FTSE 250 movers: Aveva up on report of Schneider interest; Acacia in the news again
London's FTSE 250 was up 0.7% to 19,995.68 in afternoon trade as market participants mulled the latest employment and wages data from the ONS, ahead of a rate announcement by the Fed.
Engineering software provider Aveva was among the top gainers following a Bloomberg report suggesting that Schneider Electric is trying for a second time to buy a majority stake in the UK company.
Acacia Mining was on the front foot after its Canadian majority shareholder Barrick Gold agreed to compensate the government of Tanzania to try and resolve an export dispute that saw the mining group accused of under-declaring its gold shipments and "mining illegally".
After formal talks with Barrick Gold chairman John Thornton on Wednesday, Tanzanian President John Magufuli said Barrick, which owns a 63.9% stake in London-listed Acacia, had "repented" and would "repay all the losses that we as a country incurred".
Housebuilder Bellway advanced as it said housing completions for the year to the end of July are expected to have grown 10% from last year's 8,721, marking another year of significant volume growth and ahead of its original target. Back in its interim results in March, the company had said the number of homes sold for the full financial year was expected to rise by "at least 5%".
In a trading update for 1 February to 4 June, the company said sales demand was strong, with a 13% rise in the reservation rate to 221 per week.
Risers
esure Group (ESUR) 300.20p 5.41%
Aveva Group (AVV) 2,052.00p 5.07%
Acacia Mining (ACA) 285.60p 4.88%
Bellway (BWY) 2,989.00p 4.88%
ZPG Plc (ZPG) 365.20p 3.72%
Vectura Group (VEC) 117.90p 3.69%
Stagecoach Group (SGC) 210.40p 3.44%
Go-Ahead Group (GOG) 1,830.00p 3.39%
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels (MLC) 465.00p 3.29%
Riverstone Energy Limited (RSE) 1,282.00p 3.14%
Fallers
Hochschild Mining (HOC) 274.00p -3.59%
Halma (HLMA) 1,144.00p -2.89%
Drax Group (DRX) 360.00p -1.10%
Sophos Group (SOPH) 442.00p -1.10%
Tullow Oil (TLW) 170.20p -1.05%
Man Group (EMG) 155.80p -0.89%
Auto Trader Group (AUTO) 403.80p -0.81%
Just Group (JUST) 130.50p -0.76%
IWG (IWG) 357.70p -0.75%
Weir Group (WEIR) 1,862.00p -0.75%