Did you miss me? Go on, be honest.
It was hell without me, wasn't it? Having to work out those share price movements for yourselves … but even one as dedicated as myself requires a break now and then and what a jolly holiday I had, dear reader.

Feeling fully refreshed, may I say what a delight it was that the first meeting I had upon my return was with Adrian Barden and David Moody, the managing director and sales and marketing director of Wolseley Centers.

It seems these gentlemen are somewhat concerned that Wolseley, and materials firms in general, receive little coverage in these pages. Given that Wolseley is well established in the FTSE 100, I have decided to redress this balance. It may also be the case that Barden's offer to take me sailing in Poole may have swayed my judgment. Either way, it is worth noting that Wolseley rose 4.3% last week to reach 852.5p by close of play Friday. This was ahead of this week's strong interim results, which included a 21% increase in pre-tax profit.

Nobody else offered me a freebie last week, so I shall be more professional about my next share choice. Costain had a bit of a stormer, rising 5.1% to 46.25p. The chaps and chapettes in the City were clearly impressed by the company's hint that it might be in a position to pay a dividend to shareholders for the first time since the 1990s. Equally impressive were its 2003 figures, which showed a 42% increase in pre-tax profit to £16m.

I hear Kier could get bumper profits from sale of PFI stakes

Hunch of the week

Keep this under your hats, but rumour has it that several crafty customers have been casting a wanton eye over Jarvis' PFI tube stake – the support services group said earlier this month that it wanted to sell half of this to reduce debt. However, it appears that these companies have been deterred for fear of courting adverse publicity over any problems that may occur on the Tube over the course of the 30-year contract.

Still, although this was a bit of a blow for Jarvis, its shares fell only 0.1% to 180p – well ahead of its 124.5p year-low earlier this year.

Another rumour is that support services group MITIE is considering purchasing a fit-out firm. Either this bit of gossip hasn't reached the Square Mile, or the market just isn't impressed, as MITIE fell 4% to 119p.

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