It was Independence Day in the US, which always translates into quieter markets in London, and beyond Bradford & Bingley, the City was pretty independent of decent stories or bid chat. There was some interest in J Sainsbury, as the Qatari sovereign wealth fund that failed in its bid to buy it last year upped its stake to 26 per cent. The move brought some vague chat of a renewed bid, but nobody's heart was really in it. The talk did drive the stock up the leaderboard in the morning, but it weakened in the afternoon to close 0.25p lower at 279.75p. It was a mixed day for the supermarkets as Tesco ended up top of the pile at the close, rising 5.18 per cent to 359.2p. If that covered the good and the bad, the ugly came from Marks & Spencer. The retailer, which had plunged after announcing a shock profits warning this week, fell...
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