Miners give FTSE early boost

Swiss miner Xstrata is posting the biggest gains so far with a rise of 2.14% to £22.88, closely followed by Lonmin which is up 2% to £29.60, while BHP Billiton has climbed 1.98% to £10.31. Kazakhmys is also up 1.83% to £12.23, closely followed by Anglo American which is up 1.82% to £24.07, although gains are being limited by Capita Group which is down 1.3% to 532p. ICI is the biggest drag on the index with a fall of 2.27% to 397.5p, closely followed by Smiths Group which is down 1.32% to 933.5p, although energy stocks are also suffering with BG Group slipping 1.08% to 688p, while Inte...