Plays of the Week:
*Buy - Hamworthy (HMY) and Interior Services Group (ISG).
Trading Plays:
*Sell Kingfisher (KGF) and British Land (BLND).
*Buy Vedanta Resources (VED) and Sainsbury (SBRY).
Results Focus:
*Lonmin (LMI) lacks metal.
*Land of opportunity (Land Securities (LAND)).
*Sainsbury (SBRY): Onward, mostly upward.
*FTSE promise bolsters the LSE (LSE).
*Business Post (BPG) starts to deliver.
*Burberry (BRBY) bags healthy sales growth.
*Ethanol mandate fuels GTL (GTL).
*Everything must go at EMAP (EMA).
*Experian (EXPN) braced for slowdown.
*Proventec’s (PROV) chance to clean up with Osprey.
*Changing times for Latchways (LTC).
*Vodafone (VOD) comes through loud and clear.
*VT (VTG) looking ship-shape and Bristol fashion.
*Liontrust (LIO) thoroughly tamed.
*Africa opens up for Bowleven (BLVN).
The Lex Column:
*German utilities - Take the word, 'German,' put it together with 'utility,' and you ought to have a textbook definition of reliability. So why is that Germany's two largest utilities still trade at a valuation discount to the European utilities sector?
*Markets - It is hardly reassuring when the heavy cavalry is armed only with muskets. Things really get scary when they also run out of ammunition. That is what happened this week to Freddie Mac, the mortgage giant.
*DP World lists on DIFX - The dizzying expansion of Dubai has been based on the Field of Dreams premise that if you build it, they will come. So far at least, that has not applied to the Dubai International Financial Exchange.
*Japanese earnings - Japan's stock market does not get any more enticing. The Topix index is down 6% so far this year in dollar terms.
*Buy-to-let troubles - If housing affordability is such a big issue in the UK, why does every man and his dog seem to be a landlord these days? But the party could be over.
The Lombard Column:
*Holiday flings that may have long-term consequences (Thomas Cook (TCG)).
*Coronation delayed (Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA)/Regal Petroleum (RPT)).
*No case for a pay-out (Adam Applegarth).
Fund Focus:
*Merrill Lynch enjoys Latin American climate.
Further news:
*Premier Oil (PMO) bucks the trend on rumours of a bid from Hungary's Mol.
*Upbeat outlook for Timan (TMAN).
*Italian bank cuts its stake in LSE (LSE).
The Business Editor’s Column:
*The wheels are coming off the supercycle (Natural resources).
*Perceptions of India change.
*Poultry pickings (A sub-prime Thanksgiving).
Business Big Shot:
*Ronald Coase.
The Tempus Column:
*Daily Mail (DMGO) - Take advantage of what is likely to be further weakness in the share price.
*GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) - Worth buying.
*Regal Petroleum (RPT) - Hold.
Further news:
*Rival cries 'offside' over Tesco's (TSCO) stadium and supermarket at Everton.
*Goldman Sachs is the only major bank to have safely escaped the sub-prime crisis.
*Mapeley (MAY) forced to pay price of financial jitters.
*Probability (PBTY) said to be about to announce a 12-month revenue sharing deal with The Sun.
The Comment Column:
*The Bank should take hold of the situation by cutting (interest rates).
*Du-buy, buy, buy as DP World prepares float.
*Should we worry we're running on empty? (Oil)
The Questor Column:
*Sell Thomas Cook (TCG) and Oxus Gold (OXS).
*Buy Paypoint (PAY).
Further news:
*Rock’s (NRK) managers may face lawsuits.
*FTSE battered again as Northern Rock (NRK) faces relegation.
*Patsystems (PTS) subject of increasing bid speculation.
The Outlook Column:
*Markets become short sellers' paradise.
*No downturn yet, says Daily Mail (DMGO).
*Bank's dilemma becomes more acute (Interest rates).
The Hamish McRae Column:
*Next year could be a good year for the world economy but a bad one for shares.
The Investment Column:
*Buy - Accsys Technologies (AXS).
*Hold - Thomas Cook (TCG).
*Hold - Tribal Group (TRB).
Further news:
*Share buy-back fails to prop up ailing Barclays (BARC).
Further news:
*Markets stuffed at Thanksgiving.
*Talk of impending bullish circular lifts Hochshild Mining (HOC).
*Fears about its financial health hit Artilium (ARTA).
Share Whisper:
*Whispers that Phorm (PHRM) is close to announcing deals with BT (BT.A) and Carphone Warehouse (CPW).
