Miners let FTSE hold onto early gains

Swiss mining firm Xstrata posted the biggest gains for the day with a rise of 5.72% to £25.13, closely followed by Antofagasta which gained 2.77% to 529.5p, while Rio Tinto ended the day up 2.41% to £28.50. ICAP also performed well with a rise of 2.58% to 487.75p, closely followed by British Energy Group which gained 2.5% to 512.5p following a broker upgrade, although gains were limited by Alliance Boots which fell 0.77% to 833p. Cairn Energy was the biggest drag on the index, however, with a drop of 4.61% to £19.46 following reports of fading bid hopes, while Smith & Nephew dropped 2.3...