Poor newsflow dims FTSE prospects

Vodafone is down 6.25p to 129.25p after announcing a £3bn share buyback to boost the value of its shares even as it admits to losing market share in Japan, something which is forcing the firm to make a bid for the rest of its operations there it does not already own. Shareholders are also disappointed in the lack of progress in increasing the dividend. Emap, the publisher of magazines such as FHM, is down 79p to 767p after blaming increased competition in the French listings market for falling advertising revenues, which are forecast to come in under expectations in its 2005 financial ye...