VEC.L Share News (VEC)

London's top stocks are winning back some of the heavy losses it posted yesterday, with miners among the main risers.Xstrata is the best blue chip performer in early dealings, closely followed by Rio Tinto, Randgold Resources and Kazakhmys.Cash strapped miner Rio Tinto has received a $2.025bn offer for the majority of its Alcan Packaging business. The binding offer has been received from Amcor and covers the Alcan Packaging global pharmaceuticals, global tobacco, food Europe and food Asia divisions. British Land saw the value of its property portfolio fall to £8.18bn in the first quarter but said the pace of decline has slowed markedly. A joint venture including support services firm Carillion has won a 'Building Schools for the Future' contract for Durham. Car dealer Pendragon reported sharply lower profits in the six months to June 30 as recession-hit motorists held onto their old cars rather than splashing out on new ones. Respiratory inhaler firm Vectura remains "very confident" about prospects with important drug trials due to start later this year and plenty of cash in the bank.Online video services provider Amino Technologies posted an operating loss compared with a profit the same time a year before as challenging economic conditions continued hit the group. Nightclub owner Luminar can breathe a little easier on news that 95.5% of the shares available through an open offer have been taken up and buyers have been found for the remainder.Chip designer Arc International is recommending a £25.2m cash bid from US semiconductor intellectual property firm Virage Logic.The slump in construction activity hit property repair and maintenance company Rok hard in the first half of 2009, but the company is confident of meeting full year expectations, provided market conditions do not deteriorate further.Australian alternative energy developer Ceramic Fuel Cells revealed widening annual losses after it booked significant impairment charges related to losses on financial investments.In other news, government owned lender Northern Rock is to defer interest payments on some of its subordinated debt.FTSE 100 - RisersXstrata (XTA) 764.00p +2.96%Rio Tinto (RIO) 2,310.00p +2.87%Randgold Resources (RRS) 3,510.00p +2.78%HSBC Holdings (HSBA) 655.70p +2.77%Kazakhmys (KAZ) 887.00p +2.72%Liberty International (LII) 484.10p +2.48%Legal & General Group (LGEN) 68.85p +2.46%FTSE 100 - FallersSchroders NV (SDRC) 804.50p -1.95%Thomas Cook Group (TCG) 207.40p -1.19%Schroders (SDR) 965.50p -0.97%GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 1,157.00p -0.90%Petrofac Ltd (PFC) 876.00p -0.68%WPP Group (WPP) 467.10p -0.60%Standard Life (SL.) 183.50p -0.49%