Soldiers lift Compass

COMPASS Group posted a 6.9pc jump in revenues as contracts with defence firms and music and sporting events in the US boosted coffers.

The caterer, which provides 5.5bn meals a year for office workers, soldiers and schoolchildren in more than 50 countries, cheered investors to briefly send shares to an all-time high of 1777p before they closed 3.7pc, or 62p up, at 1758p. Sales during the final months of 2018 benefited from deals with the likes of baseball’s World Series in the US and UK defence firms. Dominic Blakemore, chief executive, said the firm had an ‘excellent start to the year’.