FTSE 250 movers: Spire lifted by Remgro stake purchase, WS Atkins hit by downgrade

Mid-caps staged a recovery on Monday, as insurance, financial services and travel stocks put in a strong performance and investors kept their fingers crossed for a short term funding deal in Greece.

As of 3:00 BST, the FTSE 250 was trading 1% higher at 17,883.

Hospital operator Spire Healthcare jumped on the news that Remgro, a major shareholder of sector peer Mediclinic, is to buy a 29.9% stake from Cinven for 360p per share, equal to £432m. Mediclinc and Remgro confirmed they do not intend to make a full takeover offer, though analysts at Investec said this was still a possibility in the future.

Bwin.party Digital Entertainment surged as it agreed to sell its entire stake in World Poker Tour to sector rival Outgame International for £22m. Bwin will continue to sponsor a variety of World Poker Tour events and television show until December 2016 in Europe and the US.

Tullow Oil edged higher after settling a capital gains tax dispute with the government of Uganda and the Uganda Revenue Authority with regard to its farm-downs to CNOOC and Total in 2012.

Power generator hire firm Aggreko gained after revealing plans to restructure into two units as it announced a raft of management changes.

WS Atkins dipped on a downgrade from Panmure Gordon from 'buy' to 'hold'.

Miners Polymetal International and Centamin were trading in the red, as three month delivery contracts for metals fell across the board on demand concerns in China and Europe.

Risers
Spire Healthcare Group (SPI) 351.10p +9.72%
Hunting (HTG) 617.50p +4.57%
Enterprise Inns (ETI) 131.50p +4.12%
Man Group (EMG) 168.30p +3.76%
RPC Group (RPC) 659.00p +3.70%
Indivior (INDV) 238.10p +3.70%
Balfour Beatty (BBY) 254.00p +3.46%
SIG (SHI) 205.50p +3.42%
UDG Healthcare Public Limited Company (UDG) 509.00p +3.25%
Crest Nicholson Holdings (CRST) 580.50p +3.20%

Fallers
Allied Minds (ALM) 554.50p -4.07%
Saga (SAGA) 214.70p -3.07%
Riverstone Energy Limited (RSE) 1,000.00p -2.91%
Nostrum Oil & Gas (NOG) 552.50p -2.81%
Entertainment One Limited (ETO) 338.50p -1.86%
Centamin (DI) (CEY) 63.75p -1.70%
Shawbrook Group (SHAW) 372.00p -1.65%
CLS Holdings (CLI) 1,871.00p -1.53%
Polar Capital Technology Trust (PCT) 583.50p -1.10%
Just Retirement Group (JRG) 181.60p -1.04%