FTSE 250 movers: Acacia Mining rockets on broker move

Precious metal producer Acacia Mining saw its shares rocket as gold and silver prices advanced. The company was also boosted by Deutsche Bank, which lifted its rating on the stock to 'buy', saying the recent plunge in oil prices and weaker currencies should help to lower costs. They broker added that growth in free cash-flow should accelerate over the next 12 months.

Afren, among other oil and gas stocks, registered losses as the price of Brent crude dropped to its lowest in five years. Brent touched a low of $67.35 a barrel on Monday morning, a level not seen since October 2009. Morgan Stanley lowered its forecast for the average price of Brent oil in 2015 to $70 from $98, expecting it to trough in the second quarter, at $57.

Shares in mining group Lonmin declined after the company announced that it had stopped one of its furnaces following a leak of molten furnace matte. The problem has the potential to back-end load sales into the second half of the 2015 financial year and there will be a build-up of concentrate stocks, which is expected to unwind by year-end, the group explained.

Insurer Esure also fell, after agreeing to buy the remaining 50% stake of price-comparison group Gocompare.com for £95m. The deal will increase Esure's ownership of Newport-based Gocompare to 100% after its initial investment in 2010.

Shares in Segro moved lower after the group announced the completed sale of seven regional German industrial estates and plans to dispose of a further three, for a total of €45.8m. The sites will be acquired by Hansteen Holdings, which saw its share price head north following the news.

Jardine Lloyd Thompson failed to please its investors with news it has agreed to acquire Hayward Aviation from Towergate Insurance in a deal worth £27m. The acquisition of Hayward, which operates in JLT's core specialty of aviation insurance brokerage, has been made to accelerate its advance into adjacent parts of the Aerospace market following the consolidation of its position within the airline and space markets.

Risers

Acacia Mining (ACA) 251.60p +6.43%

FirstGroup (FGP) 113.10p +3.86%

AO World (AO.) 269.60p +3.49%

Centamin (DI) (CEY) 51.00p +2.80%

Playtech (PTEC) 676.50p +2.73%

EnQuest (ENQ) 44.90p +2.37%

Poundland Group (PLND) 326.10p +2.13%

Ocado Group (OCDO) 344.80p +2.04%

SVG Capital (SVI) 439.90p +1.95%

Thomas Cook Group (TCG) 129.10p +1.89%

Fallers

Afren (AFR) 42.62p -7.07%

Lonmin (LMI) 167.20p -6.12%

Supergroup (SGP) 872.00p -5.42%

Hochschild Mining (HOC) 83.40p -3.30%

Entertainment One Limited (ETO) 320.00p -2.85%

esure Group (ESUR) 208.20p -2.85%

Ted Baker (TED) 2,079.00p -2.67%

RPC Group (RPC) 596.50p -2.37%

SSP Group (SSPG) 282.30p -2.22%

Aveva Group (AVV) 1,410.00p -2.22%