An upbeat pre-close trading update triggered a rise in Thomas Cook’s share price this afternoon, propelling it to the top of the FTSE leaderboard.

A combination of strong winter bookings at higher average selling prices, coupled with good aircraft utilisation ahead of the previous year, sent share prices up 6.2 per cent at the close to 272.0 pence.

In the UK, the holiday retailer said that 91 per cent of the winter programme had been sold, broadly in line with last year although recent bookings had improved significantly.

Its European operations were also faring well with cumulative bookings improving markedly in continental Europe since the last trading statement. In Northern Europe the booked load factor was 99 per cent ahead of this time last year.

Good news could also be found in the German airlines division which noted that cumulative bookings were not ahead of planned capacity reductions of 6 per cent with Condor now 85 per cent booked for the winter season.

Fashion chain Next continued to pick up from this morning’s session after investors responded to a 17.8 per cent rise in profits before tax.

The retailer declared full year profits to January 2010 of £505.3 million, up from £428.8 million a year ago. Growth in earnings per share was declared at 21 per cent to a new group record of 188.5 pence. The company’s share price was up at 5 per cent at 2,174 pence.

Cairn Energy took the bronze medal position at the close on the London markets with investors continuing to respond to news of its increase in oil production. Its share price increased by 3.62 per cent to 426.7 pence.

Top ten trades
 25 March 2010 (morning session)
Source: TD Waterhouse

Buy
1. Lloyds Banking Group, 41.8 per cent
2. Royal Bank of Scotland Group, 20 per cent
3. Nighthawk Energy, 7.6 per cent
4. Altona Energy, 5.5 per cent
5. Vodafone Group, 5.5 per cent
6. Aviva, 4.6 per cent
7. Afren, 4.1 per cent
8. Desire Petroleum, 4.1 per cent
9. Kingfisher, 3.4 per cent
10. Trafficmaster, 3.2 per cent

Sell
1. Barclays, 22.7 per cent
2. Lloyds Banking Group, 18.8 per cent
3. Royal Bank of Scotland, 17.4 per cent
4. Afren, 10.3 per cent
5. Xstrata, 5.9 per cent
6. Nighthawk Energy, 5.7 per cent
7. Drax Group, 5.3 per cent
8. Altona Energy, 5 per cent
9. Petropavlovsk, 4.6 per cent
10. Desire Petroleum, 4.3 per cent