BUZZ-Merlin Entertainments: Shares on track for best day ever

** Madame Tussauds operator Merlin Entertainmentsshares rise as much as 12.8 pct, their highest intraday pct gainon record

** Stock among top gainers on FTSE 250

** Co posts 9.5 percent rise in 2017 core earnings,benefitting from an increase in global visitors.

** Records 66 million worldwide visitors in 2017, up 3.5percent

** Merlin, which also runs Legoland, the London Eye and SeaLife, adds it "highly confident" of the long-term prospects forits business

** Brokerage Peel Hunt sees more evidence of increased capexdriving the business in second half; London tourism may begrowing more robustly, it says

** Results were broadly in line, with strong result inLegoland Parks offsetting continued weakness in Midway andResort Theme Parks - Liberum

** Shares in Merlin fell ~40 pct in the past 12 months