined to comment on reports that he was 129m out of pocket on the bet.
Mike Ashley scores own goal with HBOS

A former Apax-owned Welsh consumer finance group with a 1.2 billion loans book is poised to be sold within the next seven to ten days to an unnamed rival private equity firm for as little as 1p.
Lender Picture Financial faces sale for 1p as credit crisis deepens

The stock of unsold homes is rising steadily as the mood in the housing market darkens, but the array of properties is failing to tempt buyers back as homeowners demand ever-higher prices, according to Rightmove, the property website.
Housing: Asking prices up; homes take longer to sell

We've already seen that lending to first-time buyers has slumped by a third since last summer while first-time buyer numbers have dropped to a record low. Lending to buy-to-let landlords is drying up too.
Where are the first-time buyers? Day of reckoning near for the housing market

Masaaki Shirakawa, the Bank of Japan's acting governor, has warned that the country's economy faces an uncertain future. It comes at the end of a week in which the Nikkei share index sank to its lowest level for almost three years.
Economy poised on knife edge

The president of Opec has predicted that the price of oil could stay as high as $110 a barrel for the rest of the year, spurred by investors seeking to hedge themselves against the weakening US dollar.
Oil price could stay as high as $110 a barrel this year, says Opec

Hello traders!

In the US tonight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 187.32 points to
12,548.64, with 27 of its 30 components posting gains.

The S&P 500 climbed 20.37 points to 1,349.88 while the technology-laden Nasdaq
Composite advanced 68.64 points to 2,326.75.

See you in the morning with the latest.........

G.

Tuesday's newspapers:

JP Morgan Chase is to pay a revised $2.1bn (1.05bn) for Bear Stearns after sweetening the terms of the deal to make it almost impossible for a rival to make a counter offer amid growing concern among other banks over the original $236m transaction.
Bear Stearns deal to deter Morgan Chase rivals

The problems in the US housing market that sparked the global credit crunch showed early signs of stabilising yesterday. The US estate agents' organisation announced that existing home sales increased for the first time in seven months in February as buyers took advantage of a sharp drop in prices.
Glimmer of hope for US home sellers

Bear trader Simon Cawkwell has scotched speculation linking him to the aggressive shorting of HBOS stock last week. The attack on the bank's shares saw it lose 17pc of its value before regulators stepped in to quash false rumours about its liquidity position.
I wasn't HBOS raider, insists 'Evil Knievel'

If there are any doubts that the credit crunch is starting to hit home, the latest YouGov poll puts them to rest. Increasing debt, lower savings rates and mounting fears over job security are three of the major themes to emerge from last week's poll of 2,112 Britons.
Rising debt and fears over jobs as crunch hits

NIKKEI 225	AUSTRALIA ASX200	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Nikkei was recently ahead 290.95 points at 12,771.04, while the
Hang Seng ended the morning up 954.89 points (4.52%) at 22,063.11.

New York's main oil contract, light sweet crude for May delivery, dropped 51 cents
to $100.35 per barrel.

Happy trading!

G.

The Tuesday Press Roundup

The Nikkei ended up 265.13 points (2.1%) at 12,745.22.

London shares open higher after NY gains overnight, banking stocks gainsUK smallcap opening - Uniq lower as short-term uncertainty offsets profit swingUK smallcap opening - Sandvine Corp rises on product use boostUK smallcap opening - Range Resources drops following suspension on ASX

BROKERWATCH Kazakhmys started as 'equal-weight' by Lehman, target 1,800 pence

UK smallcap opening - Cambrian Mining soars as AIM suspension lifted

STOCKWATCH Barclays higher; Merrill Lynch reiterates 'buy', 600p target

UK small caps open stronger; Cambrian Mining soars as AIM suspension liftedLondon shares open higher after NY gains overnight, banking stocks gains UPDATE

STOCKWATCH Colonial up after creditors say they will continue to back group

WALL STREET OUTLOOK Lower open seen after strong run-up; confidence data awaited

Metals - Gold dips after picking up from pre-Easter sell-off

Metals - Copper jumps back higher in London, tracking equities, Shanghai

STOCKWATCH Wm Morrison main FTSE 100 faller as Merrill Lynch cuts to 'neutral'London shares - midmorning features

STOCKWATCH German financials gain after JP Morgan lifts bid, Barron's article

Metals - Gold dips after picking up from pre-Easter sell-off UPDATE

BROKERWATCH British Airways cut to 'accumulate' vs 'buy' at NCB, target to 260pMetals - Copper prices play catch-up in London, tracking shares, Shanghai UPDATE