COMPANIES

Standard Life results due to report a forecast £293m profit for the first six months of this year after first quarter sales rose 30 pct to £4.6 billion.

Airport owner BAA has said that the number of people travelling through its United Kingdom airports increased by 0.3 per cent to 10.9 million last month.

Shares in Greggs were down in morning trading on the FTSE 250 after the baker reported a rise in pre-tax profits in the half year ended 3 July. The group also said it expected a rise in "ingredient costs" due to droughts in Russia pushing up wheat prices.

The UK's trade deficit narrowed in June as rising exports boosted hopes of a export-led recovery.

Shares in British banks fell in morning trading on the FTSE 100 after economic data on retail sales, and house prices suggested the recovery is progressing slower than previously hoped for.

Intercontinental Hotels Group has delivered profits ahead of expectations after Revenue per available room - a key measure of a hotels' performance - increased globally at 3.9 pct at constant currency.

Shares in TUI Travel dived in morning trading on the FTSE 100 after the group said it took a £105 million hit as a result of air space closures prompted by a giant ash cloud being emitted from an Icelandic volcano earlier this year.

3, the UK's fifth largest mobile operator has the last to announce it will stock Blackberry's latest 'Torch' phone.

The construction sector is to face up to 35-40 pct this September/October warned construction firm, Morgan Sindall.

National Grid rises on FTSE 100 after GDF Suez / International Power acquisitionNational Grid is rising on the FTSE 100 today after the GDF Suez / International Power deal lifted both the Electricity and Gas, Water, Multiutilities sector.

The FTSE 100 is rising today after GDF's long heralded deal with International Power - creating the world's largest station manager - is almost finished and could be formally announced shortly.

Shares in BP were up in morning trading on the FTSE 100 as oil prices rose and the group said that it had effectively plugged the oil leak at the Macondo oil well in the Gulf of Mexico.

Last week a number of banks issued 2010 first-half results. Northern Rock, HSBC, Standard Chartered and Lloyds all released figures showing overall profits in their operations that were good given the current market conditions in their field of activity. All, including Northern Rock, were able to demonstrate the benefits of the "universal model" of banking and senior executives from these companies, both on and off the record, were keen to emphasise their belief in the continuance of thi...

Shares in British banks were broadly up in morning trading on the FTSE 100 following losses incurred on Friday.

Shares in Tomkins were up in early trading on the FTSE 250 after the engineering company reported a return to profit and a halving of its debt in the first half of the year.

A round-up of comments on the banks Lloyds and Barclays, along with consumer goods maker, Unilever.

FTSE 100 listed insurer Old Mutual is selling off its US life assurance business for £220m in order to pay down its debts.

Shares in Logica were up on the FTSE 250 in morning trading after the IT firm more than tripled its pre-tax profit in the first half of the year.

Shares in British banks were broadly down on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after the last of the "big four" banks, RBS, reported its half year results and a return to profit this morning.

Shares in RBS were up in morning trading on the FTSE 100 after the group reported a return to profit in the first half of 2010.

Linux is being pushed as an alternative to Windows XP in the Government's hard push towards spending cuts in the public sector, ie. Government offices. However is the idea a response to the BP which saw thousands of British shareholders and pensioners lose their lifetime savings.

Shares in RBS were down slightly on the FTSE 100 ahead of the part-nationalised bank's first half results, due out tomorrow.

Shares in Rio Tinto were up in afternoon trading on the FTSE 100 after the mining giant more than doubled its earnings and cut its net debt in the first half of the year.

Tesco are reportedly listed as a possible buyer for Egg, the online financial services provider which was put up for sale by Citigroup.

Shares in Randgold Resources fell on the FTSE 100 in afternoon trading, despite the mining firm reporting a rise in quarterly and half year profit today.

Shares in defence company Cobham were down in morning trading on the FTSE 100 after the group reported a slight rise in pre-tax profit in the half year ended 30 June.

Shares in Aviva were on the FTSE 100 after the insurance giant reported a rise in pre-tax profit of 21 per cent in the first half of the year.

Unilever, the consumer goods giant and,maker of Dove soap and Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream has outperformed itself after improving margins and sales up by 3.8 pct.

Shares in part nationalised banks Lloyds Banking Group and RBS were up in morning trading on the FTSE 100, while Barclays and HSBC declined.