This Morning in London albeit that metal prices are still low, it was good to see Anglo American (AAL.L), Xstrata (XTA.L), Rio Tinto (RIO.L) and Kazakhmys (KAZ.L) having a better day. Everything started rosily, with the FTSE-100 climbing 29.7-points, but then tobacco stocks Imperial (IMT.L) and Gallaher (GLH.L) started to drift. The market was further depressed after the Office for National Statistics released data showing that inflation was unchanged in October and therefore again above the official target of 2%, despite 2 rate rises this year. Last month's Consumer Price Index figure was 2.4%. A number of economists had been expecting a rise to 2.6% ,because of the introduction of more expensive university tuition fees in October. The RPI rate (which includes mortgage payments) rose from 3.6% to 3.7%, its highest level in more than 8-years. The Government faces a real dilemma now, because although they have lifted interest rates to 5%, to quell the rise in house prices, factory-gate inflation has actually fallen. News that Acambis (ACM.L) had lost out on a contract to supply the US government with millions of doses of smallpox vaccine, saw their shares fall 60.5p to 94p. Reports that Rupert Murdoch had apparently held last (in Sydney), what was described by one newswire as a "fireside chat" for buy and sell side investors, dented the share price, as he supposedly told them that the 3-year build out of broadband and telephony capability at BSkyB (BSY.L) would result in EBITDA falling from £900-million to £700-million, and possibly to £650-million, citing the cost of upgrades incurred. The shares fell 13p to 537p. There has been no confirmation from the company.
So you think you "cn txt fst"!!
A student in Singapore has broken the Guinness World Record for the shortest time needed to type a 160-character SMS message, after speeding through the task in less than 42-seconds in a competition. Ang Chuang Yang, who is 16-years old typed the SMS (short message service) in 41.52-seconds, thereby beating the previous record of 42.22-seconds set by American Ben Cook in July. Ang said that next year he will try for 39-seconds, saying that the trick to quick text messaging is to use a mobile phone with larger keys on the dial pad. SMS messaging competitions around the world use the same SMS text, which is provided by the Guinness organisation, it reads... "The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human." So, thr u hv it!!
I always knew it existed!!!!
A poll for Nuts magazine has found that 'Man flu' - the condition by which men claim to suffer more from colds than women, really does exist. It seems that men take more time off work than women with colds they think are flu, we are accused of moaning more, spending more on remedies, with 82% staying in bed until they feel better. The survey of 2,000 people found 64% of men thought they had flu and took a day off compared with 45% of women. However, according to Professor Ron Eccles of the Common Cold Centre, Cardiff University, it is women who get ill more. He says that this is because women have more contact with children (normally the main source of infection). November is said to be the worst month for 'man flu', with 1-in-6 suffering. Every man in the world knew that 'man-flu'’ existed before this poll, it's just that the female population refused to... ah... ah... ATCHOOOOOOO!
BROKER RECOMMENDATIONS
ABN says hold Misys (MSY.L), Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) and easyJet (EZJ.L) and reiterates sell Robert Wiseman Dairies (RWD.L) (raising the price target to 375p from 340p).
Bridgewell has initiated coverage of WH Smith (SMWH.L) appending a neutral recommendation and reiterates buy Next (NXT.L).
The broker says buy Advanced Medical Solutions (AMS.L), Aveva (AVV.L), Synergy Healthcare (SYR.L), Revenue Assurance (formerly XKO (XKO.L)) with a 150p fair value price and Media Square (MSQ.L) and has overweight on Babcock (BAB.L), Emap (EMA.L), Schroders (SDR.L), Rensburg Sheppards (RBG.L) and Isotron (ISO.L).
Bridgewell has underweight on Provident Financial (PFG.L) (suggesting a switch into Cattles (CTT.L)) and Pipex (PXC.L) and has neutral on Adamind (ADA.L), Charles Stanley (CAY.L) and Tullow Oil (TLW.L).
Cazenove reiterates underperform on Northern Foods (NFDS.L) and has upgraded Galiform (GFRM.L) to outperform from in-line.
Citigroup reiterates hold Emap (EMA.L) and says buy Babcock (BAB.L).
The broker has initiated coverage of Smith & Nephew (SN.L) appending a buy recommendation and a 550p price target and hold Dairy Crest (DCG.L) and National Grid (NG.L).
Citigroup says buy Rank (RNK.L) and Sage Group (SGE.L).
Collins Stewart says hold Emap (EMA.L) (810 target).
Credit Suisse reiterates neutral on Northern Foods (NFDS.L) and has outperform on InterContinental Hotels (IHG.L).
The broker has neutral on Alliance Boots (AB.L).
Deutsche reiterates buy Man Group (EMG.L) (raising the price target to 530p from 510p) and says hold Misys (MSY.L).
