Hello traders!

US stocks continued to trade mixed tonight with the DJIA close to its highs for the session, up 52 points at 10,916.

The Nasdaq Composite was last down 1 point at 2,304 and the S&P500 put in a fractional loss, down 0.31 point at 1,279.77.

See you in the morning with updates....

G.

Good morning traders!

Final US figures last night saw the Dow close ahead 89.09 at 10,953.95, the Nasdaq up 4.74 at 2,310.56 and the S&P500 2.38 better at 1,282.46.

In Asia today, the Nikkei closed up 230.46 points at 16,710.55, its best close since September 2000. The Hang Seng ended the morning up just 0.81 points at 15,743.11.

Oil rebounded in Asian trade, New York's main contract, light sweet crude for March delivery, up 37 cents to $66.93 a barrel from its close of $66.56 in the US.

Lots going on today with Rio Tinto, AstraZeneca and Shell taking centre stage.

Happy trading!

G.

Aus close

7:03 am 02/02/2006
AFX UK at a glance share guide


LONDON (AFX) - Leading shares are tipped to push higher in opening trade,
buoyed by a positive session on Wall Street, with heavyweights Shell and
AstraZeneca set to publish full year numbers, while Hilton could benefit from
fresh bid talk, dealers said.
CMC Markets is indicating the FTSE 100 to open 14 points firmer at around
5,816 having closed yesterday 41.3 points to the good at 5,801.6.


MARKETS
FTSE 100 5,801.6, up 41.3
FTSE 250 9,276.1, up 103.5
DJIA 10,953.90, up 89.00
Nasdaq Comp 2,310.56, 4.74
S&P 500 1,282.45, up 2.35
Tokyo: Nikkei closed at 16,710.55, up 230.46
Hang Seng midday 15,743.11, up 0.81
Gold 566.15 usd (569.85 usd)
Oil - Brent March 65.03 usd (66.59 usd)

TODAY'S PRESS
* HILTON GROUP sets the bar high for potential buyers of its Ladbrokes betting
division after rejecting a fully financed offer of 3.7 bln stg from CVC Capital
- FT
* Brown in retreat on business red tape; consultation move on rules he axed
nine weeks ago -
* Opec gives warning on Bush oil pledge; cartel says president's proposal to
cut US reliance could hit investment as EU stresses MidEast's vital role - FT
* BAE SYSTEMS and unions agree on pensions deal - FT
* Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal will for the first time sell
shares in one of his companies, through an initial public offering of Kingdom
Hotel Investments that is expected to value it at about 1 bln usd
* Evidence of two recent break-ins at WPP's Milan offices increases the
advertising agency's turmoil in Italy since chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell
fired country manager Marco Benatti - FT
* COMPASS under fire in UN deals scandal - Express
* SKYEPHARMA close to sale of American division - Times

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on BSKYB (Sky's response to a rapidly evolving pay-TV
market is a sensible mix of investing in customer growth and expanding its
product range; but the rising costs of that strategy will continue to weigh on
the share price), Wimax (having broken investors' hearts and mobile companies'
balance sheets, has 3G been in vain; an alternative technology known as Wimax is
gradually making progress), MACQUARIE BANK (the party is not over, but those
seeking big thrills should not hang around), TIME WARNER (tentative signals that
Dick Parsons, chief executive, is accelerating the pace of change), Italian
energy (in spite of sensible calls to diversify into nuclear power, Italian
politics mean progress, if any, will be grindingly slow)
Guardian
HUNTING (stock overhang cleared; takeover speculation)
Express
SHARE WHISPER: TEN ALPS (may be looking for acquisitions to boost its new drama
division)
Telegraph
QUESTOR: WOLFSON MICROELECTRONICS (hold), CHEMRING (worth holding), THUS (sell)
Times
Directors' dealing: WHATMAN (two executive directors buy debut stakes) - Rumour
of the day: OCEAN POWER TECHNOLOGIES (word it has won its first UK project) -
ITV (talk of bid by private equity) - TEMPUS: CHEMRING (could be further gains
for the more patient investor), WOLFSON MICRO (sell), ELAN (buy)
Independent
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: WOLFSON MICRO (hold), CHEMRING (should continue their
march higher in 2006)

FORTHCOMING EVENTS
THURSDAY FEB 2

INTERIMS
Caffe Nero
NWF Group

FINALS
Astrazeneca (Q4)
Rio Tinto
Royal Dutch Shell

AGMs
Hardys & Hansons
WH Smith

EGMs
None scheduled

TRADING STATEMENTS
* 888 Holdings
* Mitchells & Butlers
* Signet (Q4)

ECONOMICS
* No UK data scheduled

MARKET EXPECTATIONS
* AstraZeneca FY operating profit 6.54 bln usd
END
newsdesk@afxnews.com
fjb/vjt

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Limited],[PRIORITY=2]

morning campers

Good morning all

Still Long BT.A, PSN
Now Short UKX and DAX

I'm not sure the exact figure for yesterday but I think I made about 9.00
Not happy with the stop loss facility - it seems to kick in when ever I'm not looking, and I can't see the price change has been suffiecent for them to kick in. Fortuntely I've been only setting them to lock in profits. But I think I need to reduce what I'm doing so I can keep and eye on it rather than depend on the stop loss facility.

Good morning all

Morning All,

Shell such an obvious recovery play today.

thought I'd take a look at Shell - but the epic SHEL on this site does not show anything.

Anyone any ideas? Is there another EPIC?

Found a collection of EPICs for Royal Dutch Shell - which I presume its now called

Price heading south - pershaps a lot of profit taking?

Morning :>)

still not having luck finding Shells EPIC all the ones I put into my watch lists show no trading.

Stockbunny how is CMC? Still trading 10 a point?

LOL thankfully remembering to adjust it to 1 LW :>)
Yesterday was a good day, not decided about today yet ;.)

I've increased to either 10p or 25p a point - so not much to lose!

Anyone here holding shares in environment cleanup specialist Virotec(VTI)? They are on the verge of losing out on a cleanup contract in Pennsylvania.

Local media are holding a poll on whether poisonous rock should be treated insitu (by Virotec or whoever) or crushed and carted away someplace else.

At present it's a close run thing. Your vote could make a difference. If you are a Virotec shareholder (or sympathetic to those poor souls who are) you need to get in there today and vote NO to the cartaway option VOTE HERE

LW,

Shell epic Is RDSB

Thanks Stan

I closed the Long PSN

I'm going to try and consentrate on the Indexs (UKX & DAX) - should keep things a bit simpler

WIth the UKX heading south, I wonder if the DAX will follow?

Midday Market Summary