LONDON -- After a 104-point slump yesterday, the FTSE 100 (INDEX: ^FTSE) has regained 51 points to reach 6,343 by 8:15 a.m. EST. The rebound was mostly driven by mining shares, which have perked up a little after a bad month as commodities prices edge higher.
But even with the FTSE rising, there are some individual shares set to beat it. Here are three on the way up today.
Vodafone (VOD -0.40%) (VOD -1.09%)
Vodafone shares have perked up 0.8% to 161 pence on the news that the firm has been selected by German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp to provide mobile-communications services in Germany and 29 other countries. The deal will involve the provision of 60,000 mobile voice and data connections, together with 50,000 machine-to-machine connections.
The Vodafone price has been sliding again of late, having been on a bit of a recovery from the start of the year, so every bit of good news helps. And today's announcement emphasizes the importance of Vodafone's wide international reach.
Aggreko (AGK)
The appointment of a new director with responsibility for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa gave shares in Aggreko a boost this morning -- they're up 1.2% to 1,727 pence at the time of writing. David Taylor-Smith, who worked at G4S between 1998 and 2012, will take up the new role on March 11.
Shareholders of Aggreko, which provides rental of power-generation and temperature-control equipment, have not had a great year: The shares have dropped more than 20% over the past 12 months. But they have been lower, and they're coming off a recent low of 1,548 pence reached earlier this month.
BowLeven (BLVN)
Shares in BowLeven got a 5.9% boost to 80.5 pence after the oil and gas explorer released a drilling update on its IM-5 well off the shore of Cameroon. The well, exploring the Middle Isongo sands, has reached its target and has encountered "liquids-rich hydrocarbon-bearing pay." Chief executive Kevin Hart said, "We eagerly await the results of the forthcoming testing."
The Bowleven share price has lost 30% over the past 12 months, but this latest news has helped its recovery from a recent low of 63 pence.
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