LONDON (ShareCast) - A rally by the miners on the back of higher metals prices has helped Footsie build on early gains.

ENRC, Kazakmys, Xstrata, Anglo American and Rio Tinto are higher. Copper is the best performer among the metals.

Thomson owner TUI Travel is also going well. It says it is doing everything it can to assist XL's customers stranded abroad in their repatriation to the UK. TUI investors, though, are celebrating the benefits of a big competitor disappearing. Thomas Cook is also going strong.

Slowing UK and US housing markets prompted Citigroup to lower its recommendation on building materials group Wolseley to ‘sell’ from ‘buy’.

Citigroup has also lowered its target price on supermarket group Wm Morrison to 320p from 375p, despite the company reporting an 18.5% rise in first half underlying pre-tax profits

French Connection's first-half losses rose to £3.5m from a loss of £2.5m on sales of £112m, up from £109m. Recent retail trading in UK/Europe has shown growth over last year, although North America has been softer, it added.

Recruitment group SThree's international business continues to offset tougher conditions in the UK and the business overall continues to meet its expectations.

Gemfields Resources has launched a bid for Tanzanite One at 45p through a mix of cash and shares. The proposed offer values the whole of the of T1 at approximately £33m.

Northern Recruitment has scrapped the final dividend following a 42% plunge in full year profit as companies tighten their belts and scale back or ditch recruitment plans.

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