FTSE 100 movers: WPP surges; Burberry out of fashion

(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was flat at 9,695.40 in afternoon trade on Monday. Advertising giant WPP surged to the top of the index after The Times reported it has attracted takeover interest from France's Havas and private equity firms Apollo and KKR ahead of its demotion from the FTSE 100.

The Times said it was not clear whether any formal bids for WPP will materialise. Bidders could seek to buy the company in its entirety, take large stakes in the business or attempt to pick off parts of the holding group, it said.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: "Executives at embattled advertising agency WPP have recently been snapping up shares in the company and it seems they may not be the only ones who see value in the business. There is speculation about a bid from French rival Havas and private equity firms reportedly looking to pick off bits of the business.

"After years when it felt like WPP's shares had been suffering a slow puncture, the tyre has burst in stock market terms for the company in 2025. This led to the departure of CEO Mark Read and investors in the US apparently being rallied by law firms for a class action lawsuit alleging they were misled about the state of the business.

"WPP has a lot of moving parts which could be an obstacle to any takeover deal for the group as a whole but, with the shares trading at low levels last seen more than a quarter of a century ago, it is vulnerable to being picked apart."

Luxury fashion brand Burberry and airlines IAG and easyJet were all lower as the dispute between China and Japan over Taiwan escalated, with China telling its citizens not to travel to Japan. Burberry has significant exposure to China.

FTSE 100 - Risers

WPP (WPP) 308.00p 6.83% British American Tobacco (BATS) 4,154.00p 2.01% Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV (PSH) 4,722.00p 1.86% Entain (ENT) 712.40p 1.71% Rightmove (RMV) 559.20p 1.71% 3i Group (III) 3,384.00p 1.47% SSE (SSE) 2,259.00p 1.44% Compass Group (CPG) 2,455.00p 1.40% Melrose Industries (MRO) 627.80p 1.06% Games Workshop Group (GAW) 16,210.00p 0.81%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Burberry Group (BRBY) 1,182.00p -4.06% Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 344.00p -2.74% Anglo American (AAL) 2,790.00p -2.11% Convatec Group (CTEC) 241.00p -1.95% International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 380.00p -1.94% Associated British Foods (ABF) 2,119.00p -1.90% Next (NXT) 13,895.00p -1.73% easyJet (EZJ) 461.20p -1.71% Antofagasta (ANTO) 2,731.00p -1.69% Berkeley Group Holdings (The) (BKG) 3,898.00p -1.62%