LONDON -- The FTSE 100 (INDEX: ^FTSE) may be set for its first losing session of 2013 today, down 23 points to 6,067 as of 9 a.m. EST.
With the FTSE 100 notching an impressive 52-week high on Friday and today lacking much economic news, a bout of profit-taking was probably in order this morning. Still, let's hope the market stays above the 6,000 level today to extend the current run to four trading days. The last time the index managed five consecutive sessions above 6,000 occurred during April 2011.
Regardless of what the wider market is doing, there are always individual shares with their own particular stories to tell. Here are three names that look set to beat the FTSE 100 today.
Bumi (LSE: BUMI)
Controversial miner Bumi bounced 3.6% to 278 pence this morning following a trading update and details of a plan by Nat Rothschild to remove no fewer than 12 of the company's fourteen directors.
Bumi, which mines coal in Indonesia, confirmed that selling prices had dropped from $81 to $70 per tonne during 2012. However, the company also said its production had improved by almost 10% to 23 million tonnes. Meanwhile, minority investor Nat Rothschild claimed Bumi's current board had "failed in its duties" to shareholders, and he has requisitioned a general meeting to oust the present executives. The miner owned up to financial irregularities during September last year.
easyJet (EZJ -0.40%)
easyJet is up 2.3% to 840 pence after the budget airline revealed its December passenger statistics. The FTSE 250 company declared that last month's passenger numbers had advanced 5% to 4.3 million, with 2012 as a whole seeing the passenger count gain 7% to 59 million.
Today's price lift extends the share's soaring 52-week gain to an amazing 115%.
Nichols (NICL 2.25%)
Nichols has jumped 4.2% to 860 pence after the soft-drink specialist said its 2012 earnings per share would be ahead of market expectations.
The AIM-traded company, which owns the Vimto brand, claimed sales had jumped 9% to 108 million pounds last year. A combination of "good cost control and ongoing productivity improvements" also aided the performance.
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