Hospitality outperforms the market

SHARES performance in Leisure & Hotels continued to exceed the FTSE all-share index for the third week running.

Vaux Group, which is looking to expand its Swallow hotels division, led the risers with a 17.69% shares leap.

Wetherspoon shares gained 13.91%. The group has been delivering on its expansion promises and last week announced it will open 50 more pubs in the next six months.

Regal ended the week with shares up 11.36% at 49p, resulting from the previous week's strong annual results, although some analysts remain cautious over the impact of the group's plan to rebrand hotels.

Compass Group has entered the FTSE's top 100, giving the contract catering giant more scope for further investment and promotion. Shares jumped 5% to 964p.

Meanwhile, Thistle Hotels shares, which dropped by 6.3% to 178p, have been fluctuating while the City awaits news of a new chief executive.