Hello traders!

US stocks closed higher though off their best levels, buoyed by positive data and a dip in the price of crude.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended up 84 points at 10,242. The Nasdaq Composite gained 18 points to 1,950, while the S&P500 was up 10 points at 1,162.

Let's hope that gives London a shot in the arm tomorrow after what was a very slow day with low volumes and little news.

See you in the morning....

G.

Good morning traders!

Not much to report yet. Asian markets are mixed with Hong Kong ahead and Tokyo down. The price of crude has eased slightly after encouraging words from Saudi Arabia.

Rio Tinto is reportedly considering a partnership with Malaysian construction and financial services group, Cahya Mata Sarawak, to construct a $2bn aluminium smelter on the island of Borneo...

BP is expected to reveal robust earnings in Q1. Analysts are forecasting net profit before exceptional items of $4.065bn-$5.09bn, or an average of $4.315bn, up 23% from the reported figure of $3.5bn a year earlier.

Back with more as it arrives.....

Happy trading!

G.

MARKET EXPECTATIONS
* Atrium Underwriting. Atrium forecasts year to December pretax profit "not less than" 30 mln stg vs 19.9 mln; total dividend 10.0 pence vs 8.0
* BP Q1 net profit before exceptionals 4.06-5.09 bln usd vs 3.5 bln
* Imperial Tobacco six months to March EBITA 592 mln stg vs 560 mln; pretax profit before exceptionals and goodwill 501 mln stg vs 454 mln; pretax profit 468 mln stg vs 301 mln; interim dividend 16.5 pence vs 15.0
* SurfControl. Baird Equities forecasts third quarter to May pretax profit 4.7 mln usd vs 4.7 mln
* Westbury. Williams de Broe forecasts year to February pretax profit 136 mln stg vs 115.6 mln; total payout 16.1 pence vs 14.0
* Whitbread year to March pretax profit before exceptionals and goodwill 268.3 mln stg vs 240.8 mln; total dividend 25.0 pence vs 22.3

AFX UK at a glance share guide

TODAY'S EXPECTED COMPANY NEWS

INTERIMS
Amvescap (Q1)
BP (Q1)
Ferraris Group
Imperial Tobacco Group
Reckitt Benckiser (Q1)
Sanderson Group
Surfcontrol (Q3)

FINALS
Alexandra
Atrium Underwriting
Big Yellow Group (Q4)
Hitachi Capital (UK)
NMT Group
Rugby Estates
Westbury
Whitbread

REDROW UPGRADED TO 'BUY' VS 'NEUTRAL' AT UBS

ROYAL & SUN ALLIANCE DOWNGRADED TO 'IN-LINE' FROM 'OUTPERFORM' BY GOLDMAN SACHS

LAND SECURITIES UPGRADED TO 'OUTPERFORM' FROM 'IN-LINE' BY GOLDMAN SACHS

morning all

Morning all.

AFX UK at a glance share guide - 2

MARKETS
FTSE 100 4,864.9 up 15.6
FTSE 250 7,016.8 up 3.9
DJIA 10,242.50 up 84.80
Nasdaq Comp 1,950.78 up 18.59
S&P 500 1,162.10 up 10.00
Tokyo: Nikkei midday 11,046.88 down 26.89
Hang Seng midday 13,902.36 up 152.13
Gold 433.40 usd (435.30 usd)
Oil - Brent Jun (54.97 usd)

BREAKING NEWS
* Brown is firm on five tests for euro entry; signal that Labour would not sign up in third term - FT
* ALLIED DOMECQ shares rise as US rivals consider countering 7.5 bln stg Pernod offer - FT
* Asda eyes SOMERFIELD bid as it looks to gain market share - FT
* BARCLAYS prepared to walk away from 2.7 bln stg Absa offer - FT
* Heron International issues threat to withdraw CREST NICHOLSON offer unless it gains more information on the housebuilder
* Takeover Panel reprimands TEATHER & GREENWOOD for QXL RICARDO dealings
* WHITBREAD to sell Maredo steak arm
* RENOVO, a UK biotech company developing drugs to keep people free from scars after accidents or surgery, looking to float on the London Stock Exchange with a 200 mln stg price-tag - Express
* EDINBURGH OIL & GAS receives a joint takeover approach from Oranje-Nassau and Dyas UK
* GUARDIAN MEDIA GROUP wil not sell its radio stations for under 150 mln stg - Times

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on BARCLAYS (it should leave Absa's shareholders in no doubt that if the shenanigans continue it is prepared to walk away), Renminbi, Consumer goods, Auna
Express
CENTRICA (price-hike fears) - SHARE WHISPER: EMBLAZE SYSTEMS (speculation it has secured a major handset order) - WHO'S DEALING: DOMINO'S PIZZA (chairman sells 1 mln shares at 275 pence)
Independent
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: WPP (well worth holding), HARVEY NASH (avoid), YOUGOV (high enough)
Times
SAVILLS (US investor Trammell Crow raises stake) - TEMPUS: SOMERFIELD (it would be wise for investors to capitalise now on the gains they have made), STAGECOACH (hold), EDINBURGH OIL & GAS (lock in at least some of those profits)
Telegraph
REUTERS (hold), BRITISH ENERGY (those with the stomach for a long, bumpy ride may want to get on now), DOMINO'S PIZZA (hold)
Mail
CARPETRIGHT (speculation that today's trading update will contain not only a full-year profit warning but news of significant staff redundancies in the group's floor coverings division)

Anybody having problems this morning with stockwatch,trades.etc.

Morning all.

Morning all

and what a morning