FTSE 250 movers: Wetherspoons rallies while Greene King loses fizz

The FTSE 250 was well into the red on Friday afternoon, as investors reacted to worse-than-expected Chinese inflation data.

Pub operator JD Wetherspoon rallied after the pub operator reported record full year pre-tax profit and sales.

The firm’s profit before tax was up 3.6% at £77.8m with revenue rising 5.4% to £1.595bn, and like-for-like sales improving 3.4% over the prior year.

Retailer Sports Direct was also among the top risers, after figurehead Mike Ashley and chairman Keith Hellawell were given three months to respond to shareholder calls for “wholesale” change at the company.

More than half of minority investors voted against Hellawell at the company’s AGM on Wednesday, which will mean he faces another ballot in 12 weeks.

On the downside was brewer and pubco Greene King, which slumped after it sounded a cautious note on the impact of the Brexit vote.

It reported a 1.7% increase in like-for-like sales in the 18 weeks to 4 September.

The group said uncertainty surrounding the UK's future withdrawal from the European Union has “translated into a softening of some economic indicators and a reduction in consumer confidence”.

FTSE 250 - Risers

AA (AA.) 303.70p 4.36%
Sports Direct International (SPD) 327.50p 2.15%
Wetherspoon (J.D.) (JDW) 941.50p 1.89%
Euromoney Institutional Investor (ERM) 1,060.00p 1.73%
HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited A Shs (HVPE) 950.00p 1.28%
Serco Group (SRP) 133.50p 1.14%
Polar Capital Technology Trust (PCT) 743.00p 0.95%
Tullett Prebon (TLPR) 388.80p 0.91%
Ascential (ASCL) 261.70p 0.65%
Daejan Holdings (DJAN) 5,500.00p 0.55%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

Greene King (GNK) 788.00p -6.19%
Hochschild Mining (HOC) 260.50p -6.02%
Howden Joinery Group (HWDN) 440.30p -4.49%
Inchcape (INCH) 680.50p -4.42%
Crest Nicholson Holdings (CRST) 473.70p -4.30%
Countrywide (CWD) 252.30p -4.18%
SIG (SHI) 121.70p -4.10%
Vedanta Resources (VED) 506.50p -4.07%
Acacia Mining (ACA) 490.00p -3.92%
Cranswick (CWK) 2,249.00p -3.81%