FTSE 100 movers: Financials have the Friday feel-good factor

Traders and investors created an upbeat tone to the last session of the week as the FTSE 100 perked up in afternoon trade. The index of leading shares was up 1.67% to 6,137 at 1415 GMT.

Financial sector stocks led the charge with Aviva continuing to bask in the glow of operating profits of £2.7bn in a mammoth final results on Thursday, an increase of 20% on last year along with a massive 15% dividend hike.

Wealth managers St James's Place and Hargreaves Lansdown tagged along, with the shares up 5.45% and 4.45% respectively.

On the red side of the ledger, Old Mutual Group shares fell as the company announced it will separate its four underlying businesses - Old Mutual Emerging Markets (OMEM), Nedbank, Old Mutual Wealth (OMW) and OM Asset Management (OMAM).

Apart from confirming that it will reduce its 54% stake in Johannesburg-listed Nedbank, the FTSE 100 group said it had a range of options available to complete the route to a final separation it anticipated by the end of 2018.

On total revenue down 12% to £13.7bn, the group produced a 4% rise in adjusted pre-tax operating profit of £1.7bn, although it was up 11% at constant exchange rates.

FTSE 100 - Risers

Aviva (AV.) 493.00p 5.84%
St James's Place (STJ) 900.00p 5.45%
Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) 1,275.00p 4.59%
RSA Insurance Group (RSA) 452.70p 4.16%
Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 229.70p 3.61%
CRH (CRH) 1,925.00p 3.55%
Standard Chartered (STAN) 463.95p 3.44%
3i Group (III) 436.50p 3.34%
Hammerson (HMSO) 563.00p 3.21%
Merlin Entertainments (MERL) 452.40p 3.15%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 397.60p -2.24%
Old Mutual (OML) 182.80p -1.35%
Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 6,355.00p -0.08%
Rexam (REX) 609.50p 0.00%
London Stock Exchange Group (LSE) 2,847.00p 0.18%
Schroders (SDR) 2,706.00p 0.26%
SABMiller (SAB) 4,230.50p 0.27%
United Utilities Group (UU.) 895.00p 0.39%
Berkeley Group Holdings (The) (BKG) 2,974.00p 0.51%
Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 1,715.00p 0.65%

FTSE 250 - Risers

Marshalls (MSLH) 327.00p 8.46%
Crest Nicholson Holdings (CRST) 524.00p 4.17%
Lancashire Holdings Limited (LRE) 539.00p 3.85%
Hiscox Limited (DI) (HSX) 952.50p 3.81%
Henderson Group (HGG) 254.10p 3.80%
Just Retirement Group (JRG) 139.00p 3.73%
IP Group (IPO) 169.00p 3.62%
SIG (SHI) 143.70p 3.60%
TR Property Inv Trust (TRY) 288.00p 3.60%
Capital & Counties Properties (CAPC) 326.30p 3.49%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

OneSavings Bank (OSB) 245.90p -3.98%
Acacia Mining (ACA) 262.00p -3.64%
Restaurant Group (RTN) 394.60p -3.19%
B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI) (BME) 261.80p -2.86%
Ted Baker (TED) 2,804.00p -2.40%
Computacenter (CCC) 810.50p -1.88%
NMC Health (NMC) 902.00p -1.74%
Countrywide (CWD) 351.60p -1.62%
Allied Minds (ALM) 360.00p -1.61%
Dignity (DTY) 2,328.00p -1.44%