(ShareCast News) - After an encouraging start off the back of strong corporate results, London's FTSE 250 index dipped into the red late on Thursday before oscillating around parity.By 16:10 BST the UK mid-cap index was down 0.11% at 17,494.39, with connections and cars the theme at the top of the 250 leader board.HellermannTyton, the maker of cables and related products, soared after it shook hands on a £1.07bn takeover by UK-based, US-listed car parts group Delphi Automotive. Delphi has looked to capture the cable maker to capitalise on growing demand for 'connected vehicles'.Laird is another company benefiting from connecting people, as a supplier of electronic components used in smart phones and automotive gadgets, with first-half results beating expectations thanks to its increasing diversity of revenues. Revenue rose 21% to £305.9m thanks to favourable currency movements as it added new clients to reduce its reliance on major customer Apple.Car dealership Inchcape's shares accelerated higher as although pre-tax profits declined in the first half of the year due to heavy currency headwinds, the numbers were better than estimates. The group posted a 5% year-on-year decline to £153m, although revenue climbed 3% to £3.4bn and like-for-like revenue on a constant currency basis rose 7.8% in the period.Bodycote also rose in spite of posting a drop in first half pre-tax profit and declining revenue, as a result of soft demand in the oil and gas industry and adverse currency moves.Investment management group Jupiter Fund Management said its interim pre-tax profit almost doubled, thanks to a number of non-recurring charges. In the six months to the end of June, the FTSE 250 group saw its profit before tax surge 73% year-on-year to £84m, while assets under management rose 3% to £34.3bn.Fallers were topped by estate agency group Countrywide, although its shares early losses above 20% ameliorated as the session wore on. First-half profits from the property group fell 22% on the same period last year, well short of analysts forecasts as a "difficult UK housing market" led to plummeting estate agency earnings.Premier Farnell continued its retreat after Wednesday's profit warning.FTSE 250 - Risers Hellermanntyton Group (HTY) 472.00p +42.13% Laird (LRD) 400.00p +14.35% Inchcape (INCH) 803.00p +6.71% Jupiter Fund Management (JUP) 470.20p +3.91% Ophir Energy (OPHR) 114.70p +3.89% Bodycote (BOY) 673.00p +3.54% Senior (SNR) 288.40p +3.30% Henderson Group (HGG) 272.40p +2.68% Virgin Money Holdings (UK) (VM.) 421.30p +2.38% Tullow Oil (TLW) 241.00p +2.34%FTSE 250 - Fallers Countrywide (CWD) 521.00p -5.79% Premier Farnell (PFL) 133.10p -4.93% TalkTalk Telecom Group (TALK) 310.60p -4.84% Ocado Group (OCDO) 380.00p -4.71% Fisher (James) & Sons (FSJ) 1,081.00p -3.91% Just Eat (JE.) 431.50p -3.10% Investec (INVP) 582.00p -3.00% IP Group (IPO) 198.00p -2.94% Lonmin (LMI) 54.00p -2.88% Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) 377.40p -2.83%