BP Share News (BP.)

Leading shares saw gains trimmed over the lunch time session but the Footsie remains comfortably in positive territory, due in no small part to the strength of mining stocks, Gold miner Randgold Resources is wanted after it shrugged off operational and political setbacks in 2010 to post a sharp increase in profit, helped by the increase in the price of gold. Profit before income tax and financing activities for 2010 rose to $136.14m from $113.76m in 2009. Randgold Resources' group production for 2011 is forecast to be between 750,000 and 790,000 ounces, which represents an increase of more than 70% on the preceding year. Peers Xstrata, Vedanta and Rio Tinto are also in demand. Oil producer Cairn Energy is wanted as talks concerning its proposed sale of a majority stake in Cairn India to miner Vedanta Resources are in progress. Vedanta is also higher.BP is deciding whether to buy a 30-45% stake in the D6 hydrocarbon block in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin off the east coast of India.AstraZeneca's run of disappointing drug development results has continued with the early end to a trial of prostate cancer treatment zibotentan. Banks are going well after weekend reports suggested big bonuses won't spark a crackdown from the government. RBS and Lloyds are the best of the sector so far. Property developer St Modwen Properties is confident about the future after making an annual profit for the first time since 2007. The company posted a profit before tax of £37.5m for the 12 months to 30 November compared with a £119.4m loss in 2009 and £73.1m deficit the year before that. On the rise is international engineering and project management company AMEC, which has made its second acquisition of the month, purchasing the Australian engineering consultancy Zektingroup for AU$48m.Housebuilder Bellway has been encouraged by the pick up in site visits and reservations in 2011 following the cold snap in December. The group said it sold 2,332 homes in the six months to end-January, an increase of 85 on the corresponding period a year earlier. The average sales price over the period rose to £168,000 from £155,871 a year earlier, largely as a result of selling more traditional two storey homes and fewer flats. Shares in Exillon Energy started the week on the front foot after test well results in the West Siberia basin kept up the oil producer's 100% drilling success rate since 2006. Bid target 888 ended the year strongly as talks continue with bookmaker Ladbrokes over a possible takeover of the online gamer. Operating Income rose 18% to $71m in the three months to December, up 18% on the previous three months. Scanning software specialist Kofax delivered record first half results after a bumper performance at its software business and expects 14% revenue growth for the full year. The group, which is proceeding with the disposal of its hardware business, said adjusted EBITA for the six months ended 31 December rose to $23.5m from $8m in 2009. Revenues increased 20% to $121.7m. Mobile messaging services provider Synchronica said full year revenue surged 86% from the year before after an, 'extremely strong end to the year'. The group, which last week announced the purchase of US firm Neustar for $0.25m, said it produced around $11m in revenue during 2010, up 86% from the 2009.Shares in aerospace supplies group Umeco took off after it confirmed press speculation that it might be selling its supply chain business, Pattonair.Exploration and development company African Aura Mining said the estimated resource at its 38.5% owned Putu iron ore asset has more than doubled after the latest independent audit.DDD, the 2D to 3D image conversion specialist, reported a sharp rise in shipments of TVs and PCs using its technology in the six months to 31 December.