Business and City Summary

Shares service

Tradepoint Financial Networks, a new screen-based electronic share dealing service trading independently of the Stock Exchange, has been authorised by the Securities and Investments Board.

The system's central feature is a computerised consolidated order book into which participants can enter, anonymously, orders to trade securities.

Heart transplant?

Heart of England building society, Britain's 25th largest society, has confirmed that it is involved in takeover talks with the Bank of Edinburgh.

Top pay perks

Senior directors are continuing to receive pay rises unrelated to company performance with the average increase running at 7.9 per cent, according to a survey of 69 of Britain's top 100 firms by Income Data Services.

Clothing barriers

The World Development Movement called for the phased abolition of the EC's multi-fibre arrangement (MFA), which it claims costs Third World clothing and textile exporters dollars 50bn a year.

TODAY

Interims: Airbreak Leisure (Amd), Aspen Commns, Billam (J), British Polythene Inds, Forth Ports, Inchcape, Kingston Oil & Gas, Morgan Crucible Co, Ransomes, Roskel, Servomex, Sharpe & Fisher, USDC Inv Tst.

Finals: Dalgety, FII Grp, Fosters Brewing Grp, Photo-Me Intnl, Second Alliance Tst.

TOMORROW

Company liquidity (Q2); Producer price index numbers (Aug).

Interims: Arjo Wiggins Appleton, Delta, Jeyes Grp, Kingfisher, Lopex, MB-Caradon, Martin Currie Pacific, Trinity Intnl Hldgs, Watmoughs.

Finals: AB Electronics, CALA, Domestic & General, Everest Foods, Haggas (John), Scholes.

WEDNESDAY

PSBR and retail sales (Aug).

Interims: Abbott Mead Vickers, Calor, Dartmoor Inv Tst, Exeter Pref Cap Inv Tst, FBD Hldgs, Finlay (James), Mayborn Grp, Stag Furniture, Steel Burrill Jones Grp, Try Grp, World of Leather.

Finals: Northern Industrial

THURSDAY

Provisional figures of vehicle production (Aug); index of production (Jul); labour market statistics: unemployment and unfilled vacancies (Aug - prov); average earnings indices (Jul - prov); employment, hours, productivity and unit wage costs; industrial disputes Labour Force Survey (Mar- May 1992).

Interims: Bankers Inv Tst, Bemrose Corp, Campari, Canning (W), Christies, Davis Service, EBC Grp, Eadie Hldgs, Folkes, Glasgow Inc Tst, Goal Petroleum, Guinness, Kwik- Fit, Legal & General, Premier Cons Oilfield, RMC Grp, Sanderson Murray & Elder, Thames Television, Wassall.

Finals: Dowding & Mills, F&C High Inc Tst, Gabicci, Green (E) & Partners, Logica, Minorco, Polypipe, Usher (Frank) Hldgs, Zambia Copper.

FRIDAY

Major British banking groups' monthly statement (Aug); provisional estimates of monetary aggregates (Aug); UK balance of payments; CBI Monthly Trends Enquiry (Sep).

Interims: Fisher (James) & Son, Hornby Grp, Macallan- Glenlivet.