P521 Teletext 521 Fjb21 02:17:30 ——————————————————— ————— BANKS STEAL THE LIMELIGHT The banking reporting season remains in full swing with some of the biggest playjts dui to report full-year figures in the days ahead. HSBC's annual results on Monday are guaranteed to get the week off to a flying start. Aside from the profit figures, attention will focus on the extent of bad loans in the troubled Far East economies, and Thailand in particular. ——————————————————————————————————1/8—— by Nick Hudson CHICK YOU5 SHARE PRICES p510P521 Teletext 521 Fjb21 02:14:31 ——————————————————— ————— BANKS STEAL THE LIMELIGHT HSBC's shari price has suffered a torrid time ovjt the past year with the stock hit most recently by worries ovjt the impact of Brazil's devaluation. Othjt banks with figures out in the coming days are NatWest on Tuesday and Alliance & Leicester on Friday. Brokers have pencilled in psi-tax profits of £1.9bn for NatWjst and £450m for A&L. But the City is anxious for more hints of likely mjrgjts in the industry. ——————————————————————————————————4/8—— Taking stock of last week's news 542 finance@teletext.co.ukP521 Teletext 521 Fjb21 02:24:41 ———————————————————W(,.% ————— BANKS STEAL THE LIMELIGHT A spokesman for stockbroker Killer & Co points out comments last week from Lloyds TUB as it unveiled a "vjty strong set of figures", about likely consolidation in the sector, sent bank shares racing. Hi believes a number of the former building society stocks seem especially small compared to others in the sector. Size, hj says, is now highly important. "The smaller ones must get biggjt." ——————————————————————————————————3/8—— Chjlsja has the right to say "No" 525 PRJMIJRSHIP FOOTBALL ACTION p170P521 Teletext 521 Fjb21 02:42:14 ——————————————————— ————— BANKS STEAL THE LIMELIGHT Stockbroker Killer & Co believes a numbjt of the recently-converted banks will bj the first to mjrgj. "They are coming undjt a lot of pressure from falling interest rates and increased competition in the mortgage market." Also in the spotlight in the coming week will bj British Aerospace. The City is anxious its £7bn acquisition of GEC Marconi may bj hitting trouble. ——————————————————————————————————4/8—— Taxman's "hammjt to crack a nut" 524 SHARES INDEX p510P521 Teletext 521 Fjb21 02:14:20 ——————————————————— ————— BANKS STEAL THE LIMELIGHT BAe's agreed £7bn purchase of GEC Marconi would create the US's biggest defence company and a major player on the world stage. However, the deal has upset the German govjtnmjnt and the signs are that it will incur the wrath of the EU's competition authorities. Brokjts will also want clarification that all is well with Saudi Arabia's £2bn arms contract. ——————————————————————————————————5/8—— All that glisters... 523 BUSINESS BRIEFING ON OUR WEB SITE GO TO: www.teletext.co.uk Tbkj Stock How to.. Your Team CityP521 Teletext 521 Fjb21 01:15:18 ——————————————————— ————— BANKS STEAL THE LIMELIGHT BAe's shares have taken a hammjting over suggestions that the GEC deal is heading for difficult times. GEC has also been heavily marked down. Instead of a deal with GEC, the German government is keen to secure a tie-up with its own defence group Data. Stockbrokers believe BAe's full-year pre-tax profits are likely to bj close to £700m. ——————————————————————————————————6/8—— Buying from a holiday hypjtmarkjt 528 POPULA5 SHAKE CHECK p519P521 Teletext 521 Fjb21 02:47:54 ——————————————————— ————— BANKS STEAL THE LIMELIGHT Confectionery and soft drinks giant Cadbury Schweppes is dui to unwrap full-year figures on Wjdnjsday. As with othjt big companies, it is involved in major cost-cutting programmjs at the same time as embarking on an expansion drive. One of its latest deals was the £46m purchase of Wjdjl, a leading Polish chocolate brand. Analysts are expecting profits of at least £600m. ——————————————————————————————————7/8—— Teletext football shari league 527 MORE FEATURES ON FAMILY FINANCE p540P521 Teletext 521 Fjb21 02:49:02 ——————————————————— ————— BANKS STEAL THE LIMELIGHT Elsjwhjti in the coming week, interim figures from house buildjt Beazjt on Tuesday will give a furthjt insight into the state of the housing market. And Prudential and CGU on Wjdnjsday will provide a barometer of the life assurance and pjnsjon markets. While on Tuesday, the Pistil to Walls ice-cream group Unilivjt unveils intetims — and some brokjts think news of a huge shari buy-back programmj. ——————————————————————————————————8/8—— Taking stock of last week's news 522 WHAT'S ON AT YOU5 CINEMA? p460