Taking Stock

Bluebird, the toy group, fell 3.5p to 85p as Merrill Lynch said sell. The company's profit warning has prompted analyst Tim Steer to cut his profit estimates to pounds 6m this year and to pounds 5.5m next.

Only two years ago the shares were riding at 386p as the group's profits nudged pounds 20m. Mr Steer says the shares look dead money until the Polly Pocket toy is relaunched in 1999.

OMI International's return to the dividend list - it is paying a 0.14p interim - helped the shares 2.5p higher to 19p. The company is unborrowed and seeking acquisitions. It plans a name change to Solvera.

Chieftain, an insulation group, jumped 17.5p to 75p after saying its profits would significantly top market hopes of pounds 1.2m.