LONDON (ShareCast) - The number of Footsie constituents showing a rise this morning is in single figures but the benchmark index’s retreat is not as severe as might have been anticipated after the 300 point plus fall for Dow Jones overnight.

Banks and miners are the major sufferers, with the former hit by the European Central Bank’s decision to get tougher on banks using its highly popular lending window while the latter fall in line with weaker commodity prices.

Oil groups are just about the only blue-chips making any headway today, with BG Group leading the way on renewed talk of a bid from ExxonMobil.

British Energy is lower despite a report in the FT that Electricité de France is moving closer to a deal to buy the nuclear generator.

Pub group JD Wetherspoon's full year profits fell by 12.7% to £54.2m as the smoking ban and slowdown in consumer spending bit hard. Total sales increased by 2.1% to £907.5m, though on a like-for-like basis they fell 1.1%.

Elsewhere in the sector Punch Taverns is still friendless after abandoning its dividend earlier this week to conserve cash.

Music and entertainment retailer HMV Group's like-for-like sales rose by 1.3% in the 18 weeks to 30 August, in line with forecasts but markedly slower than the 10.1% seen in the previous quarter.

Carr's Milling has upped its full year forecast after very strong second half trading across all divisions and geographies with its largest division Agriculture especially good. Carr's now expects now expects profit before tax will be no less than £12.5m (2007: £5.5m), on revenue of approximately £350m (2007: £253m). The firm has also raised £2.7m with a placing at 660p.

Bus and Train group Go-Ahead upped full year profits by 19% to £131m, after all of its 12 subsidiaries increased their contribution. The dividend for the year rises by 15.7%. "Retaining the Southern franchise is a high priority for us and we were pleased to have been shortlisted by the DfT to bid for the new franchise. We have started the new year well and trading has been in line with the board's expectations," it added.

Budget airline easyJet carried almost 24% more passengers in August than it did the year before, while passenger numbers grew by 8.8% at rival Aer Lingus last month.

Business publisher Informa is weaker after rejecting rejected a reduced 450p a share offer from the private equity consortium that has been stalking it for the last few months.

Churchill Mining has confirmed reports of a huge upgrade to its reserves at the East Kutai Coal Project in Indonesia. Churchill says it now has 1.412bn tonnes of JORC compliant resource, in various categories, at the project. The new resurce estimate exceedes the initial full year 2008 target of 500m tonnes of thermal coal by 140%.

Multi-utility Telecom Plus expects results to exceed expectations "significantly" this year.

Scottish media outfit SMG has announced plans to change its name to stv group and return as much as £30m in cash to shareholders through a tender offer.

Shares in beleaguered optical drives maker Plasmon plummeted on news it is set to recommend a takeover bid from a US private equity firm worth just 0.25p per share.

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