Hello traders!

US stocks rallied in the final minutes of trade to close at session highs tonight amid sharp gains in McDonald's after a bullish sales report.

The Dow climbed 38.94 points to an unofficial close of 10,384.34 while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 12.32 points to 1,979.67 and the S&P500 lifted 7.49 points to 1,178.84.

Crude topped $52 a barrel.

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

G.

OUTLOOK BG Q1 profit seen up 42 pct on high oil, gas prices, production

LONDON (AFX) - BG Group PLC is expected to unveil a 42 pct rise in first quarter earnings, buoyed by higher production and oil and gas prices.
Analysts are forecasting net profit before exceptional items of 264 mln stg in the quarter ending March, up from the previous year's 186 mln.
They are predicting operating profit of 468 mln stg, also 42 pct ahead of the 330 mln it booked last time.
That assumed production would have risen by about 9-15 pct year-on-year, largely owing to higher output from the Karachaganak field in Kazakhstan.
Compared to the fourth quarter, output was seen only marginally changed as no major projects were put on stream over the past months.
Despite a coffer teeming with cash, partly boosted by recent asset disposals, BG is unlikely to announce any major one-off cash return to shareholders.
"Our expectation is that BG will continue to look for industrial
re-investment opportunities rather than accelerating returns to shareholders," said Lehman Brothers
Last month, BG completed the sale of its 17 pct stake in the North Caspian production sharing agreement, which generated proceeds of about 1.8 bln usd.

Good morning traders!

The official close from US last night saw the Dow up 38.94 points at 10,384.34 with the Nasdaq Composite up 12.32 points to 1979.67 and the S&P500 7.49 points ahead at 1178.84.

Asian markets are pretty negative overall this morning with an element of profit-taking holding down Hong Kong and Tokyo.

Later today, the Bank of England is expected to downgrade in very modest fashion its forecasts for inflation and economic growth while at the same time acknowledging that the risks likely to push both higher have receded.

Following the completion of a bankable feasibility study at its Langer Heinrich deposit in Namibia, uranium explorer Paladin Resources says it will now proceed with developing the $92m project over a 15-year mine life to produce 2.6 million pounds of uranium oxide concentrates per annum...

G.

PS Thanks again Digger for all the news items....

AFX UK at a glance share guide - 2

MARKETS
FTSE 100 4,910.3, down 8.6
FTSE 250 6,790.0, up 9.2
DJIA 10,384.30, up 38.90
Nasdaq Comp 1,979.67, up 12.32
S&P 500 1,178.85, up 7.50
Tokyo: Nikkei closed at 11,159.46, down 11.86
Hang Seng midday 14,062.77, down 22.32
Gold 426.10 usd (424.62 usd)
Oil - Brent June 51.29 usd (50.77 usd)

BREAKING NEWS
* Deutsche Boerse's leaders forced to step down; Seifert goes now and Breuer by end of year - FT
* Doubts on Treasury forecast as growth slows while inflationary pressures rise - FT
* BAE SYSTEMS makes an unsolicited bid to supply two frigates to Malaysia for an estimated 1 bln stg in what is expected to be one of the country's biggest defence deals in the next few years - FT
* HSBC to double its stake in Ping An, China's second-largest life assurer, by buying the 10 pct held by Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley for 582 mln stg in the biggest foreign investment in a Chinese insurer - FT
* UNITED BUSINESS MEDIA says it will pay outgoing chief executive Lord Hollick a 250,000 stg bonus in spite of an expected shareholder rebellion - FT
* JURYS DOYLE, the Irish hotels group, confirms it has received an approach from an unnamed bidder
* Chinese offer to save 1,500 Rover jobs; deal 'nearly completed' to give Shanghai group British engineering and design base at Longbridge plant - Telegraph
* Internal LLOYDS TSB documents reveal a problem of questionable lending practices across the bank's 2,000 branches and further deficiences in its phone-based loan centres - Times

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on Deutsche Boerse (loser is LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, whose icy defence of its chastity has totally backfired; still, while his execution proved flawed, Seifert's vision might work at less inflated prices; unlike its management team, Deutsche Boerse could still be back), UK economy, Bid speculation, Investment banks - RICHMOND FOODS (on a little more than 13 times this year's earnings - an undemanding multiple)
Telegraph
QUESTOR: CREST NICHOLSON (worth a punt), SKYEPHARMA (only buy if you're in for a bumpy ride), RICHMOND FOODS (best left alone at this level)
Times
ADAMIND (talk it is close to announcing the broadening of its contract with Ericsson) - DIRECTORS' DEALINGS: TOAD GROUP (three directors buy stock for 118,000 stg) - TEMPUS: KINGFISHER (hold), CENTER PARCS (avoid), DIPLOMA (worth buying)
Independent
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: ULSTER TELEVISION (avoid), CENTER PARCS (buy), TDG (added to Independent's portfolio of stocks for 2005)
Guardian
JARDINE LLOYD THOMPSON (dividend cut fears) - BIOFUELS (roadshow fails to calm nerves)
Mail
FUTURAGENE (positive comment)
Express
KINGFISHER (Home Depot bid speculation) - SHARE WHISPER: LONDON & ASSOCIATED PROPERTIES (bid speculation) - WHO'S DEALING: TOAD GROUP (directors buy stock)

Good morning all from a very sunny North Wales. Snowdon is looking very nice this morning.

Sold all my shares in the Champion Investor competition yesterday hoping to re purchase today but after the rise in the Dow looks as if I may have to wait a bit before price reaches my target buying price. Still struggling in position No. 75. I can see that charlielinks is doing well with 34.10% profit. Fingers crossed then.

Good morning all