JJB.L Share News (JJB)

Strong gains in the mining sector are helping to keep the top share index close to the 6,000 point mark.Results are also driving shares forward. The best performing miner in the FTSE 100, Eurasian National Resources (ENRC), said production was in line with expectations in the fourth quarter of 2010, though the ferroalloys division produced a bit more than expected.The giants of the mining sector, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, are both sporting solid gains, as are Lonmin, Xstrata and Vedanta, while even precious metals miners Randgold and Fresnillo garner support.Tobacco company Imperial Tobacco is the top performing blue-chip, however, after it said it has made a good start to its financial year. Underlying tobacco net revenues were up 5% in the final quarter of 2010, while it also saw increased cigarette and fine cut tobacco volumes, resulting in total stick equivalent volumes up 1.2%. The group expects to bump up the full year dividend pay-out ratio this year to 50% of adjusted earnings per share.Pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline has raised $1.7bn through the sale of its entire shareholding in US firm Quest Diagnostics. After the tax man has taken his slice the company expects to receive cash proceeds of around $1.1bn.Speciality chemicals group Johnson Matthey said its underlying performance for the full year is expected to be slightly ahead of previous company expectations after third quarter profit rose by 34%.More volatility in financial markets helped derivatives broker ICAP in the run-up to Christmas, with revenues over the three months to December up by 9%, in line with its first half.Sir John Bond is to relinquish the chairman role of mobile phone network giant Vodafone at the company's annual general meeting in July. He will be succeeded as chairman by Gerard Kleisterlee, currently president and chief executive officer and chairman of the board of management and the group management committee of Dutch consumer electronics titan Philips.In the FTSE 250, set top box maker Pace has gained an important foothold in India, winning a contract with a pay-television provider.JD Sports has confirmed speculation it has made an offer for struggling rival JJB Sports, though adds discussion are at a very early stage.JJB unveiled the details of a £31.5m fund raising through a 19% increase in shares in issue. The new shares will be issued at 5p. It flagged the placing in December after warning it could breach its bank covenants.Peruvian silver miner Hochschild has published positive drill results from the early stage Pariguanas project, part of its joint venture agreement with Buenaventura. London-listed Hochschild signed the deal with precious metals giant Buenaventura last June, merging a number of neighbouring properties of similar size covering 4,437 hectares.Outplacement specialist and recruiter Penna Consulting has slumped to a four-month low after warning that profits for the year to March will be "materially lower" than market expectations.FTSE 100 - RisersImperial Tobacco Group (IMT) 1,877.00p +4.63%Lonmin (LMI) 1,757.00p +3.41%African Barrick Gold (ABG) 525.00p +3.35%Vedanta Resources (VED) 2,415.00p +3.25%Rio Tinto (RIO) 4,462.50p +2.73%BHP Billiton (BLT) 2,494.00p +2.63%Anglo American (AAL) 3,249.00p +2.59%Eurasian Natural Resources Corp. (ENRC) 1,063.00p +2.51%Xstrata (XTA) 1,432.50p +2.14%Fresnillo (FRES) 1,413.00p +2.10%FTSE 100 - FallersJohnson Matthey (JMAT) 1,928.00p -3.65%AstraZeneca (AZN) 2,928.00p -3.41%IMI (IMI) 859.50p -2.61%Smiths Group (SMIN) 1,327.00p -2.50%Weir Group (WEIR) 1,594.00p -2.39%Invensys (ISYS) 328.10p -2.21%GKN (GKN) 199.80p -1.96%National Grid (NG.) 549.00p -1.96%International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (IAG) 255.30p -1.88%TUI Travel (TT.) 247.40p -1.63%FTSE 250 - RisersPace (PIC) 204.70p +6.12%CSR (CSR) 410.30p +5.29%Aquarius Platinum Ltd. (AQP) 377.20p +4.34%Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 868.50p +4.07%Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) 307.90p +4.02%Spirent Communications (SPT) 146.80p +3.16%Brewin Dolphin Holdings (BRW) 166.20p +3.04%BlackRock World Mining Trust (BRWM) 795.50p +2.91%Supergroup (SGP) 1,583.00p +2.79%AZ Electronic Materials SA (WI) (AZEM) 303.80p +2.74%FTSE 250 - FallersCookson Group (CKSN) 660.00p -3.93%Cobham (COB) 204.50p -2.34%Devro (DVO) 223.50p -1.97%Meggitt (MGGT) 345.40p -1.93%Melrose (MRO) 309.20p -1.93%DS Smith (SMDS) 205.40p -1.86%Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust (ASL) 667.50p -1.69%Chemring Group (CHG) 3,410.00p -1.67%Spectris (SXS) 1,378.00p -1.64%Halfords Group (HFD) 400.10p -1.60%