RAMSEY CROOKALL & CO

MIDDAY REPORT

25 AUGUST 2010

Heavy losses in the US overnight have kept pressure on London, though early falls have been small.

Decent results are keeping the FTSE 100’s losses respectable. A 14% hike in car insurance premiums and a surge in new customers helped first half profits jump by a fifth at insurer Admiral despite a tough time for price comparison subsidiary Confused.com.

Temporary power solutions provider Aggreko anticipates the outcome for the full year to be slightly better than expectations after posting a good set of half year figures.

Higher commodity prices gave Tullow Oil a boost in the first half of 2010, propelling profits up almost three times, in line with expectations.

Structural steel supplier Severfield-Rowen cut its interim dividend by half after reporting lower revenues and profits.

Scottish port operator Forth Ports lifted half year profit 29% after a good performance from its ports business and said it is confident about the remainder of the year. Forth, whose ports include London’s Tilbury docks, Grangemouth and Leith said profit before tax increased to £16 million for the half year ended 30 June from £12.4 million in 2009.



THE FTSE 100 AT 12.30 IS DOWN 37 @ 5118

THE DOW JONES CLOSED DOWN 133 @ 10,040

THE NASDAQ COMP CLOSED DOWN 35 @ 2123

Exchange Rate

USD - GBP 1. 5411

EUR - GBP 1. 2217