The FTSE small cap index and junior-listed AIM shares fallaround 1.3 percent each by mid-session, broadly in line with the losses on theblue chips, while the midcaps shed 0.7 percent.
Salamander Energy drops 2.7 percent after saying it expects therestart of production at its key Bualuang oil field in the Gulf of Thailand tobe delayed until early February.
On the up side, Colefax Group adds 14.9 percent after the designerof furnishing fabrics and wallpaper nearly doubles earnings per share to 17pence in the six months to end-October, increases the interim dividend by 5percent and unveils a proposed tender offer to return 4.4 million pounds ($7.26million) to shareholders.
"As a relatively illiquid stock, the tender gives shareholders theopportunity to realise part of their holdings, rather than Colefax buying sharesback on an ad hoc basis when they become available," analysts at Peel Hunt note.
Reuters messaging rm://antonina.vorobyova.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net
($1 = 0.6060 British pounds)