(MENAFN- ProactiveInvestors)MOST FOLLOWED The potential of a UK interest rate rise Vatican accounts. Google and Greek panic buying of TV's and white goods was among the eclectic mix of topics attracting hits on Friday. Governor of the BoE Mark Carney took some by surprise last night when he hinted at a gradual rate rise starting possibly at the end of 2015. The rate which will affect savers and borrowers for different reasons has been at bargain basement levels of 0.5% for six years but things could start to change now as the economy strengthens. Carney has said he expects rates to rise to around 2% over three years. The super power that is search engine Google keeps on growing it seems with first quarter profits rising 17% boosted by an 11% surge in revenues it reported last night. Popular YouTube and its mobile offferings were highlighted as big contributors to the gain while advertising was significant as Google gets paid per click by user on an ad. Also today the Vatican accounts were under the spotlight. Under new reporting procedures an eye watering €1bn of net assets of the Holy See have been reported that had never been disclosed before. It comes after Australian cardinal Pell was tasked with cleaning up the books. The 2014 budget reports were the first financial statements to follow sweeping new procedures began in March this year. A big company news story today came from online gambling group 888 Holdings (LON:888) whose shares rose 7.66% to 172.25p after it finally won the long-running takeover battle for rival Bwin.party in a deal valued at about £898mln. One man in good cheer as the week ends is likely to be Burberry (LON:BRBY) boss Christopher Bailey after shareholders backed his pay packet at the annual meeting yesterday after a revolt last year. For the 2014-15 financial year Bailey received £7.9mln including a salary of £1 million and £4.4 mln from a long-term incentive plan. Last year 53% of the votes rejected the remuneration report because of Bailey's pay award. F inally Dixons Carphone (LON:DC.) the electrical giant said sales in Greece of TV's and other big ticket items had taken off in its Greek stores since the cash crisis began. It's because customers are desperate to turn their cash into fixed assets. LONDON OPEN London's blue-chip stocks opened lower despite US stocks gaining overnight as concerns eased over the Greece situation. Attention switches to the German parliament today but unlike the heated debate in Greece on Wednesday the bailout funding is expected to be passed with little fuss. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble may throw a spanner in the works however after suggesting that Greece leaving the euro is still the best option. Footsie was fifteen points lower at 6781 with few stand-outs. The pound rose on the back of the comments from Bank of England governor Mark Carney that UK interest rates may start to rise around the start of next year and hit their historical average of 2% after over three years. On a quiet day for company news product tester Intertek (LON:ITRK) was the best of the FTSE 100 risers adding 2% to 2456p. Marks & Spencer's (LON:MKS) was a weak spot as it announced the departure of John Dixon the head of its clothing and homeware business. Sales in the division disappointed in the last trading update and the performance of the division was described as not good enough by chief executive Marc Bolland. Dixon who had been in charge of general merchandise since 2013 will be replaced by current food division boss Steve Rowe. Shares eased 6p to 540p. Digital gaming company Bwin.party (LON:BPTY) has chosen 888 Holdings (LON;888) as its preferred suitor in a cash-and-shares deal worth almost £900mln. Rival gaming group GVC had made a £906.5mln offer but BWIN has now plumped for the 888 offer worth 104.09p per share. BWIN shares rose to 103p. In the world of small caps Tomco (LON:TOM) said it has now received all necessary permits to take the Holliday Block shale oil project in Utah into production and development. The AIM firm was granted a ground water discharge permit and a construction permit today. Shares rocketed 23% to 0.16p. Also higher was Rurelec (LON:RUR) after it completed the sale of its Canchayllo project in Peru for US$6.8mln. Shares had been dropping this week when the Latin American power group revealed that a US$12mln bridging loan arranged in June had been suspended but they recovered 10% to 2p today. On the other side of the coin troubled New World Oil & Gas (LON:NEW) resumed trading on the London Stock Exchange this morning. Shares have been suspended since May and shareholders were quick to sell with shares losing more than 70% to 0.07p. Oilfield specialist Atlas Development & Support (LON:ADSS) lowered its sales expectations due to the weakness in crude prices. Shares dropped 57% to 0.85p. MARKET PREVIEW The FTSE 100 is expected to make a muted start later despite a seeming end to the long drawn out saga over Greece. The Greek Parliament voted in favour of highly unpopular austerity measures that re-open access to funding. You might have thought resolution to the issue would positively impact sentiment. Yet the spread betting firm IG is predicting a 6 point fall in the FTSE 100 to 6790.45. The rather dour picture is repeated accross all the major European bourses. In Asia there was a bounce back for stocks in China led by the listed brokers as the Shanghai Composite jumped 2% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng advanced 1%. Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.2% driven by export stocks as the Yen weakened against a basket of currencies. In the US the NASDAQ hit a new record high of 5163.18 following a raft of positive earnings updates. The Dow Jones also traded positively and close to its peak.
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