UK Market News

Thursday March 27, 07:27 AM
Thomson Financial UK at a glance share guide

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LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Leading shares are expected to open slightly weaker today, following a slide on Wall Street yesterday, with B&Q owner Kingfisher (LSE: KGF.L - news)

in focus as it is expected to report lower annual profit.

The FTSE 100 will open about 13 points lower at 5,647, according to spread betting firm IG Index. Yesterday, the FTSE 100 fell 28.7 points to close at 5,660.4.

MARKETS

FTSE 100 5,60.4, down 28.7

FTSE 250 (news) 9,756.1, down 38.5

DJIA 12,422.90, down 109.70

Nasdaq Comp 2,324.36, down 16.69

S&P 500 1,341.15, down 11.85

Tokyo: Nikkei (news) closes at 12,604.58, down 102.05

Hang Seng (news) midday 22,705.66, up 88.65

Gold 950.85 usd (923.15 usd)

Oil - Brent May 103.99 usd (100.60 usd)

TODAY'S PRESS

* King seeks to boost fight on liquidity; Bank chief signals readiness to cut rates; 'longer-term solution' of tighter supervision - FT

* Royal Dutch Shell (Amsterdam: RDSA.AS - news) is working on a process to turn sugars into synthetic petrol, rather than ethanol, with the aim of moving to a commmercial demonstration plant in two years - FT

* Tata's bid promise to keep UK car plants open won over unions; Jaguar and Land Rover factories safe until 2011; no commitment to maintain staff levels - FT

* Ministry of Defence will be urged to cut its losses and withdraw from the Nimrod MR4A programme to provide a new fleet of maritime reconnaissance aircraft, according to a new report by MPs - FT

* Clear Channel deal collapses; lawsuits filed against banks over financing; allegations of fraud hit 19.5 bln usd buy-out - FT

* Motorola (NYSE: MOT - news) plans split to revive mobiles business - FT

* India's Religare in approach to Hichens, Harrison - FT

PRESS COMMENT

THE LEX COLUMN comments on FSA mea culpa, Regulation and Wall Street, Paper cuts (paper stocks are still not cheap), Vale and Xstrata (that Xstrata (LSE: XTA.L - news) 's share price was down only 5 pct on Wednesday suggests that the market expects Vale to be back) - MARKETS - LONDON: SIG (SIGN.SW - news) (Saint-Gobain bid talk), Diageo (LSE: DGE.L - news) (rumours of a US distribution deal with Anheuser-Busch), Cobham (talk the UK is set to announce a deal to buy Airbus (Paris: NL0000235190 - news) refuelling tankers), London Stock Exchange (LSE: LSE.L - news) (bid rumours), British Energy (LSE: BGY.L - news) (talk of an 800-pence-a-share offer from RWE (Xetra: 703712 - news) ), Enodis (LSE: ENO.L - news) (rumours of fresh takeover talks with US rival Manitowoc (NYSE: MTW - news) ); SMALL CAPS: Lookers (LSE: LOOK.L - news) (Trefick confirms 4.52 pct stake), International Greetings (LSE: IGR.L - news) (bid rumours)

Mail

Birch Partners (talk of reverse takeover)

Times (1832.HK - news)

Tempus: Bellway (LSE: BWY.L - news) (best avoided), Booker (a solid hold), Tribal Group (LSE: TRB.L - news) (worth buying on weakness) - Rumour of the day: Enodis (talk Manitowoc might be ready to launch a new bid) - deal of the day: Renewable Energy (LSE: REH.L - news) (non-exec buys 25,000 shares at 115 pence each)

Express

SHARE WHISPER: Tadpole Technology (LSE: TAD.L - news) (thought to have received interest from several parties in its Jukebox software; a deal with Google (NASDAQ: GOOG - news) is one rumour doing the rounds)

Independent

THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: ScS Upholstery (LSE: SUY.L - news) (hold for now), Bellway (cautious hold), FW Thorpe (hold)

Telegraph

QUESTOR: Xstrata (buy), Scottish & Southern Energy (hold)

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

THURSDAY MAR 27

INTERIMS

Clinton Cards (LSE: CC.L - news)

Earthport (LSE: EPO.L - news)

GSH Group (LSE: GSH.L - news)

Land of Leather Holdings

Clinton Cards