RAMSEY CROOKALL & CO

      19th September 2012

Evening Report

The FTSE 100 rose  late in the afternoon session to close up 0.3% , after data showing that sales of existing homes in the US jumped last month. The increase of 7.8% in August was above market expectations. In individual stocks, United Utilities was a strong performer with a 2.47% gain on renewed bid speculation. Smiths Group traded 1.15 % higher after its FY results pleased. Miners gained, boosted by Japan's stimulus announcement.

Royal Dutch Shell reported that its Majnoon oil field in Iraq is still likely to meet a key production target by the end of this year, despite a series of setbacks that have hampered its development.

Technology company Smiths Group reported a 8% decline in full year pretax profit, but said that its investment initiatives are building a solid foundation to accelerate medium-term revenue growth.

 Lonmin PLC has it signed a wage agreement with striking workers that will end a five-week- long strike at its Marikana mine.

President Vladimir Putin held a surprise meeting with BP PLC's leadership on expanding its presence on the Russian market despite the litany of recent problems endured by the British energy giant in the country, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

BAE Systems has been awarded a $12 million contract by the Department of Defence, as speculation mounts about the future of the company's U.S. operations after parent company BAE Systems disclosed last week that it had opened merger talks with European Aeronautic Space & Defence Co.

THE FTSE 100             closed      Up        20        @      5,888 THE DOW JONES            @ 17:00     Up       44        @     13608 THE NASDAQ               @ 17:00     Up        2         @      3180 Exchange Rates GBP – USD        @      17:00              1.6220 GBP - EURO      @      17:00              1.2410