Nasa stood accused of complacency and suffering from safety “blind spots” yesterday in a damning final report into the Columbia shuttle disaster seven months ago. Without reform, “the scene is set for another accident”, the report warned.They highlighted Nasa’s failure to heed warnings that insulation foam had broken away, damaging one of the shuttle’s wings soon after take-off. The company is planning to spend up to £45m on acquisitions (word is it is talking to about half a dozen prospects) to help make up for the fact that turnover is likely to stay flat.. Pity Andrew Wright, technical director, who sold 488,700 OverNet Data shares on Friday at 5p There really was something behind IBNet’s 75 per cent rise.

Shares in the online marketing group jumped 1.87p to 4.37p before being suspended as the company admitted it was in talks to acquire a bigger company.Systems Union, the financial software group chaired by the serial investor Bob Morton, saw its shares tick up 3.5p to 88.5p on improved interim profits. Rivals who are still to report their figures were up, though, with Barratt Developments jumping 5.25 to 500.5p and Wilson Bowden, which reports this morning, rising 13.5p to 1,055p.OverNet Data, a tiny mobile phone technology company, was up nearly 50 per cent in early trading and a statement that the company “is not aware of any specific reason for the significant share price movement” only bought the stock back to 11.5p, up 2.25p on the day. More than twice the usual number of JLT shares were traded, but they closed unchanged at 560.5p.On the basis that it is better to travel than to arrive, Persimmon shares were heavily sold after the initial spurt that accompanied their forecast-busting results The UK’s biggest housebuilder ended down 10p at 545p. Little Kiln was up 2.5p to 89.5p after saying that pay-outs for claims from 2002 might not be as much as previously expected. Brit Insurance was off 2.5p at 80p after saying 2001 claims may be slightly higher. The ongoing increases in capacity – that is, the amount of business these underwriters intend to take on – should aid Jardine Lloyd Thompson, a reinsurance broker, whose shares were tipped by the previously sceptical Panmure yesterday.

Granada was also weak, off 2.5p at 107.75p.There was considerable interest in the general insurance sector, with contrasting fortunes for two Lloyd’s of London underwriters, though both reported buoyant trading. Reckitt is widely believed to be interested in buying SSL’s consumer divisions, but the cash return to shareholders might make that a stretch.Carlton Communications, the second largest of the ITV broadcasters, was down 8p to 178.75p on speculation, reported in The Independent, that Granada may try to renegotiate merger terms if, as expected, the Competition Commission insists that the combined companies divest their sales operations. Lastminute , the most high profile of the “New Economy” resurrections, was off 2.75p at 268.5p, while its sector-mate ebookers was 22p lower at 581p. Analysts at Bridgewell Securities were telling clients yesterday that, despite upbeat meetings with both companies in recent days, they couldn’t recommend either share at current stretched valuations.Sage, the accountancy software company, was the worst blue chip performer, down 9p to 170p, while Psion, the maker of handheld computers and last week’s best performing mid-cap, gave back 5.25p to close at 77.25p.Reckitt Benckiser topped the anaemic list of FTSE 100 risers (just a dozen stocks ended up on the day) as it promised to give fund managers just what they need to improve their portfolio’s returns: cash in hand.