LONDON (AFX) - Leading shares are expected to start the week firmer, building on a solid performance on Wall Street on Friday, and as oil prices paused for breath overnight, dealers said.
According to spread bettors CMC, the FTSE 100 will open 10 points higher at around 5369, having finished on Friday at 5,359.3.

MARKETS
Tokyo: Nikkei midday 12,826.60
Hang Seng midday 15,220.38 up 54.61

TODAY'S PRESS
* The Financial Services Authority is scrutinising the presentation of results under international accounting standards as analysts warn that some companies risk sowing confusion in financial markets - The FT
* John Thornton, former co-president of Goldman Sachs, is among the candidates being considered to chair American International Group, the world's largest insurance company - The FT
* CENTRICA is said to be considering selling its telecommunications arm OneTelafter receiving interest from several potential buyers - The Express
* A three-year Serious Fraud Office investigation could lead to charges against six British drug companies for allegedly defrauding the NHS by rigging the prices of commonly used drugs - The Times
* Business and industry groups are calling for urgent government action to help them to cope with a potentially crippling rise in energy costs. - The Times
* The FA Premier League is preparing to repel a new complaint that the European Commission is expected to make about the way it sells its television rights - The Times
* Fears that Hurricane Katrina could trigger the collapse of a number of insurance companies have prompted the FSA to investigate the disaster's effect on UK-registered firms - The Telegraph
* Insiders at WM MORRISON believe that chairman Sir Ken Morrison and chief executive Bob Stott are unlikely to survive a damaging strike at the supermarket group - The Telegraph
* Pub group MITCHELLS & BUTLERS, owner of the Harvester and All Bar One chains, has joined up with PUNCH TAVERNS to bid for privately owned rival Spirit Group - The Telegraph
* Broadcasters who win the rights to televise live Premier League football could be forced to sell some games to rivals under proposals drawn up by media regulator Ofcom - The Guardian
* RANK is facing demands from large investors to make sweeping changes to its business after a year of protracted disposal talks and widespread under-performance across the leisure conglomerate - The Guardian

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on Japanese election (A week is a long time in politics, but perhaps four years is not enough), Risk appetite (Study the distribution of real gross domestic product growth of the world's 20 richest economies over the last 50 years and the world appears a fairly benign place), TELECOM ITALIA (valuation is in line with the sector on most cash flow metrics. It has a superior asset base. Its complex capital structure prevents its participation in the sector's looming acquisition binge. Maybe it's time for the shares to go back to work)
Independent
Small Talk: QXL RICARDO (eBay's success makes QXL look overvalued), PERSONAL SCREENING (Word has it Personal Screening will soon be making its way from the lightly regulated Ofex market to AIM), UNITED CLEARING (Although the group's shares have soared by 70 pct since its float last year, there seems to be plenty more upside in the stock), ADAMIND (All looks to be in place to make the group a big winner from the fast evolving multimedia messaging sector)
Times
SMALLER STOCK TO WATCH: ILX GROUP (expected to announce today that it has signed a "significant contract" with Rolls Royce for an undisclosed sum)

Morning

AEY licensing round award

LNX must have all the HP ;-)

NXS contract win - minnow

SRTS launches new product. Damned if I can understand that! ;-)

EVC might move

IIR take on Google over trade mark

PLE sorting your premature ejaculation?

CIV contract win

ILX training contract with RR.

EGU go into gold production

PGC contract win

PXS might get a boost from this

AFG might also move swiftly

TLR - good news, bad news

SEO announce non-gelatine hard capsule

Let's be careful out there! ;-)

End of day market wrap