City market hovers near opening level
The FTSE 100 Index is up just 1.7 points at 5283.8.
Analysts say the market's hovering around its opening price ahead of key US data on jobs.
The main progress has been among tobacco and pharmaceutical firms.
But Scottish Power has fallen 41¾p lower to 368p - 10% - after flagging up a substantial cut in future dividend payments.
Abbey National is 24p lower at 956p and HBOS has lost 20p to 737½p while in telecoms mmO2 is down 1¾p at 70p and Cable & Wireless has shed 1¼p to 237¾p.
Tobacco companies are prospering in the wake Imperial Tobacco's acquisition of Reemtsma yesterday. Imperial has risen 35p to £10.27 while BAT is up 27p at 638½p and Gallaher is ahead 16¾p to 505¾p.
Of the other risers, GlaxoSmithKline is up 37p to £17.17 and Amersham is up 15p to 750p.
Food retailers are shrugging off fears about potential growth in the sector after lower forecasts from French giant Carrefour this week. Safeway is up 9½p at 318p and Sainsbury has moved up 11p to 415½p, while Tesco, which competes internationally with Carrefour, is 3¼p higher at 244¼p.
RMC has surged 29p to 608p as it forecast strong growth in 2002 despite problems in Germany.
And Silentnight has jumped 9% - 18p to 229p - as it upped pre-tax profit forecasts for its current financial year.
