The FTSE 100 stood at 5,851 at 13:00, just 4 points above yesterday’s closing level. The FTSE 250 rose 32.5 points (0.25 percent) to 11,995 and the FTSE AIM 100 index climbed 14.5 points (0.35 percent) to 4,034.
Software developer Autonomy Corporation (LON:AU) led the blue chips, advancing 3.2 percent. Specialty chemicals firm Johnson Matthey (LON:JMAT) and insurance focused investor Resolution (LON:RSL) followed, tacking on just over 1.5 percent. Telecom major Vodafone (LON:VOD) and property company British Land (LON:BLND) tacked on 1.5 percent.
Government services group Serco (LON:SRP) was down 2 percent. Utility company Severn Trent (LON:SVT) and International Consolidated Airlines Group (LON:IAG) fell 1 percent.
Oil & gas
Major oil and gas producers were broadly flat today. BP (LON:BP) lost nearly 1 percent.
JKX Oil & Gas (LON:JKX) led the midcaps, surging 1.5 percent. Melrose Resources (LON:MRS) and Salamander Energy (LON:SMDR) lost 1 percent.
US focused emerging explorer Nostra Terra Oil & Gas (LON:NTOG) and energy sector focused investor Xtract Energy (LON:XTR) were among the top risers in the sector, surging 13 percent.
Mining
Precious metals
Mining stocks were headed in different directions. Fresnillo (LON:FRES) lost 1.7 percent, while Lonmin (LON:LMI) added 1 percent.
In the FTSE 250, Hochschild Mining (LON:HOC) tacked on 1 percent and Petropavlovsk (LON:POG) shed 1 percent.
Mining exploration company operating in Australia GGG Resources (LON:GGG) did very well today, tacking on more than 9 percent. Gold and copper focused explorer Solomon Gold (LON:SOLG) added 8.5 percent.
Base metals
Antofagasta (LON:ANTO) led the sector, rising 1.4 percent. Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) shed 1 percent.
West Africa operating gold and iron ore development company Afferro Mining (LON:AFF) led the juniors, climbing 9 percent. Thermal coal mine developer Churchill Mining (LON:CHL) advanced 6.5 percent.
Banks, insurance, private equity
Most banks slipped into the red today. Lloyds (LON:LLOY), Standard Chartered (LON:STAN) and Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) fell 1 percent.
Insurance stocks weren’t very active today. Admiral Group (LON:ADM) and RSA Insurance Group (LON:RSA) tacked on nearly 1 percent.
Small cap movers
Other notable risers among the small caps included Advanced Computer Software Group (LON:ASW), which rose 6 percent.