Further news:
*Northern Rock (NRK), Taylor Wimpey (TW.), Barratt (BDEV), Tate & Lyle (TATE) and DSG (DSGI) set to face FTSE-100 axe and be replaced by London Stock Exchange (LSE), FirstGroup (FGP), TUI (TUI), Thomas Cook (TCG) and Cairn Energy (CNE).
*Adam Applegarth, chief of Northern Rock (NRK), looks set to receive £380,000 when he leaves the bank next year.
*Cerberus, one of the private equity firms bidding for Northern Rock (NRK), is hoping to merge the UK lender with its ailing US residential mortgage business ResCap.
*Legal & General (LGEN) fund manager goes public over Scottish & Newcastle (SCTN) battle transparency worries.
*The Takeover Panel is to investigate investors in Umbro (UMB).
*Three overseas bidders are today expected to submit final-round offers in the auction for United Utilities' (UU.) £1.5-billion electricity distribution business, Norweb.
*Prudential (PRU) poised to strike a deal with Capita (CPI) as part of plans to cut costs on its UK business.
*Goldman Sachs believed to be preparing to spend up to £140-million on a 10% stake in CMC Markets, the online company chaired by Peter Cruddas.
*Dawnay Day raises stake in F&C Asset Management (FCAM).
*Strong cash flow makes Paragon (PAG) a target for private equity.
*Tata Motors bid for Jaguar and Land Rover endorsed by union chiefs.
*Imperial Tobacco (IMT) ready to launch UK brands on US market.
*Burns-Anderson confirms in talks on receiving possible takeover offer.
*Sci Entertainment (SEG) still in discussions re possible offers for company.
*Ukraine's KDD property group considers AIM float.
*Nuffield Hospitals is carrying out a strategic review which could lead to a break-up of the group.
*Dr Tito Tettamenti has built a 4% stake in Fiberweb (FWEB).
*Akzo Nobel might scrap the ICI (ICI) brand.
*GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) acquires Reliant Pharmaceuticals for $1.65-million cash, as Reliant withdraws IPO.
*Granby Oil & Gas (GOIL) secures rig for North Sea drilling starting in April 2008.
*Hikma Pharma (HIK) still awaiting an invitation to bid for new Lisinprol contract.
*Churchill Mining (CHL) raises £100-million to advance Indonesian energy projects.
*Renewable energy group Infinis has pulled its planned flotation.
SOME ITEMS THAT COULD INFLUENCE SHARE PRICES
*The Dow Jones closed down 211.10-points at 12799.04, the Nasdaq fell 34.66-points to 2562.15, while the S&P dropped 22.93-points to 1416.77.
*The furore over the loss of sensitive personal details of 25-million people by HM Revenue & Customs deepens as cost emerges as an issue.
*UK Treasury secretary Hank Paulson warns the loan crisis may worsen next year and urges banks to act.
*A UK interest rate cut appears closer after it emerges that deputy Bank of England governor Sir John Gieve had voted for the first time for an immediate reduction earlier this month.
*Legal & General (LGEN) predict UK consumer spending will defy expectations with robust Christmas.
*UK weekly jobless claims down 11,000 to 330,000.
*UK 3-month overnight Libor rises again to 6.52% from 6.49%.
*Banks feel the pinch as covered bond trading is suspended.
*The cost of protection against defaults by European banks peaked amid increasing concern about the ability of the financial sector to repay its debts.
*Jacques Chirac was placed under formal investigation on Wednesday for embezzlement of public funds during his time as mayor of Paris, making him the first former French president to be named a suspect in a criminal inquiry.
*Global credit contagion sweeps into China and Korea.
*Two-thirds of North Sea oil rigs fail safety checks.
*Hauliers threaten blockades over soaring cost of fuel.
*House prices show modest gains in majority of US metropolitan areas for third quarter.
*US crude stocks post surprise 11-million barrels drop in week to 16th November.
*Fears of recession in US spook commodity markets.
*US late November Reuters/Michigan consumer sentiment 76.1 vs 75.0 expected.
*GMAC Financial Services moves to assure investors it would not allow its mortgage lending arm to breach bank loan covenants.
*BP's (BP.) hopes of drawing a line under its problems in the US have been dealt a blow by a legal challenge over the fatal explosion at its Texas City refinery.
*China bans 750 toy exporters in response to West's concern.
*British Energy (BGY) suffers further blow in Heysham 1 reactor 2 inspection.
Compiled in association with HB PLC and WH Ireland Ltd
