FTSE close: RBS up; United Utilities down
17.00:
The FTSE 100 index closed 40.5 points up at 5,244.4.
Across the pond, the Dow Jones was last 74.82 points up at 10411.87 with the American market boosted by the news of falling claims for unemployment benefits and a narrowing trade gap.
In London, the biggest loser in the top flight today was Petropavlovsk with a 48p drop to 1,147p.
And the biggest gainer was Lloyds Banking Group, 3.53p ahead at 58.22p.
14.15:
The FTSE 100 index was 35.4p up 5,239.3.
Firestone Diamonds was 2.77p higher at 35.02p after the Aim-listed company said it is planning to start development of commercial mining operations on its BK11 mine in Botswana.
'Today's announcement is very positive news for Firestone Diamonds and we will now see the company making the transition to a full-scale kimberlite mining company,' says Evolution Securities analyst Charles Kernot, who has a 'buy' rating and a price target of 50p.
Shares in Low & Bonar are up 2.5p at 34.5p after the specialist materials group said it expects to post a second-half profit 'materially better' than the first half.
Numis Securities upgraded Low & Bonar to 'buy' from 'add' and cuts its 2009 net-debt forecasts for the company to £73m from £81m.
Immunodiagnostic Systems jumped 10% or 60p to 680p after Panmure Gordon lifted its rating on the diagnostic kits maker to 'buy' from 'hold' following's the firm's recent first-half results. Panmure also lifted its target price for the company to 720p from 574p.
Debt restructuring firm Begbies Traynor gained 5p to 100p after the company's bullish trading update, prompting Daniel Stewart to repeat its 'buy' rating and 125p target price on the stock.
13.15
The FTSE 100 index was up 35.7 points at 5,239.6.
Insurers are higher: Standard Life rallied 8.4p to 207.8p, RSA Insurance added 3.9p to 118.7p and Legal & General lifted 2.1p to 76.65p.
Second-tier risers include Game Group, which climbed 4% or 4.6p to 120.1p after suffering two days of heavy losses in the wake of a disappointing pre-Christmas update.
Fellow retailer Sports Direct International moved in the opposite direction, despite raising profit forecasts for the second time this year. Shares were off 2.3p at 103.7p.
12.00
Packaging and office products firm DS Smith lifted guidance after a better than expected first half of its financial year. Profits fell by £10m to £44.1m but the company said action taken at the start of the year meant it was well placed to make progress.
Shares jumped 10% or 12p to 125.5p as DS Smith reached the top of the FTSE 250 index risers' board.
11.15:
The FTSE 100 index was up 25.0 points at 5,228.9.
Oil and gas explorer Afren rose 1.75p to 86.75p after it announced an upgrade to its volume estimates for the Ebok complex, offshore Nigeria, after better-than-expected results at the Ebok-5 well.
Shares in BSkyB gained 10p to 554p after Cazenove upgraded its rating for the satellite broadcaster to 'outperform' from 'in-line' to reflect its strong growth prospects together with the potential for margin improvement.
Shares in Segro fell 2.3p to 331p despite UBS upgrading the industrial property landlord to 'buy' from 'neutral' and adds the firm to its European Real Estate most-preferred list. The upgrade follows a move by JPMorgan on Wednesday to raise its recommendation on Segro to 'neutral' from 'underweight'.
Premier Farnell put on 6.2p to 164.8p after the electronic components distributor said sales have returned to positive growth in the last two months and that its full-year performance may beat market expectations. 'Having shocked the market in September with an unexpectedly large fall in both revenue and profits, third-quarter results were better than we or the market had expected,' said Seymour Pierce analyst Kevin Lapwood.
09.00:
The FTSE 100 index posted modest gains today despite a poor session in Tokyo and persistent fears over the debt burden faced by European governments.
Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 1.4% after core machinery orders slumped in October in a further sign that companies are cutting back on spending.
And a move by ratings agency Standard & Poor's to lower its outlook on Spain to negative raised fresh debt fears following separate warnings about the health of finances in the UK and the United States.
The Footsie still climbed 20.3 points to 5224 in the first hour of trading, with banks high on the risers' board despite a 50% tax on bankers' bonuses announced in the Pre-Budget Report.
Royal Bank of Scotland shares, which took a battering earlier in the week, were up 0.8p to 31.1p, while Lloyds Banking Group added 0.5p to 55.2p.
One of the biggest falls in the top flight came from United Utilities after it said chief financial officer Tim Weller had agreed to take on the same role at Cable & Wireless Worldwide. Shares were off 2.1p at 491p.
Outside the top flight, shares in luxury goods firm Mulberry rose 18% - up 22p to 146p - after it forecast results well ahead of expectations.
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