easyJet shares are firmly on the rise, extending yesterday's gain of around one per cent. The company has said it's geared up to take on other low-cost airlines across Europe, saying it expects other airlines will have difficulty in embracing a no-frills style. It said the loss of as many as 86m short-haul passengers could be easyJet's gain. Speaking to Bloomberg, Chief Executive Officer Carolyn McCall said "I don't see why any legacy carrier would want to continue losing money on short-haul when it can be done better by other carriers, except to feed their long-haul."Yesterday's rise came after Bank of America Merrill Lynch predicted that October's fourth-quarter trading update would see a continuation of its robust yield performance, and suggested a special dividend could also be on the cards. Monday also saw the company add two new routes, with seats to go on sale from next month. Sector peer IAG was also a strong riser, as crude continued to pull back from its recent highs as fears over turmoil in the Middle East ease. Elevated oil prices have pressured both stocks over the last few weeks on concerns over the knock-on effects to jet fuel costs. Financials were also performing well today with RBS, Standard Chartered, Aviva, Aberdeen Asset Management and Schroders among the highest risers.Leading the downside was Costa and Premier Inn owner Whitbread after seeing sales growth slow from 13.8% in the first quarter to just 10.8% in the second as the hot summer weather hit demand at its coffee shops.Pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline also fell sharply after US regulators set out requirements for generic versions of its lung drug Advair, sparking competition concerns over when patents run out in a few years' time.Miners were putting in a mixed performance as increased risk appetite was offset by falling metals prices across the board. Glencore Xstrata was in demand after lifting its synergy target - following its merger - to at least $2bn next year as the miner vowed to cut costs and improve operational efficiency. Precious metals groups Fresnillo and Randgold, however, were out of favour. Rolls-Royce gained after scoring a $175m contract with Asia Gas Pipeline (AGP) for services on a natural gas pipeline in Kazakhstan.FTSE 100 - RiserseasyJet (EZJ) 1,355.00p +6.95%International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 319.90p +4.71%Aberdeen Asset Management (ADN) 385.20p +4.33%Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 353.50p +3.97%Standard Chartered (STAN) 1,510.00p +3.74%Prudential (PRU) 1,173.00p +3.17%Aviva (AV.) 412.00p +3.05%Glencore Xstrata (GLEN) 330.75p +2.94%Babcock International Group (BAB) 1,189.00p +2.85%Legal & General Group (LGEN) 199.20p +2.79%FTSE 100 - FallersWhitbread (WTB) 3,123.00p -2.89%GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 1,595.50p -2.71%Fresnillo (FRES) 1,238.00p -2.44%Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 4,803.00p -2.26%Eurasian Natural Resources Corp. (ENRC) 222.00p -1.25%Vodafone Group (VOD) 208.90p -0.71%BG Group (BG.) 1,210.00p -0.58%Vedanta Resources (VED) 1,189.00p -0.08%Centrica (CNA) 395.60p -0.05%NR
Last checked at 
