FTSE 250: 18,943.69, up 0.31% at 1520 GMT.
Shares in Iron ore pellet maker Ferrexpo were still lower as the company said the detention of its owner Kostyantin Zhevago by French authorities was unrelated to the company’s affairs.
Shares in the company fell sharply on Wednesday after Zhevago was held at a hotel in the luxury French ski resort Courchevel on Tuesday by French police on suspicion of money laundering and embezzling funds linked to his banking business in Ukraine, the country’s State Bureau of Investigation said.
Ferrexpo said it was seeking to clarify the situation and “will update the market as appropriate”.
Zhevago is accused of embezzling more than $130m and faces the first stages of extradition hearings later this week. The arrest warrant was issued by authorities in Ukraine.
In a short statement, Ferrexpo said that its non-executive director had been arrested, but that the arrest was not linked to the company itself.
“The company is aware that Mr Zhevago has been detained in France by the French authorities, and the company understand that this is in relation to matters unrelated to Ferrexpo,” it said.
Elsewhere, low cost airlines Wizz Air and easyJet were still under the cosh after Italy’s competition regulator on Wednesday said it was investigating the duo, along with Ryanair and state flag carrier ITA Airways over alleged price fixing on the Rome – Sicily route. easyJet and Wizz have both denied the claims.
FTSE 250 – Risers
Molten Ventures (GROW) 357.00p 4.14%
Helios Towers (HTWS) 104.00p 3.17%
CLS Holdings (CLI) 158.60p 2.99%
TBC Bank Group (TBCG) 2,290.00p 2.92%
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings (AML) 157.25p 2.68%
RIT Capital Partners (RCP) 2,150.00p 2.63%
Liontrust Asset Management (LIO) 1,104.00p 2.60%
Darktrace (DARK) 262.40p 2.58%
Ashmore Group (ASHM) 239.80p 2.57%
TI Fluid Systems (TIFS) 132.60p 2.47%
FTSE 250 – Fallers
Ferrexpo (FXPO) 158.40p -3.71%
Hochschild Mining (HOC) 69.65p -3.06%
easyJet (EZJ) 323.30p -2.85%
Wizz Air Holdings (WIZZ) 1,959.00p -2.03%
Currys (CURY) 54.90p -1.79%
Schroder Asia Pacific Fund (SDP) 502.00p -1.76%
PZ Cussons (PZC) 213.00p -1.62%
Diversified Energy Company (DEC) 116.30p -1.44%
WH Smith (SMWH) 1,471.50p -1.34%
SSP Group (SSPG) 227.70p -1.21%
