MARKET REPORT

BID speculation mixed with buy support from broker Jefferies with a 3000p price target boosted premium tonic water group

Fevertree Drinks 212p to 2384p. EasyJet climbed 71½p to 1584½p as Morgan Stanley told clients to buy with a 1725p price target, while buy support from Goldman Sachs encouraged investors to check in at InterContinental Hotels, up 124p to 4928p. Carpetright’s profit warning sent jitters through the retail sector, where DFS Furniture fell 8¾p to 197¼p and B&Q operator

Kingfisher weakened 8p to 336p. Fashion retailer Bonmarche was marked down 21½p to 105p after sales at established stores fell nearly 10 per cent in the 13 weeks to December 30.

Oil explorer Petro Matad slipped 2p to 7¼p as it announced advanced talks with investors to raise about $16million to fund a Mongolian drilling programme.

Construction and services group Kier fell 47p to 994p as it offered staff at Carillion who had been working with them on the HS2 and Highways England smart motorways – about 200 in total – the opportunity to transfer.