Market Report

IT'S TIME to stop checking out of the hotel sector, says broker BT Alex.Brown. BT's analysts said the sector's derating "has been savage". They think the fall in Ladbroke, Millennium & Copthorne and the like is a buying chance, but admit the market is "in no mood to contemplate catching the falling knife that is the hotel sector" for some time.

ENGRAVERS are not usually a a hub of corporate activity, but Palatine Engraving Company proved the exception. The Liverpool specialist in printing and printing card engraving was bought by the printing goods supplier, Fairfield Enterprise, for pounds 2.6m. Fairfield rose 2p to 117.5p.

SAFESTORE, an AIM-listed operator of storage facilities, could be a bid target. The smart money is on Security Capital, a US group, which bought Acorn and Abacus, two of Safestore's rivals. Safestore shares closed flat at 65p.