FTSE 250 movers: Dixons rallies but McCarthy & Stone hit by leasehold proposal
London's FTSE 250 was up 0.3% in afternoon trade on Thursday to 20,417.24 in thin volumes, as the Christmas lull kicked in.
Dixons Carphone was on the front foot after it returned group deputy chief executive Andrew Harrison to Carphone Warehouse with responsibility for turning round the struggling business he used to run.
Harrison has stepped down as Dixons' deputy CEO and left the group's board with immediate effect to become chairman of Carphone Warehouse Ltd.
On the downside, retirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone slumped after the Department for Communities and Local Government's proposal to set all ground rents to zero. The company said on Thursday that the proposal will result in a disruption of housing supply and contradicts the government's stated objective of seeking new sources of housing.
Fellow housebuilder Crest Nicholson was also in the red.
Otsourcer Capita lost ground after saying it has won an £80m contract to provide and manage Transport for London's internal internet network across its 1,000-plus stations, offices and other sites for the next five years.
The company began a transition period ahead of its August 2018 delivery date for TfL's wide area network, local area network and WiFi networks, with the initial period of five years and an option to extend for up to five further years.
Risers
Sirius Minerals (SXX) 23.18p 5.36%
TI Fluid Systems (TIFS) 248.40p 3.07%
Beazley (BEZ) 504.00p 3.05%
Cairn Energy (CNE) 215.40p 2.96%
RDI Reit (RDI) 35.99p 2.83%
Spire Healthcare Group (SPI) 244.40p 2.82%
Dixons Carphone (DC.) 198.72p 2.70%
IG Group Holdings (IGG) 700.00p 2.64%
UDG Healthcare Public Limited Company (UDG) 849.00p 2.60%
Ferrexpo (FXPO) 292.60p 2.52%
Fallers
McCarthy & Stone (MCS) 154.00p -9.25%
Capita (CPI) 392.92p -3.20%
Vectura Group (VEC) 102.50p -2.75%
Drax Group (DRX) 263.80p -2.62%
Greencore Group (GNC) 222.00p -2.59%
Softcat (SCT) 506.50p -2.13%
Barr (A.G.) (BAG) 633.00p -1.94%
Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 1,104.00p -1.87%
Crest Nicholson Holdings (CRST) 519.50p -1.80%
Stobart Group Ltd. (STOB) 271.59p -1.78%