STOCKS NEWS UK-Game slumps as sales decline accelerates

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07:50GMT 02Jul2009-Game slumps as sales decline accelerates

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Shares in Game Group (GMG.L) fall as much as 11 percent after the British video games retailer reports a sharp deterioration in underlying sales, down 15.4 percent in the 21 weeks to June 27.

Although Game said the sales decline was in line with internal expectations, analysts at Singer Capital Markets noted underlying sales fell about 25 percent in the latter 10 weeks of the period.

"There is now little room for disappointment and we would expect consensus (year to end-Jan. 2010 pretax profit) numbers to edge down today from circa 117-118 million pounds towards 113-114," they said.

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Reuters messaging rm://james.davey.reuters.com@reuters.net

07:45GMT 02Jul2009-StanChart outperforms; UBS upgrades

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Shares in Standard Chartered (STAN.L) slip 0.3 percent but outperform a weak FTSE 100 FTSE index, down 1.3 percent, as UBS upgrades its rating to "neutral" from "sell", hikes its target price to 1,140 pence from 1,000 and raises its estimates following the bank's recent trading update.