AstraZeneca profits on slow FTSE

The benchmark indec by a major jump from drugmaker AstraZeneca, up 78p or 4% to 1980p. The company says that fourth-quarter profit increased 52%, boosted by sales of older established medicines including its Nexium ulcer remedy as the firm forecasts a 12% rise for 2005. Shares in London and Hong Kong-listed Standard Chartered also added 20p to 955.5p, while Rentokil Initial picked up 3p to 150.5p. Today's losers include wastewater firm United Utilities plc, which closed down 14p to 446p, while subsidiary United Utilities fell 13.50p to 628.50p. Cairn Energy shed 21p to 1145p. In ...