FTSE 250 movers: Ibstock retreats as Pets at Home accelerates

The FTSE 250 slipped further into the red late as Thursday wore on, despite having peeped its head above water around midday.

Leading the index lower, shares in Ibstock subsided as the brick maker reported a slow start to the year for its UK clay business had lasted four months before reaching a positive plumb-line.

While its directors expected another year of progress, and its full-year views were broadly unchanged, the company added that growth of UK brick sales into the key new residential sector were slower than expected due to destocking in the builders' merchant supply chain.

Inchcape slipped as it noted a good start to the year, in line with expectations, was let down as figures out of its footprints in Europe and North Asia were more subdued than for UK, South Asia and Emerging Markets.

The car dealer said revenue for the period 1 January to 25 May was up 12.8% to £2.47 billion, with like-for-like revenue up 12.4%.

But, along with Ibstock and Mitchells & Butlers, its shares retreated they went ex-dividend on Thursday.

For the pub company this somewhat undermined an HSBC upgrade of its shares the previous day to ‘buy’ from ‘hold,' accompanied with a new target price of 340p, from 300p.

To the upside, shares in Pets at Home improved as it hiked its full-year pre-tax profit to £92.1 million, from £90.2 million. Revenue was £793.1 million, from £777.8 million.

Paypoint managed gains, too, as the market digested Wednesday's news of an impairment-dented set of full-year results. Pre-tax profit slumped to £8.2 million, from £49.6 million, with the mobile payments business booking a £30.8 million impairment in the absence of a sale.

B&M European Value Retail, the discounter chaired by Sir Terry Leahy, was ahead after declaring a special dividend as it posted final results showing strong sales, profits and cash generation.

Shares in Paysafe rallied after it said on Wednesday that full-year revenue and earnings were seen to be ahead of market consensus.

In a trading update, Paysafe said it saw revenue at $950-$970 million, and adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation at $270-$276 million.

Electrocomponents was ahead after it was upgraded to ‘sector perform’ from ‘underperform’ by RBC Capital Markets, which lifted its target price to 270p from 185p.

FTSE 250 - Risers

Thomas Cook Group (TCG) 75.75p 4.20%
Pets at Home Group (PETS) 259.30p 4.01%
Kaz Minerals (KAZ) 154.90p 3.96%
PayPoint (PAY) 903.00p 3.32%
Electrocomponents (ECM) 292.00p 3.29%
OneSavings Bank (OSB) 319.10p 3.27%
Polymetal International (POLY) 826.50p 3.05%
Aldermore Group (ALD) 216.10p 3.05%
B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI) (BME) 290.30p 2.83%
Paysafe Group (PAYS) 417.60p 2.58%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

Ibstock (IBST) 202.00p -9.70%
Electra Private Equity (ELTA) 3,790.00p -4.17%
Restaurant Group (RTN) 357.50p -3.51%
Amec Foster Wheeler (AMFW) 456.20p -3.27%
Rathbone Brothers (RAT) 1,937.00p -3.15%
Spectris (SXS) 1,660.00p -3.09%
Genus (GNS) 1,524.00p -2.93%
Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) 291.40p -2.67%
Inchcape (INCH) 694.00p -2.66%
Jimmy Choo (CHOO) 115.50p -2.61%