1/2 year high 3 LONDON "People still think the Fed tightening will slow the economy in the near term, but that is not our view and we think the U.S. economy should be quite robust," said Cazenove's Hanson. U.S. stocks were slightly higher amid mixed earnings reports. Takeover bid talk featured in London, with shares in UK logistics company Exel jumping 9 percent on market talk that a predator would bid for the company. Shares in Exel had gained last week on speculation of a bid for the firm. Losers included Virgin Mobile, which slumped 7 percent after the UK cellphone operator reported slower-than-expected revenue growth and higher customer turnover.
