Shares closed marginally higher today having hit new five-year highs earlier in the session.


At the close of play, the FTSE100 was just 1.6 points ahead at 6,045.7 with the FTSE250 up 19.6 points at 9,954.6 and the AIM100 85.8 points up at 6,190.3.

Volume was firm with 3.26 billion shares traded in 367,522 deals.


Today’s look at individual Stocks:


The markets reacted very little to the widely expected decision by the Bank of England to leave UK interest rates unchanged at 4.5%, it was left up to PartyGaming that topped the leader board to get the excitement building.


PartyGaming rallied up 10%, 13p to 142.5p, on market talk that the latest attempt to ban Internet gambling in the US was met with a lack of support.
Republican Senator Bob Goodlatte's proposed Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, which seeks to outlaw certain forms of online gambling in the US, met with a lukewarm reception in a debate at the House of Representatives yesterday. Have they really got nothing better to do? Industry watchers noted that opponents of the bill were said to have been quite pleased with the hearing.

The news also helped lift 888 Holdings up 8.6%, 19p to 240p and other gambling stocks including Sportingbet (an AIM100 stock) also up 10.6%, 40.5p to 421.00


Elsewhere, Corus was up 2.25p to 89.25p, following an upgrade to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank on the back of improving margins and returns, noting that although near-term results were expected to be weak, the group retained high operational gearing to the ongoing strength in the steel cycle.


Even more M&A talk lifted Barclays, 8p higher to 686p, after French weekly magazine Challenges said Citigroup may bid for the UK bank.


Among the losers today, we saw a fall in Halfords, which was down 18.75p to 315.75p, as an in-line trading update from the car parts and cycle retailer was offset by margin worries.


Premier Foods shares was also down 5.75p to 294.25p with strong volume amid talk of a 5 million share placing, with Citigroup understood to be managing the placement.


One last point today, ‘A view of Venice’ by Joseph Mallord William Turner became the most expensive British painting sold at auction when it went for $35.856m (£20.5m) - 80 per cent above its estimate - at Christie’s in New York on Thursday. I keep imaging just how much stock I could have bought with that amount of money.


The Portfolio


The portfolio today was one again strong with the usual suspects leading the way. CSR (CSR) was up again 1%, 13p to 12.60.
Marchpole (MPH) was up 2.4%, 0.5p to 21.75, this stock is due for a breakout higher anytime now.

Fenner (FENR) was also up 3.8%, 7.75p to 212.25

On the downside we saw Victoria Oil and Gas (VOG) down once again 1%, 2.25p to 214.00 after the EGM failed to impress investors. I am continuing to hold this stock, as news from Well 106 is immanent.