Lloyds Share News (LLOY)

RBS delivered a better-than-expected first half operating performance, but said no one at the 80% taxpayer-owned bank was "complacent about the challenges ahead". The results, which came a week earlier than scheduled, showed operating profit totalled £2.6bn, or £3.3bn excluding restructuring and litigation and conduct costs, compared with £1.59bn in the same period a year earlier. The gains were driven by more favourable credit conditions and good results from RBS Capital Resolution, and came despite a 6% decline in total income to £9.9bn.Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group were also higher on the news.Pearson shares climbed despite the publishing group posting a fall in first half profit. It did, however, maintain its full-year profit forecasts, which may have come as a relief to some investors after a series of downbeat trading statements in recent times. Sainsbury is rising after market sources yesterday suggested Qataris is poised to make another bid for the supermarket chain at 500p or more per share. BSkyB was firmly in the bottom spot after it failed to impress with its decision to buy the entire stake of Sky Italia and a 57.4% interest in Sky Deutschland from Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox. The group will pay £2.45bn for Sky Italia and £2.9bn for Sky Deutschland. The news overshadowed its annual results, in which it posted a 7% rise in adjusted revenue to £7.6bn. GlaxoSmithKline continued to fall one day after lowering its outlook after second quarter profits declined 12%. UBS reduced its target price from 1,500p to 1,380p and downgraded the stock from neutral to sell.FTSE 100 - RisersRoyal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 367.10p +11.65%Pearson (PSON) 1,151.00p +4.54%Anglo American (AAL) 1,642.50p +3.63%Vodafone Group (VOD) 202.90p +2.55%Sainsbury (J) (SBRY) 324.40p +2.33%Barclays (BARC) 219.20p +2.19%Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 74.95p +1.35%Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 1,056.00p +0.96%Tullow Oil (TLW) 761.00p +0.79%Mondi (MNDI) 1,059.00p +0.76%FTSE 100 - FallersBritish Sky Broadcasting Group (BSY) 871.50p -5.78%GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 1,424.50p -3.06%Hammerson (HMSO) 592.50p -2.07%Petrofac Ltd. (PFC) 1,129.00p -2.00%GKN (GKN) 344.80p -1.82%Rexam (REX) 514.00p -1.81%British Land Co (BLND) 718.00p -1.78%Burberry Group (BRBY) 1,418.00p -1.73%Barratt Developments (BDEV) 365.30p -1.56%Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 438.90p -1.53%NR