ADVFN mid morning news

London
London shares open higher on Shell, US rate decision
Leading shares opened higher, mirroring strong gains on Wall Street overnight after the US FOMC held rates steady, with forecast-busting numbers from Royal Dutch Shell also boosting sentiment, dealers said.
At 9.08 am, the FTSE 100 was up 67.5 points at 6,270.6, mirroring the positive wider market.
Volume was healthy, with 358 mln shares changing hands in 54,384 deals.
Wall Street shot higher after the Federal Reserve said the economy remains healthy and inflation pressures are easing as it held the cost of borrowing at 5.25 pct.
The DJIA climbed nearly 100 points to set another trading high, before settling up 98.3 points at 12,621.69, while the S&P 500 rose 9.42 points to 1,438.24 and the Nasdaq gained 15.29 points to finish at 2,463.93.
The upbeat mood spilled into Asia, as the Nikkei 225 index closed 136.08 points higher at 17,519.50 while the Hang Seng was 199.25 points to the good at 20,305.67 midday.
In London, Royal Dutch Shell helped to underpin blue chip gains after the oil and gas giant reported a better than expected set of fourth quarter numbers.
"Fourth quarter clean net income at 5.5 bln usd beat the consensus as the exploration strategy is paying off," said one London-based dealer. "We see the stock up 1-2 pct."
Earlier, the Anglo-Dutch group said clean earnings on a current cost of supply (CCS) basis rose to 5.5 bln usd from 5.36 bln in the three months to December, compared to a consensus figure of 5.225 bln usd.
Shell added 30 pence at 1,736, with peers BG up 6 pence at 674-1/2, BP 4 pence higher at 538-1/2 and Cairn 18 pence better at 1,695.

In commodities, Xstrata firmed 57 pence at 2,429 as news the global miner has moved to stave off a strike at a major mine in Ontario, Canada, added to strong gains in metal prices, with gold rising over 1 pct.
Vedanta firmed 22 pence at 1,176, BHP rose 15 pence at 963 and Antofagasta was 8 pence higher at 473.
But Rio Tinto bucked the positive trend, topping a thread-bare fallers list, as brokers were left unimpressed by the Anglo-Australian's full year results.
Rio Tinto said its net profit for the year to December 2006 rose 43 pct to a record 7.438 bln usd, but shy of some analysts' expectations.
In response, Merrill Lynch reiterated its 'neutral' advice and said the figure was 2 pct below its and consensus expectations, helping to send shares down 18 pence at 2,697