BUSINESS

Shares in Hays were up on the FTSE 100 in afternoon trading after the recruitment company reported a surge in pre-tax profit in the half year ended 31 December 2010.

Shares in Pearson were up on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after the publisher and owner of the Financial Times, reported a rise in sales and pre-tax profit in the full year 2010.

Shares in British banks were broadly down on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after HSBC reported its full year results for 2010.

Shares in HSBC were down on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after the banking group reported a doubling of pre-tax profit in the full year 2010.

Recent turmoil in the Middle East has contributed to a surge in oil prices. While prices began to march upward in the last several months on the back of improving global economic conditions, threats that a supply disruption coming from a strategically important oil producing country sent prices higher by more than 10 percent in just the last week.

Shares in Pearson were up on the FTSE 100 in afternoon trading ahead of the publisher's full year results, expected on Monday.

Shares in HSBC were up on the FTSE 100 in afternoon trading ahead of the banking giant's full year results, expected on Monday.

Shares in William Hill were up on the FTSE 250 in morning trading after the bookmaker reported a strong rise in pre-tax profits in the full year ended 28 December 2010.

Shares in British banks were broadly up on the FTSE 100 in morning trading, following a set of full year results from Lloyds Banking Group.

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Shares in Lloyds Banking Group were down on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after the group reported a decline in pre-tax profit in the full year 2010.

Shares in Lloyds Banking Group were down on the FTSE 100 in afternoon trading ahead of the group's full year results, expected tomorrow.

Shares in British American Tobacco were down on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after the company reported a rise in revenue and adjusted profit in the full year ended 31 December 2010.

Shares in Centrica were up on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after the energy company and owner of British Gas reported a rise in operating profit in the full year ended 31 December 2010.

Shares in British banks were down on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after RBS issued somewhat disappointing full year results for 2010.

Shares in RBS were down on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after the part-nationalised bank said it had significantly cut its losses in the full year ended 31 December 2010.

Budget airline easyJet today said that it would be launching a "major expansion" of its operations in Scotland, by introducing a fifth aircraft to serve Edinburgh airport and upgrading one of its four planes currently flying from Glasgow airport.

Shares in RBS were up on the FTSE 100 in afternoon trading ahead of the part-nationalised bank's full year results, expected tomorrow.

Shares in Logica were down on the FTSE 250 in morning trading despite the IT company quadrupling its pre-tax profit in the full year 2010.

Shares in British banks were up on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after a U.S. judge ruled in favour of Barclays bank in a case looking at the sale of Lehman Brothers assets in 2008.

Shares in Rexam were down on the FTSE 100 despite the packaging company reporting a rise in sales and pre-tax profit in the full year 2010.

Supermarket chain Asda today reported a rise in fourth quarter like for like sales of 1.6 per cent, thanks to what it called a "good Christmas" and the strong growth of its "Extra Special" range of goods.

Shares in BP were down on the FTSE 100 in afternoon trading after the energy giant said it would be selling its interests in the Wytch Farm onshore oilfield in Dorset and its operated gas fields in the Southern North Sea.

Shares in Pendragon were up on the FTSE All Share in morning trading after the car dealer reported a rise in revenue and pre-tax profit in the full year ended 31 December 2010.

BAA, the owner of Heathrow and Stansted airports, reported another loss in the full year ended 31 December 2010.

Shares in British banks were broadly down on the FTSE 100 in morning trading as political violence and unrest continued to engulf the oil rich nation of Libya.

Shares in Drax were down on the FTSE 250 in morning trading despite the power station owner reporting a rise in earnings and pre-tax profit in the full year ended 31 December 2010.

Shares in Royal Dutch Shell were down on the FTSE 100 in afternoon trading after the energy giant said it would selling most of its shareholding in its downstream business in Africa for around a billion dollars.

Shares in Diageo were up on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after the beverage company said it would be acquiring Turkish spirits company Mey Icki for £1.3 billion.