Hello traders!

In the US tonight, the DJIA was down 7.01 points at 7,216.97 with the S&P500 off
2.66 points at 753.89 and the Nasdaq Composite 27.48 points lower at 1,404.02.

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

G.

Top o' the morning traders!

In Asia today, the Nikkei was up 244.98 points at 7,949.13, while the Hang Seng
ended the morning up 74.57 points at 13,051.28.

Crude oil was up 11 cents to $47.17 a barrel on Nymex.

Happy trading!

G.

Morning all. Market reports:

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

The new Treasury secretary may redeem himself with a smart, detailed plan to deal with banks' toxic assets. Anything less, and he's got trouble.
Geithner Faces Questions As He Prepares to Roll Out Toxic Asset Plan

Foreign investors cut their holdings of US long-term securities in January although China and Japan purchased more Treasury bonds, according to Treasury data issued Monday.
Foreign investors slash US holdings

Goldman Sachs is asking investors in its $15bn private equity fund for approval to shift much of its remaining uninvested money into distressed debt, in a stark indication of dysfunctional conditions in the buy-out business.
Buy-out funds eye distressed debt

Three major European and US hedge fund groups yesterday pledged to work towards worldwide best practice standards after G20 ministers outlined plans to regulate the freewheeling sector.
Hedge funds seek to head off regulation

An unprecedented plunge in advertising in the UK saw spending fall by almost a tenth in the final three months of last year, new figures revealed yesterday, with the economic crisis set to prompt even steeper falls in 2009.
Advertising spend collapses as economy grinds to a halt

The number of complaints about Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) policies has leapt more than 70 per cent over the past three months, as campaigns by consumer groups such as Which? have motivated thousands of consumers to lodge mis-selling claims against their lenders.
Lenders face huge bill as complaints over loan cover soar

HM Revenue & Customs was tonight investigating explosive allegations about tax avoidance schemes operated by Barclays Bank, made by a whistleblower in the firm and apparently substantiated by leaked documents.
Revenue investigates Barclays tax mole claims

AIG refused to hand over to the New York Attorney General the identities of workers who received $165 million (117 million) in bonuses, despite stinging criticism from President Barack Obama over the payments.
AIG refuses to hand over workers details

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