Dresdner Kleinwort has downgraded Detica (DCA.L) to hold from buy.
Evolution reiterates add Scottish Power (SPW.L) (800p target) and says sell Alliance Boots (AB.L) (700p target).
The broker says buy InterContinental Hotels (IHG.L) (1100p target) and Wolfson Microelectronics (WLF.L) (360p target).
Evolution says add VT Group (VTG.L) (540p target) and reduce Northern Foods (NFDS.L) (85p target).
The broker says buy European Goldfields (EGU.L) (290p target).
Goldman reiterates neutral on Vodafone (VOD.L) and Corus Group (CS.L) (raising the price target to 435p from 420p) and has neutral on HSBC (HSBA.L).
ING says hold Legal & General (LGEN.L) (152p target).
Merrill has downgraded easyJet (EZJ.L) to hold from buy and reiterates neutral on Burberry (BRBY.L).
The broker says buy Enodis (ENO.L) and Misys (MSY.L).
JP Morgan reiterates neutral on Go-Ahead (GOG.L) (raising the price target to 1610p from 1391p) and has neutral on AstraZeneca (AZN.L).
Morgan Stanley has equal-weight on Invensys (ISYS.L) (raising the price target to 277p from 210p) and has equal-weight for Inmarsat (ISAT.L).
Panmure Gordon reiterates sell Alliance Boots (AB.L) (670p target) and says buy VT Group (VTG.L) (560p target), Endace (EDA.L) (187p target), Dignity (DTY.L) (707p target), easyJet (EZJ.L) and Fun Technologies (FUN.L) (325p target).
The broker says sell William Morrison (MRW.L) and hold Emap (EMA.L).
Seymour Pierce reiterates underperform on Alliance Boots (AB.L) and says buy European Goldfields (EGU.L).
The broker says hold Burberry (BRBY.L), Emap (EMA.L) and CoffeeHeaven (COH.L).
UBS reiterates neutral on Northern Foods (NFDS.L) (90p target) and has downgraded National Express (NEX.L) to neutral from buy and Arriva (ARI.L) to reduce from neutral.
The broker reiterates neutral on Stagecoach (SGC.L) (raising the price target to 143p from 134p) and reiterates buy Sage (SGE.L).
UBS has neutral on Unite (UTG.L) (raising the price target to 540p from 450p) and says reduce Elan Corporation (ELA.L).
The broker is neutral on Rolls-Royce (RR.L).
NEWS ROUND-UP
Last Night in New York shares closed higher, as fears over slowing growth were eased, following a statement from a Federal Reserve official who said the economy was growing forcefully. The market was also boosted by a fall in the price of oil. The Dow closed up 23.45-points at 12131.88, the Nasdaq rose 16.66-points to 2406.38 (during the day it climbed to 2408.91, its best level in nearly 6-years), while the S&P added 3.52-points to 1384.42.
On this day in:-
1995 - Diana, Princess of Wales disclosed she had given a major interview to the BBC TV programme Panorama, in which she discussed the breakdown of her marriage to Prince Charles and admitted that she too, like her husband, had committed adultery.
1982 - The city of Gdansk, birthplace of Poland's historic shipyard strike, celebrated the homecoming of Solidarity leader Lech Walesa. Walesa, Poland's champion of trade unionism, was imprisoned in 1981 as part of communist leader Wojciech Jaruzelski's crackdown on the Solidarity movement, but supporters called for the middle-aged electrician's release in street demonstrations, union meetings, and church gatherings. Not even the forces of martial law could silence the national cry to Free Lech! Walesa, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and in 1990 he became Poland's first democratically elected leader.
1977 - The first national firemen's strike in Great Britain. More than 10,000 troops were called in to cover emergencies.
1973 - Princess Anne married Captain Mark Phillips.
1973 - England football captain Bobby Moore played his last international match, against Italy at Wembley, his 108th game for his country.
1948 - The birth of Prince Charles, first child of Princess Elizabeth.
1941 - The Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier Ark Royal sank off Gibraltar, after being hit by an Italian torpedo.
1940 - World War II: German bombers launched a major night raid on Coventry in the Midlands. More than 1000 people were killed and Coventry Cathedral was destroyed.
1938 - In Germany, Jews were expelled from colleges and universities.
1911 - King George V and Queen Mary landed at Gibraltar, the first time a reigning Great British monarch had visited a Commonwealth country.
1900 - The French Senate voted in favour of admitting women to practise at the Bar.
1896 - In Great Britain, the speed limit for horseless carriges was raised from 4-mph to 14-mph.
1770 - Scottish explorer James Bruce discovered the source of the Blue Nile.
1582 - English dramatist William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway.
