Kewill jumped 27.3 per cent after agreeing to be bought by Francisco Partners, a US private equity house specialising in technology investments.
The bid put a value of £89.5m on the ailing logistics software maker, which had been the subject of shareholder pressure following profit warnings.
A takeover approach also lifted GoIndustry Dovebid, an auctioneer for industrial equipment. The stock jumped 36.8 per cent after sector peer Liquidity Services made an approach.
Turnround hopes lifted UK Coal 19.7 per cent in the wake of better than feared results. The debt-laden miner reiterated that fundamental restructuring was essential, leading investors to expect it to plan a split into separate mining and property companies.
African Minerals, the iron ore producer chaired by Frank Timis, dropped 17.8 per cent after the unexpected resignation of its chief executive Alan Watling. The departure came just over a month after African completed the $1.5bn sale of a 25 per cent stake in its Tonkolili iron ore project in Sierra Leone to China’s Shandong Iron & Steel.
Sirius Minerals dropped 20.5 per cent after flagging up that it was looking to raise about $2.5bn in debt to finance the first stage of a proposed potash mine in the UK. Sirius said initial construction of the York Project would cost $2.7bn in total.