FTSE in slight recovery after Wall Street rally

Northern Rock made the biggest early gains following the departure of chief executive Adam Applegarth, up 10.6 points (12.33%) to 96.6p while Rentokil recovered ground lost after yesterday’s poor trading statement, gaining 4.4 points (3.85%) to 118.7p. HBOS shares fell 12.5 points (1.64%) to 752p as the banking sector continued to suffer and Vedanta Resources lost 27 points (1.26%) to £21.12. On Wall Street, a late rally helped markets make a small climb as signs emerged that consumer spending was stronger than expected and the Dow Jones rose 44.06 points (0.33%) to 13,517.96. Honeywe...