Hello traders!

In the US tonight, the Dow was up 81.58 points at 11,229.02, while the S&P500
was ahead 8.7 points at 1,253.39 and the Nasdaq Composite 22.96 points
better at 2,257.85.

Crude oil prices jumped over $5 to end above $141 a barrel.

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

G.

Good morning traders!

In Asia today, the Hang Seng ended the morning up 303.41 points at 22,125.19,
while the Nikkei was recently up 31.62 points at 13,098.83.

New York's main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for August delivery, rose 13
cents to $141.78 a barrel after a jump of $5.60 to close at $141.65 Thursday at
The New York Mercantile Exchange.

Happy Friday!

G.

TFN UK calendar and forecasts for todayThomson Financial Europe AM at a glance share guide: Stocks, oil mixedTFN economic and business calendar

Morning all. Market reports:

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

Concerns over the future of America's two federal mortgage lenders heightened after it emerged the US government has held behind-the-scenes talks over what to do should they collapse.
US housing market crisis fuels fears for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Britain is now in the midst of the worst housing slide since the Great Depression, economists declared after house price inflation dropped to the lowest level since comparable records began.
Slide in house prices is the worst since the Great Depression

Senior figures from the UK's biggest banks will today lobby the Bank of England to widen the terms of the special funding scheme launched in April to bring liquidity back to the financial sector.
Bankers want more help from Bank of England

The money supply data from the US, Britain, and now Europe, has begun to flash warning signals of a potential crunch. Monetarists are increasingly worried that the entire economic system of the North Atlantic could tip into debt deflation over the next two years if the authorities misjudge the risk.
The money tap turns off, leaving the world in short supply

The parlous state of the equity markets on both sides of the Atlantic has sent investors piling into the controversial practice of shorting, which has driven fees to more than double in just nine months.
Short-selling costs double as investors are drawn to new strategy

The US is in bear market territory already and the UK is close to following it there. But the corrections seen on either side of the Atlantic have been tame compared with the serious setbacks experienced by many other global stock markets since the beginning of the year.
Global markets feel the strain

Spain has suspended an auction of sovereign bonds as investors take fright over the country's property crash and accelerating slide into economic crisis. Government officials have been shocked by the intensity of the downturn now engulfing the country. Car sales fell 31pc in June, industrial production has fallen 5.5pc over the past year and the collapsing property sector is shedding almost 100,000 jobs a month.
Spain pulls bond sale amid economic crisis

Tehran faced deeper isolation yesterday after a major Western energy company withdrew from a giant Iranian gas field project and international threats to attack the countrys nuclear facilities grew.
Iran isolation grows as France's Total cancels $10bn South Pars gas field project

NIKKEI 225	AUSTRALIA ASX200	SHANGHAI	HANG SENG

VIX

13:30 US Trade Balance May (consensus -$62.1B)
13:30 US Import Price Index June
15:00 US University of Michigan Confidence July (consensus 56)

London shares outlook - Firmer as NY finishes higher, British Land AGM

The Friday Press Roundup

Thomson Financial UK at a glance share guide

Tokyo shares close lower on U.S. credit worries

BROKERWATCH Food producers upped to 'in-line' at Morgan Stanley; prefers Nestle

UK smallcap opening - Venue Solutions ticks up on board appointmentsTokyo shares close lower on U.S. credit worries - UPDATEUK smallcap opening - Matra Petroleum moves up as Gaz i Neft claims dismissed

London shares open higher as NY closes firmer; commodity stocks gain

UK smallcap opening - NCipher up on agreed 300p cash bid from Thales

UK smallcap opening - Deal Group Media up on positive EBITDA

UK smallcap opening - Mariana Resources up on Sierra Blanca update

UK smallcap opening - Oxford Biomedica slumps on Trovax disappointment

London shares open higher as NY closes firmer; commodity stocks gain UPDATE

UK smallcap opening - Xaar crashes on FY profits warning

STOCKWATCH Zurich Financial higher, RBS lower after insurance sale talks endUK small caps open lower; Oxford Bio hard-hit on disappointing TroVax review