London open: Positive start to new decade

4th Jan 2010 08:11

Footsie has started the new decade on a positive note, with Cairn Energy and Royal Bank of Scotland leading the way.Cairn Energy is this morning's best performer on news that the oil explorer has secured a second drilling rig to assist its exploration programme in the Disko West area offshore Greenland in the second half of 2010. The rig, the Stena Don, will work alongside the Stena Forth, and help increase Cairn's operational flexibility and capability in its exploration activities.The sale of Royal Bank of Scotland's Pakistan unit has fallen through after the deal failed to get the necessary regulatory approvals and complete before the 31 December deadline. Government-owned RBS agreed in August to sell its 99.4% stake in the business to Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) for $87m.Irish low-cost airline Ryanair has been accused of being 'puerile' and 'childish' over its payment policy by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). John Fingleton, the business watchdog's chief executive, criticised the carrier for adding fees when customers use a specific type of bank card to pay online. He said Ryanair operates within 'the narrow letter of the law.'Blue-collar recruitment and training specialist Staffline said earnings for the full year will be in line with upwardly revised market expectations. The group announced in November that it anticipates earnings to be ahead of forecasts.Medical technology group Lifeline Scientific expects results for calendar year 2009 to be ahead of forecasts after strong trading during the second half of the year.Aim-listed Radicle Projects, set up to buy Australian agribusinesses, said pre-tax losses widened sharply in 2009.Diagnostics testing kit firm Immunodiagnostic Systems (IDH) hopes to benefit from a new 5-year distribution agreement signed by Technogenetics to which IDH supplies its products.In other news, finance directors at some of Britain's biggest companies are more positive than they have been for over two years, a new report has found. In its quarterly CFO survey of 128 finance chiefs, accountancy firm Deloitte said number crunchers were optimistic about prospects for their businesses.FTSE 100 - RisersCairn Energy (CNE) 342.90p +3.10%Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 30.02p +2.81%Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 51.97p +2.53%Xstrata (XTA) 1,147.00p +2.32%Compass Group (CPG) 454.20p +2.02%Kingfisher (KGF) 232.60p +1.57%Thomas Cook Group (TCG) 233.60p +1.52%United Utilities Group (UU.) 502.50p +1.37%Barclays (BARC) 279.70p +1.34%Smiths Group (SMIN) 1,027.00p +1.28%FTSE 100 - FallersStandard Life (SL.) 212.80p -1.71%3i Group (III) 278.30p -1.66%Resolution (RSL) 88.00p -1.57%Invensys (ISYS) 295.10p -1.40%Land Securities Group (LAND) 676.50p -1.24%Fresnillo (FRES) 782.50p -1.20%Legal & General Group (LGEN) 79.70p -1.12%British Land Co (BLND) 475.00p -1.04%Liberty International (LII) 510.00p -0.97%Whitbread (WTB) 1,398.00p -0.92%