Hello traders!

In the US tonight, the Dow was up 152.58 points at 11,384.54, while the S&P500
gained 21.36 points at 1,273.67 and the Nasdaq Composite was 51.1 points up at
2,294.42.

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

G.

Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Hang Seng ended the morning up 589.13 points at 21,809.94,
while the Nikkei was recently up 83.15 points at 13,116.25.

New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for August delivery, rose 11
cents to $136.15 a barrel. The contract tumbled by $5.33 to close at $136.04 at
the New York Mercantile Exchange on Tuesday.

Happy trading!

G.

Morning all. Market reports:

Telegraph
The Times
The Times (Need to know)
FT
The Guardian
The Independent
This is Money

Ben Bernanke has moved to calm financial markets by raising the possibility of extending the Federal Reserve's lending facilities to investment banks and flagging a wider role in banking regulation.
Bernanke speech brings relief for US market

Despite Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's warm words, aimed as much at soothing the markets as sending a message to investment banks on what to expect in the future, the majority of investors remain nervous about the near-future and where markets are headed.
US mortgage lenders see shares tumble

Families' confidence in the state of their finances has plumbed new depths, in the latest evidence of the gloom engulfing the economy. Consumer confidence fell to a new low in June, according to Nationwide. Its conclusion matches a separate finding by market research group GfK that confidence is at the worst level since the early 1990s.
Consumer confidence at fresh low

Fears that financial contagion could tear across the banking sector have prompted leading shareholders in Bradford & Bingley to line up behind its 400 million cash-call.
Investors rally to Bradford & Bingley amid fears of contagion

Barclays is closing the doors to new lending at FirstPlus, the controversial loans business which was advertised by TV presenter Carol Vorderman. The business has seen new business all but dry up, leaving it no choice but to shut down, Barclays said yesterday. The move will lead to 300 job cuts at FirstPlus's Cardiff office.
Barclays stops loans at FirstPlus

European Union finance ministers have voted to condemn Britain for flagrant breach of the Maastricht spending rules, irked that the UK government has not even tried to keep its budget deficit below the treaty limit of 3pc of national income.
EU action on Britain over budget deficit

NIKKEI 225	AUSTRALIA ASX200	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

VIX

10:00 EU Eurozone GDP Q1
10:30 UK BRC Shop Price Index
12:00 US MBA Mortgage Applications

BROKERWATCH Moneysupermarket.com cut to 'hold' from 'buy' at CitigroupBROKERWATCH Home Retail Group cut to 'hold' from 'buy' at ING; target 225 pence

BROKERWATCH Marks & Spencer cut to 'equal-weight' from 'overweight' by LehmanThomson Financial UK at a glance share guideTokyo shares close off highs after Iran missile news prompts profit-taking

UK smallcap opening - Loanmakers hit by First Plus decision to stop new business

London shares open higher following sharp gains on Wall Street as oil fallsUK smallcap opening - Central African Gold down on fundraising moves

UK smallcap opening - Target borrows more on delays & as H1 losses widen

STOCKWATCH Drax Group higher as RBS ups to 'buy' from 'sell' in electricity note

STOCKWATCH William Morrison up; Cazenove ups to 'outperform' from 'in-line'

UK smallcap opening - Tanfield rebounds as chairman buys stock

STOCKWATCH Taylor Nelson Sofres up on hostile WPP bid, prospect of bidding warUK smallcap opening - Air Music & Media up on FY results, good start to yr

UK smallcap opening - Media Corp firms on own share buying

UK small caps open higher; Tanfield rebounds on chairman's share buying

London shares open higher following sharp gains on Wall St UPDATE

STOCKWATCH Tate & Lyle higher; Investec sees sale news as 'modestly positive'

WALL STREET OUTLOOK Lower open seen on oil rebound; Alcoa set to outperform

London shares - mid-morning features