London’s FTSE 250 was down 0.3% at 22,266.99 in afternoon trade on Monday.
Travel and leisure-related stocks were weaker despite the easing of restrictions, with analysts pointing to worries about the Indian variant of Covid-19 and the fact that ministers have urged people to exercise caution when heading out to pubs and restaurants or socialising indoors.
Wagamama owner Restaurant Group, Upper Crust owner SSP, WH Smith and pub chains JD Wetherspoon and Mitchells & Butlers were all trading lower.
Going the other way, Diploma was the top performer after saying annual results are set to be “significantly ahead” of expectations as the technical equipment supplier reported an increase in first-half profit and said momentum had increased in the second half.
Adjusted operating profit rose to £66.6m in the six months to the end of March from £49.9m a year earlier as revenue increased 29% to £365.2m. Pre-tax profit rose to £42.5m from £41.6m. The group declared an interim dividend of 12.5p a share.
Gold miners Hochschild and Centamin rallied as the price of the yellow metal hit a three-month high as worries about US inflation increased and cases of Covid-19 increased in parts of Asia.
Petropavlovsk was also in the black after well-received full-year results.
FTSE 250 – Risers
Diploma (DPLM) 3,030.00p 10.18%
Hochschild Mining (HOC) 193.70p 2.92%
Genuit Group (GEN) 556.00p 2.58%
Watches of Switzerland Group (WOSG) 718.00p 2.43%
Biffa (BIFF) 273.00p 2.06%
Centamin (DI) (CEY) 119.65p 1.96%
BlackRock World Mining Trust (BRWM) 663.00p 1.69%
Redde Northgate (REDD) 393.00p 1.68%
Petropavlovsk (POG) 25.60p 1.67%
Indivior (INDV) 150.30p 1.49%
FTSE 250 – Fallers
Restaurant Group (RTN) 121.60p -5.44%
Trainline (TRN) 418.80p -4.77%
SSP Group (SSPG) 309.70p -4.06%
WH Smith (SMWH) 1,664.50p -3.56%
Energean (ENOG) 824.50p -3.45%
Micro Focus International (MCRO) 469.80p -3.03%
Wetherspoon (J.D.) (JDW) 1,313.00p -2.88%
Domino’s Pizza Group (DOM) 375.60p -2.85%
Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) 307.00p -2.72%
Beazley (BEZ) 304.60p -2.40%
