FTSE 100 movers: Vistry gains on results; AB Foods slumps
London’s FTSE 100 was up 0.1% at 8,273.84 in afternoon trade on Thursday.
Housebuilder Vistry was the standout gainer on the index as it announced a further £130m share buyback and posted a 7% increase in first-half pre-tax profit.
In the half year to 30 June, adjusted pre-tax profit rose to £186.2m from £174m in the same period a year earlier, with total completions up 9.1% to 7,792. Vistry hailed "good demand" across its Partner Funded markets.
Revenue was 11.1% higher at £1.97bn.
Whitbread was also in the black as Redburn upgraded shares of the Premier Inn owner to ‘neutral’.
Associated British Foods fell as it said like‐for‐like sales at Primark were expected to fall by around 0.5% in the second half of the financial year, with a projected decline of 0.9% in the fourth quarter due to wet weather in the UK and Ireland which hit footfall and seasonal sales in womenswear and footwear.
Admiral and DS Smith both lost ground as they traded without entitlement to the dividend.
FTSE 100 - Risers
Vistry Group (VTY) 1,394.00p 5.77%
Whitbread (WTB) 3,017.00p 4.04%
WPP (WPP) 734.60p 3.93%
Severn Trent (SVT) 2,695.00p 3.58%
Entain (ENT) 638.00p 3.51%
Burberry Group (BRBY) 641.60p 3.24%
United Utilities Group (UU.) 1,058.00p 2.82%
Land Securities Group (LAND) 655.00p 2.66%
Standard Chartered (STAN) 768.40p 2.53%
Barclays (BARC) 228.95p 2.50%
FTSE 100 - Fallers
Associated British Foods (ABF) 2,340.00p -6.44%
Admiral Group (ADM) 2,839.00p -3.14%
Relx plc (REL) 3,455.00p -2.76%
Smith (DS) (SMDS) 451.80p -2.67%
AstraZeneca (AZN) 12,752.00p -2.28%
Halma (HLMA) 2,488.00p -2.20%
Melrose Industries (MRO) 461.20p -2.04%
M&G (MNG) 208.60p -1.97%
GSK (GSK) 1,637.50p -1.59%
Spirax Group (SPX) 7,395.00p -1.47%