Rising higher was utilities firm International Power after French shareholder GDF SUEZ raised its bid from 390p to 418p per share. Investec said today that it does not foresee much regulatory risk to the take-over given that GDF already owns 70 per cent of the company.

The financial sector was being heavily sold off today with Lloyds Banking Group among the worst performers.

The Co-operative Society is reportedly set to make a decision this week on whether it should press on with its tortuous negotiations with Lloyds over the acquisition of 632 branches from the part-nationalised lender. Sector peers RBS, Barclays and Old Mutual were also lower.

Airline IAG, which recently acquired British Midland (BMI), was also lower on reports that it is in talks with BMI workers at George Best Belfast City airport over possible job losses.


FTSE 100 - Risers
GKN (GKN) 206.50p +3.66%
International Power (IPR) 417.40p +3.34%
Aberdeen Asset Management (ADN) 272.40p +3.22%
ARM Holdings (ARM) 602.50p +2.38%
Croda International (CRDA) 2,181.00p +2.30%
Centrica (CNA) 320.20p +2.07%
Unilever (ULVR) 2,045.00p +2.00%
Diageo (DGE) 1,549.50p +1.97%
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 1,429.50p +1.96%
Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB.) 3,573.00p +1.94%

FTSE 100 - Fallers
Man Group (EMG) 107.00p -2.73%
Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 24.47p -2.32%
Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 30.18p -1.87%
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 172.10p -1.71%
Old Mutual (OML) 152.60p -1.23%
Aviva (AV.) 302.00p -1.21%
ICAP (IAP) 370.10p -0.62%
Weir Group (WEIR) 1,680.00p -0.53%
Legal & General Group (LGEN) 122.00p -0.41%
Sage Group (SGE) 286.60p -0.38%

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Related share prices
Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) share price
Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) share price
Old Mutual (OML) share price
International Power (IPR) share price
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) share price