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The FTSE 100 ticked up 0.1% on Monday with Vodafone the top performer on the index, up 3.6%, after it was targeted by activist investor Cevian.
Budget carrier Ryanair fell 1.3% in Dublin to 16.38c as it booked a €96 million third-quarter loss, after the Omicron coronavirus variant 'severely' damaged demand during the crucial Christmas period.
Ryanair stuck to its full-year traffic forecast of 'just under' 100 million passengers, but added its full-year loss guidance remained 'within a wider-than-normal range' of €250 million to €450 million.
Education publishing and services group Pearson rose 1.4% to 614.8p following news it had acquired digital credentials and certifications company Credly, of which it already owned about 20%.
The deal valued Credly at $200 million, including a $140 million upfront payment, plus Pearson's existing stake, valued at $40 million, plus a deferred consideration.
Steel producer Evraz firmed 0.8% to 506.08p, having reported a fourth-quarter rise in steel product sales, even as output fell following maintenance outages in November in North America.
Quarterly sales of steel products for the three months through December increased 7.0%, while steel output fell 0.6%.
Recruitment company SThree jumped 9.2% to 455.93p as it hiked its final dividend 60% after it almost doubled its profits amid high demand for specialist skills in a tight labor market.
SThree, which services the science, technology, engineering and mathematics sectors, declared a final dividend of 8p per share, up from 5p year-on-year, bringing the full-year payout to 11p.
Estate agency Purplebricks added 2.6% to 20.52p even as it swung to a first-half loss after its revenue fell 7% and it incurred higher expenses, including marketing costs.
Purplebricks said an imbalance between housing supply and demand had driven house prices higher, and that those market dynamics could continue to hurt its margins in the second half.
Electronics power solutions supplier XP Power climbed 3.6% to £46.4682 on news it acquired two German businesses, FuG Elektronik and Guth High Voltage, from Dr Simon Consulting for €39 million.
XP Power said FuG and Guth's product portfolio was highly complementary to its existing high voltage offering, bringing new technology and technical capability.
Diagnostics company Omega Diagnostics tumbled 19% to 8.68p on confirming that it was talking to certain investors and shareholders regarding a potential equity fundraising.
The company made the announcement while acknowledging recently online speculation about a potential raising.
Meat producer Cranswick edged down 0.1% to £36.26 after it acquired Grove Pet Foods, a dry dog food producer, for an undisclosed sum.
Ground engineering contractor Van Elle rallied 6.3% to 45.7p, having swung to a first-half profit and upgraded its annual guidance after its revenue rebounded following an easing of lockdowns.
Video games publisher Devolver Digital rose 3.8% to 205p on forecasting annual revenue and core earnings to be 'slightly ahead' of market expectations following new game launches.