The strong gains of the past couple of days have given way to sluggishness as traders pause for breath and await US jobs data later in the afternoon.

Non-farm payrolls in the world's biggest economy are due at lunchtime.

In company news here, mining giant Rio Tinto is to be the junior partner in a joint venture (JV) with Chinalco. The new company has been formed to explore mainland China for world-class mineral deposits. Rio Tinto will own 49% of the JV and will appoint the chief executive of the new company.

Temporary power and temperature control specialist Aggreko is one today's strong performers after saying it has beefed up its presence in the oil and gas market with a US acquisition. The company is paying $26m for Northland Power Services, a leading provider of power solutions for the oil and gas exploration and production market in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States.

Premier Foods admitted today it has received bids for its meat-free business from multinational food groups and private equity firms. There has been speculation that Nestlé is to buy the unit.

Pub group and brewer Greene King posted record first half revenues as Scottish subsidiary Belhaven and its retail division stormed ahead. Underlying profits in the half year to Mid-October jumped 17% to £73.1m, from £62.4m, on sales up 4.2% to £484m.

Powered aerial work platforms leaser Lavendon Group is on the shopping list of Belgian rival Group Thermote & Vanhalst. TVH Services, the principle holding company of Group Thermote & Vanhalst, has made two bid approaches to Lavendon, the most recent one being an offer to buy the company's shares at 111p each.

Recruiter SThree expects profits this year to come in slightly ahead of market forecasts with all areas of its business now improving. Group gross profit to November will be about £167m, down 2% year on year (2009: £171.1m).

E-learning group Promethean World is teaching its investors some harsh lessons about new issues with a second profit warning since its listing in March.
Promethean World says order deferrals mean fourth quarter revenues will be lower than in the same period last year and full year results will be below market expectations.

India-focused oil and gas company Indus Gas saw its shares rise to a 52-week high after an upbeat resource update. The group's gross 'proven plus probable' (2P) reserves have been increased to 307 bn cubic feet (Bcf), according to a report by an independent evaluator.

FTSE 100 - Risers
Fresnillo (FRES) 1,560.00p +3.45%
Johnson Matthey (JMAT) 1,908.00p +2.20%
Kingfisher (KGF) 258.90p +1.57%
Aggreko (AGK) 1,567.00p +1.36%
Antofagasta (ANTO) 1,431.00p +1.27%
Pearson (PSON) 993.50p +1.17%
3i Group (III) 320.50p +1.14%
Kazakhmys (KAZ) 1,504.00p +1.14%
Schroders (SDR) 1,731.00p +1.11%
Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 41.96p +0.99%

FTSE 100 - Fallers
Man Group (EMG) 279.60p -3.15%
Burberry Group (BRBY) 1,079.00p -1.82%
Standard Chartered (STAN) 1,831.00p -1.77%
Whitbread (WTB) 1,760.00p -1.73%
G4S (GFS) 239.60p -1.72%
National Grid (NG.) 550.50p -1.52%
Barclays (BARC) 270.85p -1.49%
Sage Group (SGE) 285.00p -1.38%
Aviva (AV.) 380.00p -1.38%
Old Mutual (OML) 121.70p -1.22%

FTSE 250 - Risers
St James's Place (STJ) 271.30p +7.19%
Taylor Wimpey (TW.) 26.40p +4.06%
Berkeley Group Holdings (BKG) 874.00p +4.05%
Barratt Developments (BDEV) 76.30p +3.81%
SThree (STHR) 320.70p +3.45%
CSR (CSR) 334.50p +3.21%
Imagination Technologies Group (IMG) 388.20p +2.97%
Keller Group (KLR) 541.00p +2.85%
Phoenix Group Holdings (DI) (PHNX) 650.00p +2.69%
Kesa Electricals (KESA) 178.10p +2.59%

FTSE 250 - Fallers
DS Smith (SMDS) 193.00p -3.84%
CPP Group (CPP) 270.00p -3.57%
Premier Foods (PFD) 18.01p -2.96%
easyJet (EZJ) 431.30p -2.64%
Spirent Communications (SPT) 156.20p -2.56%
Tullett Prebon (TLPR) 357.60p -2.51%
Mitie Group (MTO) 217.40p -2.51%
Hunting (HTG) 627.50p -2.41%
Enterprise Inns (ETI) 113.60p -2.32%
Restaurant Group (RTN) 279.10p -2.00%

Related share prices
Rio Tinto (RIO) share price
Aggreko (AGK) share price
Greene King (GNK) share price
Lavendon Group (LVD) share price
Premier Foods (PFD) share price
SThree (STHR) share price
Indus Gas Ltd. (INDI) share price
Promethean World (PRW) share price