3i Group Share News (III)

Shares have added to their early gains on hopes that jobs data from the US later today will fuel global economic optimism.Non-farm payroll numbers are due at 1.30pm.Some disappointing factory data here has failed to dull investor appetite. The March UK manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index PMI fell unexpectedly to 57.1 points, against consensus expectations for a 60.7 reading, after last month's 60.9 point read. Banks, which had been awaiting yesterday afternoon's banking stress test results nervously, are leading the way today, with Barclays, Lloyds and RBS posting good gains. In other news, Marks & Spencer is having a second crack at the French market, 10 years after it withdrew from the country. A first store will be opened on Paris's Champs Elysees later this year, selling women's clothing and food. A website will also be launched, serving the whole of France. BP has signed four new production sharing contracts over 4,800 square kilometres of coal bed methane areas in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. The contracts were awarded to BP and its local partners by the Indonesian government. In one of the contracts, BP will have 44% ownership over the contract, while in the other three it will have 45%.The North American spending spree of British Gas owner Centrica shows no sign of abating, with the company paying C$47m (£30m) in cash to Shell Canada Energy for some natural gas assets located in the Wildcat Hills region of Alberta.UK companies lagged behind their peers in Northern Europe in the year to 31 March, the private equity group 3i said in a trading update ahead of its full-year results. The firm said it had seen good progress across the whole business. The shares are lower."There have, however, been marked regional differences, with strong growth in Northern Europe counterbalanced by weaker performance from UK companies," chief executive Michael Queen said.Premier Foods is going well after an upgrade to "over-weight" at Morgan Stanley, which thinks the Branston pickle and Hovis bread owner is well placed to grow having integrated acquisitions.FTSE 100 - RisersBarclays (BARC) 290.25p +4.58%Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 60.23p +3.68%Old Mutual (OML) 141.00p +3.68%Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 42.17p +3.38%Admiral Group (ADM) 1,603.00p +3.15%BP (BP.) 467.00p +2.86%Pearson (PSON) 1,131.00p +2.72%Inmarsat (ISAT) 619.50p +2.57%WPP (WPP) 788.00p +2.54%Prudential (PRU) 723.50p +2.41%FTSE 100 - Fallers3i Group (III) 283.50p -5.15%InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) 1,268.00p -0.78%International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (IAG) 226.00p -0.44%International Power (IPR) 306.70p -0.42%Sainsbury (J) (SBRY) 334.00p -0.39%ICAP (IAP) 526.00p -0.38%Amec (AMEC) 1,190.00p -0.25%Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) 609.50p -0.08%Cairn Energy (CNE) 461.90p -0.04%Hammerson (HMSO) 446.70p -0.04%FTSE 250 - RisersKenmare Resources (KMR) 47.20p +6.43%Premier Foods (PFD) 29.56p +5.84%Lancashire Holdings (LRE) 624.00p +4.44%Bwin.party Digital Entertainment (BPTY) 201.90p +4.40%Bellway (BWY) 726.50p +4.38%PZ Cussons (PZC) 340.30p +4.23%Salamander Energy (SMDR) 301.90p +4.10%Victrex (VCT) 1,395.00p +3.33%London Stock Exchange Group (LSE) 860.00p +3.30%Informa (INF) 430.00p +3.19%FTSE 250 - FallersHochschild Mining (HOC) 621.00p -3.65%JD Sports Fashion (JD.) 857.00p -3.49%Carpetright (CPR) 660.50p -2.94%Heritage Oil (HOIL) 278.00p -2.15%easyJet (EZJ) 334.20p -1.97%St. Modwen Properties (SMP) 176.30p -1.95%Thomas Cook Group (TCG) 167.30p -1.93%Avis Europe (AVE) 185.20p -1.85%Gem Diamonds Ltd. (DI) (GEMD) 274.90p -1.82%Petropavlovsk (POG) 980.50p -1.75%RG