The FTSE 100 Index is down 9 points at 5,866.9 points this morning as losses for mobile phone giant Vodafone and mining stocks outweigh a jump for Royal Bank of Scotland.
RBS has announced profits which beat expectations and said it would buy back shares worth up to £1bn this year. Its shares have risen 3.07% to 1,916p, topping the blue-chip leaderboard. British American Tobacco has also pleased investors as 2005 earnings from the cigarette maker came in near the top of analyst expectations. The shares have risen 2.56% to 1,362p. Meanwhile, Vodafone has accounted for much of the pressure on the index, falling 2.20% to 111.25p as several analysts responded to the company's forecast of slowing revenue growth and lower margins by cutting estimates and targe...
To continue reading this article...
Join Professional Adviser for free
- Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
- Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
- Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
- Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
- Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
- Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes