Today's comment - 24 July 2001 Debenhams: a high-street fashion sucess Top-end brand emporium Debenhams has got its product offering 'absolutely right' say analysts and today's buoyant trading update confirms that view. But Doug Smith argues that the best option may be to take profits while the going's good. REFS Website Fundamentals Price Archive Annual report Photo-Me attempts to get back into focus Photo-Me shares took off today despite flat sales and product disappointment. Behind the price rise were relief that the photobooth group had no further nasty surprises and partly revived hopes for its digital mini-labs, writes Caroline Sefton. REFS Website Fundamentals Price Archive Annual report Volvo: visibility like pea soup The second quarter was poor for Volvo, Europe's second-largest lorry builder, and the outlook is for more of the same. Avoid the shares, writes Magnus Grimond. Egg investors should bank some profit The pioneer internet bank, owned 80% by the Pru, says it is on course to break even later this year. But following their fantastic seven month run, the shares are beginning to look over egged. By Steven Frazer. REFS Website Fundamentals Price Archive Annual report

Reuters confirms job cuts after bottom of range figures Railtrack tells AGM it is 'reviewing all strategic options' Treasury denies euro delay story Loftus Road: fans in bid to buy QPR Catch the headlines as they break 24/7/01 Debenhams 24/7/01 Photo-Me 24/7/01 Volvo 24/7/01 Egg 24/7/01 Epic 23/7/01 MITIE 23/7/01 Infineon 23/7/01 Provident Fin

Another Epic performance Another excellent set of figures from e-learning specialist is a beacon in the current earnings gloom. The only question is whether the prospects are in the price. By Tom Stevenson. REFS Website Fundamentals Price Archive Annual report Today's news - 24 July 2001 Yurko bows out as Invensys warns on profits Rick Haythornthwaite, hero of the Blue Circle turnround, is to succeed Allen Yurko as chief executive at Invensys. First-half profits will be 30% lower than first expected at the electronics group. REFS Website Fundamentals Price Archive Annual report Losses narrow at internet bank Egg Egg, the internet bank majority-owned by Prudential, says pre-tax losses for the the first six months of the fiscal year narrowed by 21%, boosted by 370,000 new customers and a 130% rise in operating income. REFS Website Fundamentals Price Archive Annual report ABB slashes profit targets and cuts 12,000 jobs ABB, the European engineering giant, has cut its 2005 target for earnings-before-interest margins to 9-10% of sales, from 12%. Over the next 18 months it wants to lose 8% of its workers - 12,000 jobs to counter difficult market conditions. Website Topps optimistic as sales surge Topps Tiles retail group says like-for-like sales jump 11% in first seven weeks of current year. Pre-tax profits rise 17% to £9.4m on flat margins, in line with recent warning. REFS Website Fundamentals Price Archive Annual report Wyndeham Press says profits to be 'substantially' down IMS 'below expectations' after problems connecting to BT Debenhams like-for-likes up 9% in 21 weeks to July Photo-Me profits up 19%, driven by digital photography Reed Elsevier front-runner for Vivendi publishing ops Pressure rises on Tomkins over bonuses Also reporting: Epic, Parthus, Toad, Power Leisure Monday's comment - 23 July 2001 MITIE: continuing a winning formula MITIE may not have quite the scale City darlings Capita and Serco but it certainly doesn't want for an enviable track record. Despite the chunky rating MITIE remains attractive compared to its peers, argues Douglas Smith. REFS Website Fundamentals Price Archive Annual report Infineon enslaved to the chip cycle Siemens' chip spin-off is having to face up to many of the cyclical issues which affect every manufacturer - overcapacity, price pressure etc. The shares are cheap but they deserve to be. By Steven Frazer. Fear of bouncing Czechs hits Provident Provident Financial, the giant of the home credit business, has gone some way to calm fears about its overseas risk. But renewed caution on rising bad debts in eastern Europe and on motor insurance is a worry. By Caroline Sefton. REFS Website Fundamentals Price Archive Annual report Monday's news - 23 July 2001 ARM profits jump despite semiconductor downturn Microchip designer ARM Holdings sees flat licensing, consulting and development revenues, offset a slowdown in royalty income in second quarter. The group 'remain confident' of the full year outcome. REFS Website Fundamentals Price Archive Annual report Customer numbers up 15% at Provident Financial Financial services group reiterates its confidence for the future as it unveils a 15% increase in customer numbers in interim results with pre-tax profits up 8% to £70.2m. REFS Website Fundamentals Price Archive Annual report Mitie delivers 30% profit growth Fast-growing support services group Mitie grows profits 30% to £25.1m in year to March and lifts dividend payout 25%. Quietly confident management reports good start to the new trading year. REFS Website Fundamentals Price Archive Annual report John Laing's growth story stumbles John Laing, the ex-construction group rapidly re-rated as a services stock, will take a bigger than expected hit on the sale of its construction arm. The deal will trigger a £30m loss and larger-than-forecast cash outflows. REFS Website Fundamentals Price Archive Annual report Leeds Sporting to become simply Leeds United Railtrack: Morton says government must support bond issue Nord Anglia/Amey win 5 year London schools contract AOL reportedly to confirm £1bn IPC purchase today Bank of England: two-speed economy to 'get worse' Reuters reportedly to cut 1200 jobs Also reporting: Eurotunnel, Quadranet, Energy Technique

20/7/01 Bioglan Pharma 20/7/01 Ericsson 20/7/01 IG Group 19/7/01 Protherics 19/7/01 SAP 19/7/01 Northern Rock 19/7/01 Misys 18/7/01 Marconi 18/7/01 Osmetech 18/7/01 Pinault-Printemps-Redoute 18/7/01 Boots/Sainsbury 17/7/01 SIG 17/7/01 Philips 17/7/01 John Menzies 17/7/01 Ashtead 17/7/01 Diagonal 16/7/01 Alltracel 16/7/01 Ashquay 16/7/01 Arsenal 13/7/01 Meanfiddler.com 13/7/01 Kuoni 13/7/01 Staffware 12/7/01 Stanley Leisure 12/7/01 STMicro 12/7/01 Int. Greetings 12/7/01 London Bridge 11/7/01 New issues 11/7/01 Antisoma 11/7/01 Durlacher 11/7/01 QA 10/7/01 Big Yellow Group 10/7/01 Low & Bonar 10/7/01 Remy Cointreau 10/7/01 SurfControl & Autonomy 10/7/01 Directors' deals 9/7/01 Artisan 9/7/01 Bulmer 9/7/01 Pace Micro Tech 6/7/01 easyJet 6/7/01 ISS 6/7/01 Blacks 5/7/01 Budgens 5/7/01 Halladale 5/7/01 Artwork Systems 5/7/01 The market 4/7/01 Dixons 4/7/01 KLM 4/7/01 Iceland 4/7/01 Northgate 3/7/01 Bespak 3/7/01 TotalFinaElf 3/7/01 Range 3/7/01 Mentmore 3/7/01 RWE 3/7/01 Topnotch 3/7/01 Winchester 2/7/01 Weeks 2/7/01 Emap

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