Shares consolidate early gains as flu pandemic worries ease

Share prices consolidate earlier gains as swine flu pandemic worries ease and investors take heart from encouraging US consumer data and comforting results from Royal Dutch Shell.

By 10.15am the FTSE 100 index was up 20 points at 4,116 and the Mid-250 index 120 points higher at 7,275.

Bank, insurance, oil and mining sectors were all in recovery mode with Barclays at 240p, Royal Dutch Shell £15.49, Rio Tinto £26.07, Tullow 789p and Aviva 284p between 9p and 90p higher.

WPP Group at 434p, recouped 10p of yesterday's fall that followed its cautious outlook and British Airways mirrored a brighter travel sector with a 5p rise to 148.5p.

Among the smaller caps Inion OY dipped 1.25p, or 55%, to 1p on its decision to cancel its share listing.

Inspired Gaming eased 0.28p to 2.90p has bid talks collapsed, but Oxford Biomedica improved 2.75p to 12p on a new deal with Sanofi.

Among companies reporting Croda International hardened 2p to 530p, HMV softened a penny to 148.5p, Arm Holdings gave up 2p to 114p, Punch Taverns advanced 13p to 98p, David S Smith rose 6p to 80p and Wolfson Microelectronics added 4p to 116p.

 DSG International put on 3p to 37p amid reports of an imminent £300 million rights issue.