CenterParcs future under scrutiny

There were few significant moves among travel and tourism shares yesterday as London’s main equity indices pushed ahead. The FTSE 100 index added 46.2 points to end the day at 4942.9, while the FTSE 250 gained 27.3 points to finish at 7163.2. The Daily Mail’s City pages devote plenty of attention to CenterParcs, whose share price has fallen dramatically – to 62.75p – having been launched at 100p in December 2003. The newspaper’s Market Report column states that “cash-rich equity houses are said to be snorkelling around” with the intention of making an offer for the company. The Mail predicts that, with the stock “flat on its back”, the group’s owner Dalby and Co. “should be receptive to any offer”. It also points out that Pierre & Vacances, the French firm that owns the Continental Europe CenterParcs operation, could also decide to buy the UK business. Alpha Airports 95p NO CHANGE Avis Europe 70p UP 4p BAA 592p UP 11p British Airways 262p UP 1p CNG Travel Group 64.5p UP 4p Carnival 2836p UP 3p CenterParcs 62.75p DOWN 0.25p De Vere 552p UP 11p EasyJet 208.75p DOWN 1p ebookers 319.5p NO CHANGE EuroDisney 9.5p NO CHANGE Eurotunnel 15.25p NO CHANGE First Choice 174p NO CHANGE Hilton Group 299.75p UP 4p Holidaybreak 642p DOWN 2p Intercontinental 624.5p DOWN 3p Lastminute.com 116.75p UP 0.25p MyTravel 5.5p NO CHANGE P&O 283.5p DOWN 6p Rank Group 289p UP 13p Ryanair 414p UP 3.5p Stagecoach 105p DOWN 2.5p Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd www.newsfromabroad.com