The Lex Column:
*UK Budget - Gordon Brown will likely use this Budget to reiterate his view that things are on track. Instead, the Comprehensive Spending Review will be the perfect opportunity to reintroduce his colleagues to fiscal discipline. The risk is that by then, facing an election. Mr Brown will view austerity as politically unacceptable.
*Arcelor has said that shareholders will decide on Mittal's bid. But, if Luxembourg succumbs to the chamber's lobbying, which is clearly influenced by Arcelor's view, investors may not get their way.
*Sony - This latest setback will keep Sony's investors sweating.
*Lehman Bros - Distinctly overshadowed by Goldman Sachs.
*Gulf Markets - If anything, emerging markets are likely to reap the rewards of Gulf investors' scepticism about their own markets. But there is also nothing to suggest that, at more reasonable valuation levels, Gulf investors will not again favour their home markets.
The Lombard Column:
*Ministers in denial about loss of pension trust.
*Brit awards for Brit Insurance (BRE.L).
*High hopes for Hanson (HNS.L).
Further news:
*Tortuous birth for Biofuels (BFC.L) Teeside plant.
*Rumours of a possible takeover of Pipex Communications (PXC.L).
The Tempus Column:
*Buy Aberdeen Asset Management (ADN.L).
*Smiths Group (SMIN.L) should be snapped up.
*Avoid Melrose (MRO.L) for now.
The Business Commentary Column:
*A game Sony cannot afford to lose.
*Gordon Brown's Budget record.
*Threat posed by Gazprom's Russian power.
Smaller Stock to Watch:
*MTI Wireless Edge.
Further news:
*Word that Leyshon Resources (LRL.L) has made a major discovery at its Zheng Guang project in China.
*William Hill (WMH.L) enters the winners' enclosure with Cheltenham festival success.
The Questor Column:
*Take some profit at Amec (AMEC.L).
*Shore Capital (SGR.L): Results put broker on 20 times earnings ration, but this should drop rapidly.
*Melrose (MRO.L) should have plenty of room to grow.
The Business Comment Column:
*Arab investors aren't the only ones feeling nervous.
*AB Foods (ABF.L) proves conglomerate isn't a dirty word.
*Rightmove (RMV.L): Forgetting the perks of amnesia.
The Notebook Column:
*Maybe it is time to consider a rate cut.
*Bin BP (BP.L) machismo.
*Footsie hysteria.
Further news:
*Speculation that News Corporation is mulling an offer for the 64% of BSkyB (BSY.L) is does not own.
*National Grid (NG.L) up on RWE (RWW.L) bid talk.
*Talk that Venture Production (VPC.L) could be a takeover target for Centrica (CNA.L).
The Investment Column:
*Revisit Amec (AMEC.L) once the restructuring is fully complete.
*Buy Shore Capital (SGR.L).
*Buy JKX Oil & Gas (JKX.L).
The Outlook Column:
*The private sector is being squeezed until the pips squeak. No wonder we are G7 laggards.
*BP (BP.L): Breaking up is hard to do.
*AB Foods (ABF.L) makes a sugary bid in South Africa.
*Henderson Morley (HML.L) expected to announce an agreed multi-million pound deal with a major pharmaceuticals group.
*Talk of a break-up gives new boost to BP (BP.L).
*Top engineering firm Smiths Group (SMIN.L) yesterday hit back at City critics who moan it spends too much on research and development.
*Unions have attacked Lloyds TSB (LLOY.L) over the bank’s plans to move 105 jobs to India from Andover, Hampshire.
COMMENT AND BID NEWS
*British Land (BLND.L) to be chosen as preferred bidder for Ropemaker Place.
*Tesco (TSCO.L) is going head to head with Wal-Mart (WAL.L) in an auction for a clutch of valuable stores in South Korea.
*Nasdaq's chief executive, Robert Greifeld, will meet leading London Stock Exchange (LSE.L) investors today as group steps up its effort to create the first transatlantic exchange.
*Bank of Scotland (HBOS.L) has joined forces with Kevin McCabe of Sheffield United (SUT.L) to launch a £70 million joint venture to redevelop properties in the UK.
*ABN Amro raises stake in AntonVeneta to 72.46%.
*Hampson Industries (HAMP.L) wins Scat Components contract for new aircraft.
*Chamberlin and Hill (CMH.L) sells Bloxwich site for £1.675 million; pays into pension scheme.
*A group led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts has offered $13 billion to buy a majority stake in General Motors Acceptance Corp.
*Autogrill dropped bid for Compass' (CPG.L) SSP unit because of sky-rocketing prices.
*Lehman Bros board to consider 2-for-1 split at annual meeting.
*Office of Fair Trading refers Stagecoach's (SGC.L) Scottish Express coaches joint venture to Competition Commission.
*J Geertman holds 12.13% stake in Noble Investments (NBL.L).
*Moydow Mines (MOY.L) to raise up to $2 million in private placing.
*Dubai Ports World expects to sell P&O (PO.L) North America in four to six months.
*Centurion Energy (CUX.L) buys Egypt concession stake for up to $45 million.
*Greencore (GNC.L) to exit Irish sugar processing operations; sees €168 million exit costs.
*EnviroResources to invest £1 million in Compact Power (CPO.L).
*Wal-Mart (WAL.L) raises stake in Central American Retail to 51%.
*Flightstore Group (FLG.L) unaware of reasons for share price rise.
*Equity Special Situations (EQS.L) in 26.4% share placing raising £5 million.
SOME ITEMS THAT COULD INFLUENCE SHARE PRICES
*Last night in New York the Dow gained 59 points and the Nasdaq improved 16 points.
*US Fed Beige Book paints a benign picture of an economy growing well with inflation pressures contained.
*US import prices fell 0.5% in February.
*UK unemployment jumped to highest level for 13 years last month.
*British Airways (BAY.L) is closing its high street travel shops in the UK and one of its three remaining call centres with loss of about 400 jobs.
*Lloyds TSB (LLOY.L) closes processing centres with loss of up to 566 jobs.
*Prices of homes rise at quickest since 2004.
*Alliance & Leicester (AL.L) warns of debt doom if interest rates are raised.
*Capital flows into US rose to $66 billion in January.
*Oil price falls as US crude supply climbs for a fifth week.
*Tories help Tony Blair push through Education Bill.
*Jack Dromey, Labour's Treasurer, says he has been 'kept in the dark' about the 'peerage for loans' policy.
*Silver reaches fresh high on ETF speculation.
*Gazprom accuses European Union of 'double standards' and naivety.
*Judge clears Baugur chief of all charges.
*Hedge fund industry now manages more than $1,500 billion of money worldwide.
*Saudi prince Al Waleed bin Talal pledges £1.6 billion to halt plunge in Saudi stock market.
Compiled in association with HB PLC and WH Ireland Ltd
