LONDON (ShareCast) - Synergy Health shares rocketed after it was announced US-based medical technology group Steris Corp. had agreed to buy the UK company for $1.9bn. Synergy shareholders will be paid 439p a share in cash and 0.4308 shares in the newly combined group, valuing shares in the FTSE 250 group at £1.2bn, or 1,950p apiece, 39% higher than Friday's closing price.
Mining stocks also charged higher, recovering from the recent market sell-off as strong economic data from China prompted investors to hunt for bargains.

The FTSE 350 mining sector had by Friday's close fallen by 19% since the end of July as anxieties about slowing global growth began to weigh on market sentiment, but on Monday trade data from China eased fears somewhat after both exports and imports jumped strongly in September, by 15.3% and 7% year-on-year respectively.

Bank note printer De La Rue climbed after it inked a new 10-year contract with the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street to provide it with sterling banknotes.

Meanwhile, packaging products group Essentra fell despite saying it is on track to exceed targets after maintaining strong organic growth in the third quarter, as its Vision 2015 plan draws to a conclusion. Group revenues increased by 8% in the three months to 30 September, with like-for-like sales up 7%.

N Brown declined after both Jefferies International and N+1 Singer cut their target prices on the clothes retailer, to 406p and 390p respectively.

Investec knocked Laird lower after cutting its target price from 260p to 250p and reiterating its 'sell' rating on the electronic devices group.



FTSE 250 - Risers
Synergy Health (SYR) 1,848.00p +32.00%
Ferrexpo (FXPO) 92.55p +5.35%
Polymetal International (POLY) 491.70p +4.26%
Lonmin (LMI) 176.30p +3.52%
Hochschild Mining (HOC) 120.00p +3.45%
Just Retirement Group (JRG) 124.60p +3.32%
De La Rue (DLAR) 489.60p +3.16%
Kazakhmys (KAZ) 248.10p +2.73%
BlackRock World Mining Trust (BRWM) 359.50p +2.71%
Evraz (EVR) 121.10p +2.63%

FTSE 250 - Fallers
Essentra (ESNT) 703.50p -5.19%
CSR (CSR) 644.00p -4.02%
Alent (ALNT) 300.10p -3.91%
Rank Group (RNK) 155.50p -3.42%
Brown (N.) Group (BWNG) 286.00p -3.05%
Laird (LRD) 285.40p -2.99%
Booker Group (BOK) 119.90p -2.76%
Synthomer (SYNT) 188.80p -2.58%
Countrywide (CWD) 462.60p -2.32%
esure Group (ESUR) 222.50p -2.28%

Email this article to a friend

or share it with one of these popular networks:

• DIGG
• FACEBOOK
• STUMBLEUPON
• MIXX
• YAHOO BUZZ
• DELICIOUS
• REDDIT
• NEWSVINE