London’s FTSE 250 was down 0.5% at 22,809.19 in afternoon trade on Thursday.
Budget airlines easyJet and Wizz Air, travel company Tui and WH Smith all slumped following reports that no countries will be added to the government’s ‘safe’ green travel list when it updates Britons later in the day. It was also understood that Portugal will be moved from the green list to the amber list and that more countries will be added to the red list.
Going the other way, Chemring rallied after it posted a rise in interim profit and revenue and announced the acquisition of Cubica Group, a Surrey-based research and development company specialising in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data fusion and autonomy.
Pennon rose as it announced a special dividend and the acquisition of Bristol Water Group.
Insurer Hiscox gained after saying it had agreed a legacy reinsurance deal with Enstar. Under the terms of the deal, Enstar’s Syndicate 2008 will assume historical liabilities for selected lines of Hiscox Syndicate 3624, including the majority of Hiscox USA’s surplus lines broker business.
Hiscox said the transaction is capital accretive, adding an estimated 10 points to its Bermuda Solvency Capital Ratio but will result in a profit & loss charge of $26m in the first half of the year.
FTSE 250 – Risers
Chemring Group (CHG) 319.50p 4.24%
Brewin Dolphin Holdings (BRW) 367.00p 3.67%
Tullow Oil (TLW) 58.94p 3.01%
TI Fluid Systems (TIFS) 324.00p 2.86%
Cineworld Group (CINE) 95.30p 2.47%
Morgan Advanced Materials (MGAM) 353.50p 2.46%
Hiscox Limited (DI) (HSX) 809.60p 2.17%
Pennon Group (PNN) 1,089.00p 1.92%
JTC (JTC) 647.00p 1.57%
Rathbone Brothers (RAT) 1,854.00p 1.53%
FTSE 250 – Fallers
easyJet (EZJ) 951.60p -5.83%
Trainline (TRN) 277.80p -4.99%
Network International Holdings (NETW) 384.70p -4.54%
TUI AG Reg Shs (DI) (TUI) 419.90p -4.50%
4Imprint Group (FOUR) 2,980.00p -4.33%
WH Smith (SMWH) 1,726.50p -4.14%
Countryside Properties (CSP) 495.60p -3.95%
Avon Rubber (AVON) 3,000.00p -3.66%
Wizz Air Holdings (WIZZ) 4,715.00p -3.24%
Centamin (DI) (CEY) 113.35p -3.12%
