FTSE 250 movers: 4Imprint gains; Cineworld slumps

4Imprint was the top performer on the index. Last week, the direct marketer of promotional products saw its shares tumble after it reported a 93% slump in full-year pre-tax profits and said 2020 results were "significantly" impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

On the downside, Cineworld, shopping centre owner Hammerson, budget airline easyJet and travel company Tui were all under the cosh amid worries about rising Covid cases in Europe and the risk posed by different variants.

IG market analyst Joshua Mahony said that despite expectations the worst is behind us, the Brazil variant poses a critical risk "given its ability to sidestep many current vaccines".

"Thus while vaccination efforts continue to impress, we are seeing traders question whether this apparent straight line to normality is perhaps too good to be true.

"The threat of an EU ban on vaccine exports runs the risk of a tit-for-tat battle that could ultimately see the vaccination efforts stumble after the UK crossed the 50% threshold. The proposed EU ban from threatens to delay the UK vaccination programme by two months, bringing a benefit that amounts to just over a week to the EU."

FTSE 250 - Risers

4Imprint Group (FOUR) 2,355.00p 4.43%
XP Power Ltd. (DI) (XPP) 4,980.00p 4.40%
Bytes Technology Group (BYIT) 432.80p 4.34%
C&C Group (CDI) (CCR) 294.50p 4.25%
Computacenter (CCC) 2,262.00p 4.24%
Helios Towers (HTWS) 158.80p 3.79%
HGCapital Trust (HGT) 320.00p 3.73%
PureTech Health (PRTC) 407.00p 3.69%
PZ Cussons (PZC) 267.00p 3.49%
AO World (AO.) 320.50p 3.22%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

Cineworld Group (CINE) 112.75p -7.58%
Tullow Oil (TLW) 52.54p -6.61%
Hammerson (HMSO) 32.77p -6.40%
easyJet (EZJ) 940.40p -5.51%
Watches of Switzerland Group (WOSG) 666.00p -5.40%
TUI AG Reg Shs (DI) (TUI) 376.20p -5.38%
Babcock International Group (BAB) 239.10p -4.36%
Sirius Real Estate Ltd. (SRE) 93.30p -2.81%
Meggitt (MGGT) 474.90p -2.68%
Petropavlovsk (POG) 25.40p -2.50%