London pre-open: Flat start for FTSE 100

7th Oct 2009 07:39

Footsie is in line for a flat start as traders pause for breath following yesterday's surge.Supermarket Sainsbury's posted a 4.6% rise in like for like sales excluding fuel in the quarter to October 3 as shoppers continued flocking to the store amid tough economic times. Excluding the impact of the VAT cut, like-for-like sales in the quarter, the second of the company's financial year, were up by 5.4%.Sausages and pork products supplier Cranswick said sales were strongly ahead at the interim stage, helped by a contribution from the recently acquired Bowes of Norfolk. Sales in the six months to 30 September rose by 19% from a year earlier, with 7% attributable to the contribution from Bowes, Cranwsick, one of whose main customers is Sainsbury's, said.White collar recruiter Michael Page made a third quarter operating profit and noted 'increasing degrees of stabilisation across our regions' in the last three months. Its Asia Pacific and Americas regions both recorded sequential growth.Defence outfit Cobham has won two orders from global security firm Northrop Grumman for digital vehicle intercom systems. The orders are worth $40m and are for the ongoing provision of Cobham's ROVIS (AN/VIC-3) digital intercom systems to the US army.