FTSE down slightly

The London market struggled to make headway today as a poor session for mining stocks dragged on blue-chip shares.

The sluggish end to the trading week came on a mix of broker downgrades, as well as easing metal prices caused by a stronger dollar.

With little corporate news to drive forward stocks, the FTSE 100 Index traded in a narrow 40-point range all day, eventually closing 7.2 points higher at 5161.9.

The index clawed its way into positive territory after Wall Street ticked higher on a signs of a slight revival in US exports.

Talk from US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke meanwhile over an eventual end to record low interest rates firmed up the dollar - and blunted the recent surge higher of many mining stocks.

Vedanta Resources slid 28p to 2162p after Goldman Sachs' comments that volumes at the firm's aluminium, zinc and iron ore facilities were lower than it had expected.

Although the sector recovered much of its earlier falls later in the session, Anglo American and Eurasian Natural Resources were also losers, down 30.5p to 2151.5p and 12.5p to 953p respectively.

Lloyds Banking Group meanwhile lost further ground as sentiment continued to be affected by the uncertainty surrounding its involvement in the Government's asset protection scheme. Shares dipped 0.31p to 94p as the prospect of a major rights issue concerned traders.

Retailers delivered some of the better performances of the session following an announcement from John Lewis that department store sales surged 6.3% during a better-than-expected week of trading.

B&Q owner Kingfisher surged up the risers' board with a 6.4p to 233.1p, while Next cheered 3p to 1802p. Supermarket Sainsbury's was also ahead with a 2.7p rise to 313.9p after two losing sessions on the back of a poorly-received trading update.

With news thin on the ground, oilfield services company Wood Group finished 0.7p higher at 326.8p despite losses earlier as it warned of delays in the pace at which projects are progressing.

Outside the top flight, the owner of Frankie & Benny's and Garfunkel's, Restaurant Group, added 2.9p to 192.9p after Citigroup started coverage on the stock with a buy rating.

Citi's note initiating coverage on a host of players in the UK pub sector also rated Greene King a buy, helping shares up 1.4p to 417.8p. All Bar One owner Mitchells & Butlers - also fancied by the broker - was 0.3p dearer at 252.3p.

Elsewhere shares in JJB Sports fell 5% or 1.75p to 32.75p after it announced plans to raise £100m (€107.85m) through the issue of new shares. The proceeds amount to more than the company's current market value.

The biggest Footsie risers were 3i up 11.9p at 286p, Kingfisher ahead 6.4p at 233.1p, Unilever up 47p at 1816p and Standard Life ahead 5.3p at 228.6p.

The biggest Footsie fallers were Autonomy down 38p at 1566p, Johnson Matthey off 27p at 1358p, Tullow Oil down 21p at 1208p and London Stock Exchange off 14p at 861p.