FTSE 250 movers: Ophir climbs after unveiling new gas discovery

Africa-focused Ophir Energy rose after it announced a new gas discovery in block R which it says increases the value of its 80%-owned offshore Equatorial Guinea project. The Silenus East-1 well found a 67m gross gas column in the primary target with a high-quality reservoir in line with pre-drill expectations.

The downside was being led by Thomas Cook, which failed to impress with its latest trading statement, in which it admitted that price softness in the holiday industry had continued. The company revealed a downturn in Germany that it blamed on tensions with Russia, but all parts of the group were expected to deliver fourth-quarter results ahead of last year.

The fashion retailer N Brown Group fell after it said that sales were down in the first half as it faces a “transitional year”. The home-shopping group, which operates online and through catalogues, said revenues decreased by 0.6% in the first six months of the year. On a like-for-like basis, revenues dropped by 0.5%.

Housebuilder Crest Nicholson was also in the red after revealing that, like its peers, it has seen a "slight moderation" in sales rates over the last few months.

Chipmaker Imagination Technologies was also heavy faller ahead of a trading statement on Wednesday.


FTSE 250 - Risers
Ophir Energy (OPHR) 237.80p +4.30%
Ladbrokes (LAD) 130.40p +3.74%
Bank of Georgia Holdings (BGEO) 2,439.00p +3.04%
Vesuvius (VSVS) 474.40p +3.02%
Evraz (EVR) 126.00p +2.52%
Greencore Group (GNC) 265.70p +2.19%
Afren (AFR) 98.90p +1.96%
Britvic (BVIC) 696.50p +1.75%
Alent (ALNT) 353.00p +1.58%
Fidessa Group (FDSA) 2,239.00p +1.45%

FTSE 250 - Fallers
Thomas Cook Group (TCG) 122.20p -6.00%
Brown (N.) Group (BWNG) 386.50p -4.57%
Imagination Technologies Group (IMG) 188.90p -3.97%
Foxtons Group (FOXT) 217.20p -3.89%
Hochschild Mining (HOC) 160.00p -3.79%
Dunelm Group (DNLM) 814.00p -3.67%
Crest Nicholson Holdings (CRST) 325.60p -3.35%
Smith (DS) (SMDS) 274.00p -3.35%
Just Eat (JE.) 283.00p -3.08%
Kazakhmys (KAZ) 273.80p -2.94%