London’s blue-chip stocks opened higher today to following good performances in Asia and the US overnight.
Stocks on Wall Street stretched again to new record highs with the S&P 500 raising its intraday bar before closing at 2,129. The Dow Jones closed at 18,298, but broke its prior record high set in March.
There was also good news in Europe today as Greek leaders said a deal with the country’s lenders is not as far off as many thought, with bail-out funds potentially available by next week.
European bourses responded positively with the French CAC40 the German DAX rising almost 2%.
The FTSE 100 rose 30 points to 7,001 in early trading led by the developer of the Walkie Talkie building Land Securities group (LON:LAND).
The largest real estate investment trust in the UK said full-year profit rose, boosted by an increase in rental income. Shares rose 2.5% to 1,342p.
Meanwhile, mining companies led the fallers as commodity prices slipped back on the improved sentiment in Europe.
BHP Billiton (LON:BLT) led the fallers, easing 2.6% to 1,422p while there were also losses for Anglo American (LON:AAL), 1.2% to 1,064p and Randgold Resources (LON:RRS) 1 % to 4,857p.
Tough European trading continued to hit Vodafone (LON:VOD) with profits in the mobile operator down 6.9%. Shares eased 2.5% to 228p.
In broker news, information provider Reed Elsevier (LON:REL) was boosted by an upgrade by Goldman Sachs to ‘buy’ from ‘neutral’. Shares climbed 2% to 1,123p.
Away from the FTSE 100, Entertainment One (LON:ETO) doubled profits in 2014 despite a tough year for its film distribution arm. Shares rose 1% to 322p.
Israel-based spread betting firm Plus500 (LON:PLUS) continues to struggle after it yesterday suspended some UK client accounts over money laundering fears. Shares fell again today, down 7.8% to 441p.
In small caps, a positive assessment of the breakthrough Rawicz project, in Poland, has delivered San Leon Energy(LON:SLE) its first bookable reserves. The company led the risers today climbing 25% to 1.3p.
Proximity marketing specialist Proxama (LON:PROX) was also a big riser after it announced its second contract win in as many days, this time with outdoor advertising firm Exterion Media. Shares were 20% higher to 2p.
Elsewhere, SolGold (LON:SOLG) has reported strong visual signs of copper in the 11th hole drilled at Cascabel in Ecuador. Shares climbed 5.5% to almost 3p.
Meanwhile, Aminex (LON:AEX) chief executive Jay Bhattacherjee said it is a very promising time for his company, which is on schedule to be a new gas producer in East Africa. Shares leapt 9% to 2.3p.
Conversely, Tangent Communications (LON:TNG) said profits slumped to £460,00 in 2014 from £2.35mln the year before. It also said that for the first half of the year, profits are likely to be down on the same period in 2014. Shares dropped almost 20% to 3.2p.
Finally, New World Oil & Gas (LON:NEW) requested its shares were suspended this morning pending the outcome of the EGM today after a bizarre few weeks which saw bulletin board favourite Chris Oil accidentally buy nearly half of the company.