London’s FTSE 250 was down 1% at 21,090.84 in afternoon trade on Friday.
Technology company Spirent Communications surged after saying it had bought US peer octoScope for $55m in cash.
Wood Group, Petrofac, Cairn Energy and Energean were all higher as oil prices rallied.
On the downside, GCP Student Living lost ground as it reported a drop in asset values and a sharply reduced dividend after Covid-19 cut occupancy at its sites.
Net asset value under the EPRA measure fell to 171.38p a share from 174.71p a year earlier in the six months to the end of December. The student accommodation provider cut its interim dividend to 0.5p a share from 3.15p a year earlier to preserve capital.
FTSE 250 – Risers
Spirent Communications (SPT) 246.50p 7.88%
Wood Group (John) (WG.) 332.10p 7.03%
Petrofac Ltd. (PFC) 137.90p 5.07%
Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) 312.00p 4.17%
Cairn Energy (CNE) 207.40p 3.70%
FDM Group (Holdings) (FDM) 1,058.00p 3.32%
PZ Cussons (PZC) 267.00p 3.09%
ITV (ITV) 119.90p 3.05%
Ferrexpo (FXPO) 338.60p 2.86%
Energean (ENOG) 930.30p 2.73%
FTSE 250 – Fallers
Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust (USA) 292.00p -6.41%
Allianz Technology Trust (ATT) 2,630.00p -5.40%
John Laing Group (JLG) 302.20p -5.03%
Edinburgh Worldwide Inv Trust (EWI) 328.50p -4.64%
The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited (TRIG) 124.60p -4.45%
Rank Group (RNK) 181.60p -4.12%
Carnival (CCL) 1,673.50p -3.35%
Computacenter (CCC) 2,178.00p -3.20%
GCP Student Living (DIGS) 148.60p -3.00%
BlackRock Smaller Companies Trust (BRSC) 1,688.00p -2.99%
