Financial News

LONDON (ShareCast) - Shares in National Express (LSE: NEX.L - news) have come off the rails slightly after the bus and train operator said it would give up running the East Coast Main Line service after failing to renegotiate the cost of the franchise, sparking furious criticism from the Transport Department.

Latin America-focused miner Hochschild is the top riser after increasing its ownership in Gold Resource Corporation (GORO.OB - news) , a US OTC traded underground precious metals mining company, to 23.9%.

Department store Debenhams (LSE: DEB.L - news) is among the top 10, helped by a rise in sales from food and clothes retailer Marks & Spencers.

FTSE 250 (news) - Risers Hochschild Mining (LSE: HOC.L - news) (HOC) 294.50p +6.13% Moneysupermarket (LSE: MONY.L - news) .com (MONY) 52.00p +6.12% Marston's (MARS) 126.00p +6.11% Interserve (IRV) 184.00p +4.99% PayPoint (PAY) 511.50p +4.87% COLT Telecom Group S.A. (COLT) 113.75p +4.84% Fidessa (FDSA) 1,135.00p +4.32% Melrose (LSE: MRO.L - news) (MRO) 95.75p +4.08% Premier Oil (LSE: PMO.L - news) (PMO (103160.KS - news) ) 1,136.00p +4.03% Debenhams (DEB) 84.25p +4.01%

FTSE 250 - Fallers National Express Group (NEX) 283.50p -8.40% Homeserve (LSE: HSV.L - news) (HSV) 1,410.00p -6.00% Tate & Lyle (TATE) 303.75p -4.63% Morgan Sindall (LSE: MGNS.L - news) (MGNS) 662.00p -4.20% Aquarius Platinum Ltd. (AQP) 224.50p -3.44% SDL International (SDL (LSE: SDL.L - news) ) 315.00p -3.37% SThree (STHR) 175.25p -3.18% Spirent Communications (LSE: SPT.L - news) (SPT) 61.25p -3.16% Mcbride (LSE: MCB.L - news) (MCB (Frankfurt: A0ND6X - news) ) 140.50p -3.10% Shaftesbury (LSE: SHB.L - news) (SHB (Xetra: A0F5WN - news) ) 292.50p -3.07%