SHARES STRONGLY UP/DOWN this week 19/12/05 (Master RSI)

COMMENT AND BID NEWS
*William Morrison (MRW.L) to appoint headhunters in search for new chief executive.
*BP (BP.L) & ExxonMobil (EXX.L) sued in Alaskan pipeline row.
*Maiden Group (MDN.L) considering sale as bank covenants are breached.
*Rumours of a tie-up between Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT.L) and Benfield (BFD.L).
*BAE (BA.L) wins £123-million order for infantry fighting vehicles.
*Cordillera Resources (CLA.L) to buy Continental Petroleum for £58.2-million.
*Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP (WPP.L), raises £12-million from share sale.
*Administrators of Unwins make all but 20 of its 1,800 staff redundant; private equity owner to sue the former owners and auditors and all 84 previous shareholders of the business.
*Workspace (WKP.L) takeover talks with a third party have ended.
*Songbird's Canary Wharf sells 30 South Colonnade for £185-million.
*Rexam (REX.L) secures long-term extension of can supply contract with Red Bull.
*Sanctuary Group (SGP.L) given free hand by shareholders on debt limits.
*Bulgarian Property (BPD.L) to raise £35-million.
*WS Atkins (ATK.L) wins £150-million highways maintenance contract in Gloucestershire.
*Unilever (ULVR.L) agrees sale of Dutch snacks unit Mora.
*Multimedia TV (MTM.L) reviewing possible acquisitions; seeks to enter iDTV contracts.
*Frank Partridge optimistic on finding backing for Partridge Fine Arts (PRF.L) bid.
*NextGen planning AIM float.
*MWB Business Exchange to make AIM debut today.

SOME ITEMS THAT COULD INFLUENCE SHARE PRICES
*The Dow closed down 30.98-points at 10805.55, the Nasdaq off 0.32-points at 2222.42, while the S&P fell 0.30-points to 1259.62.
*Blast at Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA.L) oil pipeline in Nigeria has killed 8 people.
*Sunni leaders challenge Iraq election results.
*Europe and Iran restart nuclear talks.
*China poised to displace Great Britain as world's 4th-biggest economy.
*Gold futures fall under $500 for first time in 3-weeks.
*Gas prices force brick-makers to extend festive break.
*The Civil Aviation Authority has rejected attempts to use charges at Heathrow and Gatwick to 'cross-subsidise' the planned expansion of Stansted airport.
*Mortgage lending showed its fastest growth rate for over a year last month.
*UK November public sector borrowing £9.3-billion, higher than expectations of an £8-billion deficit.
*The European Commission wants companies that violate European Union anti-trust rules to face more private claims for damages from rivals and customers.
*US prices of raw materials fell 0.7% in November, the largest monthly decline since April 2003.
*US housing starts up 5.3% in November.
*Morgan Stanley net income rises 49%.
*Deutsche Bank (DBK.L) has begun preparing an internal succession plan in case today's Mannesmann trial judgment prompts chief executive Josef Ackermann to resign.
*E.On (EON.L) of Germany looks at building a coal-fired power plant in Britain.
*US attorney probes Wall-Mart on alleged resource conservation violations.
*Transit strike snarls New York City; judge issues injunction.
*Saudi Arabia plans $26 billion 'economic city'.
*Many more employees who are members of final salary pension schemes are likely to see their future entitlements curtailed as other companies follow the example of Rentokil, according to actuaries and lawyers.
*Insurers saw their costliest year ever this year with losses from disasters amounting to £45 billion, according to Swiss Re.
*No white Christmas in store as 23 million people head abroad.