Figures out from AA Insurance lifted shares in car insurers on Wednesday, with Direct Line and Admiral both parking themselves in the top 10 risers. The AA said that comprehensive rates had risen 2.8% in the third quarter, with third party rates climbing 6.6% – the first quarterly increase in two years.

British American Tobacco was among the worst performers after reporting that revenue growth slowed in the third quarter as depressed consumer income met large tax-driven price rises. The share price of BHP Billiton also declined after the mining giant said that production growth remained steady at 9% in the first quarter. Analysts at Morgan Stanley said that this was “only just enough”, as it raised concerns about the firm hitting its copper targets for the full year.

Supermarkets all fell on the prediction put forward by insolvency experts Begbies Traynor on the news they are facing a miserable Christmas and potential financial problems unless they sort out issues stopping them fighting off competition from discounters.

The boss of Waitrose also provided a drag after saying that the main challenge faced by the ‘big four’ was that the changing trends are “pulling people out of big box, out-of-town retailing”. The Telegraph quoted Price as saying: “They have an estate for how people shopping two decades ago”, Price said, adding that the old custom of ‘the weekly shop’ had become “a thing of the past.”

FTSE 100 – Risers

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 1,393.50p +3.84%

Direct Line Insurance Group (DLG) 279.60p +3.14%

Admiral Group (ADM) 1,277.00p +2.74%

Babcock International Group (BAB) 1,079.00p +2.18%

Whitbread (WTB) 4,291.00p +2.17%

ARM Holdings (ARM) 823.00p +2.11%

Dixons Carphone (DC.) 373.80p +1.96%

Capita (CPI) 1,153.00p +1.77%

British Land Co (BLND) 718.00p +1.77%

Old Mutual (OML) 181.00p +1.69%

FTSE 100 – Fallers

British American Tobacco (BATS) 3,349.00p -3.39%

Sainsbury (J) (SBRY) 241.70p -3.32%

Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets (MRW) 156.90p -3.21%

Fresnillo (FRES) 785.00p -2.91%

Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 4,192.00p -2.03%

Anglo American (AAL) 1,351.50p -1.67%

Rio Tinto (RIO) 3,090.00p -1.59%

Weir Group (WEIR) 2,257.00p -1.48%

Tesco (TSCO) 183.15p -1.48%

BHP Billiton (BLT) 1,665.50p -1.42%