London midday: Miners and properties slide

13th May 2009 12:04

After a moderately firmer start, London's leading shares quickly turned lower in the morning session, with mining shares and properties weighing heavily on the FTSE 100 index.Property giant Land Securities saw its net asset value slashed by two-thirds in 2008 in what it described as 'unprecedented market conditions.' Basic net asset value (NAV) per share slumped to 639p at the end of March 2009 from 1,862p a year earlier. The group's property portfolio took a £4,744m dive, after sliding £1,293m the previous year. The valuation hit helped push the company deep into the red, with a pre-tax loss of £4,773m versus a pre-tax loss the year before of £988m.Elsewhere in the sector Hammerson has completed its evacuation from Germany by selling a Berlin shopping centre for €70m. The news did little to stop the share price from joining Land Securities in hurtling downwards.Kazakhstan focused Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) thinks it can keep up improved production levels to cope with increased demand, but warned it's too early to talk of a global economic recovery. The market seems inclined to agree, and has marked ENRC sharply lower, along with Kazamhmys, Xstrata and Lonmin. Even Fresnillo, which has been defying the downward trend in the mining sector this week, is nursing a heavy loss.Rio Tinto comes under selling pressure on rumours that the cash injection from Chinese state-owned aluminium producer Chinalco may be ditched, in response to shareholder pressure, in favour of a rights issue.There are still profits to be taken in the banking sector and investors appear to be taking them, resulting in continued weakness in the share prices of the likes of Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays.Leading shares are not without their bright features, however, and chief among them is catering giant Compass Group, after it reported a 41% rise in half-year profit and expects trends in the first half to continue into the second.Strong demand for its 'basics' range has helped supermarket giant J Sainsbury deliver better than expected full year profit. Underlying profit for the year to 21 March leapt 11.3% to £543m, ahead of the £527m predicted.Insurer Legal & General has reported a 3% rise in worldwide new business during the first quarter of 2009 and a "modest improvement in its estimated IGD surplus to £1.6bn.Solid demand from the oil and gas and environmental sectors has lifted AMEC's order book to £3.4bn with margins this year also forecast to increase.Pub groups are also taking a beating on the parliamentary report calling for a referral of the tied system to the Competition Commission. Punch has been quick to reject the demand saying it is not necessary. Enterprise Inns is also down heavily. Regional brewers and pubcos Greene King and Marston's also take a few dents.Oil and gas group BG has strengthened its ties with China National Offshore Oil Corporation and agreed a joint liquefied natural gas (LNG) project development Agreement focused on BG Group's Queensland Curtis LNG Project in Australia. Housebuilder Barratt's order book has risen by 70% since the start of 2009, but the group is still cautious over the market with demand held back by lack of mortgage availability.Bumper sales of hot cross buns helped bakery chain Greggs put in a solid performance over Easter. The group, with over 1,400 retail outlets in the UK, increased total group sales in the 19 weeks to 9 May 2009 by 5.2%, including like-for-like sales growth of 2%.Greyhound bus operator FirstGroup reported full year profit ahead of forecasts and said it is well placed to withstand economic headwinds. Trading conditions have steadily improved across many part of Amlin's business and the underwriter expects the generally positive trends to continue this year. The average renewal rate of increase for Amlin in the first four months of 2009 was 4%, with the renewal retention rate running at 89.2%.Oil services company Wood Group has traded in line with expectations in the year to date, with market conditions similar to those at the start of 2009.Tough trading in the Americas was the only fly in the ointment for cash rich computer services group Dimension Data as it reported a solid set of interim results. Revenue in the six months to 31 March 2009 eased to £1,950m from £2,171m, reflecting the strength of the US dollar; in constant currency terms, turnover was up 8.1%.FTSE 100 - RisersCompass Group (CPG) 361.25p +8.56%Unilever (ULVR) 1,536.00p +4.42%Shire Plc (SHP) 890.50p +4.15%Royal Dutch Shell 'B' (RDSB) 1,649.00p +3.00%FTSE 100 - FallersKazakhmys (KAZ) 596.50p -10.50%Land Securities Group (LAND) 490.00p -9.09%Hammerson (HMSO) 295.50p -8.51%Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 40.10p -7.82%