Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality.


1:30PM New York, 6:30PM London - Commodity and energy stocks lift UK 0.98%.

Stocks in London rose after crude oil prices soared to $100 per barrel.

In London trading FTSE100 gained 0.98% or 62.7 to 6,479.40.

Of the 102 FTSE stocks 56 rose, 44 declined, and 2 were unchanged. Tullow Oil led advancers with a rise of 5.58%, followed by an increase of 4.4% in Lonmin Plc.

Commodity stocks gained as well. Anglo American Plc rose 3.10% and Rio Tinto spiked 2.19%.

Bank of England reported today in its Credit Conditions Survey for fourth quarter 2007 that availability of secured credit to households had been reduced materially in the three months to December and further reduction is expected for the next three months. Similarly, unsecured credit for households had been reduced.

According to the Survey, corporate credit availability was reduced significantly in the past three months and further reductions are expected.

Demand for secured lending increased though less than, while demand is projected to fall over the next three months. Conversely, demand from non-financial corporations fell in the past three months.

Default rates on secured lending to households were broadly unchanged over the past three months. However, lenders expected default rates, and losses given defaults, on secured lending to increase.

The Office of National Statistics said today overall profitability for U.K. non-financial corporations was 16.0% in the third quarter of 2007, compared to 15.6% recorded in the second quarter.

Annual net rate of return for private non-financial corporations in 2006 was 14.5%. Annual net rate of return for oil and gas extraction companies increased to 32.5% in the third quarter of 2007 compared to 30.1% in the second quarter.

Manufacturing companies’ net rate of return was estimated at 9.7% in the third quarter.

Generally, service sector profitability is higher than that of the manufacturing sector, reflecting the more capital-intensive nature of the manufacturing sector.

Of the FTSE 100 index stocks Tullow Oil led gainers with a rise of 5.58% followed by rises in Lonmin Plc of 4.37%, in Vedanta Resources of 4.24%, in BHP Billiton of 3.97%, and in Xstrata Plc of 3.17%.

Energy stocks rose after oil surged to $100 per barrel on falling oil inventories.

Next Plc led declining FTSE 100 stocks with a fall of 6.84% followed by losses in Enterprise Inns of 7.76%, in Home Retail Group of 5.93%, in Kingfisher Plc of 4.91%, and in Persimmon of 4.73%.

Next Plc fell after reporting today sales at stores open at least a year and not affected by openings of nearby Next outlets fell 3.2% in the 21 weeks through December 24.

Retailers also declined after DSG International said pre-tax profit for the year through April will be below estimates and between 40 million pounds and 50 million pounds.

Marks & Spencer dropped 3.21% and Wolseley declined 3.0%.