HSBC Holdings Share News (HSBA)

Tesco's Christmas trading statement plunged the UK's leading supermarket chain into the bottom spot after reporting that its sales performance in the home market fell below expectations, prompting the company to advise full-year trading profit growth will be around the low end of the range of analysts' expectations. Sales excluding fuel but including Value Added Tax (VAT) in the six weeks to January 7th were down 1.3% on a like-for-like (LFL) basis versus the previous year. Sainsbury and Morrisons were also falling, which may be because Tesco bosses told investors, "our plan for 2012/13 now reflects substantially increased investment to deliver an even better shopping trip for customers - particularly in the UK." Also falling was pay-TV and internet service provider BSkyB, which has been downgraded by UBS and Investec, with both brokers citing an uncertain outlook as the reason for the ratings cut.Sitting in a much better position were the banks. As expected, part-nationalised lender Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has revealed a massive shake-up to its investment banking and wholesale businesses, including a mass employment reduction of 3,500. The group's Chief Executive Stephen Hester said: "Our goal from these changes is to be more focussed for customers, more conservatively funded, more efficient and with better, more stable returns for shareholders overall. Shares jumped 6%, with sector peers Lloyds and Barclays not too far behind. Banking titan HSBC climbed by a lesser 1% after Bank of America Merrill Lynch downgraded the stock from neutral to underperform, citing high costs and its Chinese exposure as risks. Miners were also competing for the top spot following positive data from China, a big metals consumer, and rising copper prices. Vedanta was the highest rising miner, with ENRC also making strong gains. FTSE 100 - RisersRoyal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 23.12p +6.10%Vedanta Resources (VED) 1,077.00p +6.00%Ashmore Group (ASHM) 344.50p +5.71%Aviva (AV.) 328.80p +4.28%Man Group (EMG) 108.40p +3.73%Eurasian Natural Resources Corp. (ENRC) 746.50p +3.61%Admiral Group (ADM) 875.00p +3.61%Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 29.14p +3.43%Schroders (Non-Voting) (SDRC) 1,091.00p +3.41%Legal & General Group (LGEN) 113.40p +3.28%FTSE 100 - FallersTesco (TSCO) 328.80p -14.60%Sainsbury (J) (SBRY) 283.10p -6.29%Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets (MRW) 286.30p -5.82%BAE Systems (BA.) 301.50p -2.11%Polymetal International (POLY) 1,130.00p -2.08%Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 315.50p -2.05%Royal Dutch Shell 'A' (RDSA) 2,285.50p -1.80%Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB.) 3,325.00p -1.74%Royal Dutch Shell 'B' (RDSB) 2,372.50p -1.70%British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSY) 696.00p -1.69%NR