FTSE 250 movers: IDS in focus on bid hopes; TUI slips

Any takeover bid for the Royal Mail owner International Distributions Services would be subject to routine national security scrutiny but it would not be opposed in principle, British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt said on Friday.

IDS on Wednesday recommended a £3.5bn approach from its biggest shareholder Daniel Kretinsky should the Czech billionaire table a formal offer.

"As a rule, we welcome international investment in British companies," Hunt told reporters at an event.

"But we do always look at national security considerations to make sure that in terms of our core infrastructure, there are no risks to those going forward and any bid for Royal Mail will go through that normal process."

A planned purchase of the Telegraph newspaper - a vocal and staunch supporter of the ruling Conservative Party - by a UAE-backed consortium was sunk when the Tories swiftly brought in a new law blocking foreign states from owning newspaper assets in the UK.

Hochschild Mining and Energean were both up in line with peers on the FTSE 100.

Holiday firm TUI was lower after on Wednesday reporting a record performance in the second quarter helped travel firm TUI grow first-half revenues by 15% and more than halve underlying losses, as it reconfirmed its guidance for the full year.

Market Movers

FTSE 250 - Risers

Auction Technology Group (ATG) 587.00p 4.08%
Hammerson (HMSO) 29.26p 3.17%
Hochschild Mining (HOC) 163.80p 3.02%
Mobico Group (MCG) 66.25p 2.40%
Premier Foods (PFD) 173.60p 2.12%
4Imprint Group (FOUR) 6,290.00p 1.94%
Helios Towers (HTWS) 126.00p 1.94%
Dr. Martens (DOCS) 84.25p 1.69%
Energean (ENOG) 1,179.00p 1.64%
Redrow (RDW) 744.50p 1.57%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

W.A.G Payment Solutions (WPS) 68.00p -3.41%
Wizz Air Holdings (WIZZ) 2,046.00p -3.31%
Syncona Limited NPV (SYNC) 106.80p -3.09%
Savills (SVS) 1,128.00p -2.76%
TUI AG Reg Shs (DI) (TUI) 557.50p -2.71%
North Atlantic Smaller Companies Inv Trust (NAS) 3,990.00p -2.68%
Baltic Classifieds Group (BCG) 229.50p -2.34%
Balanced Commercial Property Trust Limited (BCPT) 78.20p -2.13%
Me Group International (MEGP) 166.40p -2.12%
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings (AML) 139.80p -1.96%