The Monday Interview: Mike Davis, Chief executive, Xstrata

Mick Davis is regularly described by those who know him as "punchy". The man charged with leading Xstrata, the mining company, to the biggest London float in more than a year would certainly land a weighty blow if he took the description literally. The heavily built South African has big hands, a generous midriff and a reputation for not suffering foods gladly...........

Indeed Xstrata has chosen to list in London because of the City's mining knowledge. "London has re-emerged as the core provider of finance for diversified mining companies," Mr Davis says from a cramped meeting room in the London offices of his advisers, JP Morgan. "It was historically the centre at the start of the 1900s when it financed the original South African mining companies. Then it fell away. There was Lonrho and then Goldfields disappeared with various bids and counter-bids. There was just Rio Tinto [the old RTZ]. But when Billiton came on board [in 1997] it represented the regeneration of the sector and sector knowledge. For example when we floated Billiton there were just eight mining analysts. Now there are 20 to 30."

I don't know if it is just me but I find the whole SGS lab (error?? deliberate or not?? ), JP Morgan having a long standing relationship here with Xstrata somehow a coincidence?? Is it just me or does this whole thing smell of greed?