Wednesday Papers: tips and comment

Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:44am GMT

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FT Lex Column:

* US bank requisition -- among possible options, the White House has indicated a willingness to consider the more dramatic solution of one uber-regulator

* World energy outlook -- there are just so many moving parts involved that making forecasts is a mug's game

* Sun/Oracle -- the joys of open-source software aside, it is hard to see why MySQL should be any reason to block a deal between the two groups

* Sodexo -- life looks tough for specialised catering and facilities management providers, though their diversified peers are expected to fare better

* Vodafone -- the chief executive's promise to deliver savings a full year ahead of schedule reflects the pressures that are bearing down

* Corporate default rates -- investors who re-embraced risk in the past six months have done well as rallying stock markets and falling credit spreads have rewarded faith

* HSBC -- despite warm words of encouraging trends and tentative plans, the bank can't get out of North America fast enough

* Barclays -- it all looks uncomfortably lop-sided - a taxpayer-backed UK retail bank dwarfed by humungous and fast-growing global investment banking.

Lombard (p.20):

* Financial engineers have not stood the test of time -- Imperial Tobacco: Sir Gareth, Dame Alison -- City of the future

Other comment:

* Revenue pressure besets Sainsbury (p.20)

* Interview Al Koch, chief executive Motor Liquidations (p.23)

* Centrica powered by case for defence against price falls (p36)

* Diageo talks up its growth prospects in Asia (p.36)

THE TIMES

Tempus:

* Hold on to Intercontinental Hotels and Babcock International-- Not too late to buy Schroders

Business Editor:

* Some good news on the bad debt situation -- Cost benefit for Vodafone -- Game over in Ilford Imaging pension case

Other comment:

* Financial crisis could force Bmi out of business in under a year

* Des and Dave check back into City with boutique hotel

* Business big shots: Abu-Haris Sinafi and Nikolai Kesting, of BSM

* Altium analyst believes Aveva remains a prime takeover candidate

* Kewill a tiddler to watch

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Questor:

* Buy Imperial Tobacco and Northern Foods

Comment:

* Imperial Tobacco: cigarette profits are still booming, but is that a cause for celebration? -- Banks have a 'socially useful' role to play -- The truth is we've lost our appetite for credit

Other comment:

* Talk of Rio Tinto selling its Beauty packaging arm

THE INDEPENDENT

Investment Column:

* Buy Babcock International and Randgold Resources -- Hold Tottenham Hotspur

Outlook:

* Those rating agencies can still bite hard --More needed for Vodafone to be throned

THE GUARDIAN

Viewpoint:

* How much will Barclays dare to pay? -- Vodafone: call waiting -- Yell of pain

DAILY MAIL

* Tesco strikes exclusive deal with Dreamworks to sell Merry Madagascar