Digger
- 31 Jul 2005 14:52
- 11 of 11
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)