STANDARD Life set the pace in the FTSE 100 Index today after the insurer’s figures for the final quarter of 2009 outstripped City expectations.

The Edinburgh-based firm kicked off the industry’s reporting season by revealing a smaller-than-forecast decline of 7% in sales for 2009, helped by a stronger second half of the year as market conditions improved.

Shares rose 3% or 23.5p to 730.5p, even though the FTSE 100 Index declined 7.8 points to 5275.4 during a lacklustre session for the London market.

Standard’s trading update cheered Prudential, which rose 1.5p to 594.5p, but Aviva fell back 1.6p to 396.3p.

Elsewhere, shares in Carpetright fell by as much as 4% in the FTSE 250 Index after the floor coverings retailer reported a slowdown in recent sales growth.

The group blamed weather conditions as like-for-like sales improved by 2.3% in the 13 weeks to January 30, down from 3.9% in the previous six months.

The stock gave back recent gains to stand 28p lower at 944p.

Party Poker owner PartyGaming moved in the opposite direction, up 6.8p to 291.7p, after analysts praised a strong fourth quarter trading update and said the company’s outlook looked bullish.