The pharma sector was back on the radar as the new week began with AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) topping the FTSE100 leaderboard and news websites.
It came as US group Pfizer confirmed it had approached AstraZeneca in a takeover bid for a second time - an initial approach was made in January over a £59bn takeover but talks were ended.
After news of the bid talks broke over Easter, Pfizer contacted AstraZeneca on April 26 seeking to renew discussions but was given the cold shoulder again by Astra’s top brass.
Pfizer is now considering its options, including a cash plus shares offer for Astra that would be at “significant premium” to the price of Astra’s shares as on 17 April, the last trading day before Easter.
The story was one of the most popular on Google Finance, as the sector appeared buoyed. Shire shares also rose 1.59%. Astra shares leapt almost 15%.
Also making headlines was BG Group (LON:BG.), which was FTSE100's biggest loser.
Chris Finlayson has resigned as chief executive of the group just days before the gas giant’s first quarter figures.
He also relinquishes his role as an executive director for “personal reasons” with immediate effect.
It follows a profit warning in January as it suspended LNG contracts due to the political turmoil in Egypt.
Non-executive chairman Andrew Gould takes the reins until a successor is found.
Away from Footsie, and also gaining readers was a statement from Hurricane Energy (LON:HUR), which said the Lancaster horizontal appraisal well was spudded on Saturday morning (April 26).
The well is testing the Lancaster discovery, a fractured basement reservoir play, in the West of Shetland region of the North Sea.
Being used is the Transocean Sedco 712 semi-submersible drilling rig and the operation is expected to last approximately 75 days after which further technical analysis will be undertaken.
Sound Oil (LON:SOU) shares were also wanted as it revealed it had found a partner for the Carita licence, onshore Italy.
The company has inked a non-binding heads of terms with London-listed resources investment firm Niche Group (LON:NGP) that will, subject to due diligence, see Niche take a 27.5% stake in the Carita licence, which includes the Nervesa discovery.
In return for an interest in the licence, Niche will pay all of the costs of a second well to to address the southern part of the structure.
Sound plans to drill this well in the second or third quarter of the current year, and the cost of drilling, including testing, completion and applicable taxes, has been estimated at 6mln euros.
Meanwhile, also in the sector Mosman Oil & Gas (LON:MSMN) was gaining interest and shares were lifted over 4%.
It has recruited a company for its upcoming drill programme at the Petroleum Creek project in New Zealand.
Mosman, which joined AIM last month, said specialist drilling services group Drill Force has been signed up for the job due to start in June.
The programme will include the Crestal-1 and Crossroads-1 wells, as well as two contingent wells.
Executive chairman John W Barr said: “We have a strong relationship with Drill Force, and their experience is ideal for the planned wells.