April 17 (Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies whose shares may have unusual price changes in U.K. and Irish markets today. Stock symbols are in parentheses and prices are from the last market close.

The benchmark FTSE 100 Index advanced 84.58 points, or 2.1 percent, to 4,052.98. The FTSE All-Share Index rose 2.1 percent, and Ireland’s ISEQ Index rose 3.7 percent.

U.K. companies:

AstraZeneca Plc (AZN LN): The U.K.’s second-largest drugmaker won a bid to temporarily block Apotex Inc. from selling copies of the asthma drug Pulmicort Respules. AstraZeneca rose 79 pence, or 3.4 percent, to 2,395 pence.

BP Plc (BP/ LN): A large minority of Europe’s second- largest oil company’s shareholders voted against the 2008 pay plans for directors, the Financial Times reported, referring to the oil company’s annual general meeting. BP rose 13 pence, or 3 percent, to 442.5 pence.

Lloyds Banking Group Plc (LLOY LN): The U.K.’s biggest mortgage lender and Royal Bank of Scotland Plc will offer loans to employees whose bonus payments have been deferred to help those who may have been relying on the money, the Financial Times reported. Lloyds rose 5.6 pence, or 6.7 percent, to 89.7 pence.

Royal Bank of Scotland Plc (RBS LN): The largest U.K. bank controlled by the government will sell some of its assets in Malaysia, including its retail and commercial business units, the Edge reported, citing an unidentified person close to the bank. Royal Bank rose 0.9 penny, or 3.3 percent, to 28.6 pence.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA LN): Saudi Arabia’s South Rub’i al-Khali, a joint venture of Europe’s largest oil company and Saudi Aramco, failed to make a “commercial discovery” of gas at their Kidan-6 well, Middle East Economic Survey reported. Shell rose 34 pence, or 2.4 percent, to 1,452 pence.

To contact the reporter on this story: Howard Mustoe in London at hmustoe@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: April 16, 2009 22:07 EDT