FTSE in-depth: 仲買人s feel the 勧める to 合併する

By Geoff Foster for MailOnline
Updated: 08:38 BST, 18 November 2010

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Consolidation within the stockbroking fraternity is taking its time but make no mistake, it is coming. It has to.

Geoff Foster: The Footsie 回復するd composure after Tuesday's sharp 落ちる.

Many 会社／堅いs have for months been feeding off 捨てるs, 強めるing the 勧める to 合併する. Rumours 固執する daily in City watering 穴を開けるs that the pips are squeaking at several small-cap broking 会社／堅いs whose 歳入s are 落ちるing whilst telephone number salaries continue to be paid.

生き残り is the 指名する of the game in the 部門, so the race is on for the stragglers to climb into bed with a stronger 競争相手 and hope 2011 is a bumper year.

Eyebrows were certainly raised yesterday when loss-making WH Ireland 辛勝する／優位d up 0.5p to 44p on news that Ora 資本／首都 Partners (3.5p better at 113p) had acquired an 8.1% 火刑／賭ける in the stockbroker at around the 42.5p a 株 level.

Ora is run by Richard Griffiths, the Welsh entrepreneur, who bought the old Beeson Gregory 商売／仕事 on the way to forming 仲買人 進化 Group (0.5p cheaper at 76.5p) with former rugby player Alex Snow.

Griffiths knows the 部門 inside out and 明白に believes WH Ireland looks dirt cheap and 攻撃を受けやすい to a 企て，努力，提案. He 明らかに has no 意向 of 開始する，打ち上げるing an 申し込む／申し出 経由で Ora 資本／首都 but rumours 固執する that South African 財政上の services 巨大（な） Sanlam is running the slide-支配する over the company.

Sanlam once owned Hichens Harrison, one of London's oldest stockbroking 会社／堅いs, before selling it to Religare, the Indian 財政上の services group, for a 賞与金 price.

It would be a good time to make a move on WH Ireland because new 長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある Paul Compton only arrived from hedge 基金 Toscafund in September and is still feeling his way around the 商売／仕事.

Tim Linacre's Panmure Gordon remains friendless at 28.5p, 負かす／撃墜する 0.5p. 進化 Group recently walked away from 引き継ぎ／買収 discussions for the second time after 直面するing 厳しい 対立 from within Panmure and major 株主 QInv est, Qatar's largest 投資 bank. 売買業者s are 納得させるd though that Panmure's days of independence are numbered.

一方／合間, 憶測 固執するs that 進化 is now stalking Arden Partners, a penny cheaper at 56p. Arden disappointed 投資家s by rolling out a 利益（をあげる）s 警告 in September.

Cenkos 安全s, in which 創立者 and former boss Andy Stewart still 持つ／拘留するs 23.7%, の近くにd flat at 98.5p.

The Footsie 回復するd composure after Tuesday's sharp 落ちる on Ireland 負債 and Chinese 利益／興味 率 関心s. It retrieved an 初期の 20-point 赤字 to の近くに 10.66 points better at 5,692.56 and would have been a その上の 10 higher if it hadn't been for a handful of heavyweight 選挙権を持つ／選挙人s 含むing 示すs and Spencer (11.8p off at 384.2p) and Vodafone (3.5p lower at 166.95p) 貿易（する）ing without entitlement to the 最新の （株主への）配当.

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Advertising 巨大（な） WPP 追加するd 8p at 729.5p after boss Sir ツバメ Sorrell said he will give greater 負わせる to （株主への）配当 considerations than in the past. He also said he has no 意向 of quitting and will carry on as long as the board is happy.

半導体素子 designer ARM, still rumoured to be at the 最高の，を越す of US 半導体 巨大（な） Intel's Christmas shopping 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）, rose 8.3p to 360.6p.

How long before the penny 減少（する）s and 買い手s start nibbling away at glass giftware group Portmeirion, flat at 388p, and stamp 売買業者 Stanley Gibbons, 不変の at 147.5p? A 王室の Wedding next year will see an 絶対の mountain of commemorative 襲う，襲って強奪するs, jugs and stamps go on sale to celebrate the occasion.

The 決定／判定勝ち（する） by Indonesia's Bakrie Group to climb into bed with serial 仲買人 Nathaniel Rothschild and 逆転する Indonesian 鉱夫s Berau Coal and PT Bumi into his Londonlisted Vallar Group, to 結局 create an Indonesian 'Footsie' coal 支持する／優勝者, attracted 買い手s to Western Coal, 36.5p better at 454.5p. 売買業者s said it is the purest coal play in the market and should 利益 from the Indonesian 取引，協定.

Xcite Energy 殺到するd 19.75p to 283.5p on 審理，公聴会 it has 安全な・保証するd a jack-up 装備する for its Bentley field in the UK North Sea. 買い手s are 確信して that flow 実験（する） results at the end of the month will please.