FTSE stocks return mixed results

In mid-day trading Wednesday in London, stocks were mixed.

Reuters fell 0.6 percent after issuing a first-quarter report showing that revenues had dropped 6 percent compared to the same quarter last year.

Computer services company Computacenter was also down, losing 8.5 percent after issuing a warning that its profits stand to be “substantially lower” than those of last year.

On the up side, supermarket chain Wm Morrison was up 1.8 percent on speculation that recent losses have left it vulnerable to takeover, and Dixon’s, the electrical retailer, was up 0.5 percent on the news that Deutsche Bank had raised its rating from “hold” to “buy” after it recently signed an option to buy Russian retailer Eldorado.

Mining stocks posted gains as well, with Antofagasta rose 1.6 percent when UBS raised its rating to “buy” from “neutral.” Xstrata was up 2.2 percent, and BHP Billiton advanced by 1 percent.

At mid-day the FTSE 100 had fallen 0.2 percent to 4845.1, but the more broad-based FTSE 250 was up 0.2 percent to 7,012.5.

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