Hello traders!

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

G.

Morning all. Market reports:

FT

Shoppers flooded to the high street and shopping centres over the weekend but many may have been scouting for early sale bargains rather than last-minute Christmas shopping.
Shoppers flood the high street

A last-minute rush by shoppers over Christmas produced better-than-expected sales for retailers, but profits are likely to be hammered due to heavy discounting, industry experts warned.
Late shopping rush boosts retailers

This year's enormous post-Christmas sales will go down in retail history as the last major shopping splurge before consumers put a sharp brake on their spending.
Retailers face pain after festive splurge

Sterling made the headlines earlier this year by breaking though the $2 mark, but the currency is unlikely to reach such heady levels again in 2008 as the UK economy weakens, a clutch of the City's biggest banks now predicts.
Goodbye to the $2 pound in 2008

Meredith Whitney, the star banking analyst whose bearish comments this year triggered a $369 billion (186 billion) drop on Wall Street, said yesterday that she expects losses at Merrill Lynch to increase fourfold in the fourth quarter of the year.
Wall Streets leading bear says Merrill Lynch losses will keep rising

American house prices declined at their fastest rate for more than six years in October, with homes in Miami losing 12 per cent of their value, it emerged yesterday.
Worst decline in American house prices may not be finished yet

Japan has launched its biggest financial shake-up in a decade to regain lost business from London and meet the fast-rising challenge of Shanghai.
Japan fights back with 60-point master plan

Sanyo Electric faces being delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange after admitting that it underestimated losses for seven years because it failed to understand accountancy rules and had weak management processes.
Sanyo Electric risks delisting for years of wrong figures

The cost of trading shares has risen because of a triple whammy of rising stock market volatility, thin trading volumes and weakened investment bank balance sheets, with some warning the shift could be permanent.
Traders hit by triple whammy

NIKKEI	AUSTRALIA	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Nikkei closed down 88.85 points at 15,564.69, while the Hang
Seng ended the morning off 86.17 points at 28,042.63.

New York's main oil contract, light sweet crude for February delivery, was steady
at $95.97 dollars a barrel after spiking $1.84 in US trades Wednesday.

Happy trading!

G.

Tokyo shares close lower on profit takingThomson Financial UK at a glance share guide - Boxing DayAustralian shares close higher on gains in resources sector - UPDATETFN economic and business calendarAustralian shares close higher on gains in resources sectorThomson Financial Europe AM at a glance share guide: Stocks, oil mixedSTOCKWATCH - China fixed-line telecom firms up on hopes for 3G, Unicom buyout

TFN UK calendar and forecasts for today

The Thursday Press Roundup

Thomson Financial UK at a glance share guide

London shares outlook - Flat reflecting Wall Street; retailers in focus

Tokyo shares close lower on profit taking - UPDATE

The Hang Seng Index closed down 285.87 points or 1% at 27,842.93, following short-lived gains in the morning session.

Metals - Gold holds near 1-month high on high oil prices, weak dollar

Metals - Copper hits three week high as China vows to scrap import tax

London shares - midmorning features

US futures point to mixed opening

London shares - midday features

Midday Market Roundup

Precious Metals Summary - London AM Fixings

Metals - Gold eases after hitting 1-mth high yesterday but downside seen limited

Metals - Gold hits fresh 1-month high as Bhutto's death sparks jitters