Next Share News (NXT)

London has got off to a quiet start, with investors adopting a wait-and-see attitude ahead of today's completion of the meeting of the US Federal Reserve's policy making committee."It seems hope and sentiment for further stimulus from the US Fed Chairman and the ECB [European Central Bank] President have been key ideals supporting losses as well as enhancing gains over the last few days within the markets," suggests Shavaz Dhalla, a trader at spread betting firm Spreadex. "However, over the next few days investors are hoping that such sentiment will lead to a stimulus announcement from policy makers. A failure to do so, could result in a marathon of volatility within the global markets," Dhalla speculated. Cape plunges on profits warningThe response to trading updates from FTSE 100 heavyweights Standard Chartered and Next has been positive, but it is in the FTSE 250 space where the drama is, as energy support services firm Cape issued a profit warning.The group is unlikely to meet previous expectations for 2012, with problems likely to continue into 2013, despite a restructure of the Australian part of its business. Looking at the hammering Cape is getting in the market, the assertion from Peter Sands, the Chief Executive Officer of banking giant Standard Chartered, that there is "some virtue in being boring" is carrying extra weight.The emerging markets focused bank saw profit before tax for the six months to the end of June was up 9% to $3,636m from $3,139m the year before, in line with operating income, which improved to $9,511m from $8.764m in the first half of 2011.Fashion firm Next continues to march to a different drum in the retail sector, with its online and catalogue sales coming to the rescue in a period when umbrellas were the must-have accessory to any outfit.Total sales for the first half of 2012 were up 4.5% against last year, the firm said, topping its prediction of growth between 1% and 4%. Like-for-like sales came in at 2%, beating some analysts' expectations of a rise of just 1%. Sales at its online and catalogue Next Directory arm were up 13.3% on last year making up for high street retail sales which crept up just 0.2%. Can maker Rexam is getting a bit of a kicking and must be looking forward to getting shot of its loss-making Personal Care unit, which ensured that the packaging giant's bottom line was written in red at the halfway point of the year.Gilts steady, oil little changedThe benchmark 10-year gilt is little changed in early trading. The yield has edged up from 1.47% to 1.48%.The most widely traded contract for Brent Crude is down 12 cents at $104.80 a barrel.FTSE 100 - RisersNext (NXT) 3,344.00p +3.88%Standard Chartered (STAN) 1,495.50p +2.12%Antofagasta (ANTO) 1,088.00p +1.49%Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 863.00p +1.47%Admiral Group (ADM) 1,108.00p +1.47%Aviva (AV.) 295.50p +1.34%HSBC Holdings (HSBA) 540.10p +1.16%ARM Holdings (ARM) 557.50p +1.09%Reed Elsevier (REL) 543.50p +1.02%Intertek Group (ITRK) 2,762.00p +1.02%FTSE 100 - FallersRexam (REX) 420.30p -3.27%Whitbread (WTB) 2,103.00p -1.54%Weir Group (WEIR) 1,632.00p -1.39%Johnson Matthey (JMAT) 2,151.00p -1.33%Eurasian Natural Resources Corp. (ENRC) 389.10p -0.99%Fresnillo (FRES) 1,442.00p -0.96%Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 5,750.00p -0.86%Petrofac Ltd. (PFC) 1,480.00p -0.74%BT Group (BT.A) 215.80p -0.69%GKN (GKN) 209.20p -0.57%FTSE 250 - RisersRightmove (RMV) 1,545.00p +3.55%Avocet Mining (AVM) 77.20p +2.93%Laird (LRD) 222.10p +2.35%Filtrona PLC (FLTR) 475.80p +2.32%Jupiter Fund Management (JUP) 221.30p +1.98%RIT Capital Partners (RCP) 1,215.00p +1.67%New World Resources A Shares (NWR) 300.00p +1.63%UBM (UBM) 650.50p +1.56%Lancashire Holdings (LRE) 795.00p +1.53%Centamin (DI) (CEY) 67.50p +1.35%FTSE 250 - FallersCape (CIU) 174.90p -39.67%Ruspetro (RPO) 140.78p -2.91%African Barrick Gold (ABG) 368.00p -2.13%Restaurant Group (RTN) 319.60p -1.99%Kentz Corporation Ltd. (KENZ) 379.74p -1.82%Home Retail Group (HOME) 76.15p -1.74%JD Sports Fashion (JD.) 677.00p -1.60%Beazley (BEZ) 156.30p -1.51%Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust (ASL) 586.00p -1.51%F&C Asset Management (FCAM) 86.70p -1.48%JH