The FTSE small cap index rises 0.2 percent, outperformingjunior-listed AIM shares, mid-caps and blue chips, downbetween 0.5 percent and 0.6 percent.
Shares in Earthport rise 7.4 percent to 47.75 pence as thecross-border payments services firm wins a contract to provide solutions forhigh-volume, low-value transactions to U.S. lender PNC Bank.
"The contract is still in the implementation stage and no financial detailshave been disclosed, however, this... is encouraging and underlines(Earthport's) growing influence in its market," analysts at Panmure Gordon,which acts as corporate broker to Earthport in Britain, write in a note.
"We re-iterate our Buy recommendation and target price of 52 (pence)."
AIM-listed Oilex falls 7.9 percent to 3.61 pence as the oil explorersays it has had to take down a rig at the Cambay-77H well due to mechanicalissues.
"Oilex's progress in Cambay has been difficult and lengthy, and this latestinterruption to the appraisal programme has continued the poor run," analysts atSP Angel write in a note.
"There does come a point where you have to start to feel sorry for theCompany, especially as the well isn't in an extreme topsides or sub surfaceenvironment, nor is it especially challenging technically."
Reuters messaging rm://francesco.canepa.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net
