[R]9:00AM London is lower Friday on miners, Vodafone.[/R]

The benchmark FTSE 100 Index in London declined 44.90, or 0.7%, to 6,460.2 at mid-day in London.

Advancers

Aukett Fitzroy Robinson Group advanced 7.1%. The architectural and engineering company announced first-half profit soared after demand in the U.K. rose.

Fuller Smith & Turner jumped 0.9%. The owner of pubs reported first-half net income of 29.1 million pounds, up from 10.4 million pounds, and added it will continue to grow its business organically.

Oil large-caps Shell and BP were better on higher crude prices. Shell advanced 0.9%, while BP gained 1.3%.

Decliners

Vodafone declined 0.5%. The shares advanced 2.1% yesterday after a shareholder group stated Vodafone should return as much as 38 billion pounds to investors by spinning off its Verizon Wireless stake and issuing bonds. Vodafone rejected the proposals.

Anglo American, the world second-largest mining company, lost 2.4%, while BHP Billiton, the world largest, shed 2.7%.

Rexam dropped 2%, after the maker of one in every four beverage cans globally announced it is in talks to buy Owens-Illinois Inc.''s plastics unit.


[R]8:30AM Asian markets finish lower Friday with Tokyo leading decliners, while Shanghai gains.[/R]

Asian markets ended lower on Friday. Japan''s Nikkei 225 index fell 274.29 points, or 1.52%, to finish at 17,779.09. Decliners included Nippon Steel, which lost 1.6%, and Fanuc, which also shed 1.6%.

In China, banks and property stocks declined on concerns of another interest-rate hike, but the market managed to advanced for the fourth session in a row. The Shanghai Composite Index, which tracks both Class A and B shares, settled up 0.6% at 3,914.18, while the smaller, Shenzhen Composite Index, rose 1.6% to 1,145.22.

The Korea Composite Stock Price Index, or Kospi, finished also down 25.76 points, or 1.5%, at 1,727.28, finishing the week 0.6% higher. On Friday, investors took profits in Daewoo Engineering & Construction, which declined 5.4% and Hyundai Heavy Industries which shed 4.7%.

Hong Kong Hang Seng Index shed 1.4% to end at 20,509.15, while Australian benchmark S&P/ASX 200 lost 1.3% at 6,231.7 and the Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange dipped 0.7% to settle at 8,300.71.


[R]8:00AM Kellwood posted Q1 earnings drop, named a new CEO.[/R]

Kellwood Company (KWD: chart) reported Q1 net income decline to $7.4 million, or 28 cents a share, down from $9.2 million, or 36 cents a share a year ago. The quarterly earnings missed analyst expectations of 20 cents a share. The retailing company said sales increased to $494 million from $484 million. Earnings from continuing operations rose to 23 cents a share, compared to 4 cents a share last year. Kellwood projected Q2 net income in the range of 37 to 39 cents a share. The company also named Gregory W. Kleffner as CEO and said board member Robert Baer Kellwood retired.