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Friday, 16th May 2008

FTSE closes ahead but well off highs

4:48pm END-OF-DAY REPORT: Headline shares close ahead but well off highs, the gains supported by strength among oil issues on the back of firm crude prices, with British Energy among the top blue-chip risers after confirming bid approaches.

At the close of play, the FTSE100 was 52.5 points higher at 6,304.3 with the FTSE250 ahead 115.4 points at 10,454.3 and the FTSE Smallcaps 4.9 points weaker at 3,218.3.

NEW YORK

By the London close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 84.7 points at 12,908.0, with the Nasdaq Composite down 23.54 points at 2,510.15 and the S&P500 losing 8.54 points at 1,415.03.

LONDON MARKETS - BLUE CHIPS

M&A talk helped British Energy to add 35.5p at 715.5p, as the group said it has received at least two offers for the company, with sources close...

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FTSE remains firm midafternoon

3:18pm MIDAFTERNOON REPORT: Headline shares remained firm midafternoon, the gains fuelled by strength among oil issues on the back of firm crude prices, with British Energy among the top blue-chip risers after confirming bid approaches.

At 3:00pm, the FTSE100 was 75.7 points higher at 6,327.5 with the FTSE250 ahead 131.5 points at 10,470.4 and the FTSE Smallcaps 5.3 points weaker at 3,217.9.

NEW YORK

Wall Street were a little changed in early trading as investors digest new record highs for oil and a surprising jump in new home construction.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 22.6 points at 12,970.1 in early deals, with the Nasdaq Composite down 9.74 at 2,523.99 and the S&P500 adding 0.58 at 1,424.15.

LONDON MARKETS - BLUE CHIPS

M&A talk helped British Energy to add 36.5p...

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Wall Street declines in early deals

3:08pm US stocks declined, after quickly surrendering opening gains as crude-oil futures broke to another record high, hitting an earlier improvement in investor sentiment, encouraged by an unanticipated rise in April home construction.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 19.38 points, or 0.2%, to 12,973.28.

Among the blue chips, General Electric fell 0.3% after the Louisville, Ky.-based company said it might sell its $7.2 billion appliance business.

The S&P 500 shed 1.68 points, or 0.1%, to 1,421.89, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 9.61 points, or 0.4%, to 2,524.12.

Ahead of Wall Street's opening bell, stock futures extended gains after the government estimated home builders broke ground on 8.2% more homes in April, led by a spike in starting construction on multi-family homes.

At 10 a.m. Eastern, the University of Michigan is scheduled to...

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FTSE firmly higher at midday

12:37pm MIDDAY REPORT: Headline shares were firmly higher at midday, the gains fuelled by strength among oil issues on the back of firm crude prices, with British Energy among the top blue-chip risers after confirming bid approaches.

At high noon, the FTSE100 was 83.2 points higher at 6,335 with the FTSE250 ahead 161.5 points at 10,500.4 and the FTSE Smallcaps 5.2 points weaker at 3,218.

NEW YORK

Wall Street is on track to open higher Friday, looking to advance for a third day straight, and following on from gains in Europe, although any bad news in today's housing report could dent investors' confidence.

According to spread bettors IG index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is expected to open around 26 points higher at 13,018. S&P 500 futures were 3.9 higher at 1,427.5, while Nasdaq 100 futures were...

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US stock futures advancing

11:37am US stock futures advanced ahead of a report on housing starts unlikely to signal a bottom to the troubled market. The day features the expiration of key options and futures contracts, which could throw volatility into the session.

S&P 500 futures rose 3.3 points to 1,427.90 and Nasdaq 100 futures added 4.25 points to 2,040.00. Dow industrial futures rose 25 points.

U.S. stocks ended with sizeable gains on Thursday, helped by a fall in oil prices, Carl Icahn's plan to push Yahoo into Microsoft's hands and CBS Corp.'s deal to buy Cnet Networks. The Dow industrials rose 94 points, the S&P 500 added 14 points and the Nasdaq Composite rose 37 points.

Friday's calendar includes housing starts figures for April, due 8:30 a.m. Eastern, as well as the University of Michigan's consumer confidence gauge for May, which is...

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Weekly update

Microsoft’s Yahoo bid ends well — for Google

David Crow 14/05/2008

Any Other Business

Martin Vander Weyer 14/05/2008

Emperor Soros’s new clothes

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