Go-Ahead top performer and most active stock by faramong UK midcaps trading 2.5 times its average dailyvolume in under an hour since the open.
** Unit awarded contract to run what will become the UK'sbusiest rail networks.
** Stock already enjoying a pick-up in investor interestwith strong volumes over past week and three consecutive up daysin the run to the contract announcement.
** 5 of 14 analysts tracking the company had upped EPSforecasts by 3.2% on average since May 1, according to StarMine.
** Contract win likely to speed up upgrades while Jefferiesanalyst eyes a dividend payout to come through.
** Meanwhile, FirstGroup, which lost the contract,slips though on relatively lighter volumes.
(RM: vikram.subhedar.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)