Hello traders!

In the US tonight, the Dow was down 175.26 points at 12,376.98, while the
S&P500 slipped 18.34 points to 1,348.87 and the Nasdaq Composite was
41.39 points lower at 2,332.54.

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

G.

Morning all. Market reports:

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

Forbes has awarded EconomicIndicators.gov one of its Best of the Web awards. Yet the Bush administration has decided to shut down this site because of budgetary constraints, effective March 1.
Bush Administration Hides More Data, Shuts Down Website Tracking U.S. Economic Indicators

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has signalled another round of rate cuts as an "insurance" policy to head off an economic recession in the US economy, saying inflation is no longer the main concern.
Ben Bernanke signals further US rate cuts

Ben Bernanke, the Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, pledged today to tackle the credit crunch that is threatening Americas growth by acting "as needed" to bolster its flagging economy.
US Federal Reserve signals new interest rate cut to protect against recession

Swiss banking giant UBS has warned the market to prepare for "another difficult year" after unveiling a record loss due to its crippling US sub-prime exposure.
UBS braced for further misery

Barclays is considering purchasing a controlling stake in Expobank, of Russia, at a cost of about 200 million, according to reports.
Barclays eyes 200m stake in Expobank

Barclays Plc introduced a new product that put a scare into Vanguard Group Inc. and the rest of the $13 trillion U.S. mutual-fund industry. Now Congress and the Treasury Department are coming to the funds' aid.
Vanguard Battles Barclays Over `Derivatives for the Masses'

As the banks results season gets under way, investors are bracing themselves for more shocks.
Capital concerns for investors

Christmas was put on credit last year. Shoppers used their credit cards to buy 2 billion of food and drink last December, 25 per cent more than in the same month in 2006, new figures show.
UK's credit card bill is second highest ever

Alistair Darling could see his budget deficit more than triple to an unprecedented 150bn if the economy grinds to a halt, new research has warned. The staggering scale of the impact on the national accounts if Britain suffers a major recession was laid bare by Capital Economics, which said the slowdown could leave a significant dent in the Government's books.
Recession would threaten borrowing rules

Japanese stocks staged a spectacular leap yesterday as trading floors absorbed a baffling surge in GDP growth and wildly conflicting signals from the worlds second-biggest economy.
Japan bounces on surging GDP figures

The European Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson, has said that the "good progress" in talks between the World Trade Organisation and Russia could result in the last remaining large world economy outside the WTO joining the free-trade club this year.
Russia moves closer to joining WTO

City investors are urging the Financial Services Authority to demand more information about positions accumulated in the stock market even if they are not through direct share ownership. In response to a consultation launched by the City regulator, investors want a regime to be devised for contracts-for-difference (CFD), complex financial instruments that give the holders exposure to a company more cheaply than buying its shares outright.
FSA urged to shine a light on shareholders' hidden stakes

NIKKEI 225	AUSTRALIA ASX200	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

Global Trader closes to new business

Global Trader, the online spread trading company, has been forced to close its doors to new business after intervention from the Financial Services Authority. The move followed heavy losses sustained by clients trading equity derivatives in Artilium, an Aim-listed telecommunications technology group popular with retail investors.

The company confirmed last night it had applied for a "variation of permission", the official method by which companies change the terms of their authorisation.

It is understood the FSA requested the move, which means Global Trader will no longer be permitted to carry out regulated activities except to close existing trades.

A full statement is expected to be issued today to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, where Global Trader's parent company, Purple Capital, is listed.

FT

The Financial Services Authority is understood to be examining the affairs of clients of Global Trader 247 - a London-based CFD provider.

Global Trader was said to have dumped millions of shares in Aim-listed software company Artilium in recent days - sparking speculation that one of the broker's largest clients had failed to meet a "margin call".

Global Trader clients investigated by FSA

TFN economic and business calendarThomson Financial Europe AM at a glance share guide: Stocks, oil mixed

Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Nikkei closed down 3.89 points at 13,622.56, while the Hang
Seng ended the morning session down 425.99 points at 23,595.69.

New York's main oil contract, light sweet crude for delivery in March fell 34 cents
to $95.12 per barrel.

Happy Friday!

G.

TFN UK calendar and forecasts for today

Tokyo shares close off lows, Nikkei gains 4.7 percent for the week

The Friday Press RoundupLondon shares outlook - Weaker after sharp New York decline on Bernanke comments

Thomson Financial UK at a glance share guide

BROKERWATCH British Land cut to 'neutral' vs 'buy' at UBS; target cut to 1,050p

BROKERWATCH Vedanta Resources upgraded to 'buy' at UBS, target upped to 2,600p

BROKERWATCH Tate & Lyle cut to 'hold' by ABN Amro after in-line updateTokyo shares close off lows, Nikkei gains 4.7 percent for the week - UPDATE

BROKERWATCH Air Liquide, Lanxess, Linde upped at Lehman Brothers, Bayer cut

UK smallcap opening - Weatherly rises on confirmation of an approach

UK smallcap opening - Croma advances on significant contract wins

OUTLOOK UK supermarket industry awaits findings of key competition probeUK smallcap opening - Volex runs back on profits warning

UK smallcap opening - NetDimensions lifted by Endsleigh Insurance deal

UK smallcap opening - Domino's Pizza moves up on Goldman 'buy' recommendation

STOCKWATCH Bayer underperforming on downgrade and negative Trasylol newsUK smallcap opening - Gibbs & Dandy higher on bid talk