RAMSEY CROOKALL & CO

9th March 2012

Evening Report

The FTSE 100 closed up 0.47%, getting a boost following better-than-expected US nonfarm payrolls data. The Greek debt deal has been well received but markets are still a little wary. The economic highlights for the UK next week include the trade balance Tuesday and unemployment count Wednesday.

The board of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the top brass at clearing house LCH. Clearnet have thrashed out the terms under which the clearer will become part of the LSE group, sending the latter's shares soaring. The shares closed up 7%.

Aga Rangemaster struggled to sell its aspirational cookers last year, as cash-strapped Briton s stopped making home improvements..The company, which counts Gerard Depardieu among its customers, said sales slipped 3% to £251m.

Temporary power and temperature control solutions provider Aggreko was a top riser after it saw strong growth in revenues in 2011 despite going up against tough comparative figures from 2010, a year which saw the FIFA World Cup, the Winter Olympics and the Asian Games. Group revenue rose 14% to £1,396m in 2011 from £1,230m in 2010 and profit before tax climbed 6% to £327m from £307m the year before.

Schroders regained some of yesterday's lost ground when the firm was hit with the news that both its Chairman and Chief Investment manager has decided to step down.

Miners were firmly at the lower end of the index, with silver and gold producer Fresnillo the worst performer after Deutsche Bank downgraded its rating on the stock from buy to hold and cut its target from 1,925p to 1,875p. Sector peers Kazakhmys, Vedanta, Xstrata and Glencore were out of favour too.

Although not in the bottom 10, engineering group Weir was a notable faller as it looks like it will lose its battle with Danish rival FLSmidth for the takeover of Australian mining equipment firm Ludowici after FLSmidth's offer was allowed to proceed by the Australian Takeovers Panel.

THE FTSE 100 closed Up 27 @ 5,887 THE DOW JONES @ 17:00 Up 44 @ 12,952 THE NASDAQ @ 17:00 Up 19 @ 2,990

Exchange Rates

GBP – USD @ 17:00 1.5677 GBP - EURO @ 17:00 1.1957