StockMarketWire.com - London stocks continued their foray north as warm trader sentiment continued to be stoked by crude's rising value, albeit with robust gold prices and gilt yields suggesting an undertow of caution. In-play LSE, multiple miners and financials provided crisp cue. To noon, FTSE 100 was up 44.47 points, or 0.73%, to 6141.56. FTSE 250 was up 154.3, or 0.93%, to 16,757.4. Both were at up to two-month highs. At 11.45am, WTI crude was as USD34.22/bbl and Brent was at USD36.86/bbl. UK 10-year gilt yields had tightened to 1.36% and gold was firmer at USD1240/oz. Europe bourses were ahead. LSE (LSE) rose 8.2% to 2897.5p as Intercontinental Exchange mulled a potential offer for LSE, which is in play with a GBP20bn merger plan from Deutsche Boerse. Among miners, Anglo American (AAL) surged 5.45% to 506.4p, while BHP Billiton (BLT) rose 3.26% to 751.7p. Glencore (GLEN) fell 2.57% to 129.83p as it swung to a FY net loss of USD4.96bn. United Utilities (UU.), Severn Trent (SVT) and Taylor Wimpey (TW.) were all moving on news and are discussed further down. Blue-chip risers numbers almost 90, and of these about 60 gained by 1% or more. Financials rose after insurer Direct Line (DLG), up 5.3% to 409.2p, as its operating profit surged to GBP520.7m. Plenty more in the sector followed. Other financials moving included Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.), up 3.35% to 1280.5p, RSA Insurance (RSA), up 3.32% to 449.75p, and Worldpay (WPG), up 2.82% to 295p. Sectors also gaining included supermarkets, retailers, utilities, consumer goods, leisure and commercial property, among many others. To the downside, Ashtead (ATH) plunged 13.1% to 803p as management flagged caution on future capex initiatives after a GBP1bn investment splurge in 2015. Barclays (BARC), down 10.44% to 154.08p, has improved the FY pretax profit in its core business, but posted a lower statutory pretax profit of GBP2.07bn, down 8%. United Utilities (UU.) has entered into a JV agreement with Severn Trent (SVT) under which the two will combine their non-household water and wastewater retail businesses. UU. rose 0.49% to 930p, while SVT added 0.23% to 2141p. Elsewher, Taylor Wimpey (TW.), up 0.64% to 187.4p, has hiked its FY pretax profit to GBP603.2m, from a profit of GBP468.8m. BIGGER MOVERS Smurfit Kappa (SKG) soared 7863% to 1699.5p after it made its first step to a full primary listing on the LSE by switching trading in its ordinary shares to GBP, from euros. Onzima Ventures (ONZ), up 59.09% to 0.88p, has acquired 49% of N4 Pharma Ltd, paying GBP41,000 in cash and issuing 24.3m new shares that are locked in for two years. Tribal (TRB), up 29.75% to 51.25p, has agreed to dispose of its Synergy children's services management information system business to Servelec (SERV). Consideration receivable was GBP20.25m cash. Net proceeds would reduce net debt. Servelec improved its FY pretax profit to GBP13.4m, from GBP10.6m. Sacoil (SAC), up 22.22% to 1.38p, noted a reorganisation of interest in Block III, Democratic Republic of Congo, and separately confirmed a cooperation agreement that will result in the construction of the estimated USD6bn, 2600km African REnaissance Gas Pipeline in Mozambique. Regency Mines (RGM), UK Oil & Gas (UKOG), Solo Oil (SOLO), Stellar Resources (STG), Doriemus (DOR), Alba (ALBA) and Evocutis (EVO) said Horse Hill Developments has noted that more than 900 barrels of oil a day have flowed from the Horse Hill-1 discovery's second zone. RGM rose 5.88% to 0.9p, UKOG gained 13.86% to 2.88p, SOLO rose 7.59% to 0.43p, STG firmed 4.08% to 0.26p, ALBA added 15.85% to 0.48p, EVO rose 6.25% to 0.09p and DOR was flat at 0p. ECONOMIC NEWS Euro-zone's unemployment rate fell to 10.3% in January, which was below its anticipated and December reading of 10.4%. Meantime, UK's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) contracted to 50.8 in February, from 52.9 in January and against an expected print of 52.3. Euro-zone's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 51.2 in February, from January's 52.3 and ahead of forecasts for 51.0. Germany's manufacturing PMI was 50.5, from 50.2 and versus forecasts for 50.2. France's manufacturing PMI eased to 50.2, from a previous and expected print of 50.3. Spain's was 54.1, versus forecasts for 54.3 and from 55.4, while Italy's was 52.2, from 53.2 and against views for 52.2. LONDON HIGHLIGHTS Rotork (ROR) gained 13.73% to 181.4p despite an 8.1% slump in revenue and 21% decline in EPS. Investors are focusing on bullish commentary from management. Greggs (GRG) gained 14.06% at 1180.5p after rolling out better-than-expected finals and flagging a cracking start to 2016. STM (STM), up 12.12% to 55.5p, has upped its FY pretax profit to GBP2.7m, from GBP1.7m. Revenue improved to GBP16.2m, from GBP15.9m. Dividend was 0.9p, from nil. The firm said 2015 was a transformational year. Premier African Minerals (PREM), down 10.77% to 0.58p, has today received a direct subscription for GBP500,000 of new ordinary shares. It has today issued, conditional on admission, 100m new subscription shares at a price of 0.5p each. 21st Century Technology (C21), up 6.25% to 4.25p, has won two contracts worth a total of about GBP0.5m. Just Eat (JE.) surged 3.46% to 399.05p on a 58% rise in revenue to GBP247.6m in 2015, with underlying EBITDA 83% higher at GBP59.7m. This came with a positive outlook statement. Swallowfield (SWL) added 2.32% to 176.5p on better-than-expected interim results. Revolution Bars (RBG) rose 3.94% to 171.5p on a 2.7% rise in H1 like-for-like sales. Strat Aero (AERO), up 3.33% to 3.88p, has inked a contract with ReadyJet worth an estimated USD378,000 over a five-year period for its proprietary Digital Data Management. Forbidden Technologies (FBT), up 5.62% to 11.75p, has agreed an extended 12-month deal with IMG Media, a division of sports, events, media and fashion company IMG, to use Forscene as a rapid turnaround editing platform for its seasonal contracts.

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