LONDON (ShareCast) - London closed lower after attempts at a rally after yesterday's heavy falls failed to gather any momentum.

Strong results from telecoms group BT saw it climb to the top of the risers. It reported a 1% increase in fourth quarter earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation and before specific items and leaver costs to £1.5bn.

Miners were volatile with Antofagasta and Rio Tinto trading lower having started the day with gains.

Power utility firm National Grid Transco delivered another strong financial performance with both revenues and profits higher.

Brewing giant SABMiller featured among the fallers after it served up a slight drop in full year pre-tax profit. Pre-tax profit slipped to $2.5bn for the year to March 31 2006 from $2.6bn the year before.

High street chemist chain Boots also slid as it flagged 10% slide in full year profits. The group posted a 9.8% drop in trading profit after finance costs for the year to 31 March to £401m from £444m a year ago, in line with previous guidance. Citigroup repeated ‘sell’ advice.

High street fashion retailer Next recovered from yesterday’s disappointing AGM as retail sales figures for March camr in better than expected.

Gambling group William Hill said favourable sporting results since early March had offset a mixed performance seen in January and February. It is well placed to take advantage of a busy sporting programme this year, it added.

South African investment bank Investec fell despite doubling full year profits at its investment banking business.

Online bank Egg continues to experience difficult conditions in the unsecured lending business, its parent Prudential told shareholders at its AGM today.

Nightclub operator Luminar slipped after it reported a big fall in underlying pre-tax profits and said current trading is below management expectations.

Mobile phone content provider Bango said the UK operation was profitable but lowered expectations of growth outside the UK.

IT systems group Morse Holdings' German and Austrian businesses continue to experience problems, which could result in losses of approximately £1m for the second half and full year, it warned today.

Shares in diamond explorer Sunrise Diamonds were in demand after it slashed half year pre-tax losses. Vaccine supplier Acambis was also on the up after the US government awarded it a contract to maintain its stockpile of smallpox vaccines.


Market Movers
techMARK 1,317.91 +0.03%
FTSE 100 5,671.60 -0.07%
FTSE 250 9,134.80 -1.52%

FTSE 100 - Risers
BT Group (BT.A) 226.25p +8.12%
DSG International (DSGI) 200.75p +1.90%
Kingfisher (KGF) 230.75p +1.88%
National Grid (NG.) 569.00p +1.79%
GUS (GUS) 983.00p +1.65%
Rexam (REX) 480.00p +1.27%
Next (NXT) 1,682.00p +1.08%
Brambles Industries (BI.) 426.50p +1.07%
Smiths Group (SMIN) 928.00p +0.87%
Wolseley (WOS) 1,191.00p +0.85%

FTSE 100 - Fallers
Persimmon (PSN) 1,148.00p -4.41%
Cairn Energy (CNE) 2,069.00p -4.17%
Amvescap (AVZ) 511.00p -3.77%
SABMiller (SAB) 1,061.00p -3.02%
Kazakhmys (KAZ) 1,094.50p -2.97%
International Power (IPR) 273.75p -2.41%
Royal & Sun Alliance (RSA) 126.50p -2.32%
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) 909.50p -2.26%
Cadbury Schweppes (CBRY) 515.50p -2.18%
Antofagasta (ANTO) 2,092.00p -1.92%

FTSE 250 - Risers
PZ Cussons (PZC) 1,364.00p +11.35%
Dimension Data (DDT) 42.75p +6.21%
SCI Entertainment (SEG) 480.00p +4.35%
Fidelity European (FEV) 1,102.00p +4.26%
SVG Capital Ord £1 (SVI) 776.50p +3.53%
Caledonia Investment (CLDN) 1,799.00p +3.45%
Monks Investment Trust (MNKS) 265.00p +2.91%
Unite Group (UTG) 380.00p +2.70%
Euromoney Institutional Investor (ERM) 422.00p +2.55%
Minerva (MNR) 263.00p +2.33%

FTSE 250 - Fallers
Invensys (ISYS) 19.75p -8.14%
Dana Petroleum (DNX) 917.50p -5.95%
Amlin (AML) 239.25p -5.81%
Taylor Woodrow (TWOD) 320.25p -5.60%
Inmarsat (ISAT) 317.50p -5.44%
Burren Energy (BUR) 819.50p -5.31%
Shanks (SKS) 161.00p -5.29%
Mitie Group (MTO) 184.75p -5.26%
Soco International (SIA) 1,249.50p -5.23%
Venture Production (VPC) 636.50p -5.21%

FTSE TechMARK - Risers
Retail Decisions (RTD) 148.00p +5.53%
Oxford Biomedica (OXB) 28.75p +4.55%
Acambis (ACM) 172.75p +4.54%
Biocompatibles International (BII) 204.00p +3.68%
ProStrakan (PSK) 104.25p +2.71%
DCS Group (DCS) 20.00p +2.56%
Network Technology (NTY) 132.50p +1.92%
Aveva Group (AVV) 1,170.00p +1.56%
Optos (OPTS) 217.50p +1.52%
Medisys (MDY) 3.38p +1.50%

FTSE TechMARK - Fallers
Morse Holdings (MOR) 80.75p -18.43%
Indigo Vision (IND) 540.00p -9.24%
Torotrak (TRK) 30.50p -8.96%
Ferraris Group (FER) 59.75p -6.64%
Visonic (VSC) 86.50p -6.49%
Zetex (ZTX) 73.50p -6.37%
Wolfson Microelectronics (WLF) 440.50p -6.28%
Axis-Shield (ASD) 345.00p -6.25%
MTL Instruments (MTI) 417.50p -6.18%
Phytopharm (PYM) 57.50p -5.74%

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