Market round-up: FTSE 100 investors bet on Ladbrokes and Gala Coral after word of merger

The seemingly never ending Greek debt saga held the FTSE 100 back on 23 June with investors driving only a slight up tick in the market.

The smart money was placed on bookies Ladbrokes and Gala Coral as talks of a merger edged ahead.

"The two groups are currently the second and third largest bookmakers in the UK but if they get together, they would be a serious rival to market leader William Hill," said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould, indicating they would "be better placed to weather the gaming taxes that came into force at the beginning of the year".

The market ended up just 0.13%, closing at 6,834.87 after it gained rapidly on 22 June following positive news that Greece may be close to a deal. With no deal in sight, though, that optimism waned.

Blue chip distribution and outsourcing company Bunzl lagged after the company reported a slowdown in growth in the second quarter brought about by declining interest in price declines in North America and low interest in plastic resin products.

FTSE 100 biggest risers

• Sports Direct Intl Plc +22.50 (+3.20%) 725.00
• Weir Group Plc +51.00 (+2.86%) 1,836.00
• Marks & Spencer Group Plc +15.00 (+2.73%) 564.00
• Smith & Nephew Plc +24.00 (+2.21%) 1,111.00
• Meggitt +10.00 (+2.14%) 477.60

FTSE 100 biggest fallers

• Bunzl Plc -39.00 (-2.06%) 1,852.00
• TUI AG -16.00 (-1.36%) 1,164.00
• Barratt Developments Plc -7.50 (-1.17%) 632.50
• Royal Dutch Shell Plc A Shares -19.50 (-1.04%) 1,855.50
• Persimmon Plc -21.00 (-1.02%) 2,030.00

FTSE AIM 100 biggest risers

• Xeros Group Plc +29.00 (+12.83%) 255.00
• Regenersis Plc +11.00 (+5.37%) 216.00
• Gemfields Plc +3.00 (+5.02%) 62.75
• Polar Capital Holdings Plc +16.50 (+3.67%) 466.00
• Horizon Discovery Group Plc +6.00 (+3.43%) 181.00

FTSE AIM 100 biggest fallers

• Sirius Minerals Plc -2.50 (-14.93%) 14.25
• Monitise Plc -1.00 (-7.84%) 11.75
• Velocys Plc -2.50 (-1.94%) 126.50
• Silence Therapeutics Plc -5.50 (-1.85%) 292.00
• Dart Group Plc -7.25 (-1.76%) 405.75