The FTSE 100 (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE) is picking up a bit today after last week’s 15-point fall, standing 27 points up at 6,721 by early afternoon. Positive noises about further free-market reforms in China opening the way for a more consumer-led economy helped a lot, coming after US stimulus-tapering fears subsided once again — until next time.
Which companies are driving the FTSE indices up today? Here are three:
Aberdeen Asset Management
Aberdeen Asset Management shares climbed 65p (15.2%) to 492p by early afternoon, after the firm announced the acquisition of Scottish Widows Investment Partnership Group and related assets from Lloyds Banking Group.
The value of the deal is around £550m, consisting of 131.8 million new Aberdeen shares with a performance-related addition of up to £100m depending on how the firm’s new strategic relationship with Lloyds goes.
The deal will add approximately £136bn in assets under management and boost revenue for Aberdeen by around £234m.
Rolls-Royce Holdings
Rolls-Royce Holdings (LSE: RR) (NASDAQOTH:RYCEY.US) shares got a modest boost today, picking up 13p (1.1%) to 1,237p, after the aero engineer snagged two nice new contracts.
One, worth $5bn, is for Trent XWB engines to power 50 Airbus A350 aircraft for Etihad Airways. The deal includes long-term support and will bring the number of Etihad A350s on order to 62, all with the same Trent engines.
The second deal, with regional competitor Qatar Airways, will provide Trent 700 engines to power five A330 freight aircraft. And again, long-term support is included, in an agreement worth $300m.
Kentz Corporation
Kentz Corporation (LSE: KENZ) shares are up more than 40% over the past 12 months, picking up another 7p (1.3%) today after a Q3 update told us of order intake of $1.8bn in the first 10 months of the year.
The construction and engineering support firm has also won new contracts in the Middle East, Russia and the Americas, and says it now has a record backlog of $3bn.
With chief executive Christian Brown saying that “Kentz is very well positioned to continue our success story“, the firm predicted double-digit earnings growth for the full year.