THE London market finished in positive territory yesterday despite downbeat US manufacturing figures giving blue-chips a jolt late in the session.
The FTSE 100 index closed 7.5 points higher at 6,315.
5 after briefly dipping into the red as the US's headline manufacturing index saw a higher than expected fall in March.
The late downturn came despite more positive UK manufacturing data, which had little impact on a day when the market struggled for direction with little corporate news.
But a surge in property stocks helped the market after a bullish note on the sector from HSBC.
British Land shares climbed, while sector rival Land Securities also benefited from an upgrade in the note, rising 34p to 2,174p.
Credit checking firm Experian finished at the top of the risers' board, up 19p at 604.5p, after private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts unveiled a $29 billion (£14.
7bn) offer for peer First Data.
Experian was joined at the top by British Airways, up 13p at 499p, as investors awaited developments over private equity group TPG's bid for Spanish carrier Iberia, in which BA has a 10 per cent stake.
Catering firm Compass was also among the firms on the front foot as the group continued to gain from a positive first-half update, ahead 8.
25p at 348.25p.
Vodafone clawed back some ground from a bleak previous session when shares lost more than 4 per cent on warnings that UK profit margins would be lower than expected in the second half of the year.
Vodafone was ahead 1.1p at 136.6p.
Newspaper group Daily Mail General Trust was among the blue-chip risers, up 10.5p at 822.5p, as the shares continued to benefit from a trading update last week when it suggested advertising revenues were on the ascent.
But major pub chains featured prominently among the Footsie fallers, with Scottish Newcastle down 2 per cent, or 12p, to 589.5p, as recent takeover speculation subsided. Enterprise Inns was down 12.
5p at 656p after Credit Suisse kicked off its coverage of the company with an "underperform" rating.
Mortgage provider Northern Rock's shares also lost earlier gains despite a positive trading update that painted a healthy picture for the UK housing market. Its shares slipped 9p to 1,136p.
Investors also appeared to be banking profits made in mining stocks after their recent strong run, with three mining groups among the top five fallers.
Antofagasta was off 8.75p, or 2 per cent, at 509p, Lonmin shares were down 55p at 3,265p and Kazakhmys was down 16p at 1,155p.
In the second tier, Carphone Warehouse closed down 2.5p at 274.25p after warning of additional costs of up to £15m as it continues to struggle with service problems at its broadband business TalkTalk.
Britain's biggest care homes firm, Southern Cross Healthcare, tacked on 7.1 per cent after it said it was performing ahead of hopes.
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