Last checked at (Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 250 was edged 0.04% higher to 19,657.18 in afternoon trading on Friday, with G4S leading the index higher.
The security services firm surged after Sky News reported that US cash-handling business The Brink's Company could make a £1.0bn bid for its cash solutions arm.
IP Group shares climbed ahead of the release of its interim results next week, while Dunelm rose after analysts at HSBC upped their rating of the stock from 'reduce' to 'hold'.
CYBG recovered after the owner of Virgin Money and Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks fell sharply in the previous session after it warned that it had received a surge in payment protection insurance claims ahead of the August deadline.
Copper mining company Kaz Minerals also edged higher after analysts at Morgan Stanley improved their rating of the stock from 'equal weight' to 'overweight'.
On the downside, SIG slumped as it first-half pre-tax profit fell to £5.2m from £19.6m in the same period a year ago amid a marked deterioration in the level of construction activity in the UK.
Analysts at AJ Bell said: "The UK construction sector last month saw its largest decline in new work for more than a decade as property developers delayed decisions because of Brexit uncertainty. SIG is stuck in the middle of the storm and despite efforts in the past two years to bring operating costs under control it may well find life hard going in the near-term."
Finally, Metro Bank and Intu Properties dropped following the news that both companies face relegation from the FTSE 250.
Market Movers
FTSE 250 (MCX) 19,657.18 0.04%
FTSE 250 - Risers
G4S (GFS) 186.20p 6.28%
Syncona Limited NPV (SYNC) 251.00p 3.29%
IP Group (IPO) 62.10p 3.16%
Dunelm Group (DNLM) 849.50p 3.03%
Sanne Group (SNN) 547.00p 3.01%
CYBG (CYBG) 113.05p 2.77%
Apax Global Alpha Limited (APAX) 156.47p 2.27%
Dechra Pharmaceuticals (DPH) 3,038.00p 2.15%
Kaz Minerals (KAZ) 424.20p 2.02%
Meggitt (MGGT) 642.60p 2.00%
FTSE 250 - Fallers
SIG (SHI) 121.40p -5.96%
Metro Bank (MTRO) 260.00p -5.11%
Intu Properties (INTU) 33.96p -4.85%
Barr (A.G.) (BAG) 584.55p -4.64%
Tullow Oil (TLW) 210.80p -3.74%
Ferrexpo (FXPO) 191.89p -3.57%
Grafton Group Units (GFTU) 750.00p -3.35%
Oxford Instruments (OXIG) 1,279.49p -2.92%
Kainos Group (KNOS) 421.80p -2.59%
Jupiter Fund Management (JUP) 348.40p -2.49%
22 Jan 2023 19:47
Sunday newspaper round-up: Coal-fired power plants, Metro Bank, Asda
(Sharecast News) - National Grid has called on coal-fired power plants to prepare to supply power on Monday given that temperatures are expected to remain near zero even as wind speeds remain low. The notifications that they should be ready - if needed - were served to three coal units owned by Drax and EdF. The plants had been scheduled to close in September but that decision was pushed back until 2024 due to soaring gas prices in the wake of Russia's war on Ukraine. According to Bloomberg data, UK futures remain at over the twice the level typically seen at this time of the year. - The Sunday Telegraph
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