Thomson Financial UK at a glance share guide |
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Published
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Mon, 21 May 2007 07:31
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LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Leading shares look set for early gains, reflecting another record showing on Wall Street, with M&A activity to be the main focus once again, dealers said.According to IG Index, the FTSE 100 is seen opening about 31 points higher at 6,671, having ended up 61.6 points firmer on Friday at 6,640.9, its highest close since September 2000.MARKETSNikkei 225, midday 17,497.16, up 97.58Hang Seng, midday 20,990.42, up 85.58TODAY'S PRESS*Chinese government to take a 9.9 pct stake in US buyout firm Blackstone for 3 bln usd - FT*Apax Partners has abandoned the venture capital end of the private equity market - FT* Mitchells & Butlers says a number of third parties approached regarding a joint venture for its property assets, negotiations proceeding with Robert Tchenguiz's R20 - FT*Mitchells & Butlers has invited five groups to bid for sale and leaseback deals over its property assets - Times*Collins Stewart eyeing further US expansion through the acquisition of New-York-based investment bank CE Unterberg, Towbin*Estate agency chain Foxtons set to announce 400 mln stg takeover by private equity firm BC Partners*Siemens has named Peter Loscher, number two manager at US drugs group Merck, as its new chief executive - FT*Investors have pulled 1.2 bln stg from Fidelity's UK unit trusts in Q1, ahead of the departure of star manager Anthony Bolton*Fidelity set to launch private equity fund Fidelity Equity Partners, to focus on leveraged buyouts of small to mid-size US and European co's - Telegraph*BSkyB believed to be in advanced talks with Tiscali over an agreement to run the basic channels that it pulled from Virgin Media's service - Times*Virgin Mobile set to form a joint venture with India's Tata Teleservices to launch new mobile service - Independent*UBS and Aegon have teamed up to target the lucrative niche of buying out pension scheme liabilities from British companies - Times*Ultimate Leisure believed to be close to agreeing a 8.5-9 mln stg acquisition of pub-restaurant chain Bel & The Dragon - Times*United Business Media expected to bid for parts of Emap's Communications division - Times*AstraZeneca to axe 300 positions in a shake-up of its UK marketing division - Telegraph*British Airways to launch a series of transatlantic flights without economy class seating - IndependentTODAY'S PRESS COMMENTFTTHE LEX COLUMN: UniCredit's 22 bln eur acquisition of Capitalia makes good strategic sense. A foreign acquirer could not have commanded comparable savings, but may have pushed up the price; Prudential's future (if the door has been left ajar to the possibility of a merger of break-up, who might walk through?); Stocks and Credit (If bank regulators curb risky lending, it could take some of the fizz out of the credit and equity market)IndependentSmall Talk: ICB Financial Group Holdings (began trading on the junior market last Thursday with little fanfare, but worth a second look); Tanzanite One (could see burst of activity this week with a management meeting due with City bigwigs)TelegraphAIM Market: Blue Oar Securities stepped down as Nomad to number of companies - CYC Holdings, China Wonder and Cubus LuxExpressThe AIM Market: Modern Water (float early June)Forward diary of eventsMonday May 21INTERIMSBritvicCardpointfountainsITE GroupLocal Radio CompanyTreattFINALSAxismobileBig Yellow Group (Q4)CranswickHomeserveMitieThus GroupAGMsMobile StreamsPortmeirion GroupPSolve AlternativesPunch GraphixRoyal & Sun AllianceVisonicEGMsUniversal Salvage
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