FTSE 250 movers: Afren soars on extended Seplat deadline

Oil producer Afren was continuing its volatile moves, jumping 33.33%. Afren extended their ‘put up or shut up’ deadline, initially set for Friday, to Nigerian producer Seplat by a further two weeks, in line with some analyst expectations.

Kaz Minerals was also trading higher after analysts at Numis upgraded their rating on the stock from ‘reduce’ to ‘add’.

WH Smith was boosted after analysts at BNP Paribas lifted their target price on the shares from 1,250p to 1, 500p in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday.

Diageo was a heavy faller after Credit Suisse lowered their 2015 expectations for the company by 3% to 92p. The reduction was based “on lower associate income and a higher interest charge” and marks a 25% reduction on expectations from 15 months ago.

Game Digital dipped following the departure of its digital boss Ian Chambers, who had been with the retailer from July 2013. Chambers said in a statement: "I've very much enjoyed working at GAME throughout this period of growth, but now is the right time for me personally to leave to develop other business interests."

Risers

Afren (AFR) 5.60p +33.33%
Nostrum Oil & Gas (NOG) 670.00p +11.95%
Ophir Energy (OPHR) 136.30p +6.07%
Petrofac Ltd. (PFC) 707.50p +5.83%
Playtech (PTEC) 689.00p +3.84%
Homeserve (HSV) 339.00p +3.32%
Centamin (DI) (CEY) 66.65p +3.01%
WH Smith (SMWH) 1,359.00p +2.72%
Wood Group (John) (WG.) 571.00p +2.42%
Kaz Minerals (KAZ) 201.40p +2.39%

Fallers
Zoopla Property Group (WI) (ZPLA) 181.00p -5.09%
Cobham (COB) 329.70p -3.96%
Oxford Instruments (OXIG) 736.00p -3.85%
Petra Diamonds Ltd.(DI) (PDL) 153.60p -3.46%
Dairy Crest Group (DCG) 485.30p -3.04%
Saga (SAGA) 186.50p -2.86%
Rexam (REX) 427.30p -2.51%
Game Digital (GMD) 277.30p -2.36%
Close Brothers Group (CBG) 1,516.00p -2.19%
Ultra Electronics Holdings (ULE) 1,745.00p -2.02%