WANdisco rises on 'Big Data' hopes "They are the new kids on the block, but WANdisco is doing it like a pro as maiden results are nicely ahead of expectations," said George O'Connor, analyst at Panmure Gordon, whose enthusiasm for the group was perhaps understandable considering it was Panmure that brought the company to market last year. He added that the announcement of the customer win was a "huge endorsement for the technology." Indeed, "Big Data" presents an attractive opportunity for WANdisco, which launched its first products in the area earlier this year. The market is expected to grow to $18.1bn this year, from $11.4bn in 2012, Mr O'Connor said. While news the UK economy had avoided slipping into a triple-dip recession and had instead expanded by 0.3pc in the first quarter of the year gave a lift to sterling, it had little impact on the FTSE 100, which has a much greater exposure to the international economy, and finished the session just 10.83 points better at 6,442.59. However, the FTSE 250, considered to be more focused on the domestic economy than the benchmark index, put in a stronger performance and rose 111.03 to 14,006.13. Instead of Britain's economic prospects, a host of blue-chip earnings preoccupied investor attention, with a number of high-profile disappointments on dampening sentiment in the wider market. Unilever lost 85p to £27.60, the worst-performing blue-chip, after posting slower than expected organic sales growth during the first three months of the year. A heavier than forecast drop in first-quarter sales saw AstraZeneca shares shed 64½p to £33.25½. Admiral was another business out of favour with traders, who drove the shares down 29p to £13.20 after the motor insurer reported a 6pc decline in quarterly revenues to £551m. British American Tobacco, however, bucked the trend and booked a gain of 43p to £35.91, buoyed by a 5pc rise in first-quarter sales, excluding currency fluctuations. On the FTSE 250, home credit business International Personal Finance, which operates in eastern Europe and Mexico, leapt 49.2, or 10.2pc, to 529½p. Dealers chased IPF higher after the group said first-quarter pre-tax profits surged 49pc to £9.1m. Topping the second-tier index was online grocery company Ocado, up 18.3 at 168.1p, with a report the group was closer to agreeing its tie-up with Wm Morrison, and lingering speculation the supermarket could actually launch a bid for the mid-capper, stoking demand for the shares. Ocado said after the close that talks with Morrison did not extend to the supermarket taking over the FTSE 250 company, or buying a stake in the group. Languishing towards the bottom end of the mid-cap index was translation software group SDL, off 20 at 365.1p. The group said its performance during the first three months of the year had been "slightly behind management expectations." In March, investors were spooked by news of rising costs at SDL while two autumn profit warnings last year knocked the shares off their highs. Industrial conveyor belt maker Fenner also drifted 15.6 lower to 363.4p, after Investec analyst Michael Blogg cut his recommendation back to "hold" just a day after he boosted it to a "gentle 'buy"." Fenner shares advanced 6.8pc on Wednesday following the release of the group's half-year results and Mr Blogg said it was "the surprising strength" in the share price had prompted him to lower his rating. Elsewhere in the market, the rise in the spot gold price lent support to the precious metal miners: Randgold Resources put on 270p to £53.15 - the biggest riser on the FTSE 100; Petropavlovsk increased 15 to 157.8p; and Centamin gained 3.55 to 43.45p. Among the small-cappers, shares in motor and generator group Turbo Power Systems put in a full-throttle performance, surging 0.175, or 46.7pc, 0.55p on news of a $7.7m rail order from Bombardier Transportation. Heavier-than-normal volume in Dart Group shares, up 13¾ at 169¼p, ensured the aviation services group drew attention, despite the absence of any news from the company. One large trade of some 2m shares accounted for most of the volume in the stock. Nanotechnology group Nanoco was another notable riser and put on 8½ to 161¾p. Some put the move down to the fact the company, which makes quantum dots for LCD displays, is understood to be on a US investor roadshow. Finally, Toumaz ended the day ½ healthier at 4¾p, an 11.8pc rise, after the results of a US pilot study of its SensiumVitals product, a wireless plaster that monitors vital signs such as heart and respiration rates, surpassed expectations.