Market report: Tie-up talk boosts InterContinental

Merger whispers lifted shares in InterContinental Hotels, after reports French rival Accor had eyed a tie-up between the two groups. The FTSE 100 company, which owns the Crowne Plaza brand, edged up 34p to £40.30 following a report in French newspaper Le Figaro. It said Sébastien Bazin, Accor’s chief executive, had formed a team in June to examine the possibilities of a transaction. Ultimately, Mr Bazin decided it was not the right time to move ahead, Le Figaro said, but Accor