OUTOKUMPU, the Finnish mining and engineering group which owns Tara Mines and has a minority stake in Ivernia West, has warned that results for 1996 will be significantly below the figures reported last year, owing mainly to falls in the prices of copper and stainless steels.

The price of shares in the group fell to 78 Finnish marks from 84.5 at the close on Friday. Results from a nickel mine, Forrestania, owned by the group in Australia, were lower than had been expected.

In 1995 the group reported a profit before financial items of 1.5 billion Finnish marks (£206 million). The company said that, from May to August, it had taken a loss of 150 million marks on account of the weak prices.