FTSE Lower as Imperial Tobacco Dips

Source from:  Tuesday, October 30 (BizWorld)  10/31/2007

Leading London shares opened lower today with Imperial Tobacco falling back after in-line full year results. By 08:30, the FTSE 100 index was down 28.50 points to 6,677.50. Imperial Tobacco featured early on, down 33 pence at 2,410 after full-year pre-tax hit analysts' consensus estimate, coming in at £1.237bn from £1.168bn last time. The company reported full-year adjusted operating profit up 9 pct to £1.475bn, and full-year dividend up 12 pct to 69.5 pence. On the upside, Schroders added 9 to 1,485 after it reported a 53 pct rise in third-quarter pretax profit to £98.1m from £64m a year earlier. The UK fund manager said pretax profit for the first nine months of 2007 rose 45 pct to £283.7m, up from £196.3m a year earlier. Enditem