RAMSEY CROOKALL & CO

MIDDAY REPORT 5 JANUARY 2011

London opened weaker, continuing the softer trend seen towards the end of yesterday's session with retailers and food groups under pressure.

The snow lost Next an estimated £22m of full price sales in the run-up to Christmas - about 2.2% of the season's total sales - although the high street fashion chain remains on target to meet full-year profit forecasts. Like for like sales between 1 August and 24 December tumbled 6.1%, worse than analysts expected.

Fast growing pizza delivery firm Domino’s Pizza will deliver an extra topping of profits after a strong finish to the year. System sales for the 13 week period to 26 December increased by 17.8% to £132.5m from £112.4m in the corresponding period of 2009.

Elsewhere, entertainment media retailer HMV is in serious strife with a warning that it may struggle to meet bank covenants after sales tumbled in December. "Given the difficult trading conditions over Christmas and the likely outturn for the year, the board now expects that compliance with the April covenant test under the group's bank facility will be tight and is taking further mitigating actions during the next four months to address this," it said.

AB Foods and Marks & Spencer are lower after a report that the cost of a loaf of bread is set to rise this month after UK wheat prices hit an all-time high. Industry executives and traders have quietly told wholesale consumers, such as bakers and pasta and biscuit producers, to expect price increases over the next two to three weeks, following a round of hikes in October and November, the FT reports.

THE FTSE 100 AT NOON IS DOWN 36 @ 5977

THE DOW JONES CLOSED UP 20 @ 11,691

THE NASDAQ COMP CLOSED DOWN 18 @ 2681

Exchange Rates

GBP – USD 1.55 GBP – EUR 1.`17

??

??

??

??