FTSE 250 movers: Halma up on trading update; Ted Baker drops

London’s FTSE 250 was up 0.7% to 18,971.87 in afternoon trade, as investors sifted through corporate news and digested better-than-expected retail sales figures.

Halma gained ground as it said it expects full-year profit to be in line with market consensus.

Online gambling company GVC Holdings rose after it reported a surge in full-year earnings and said it will pay a second special dividend for 2016.

Pub group JD Wetherspoon was boosted by a Goodbody upgrade to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’. The brokerage said it was updating its forecasts following a very strong set of interim results on 10 March.

“The key message we took from the interims was that in spite of cost headwinds and other challenges facing the sector, this is a business in very good shape.”

On the downside, clothes retailer Ted Baker was weaker despite reporting a jump in full-year revenue and profit, as it sounded a cautious note in its outlook.

Online trading company IG Group retreated after reported a 3.8% drop in revenue for the third quarter, which it referred to as a “quiet period” in global financial markets.

In the three months to 28 February 2017, revenue fell to £117.4m on what was the strongest quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, the number of active clients was up 13%, driven by ongoing success in online marketing, with new first trades in the period over 20% higher than the year before.

Bovis Homes, Galliford Try and Segro declined as their stock went ex dividend.

Risers

Halma (HLMA) 1,013.00p 5.58%
Savills (SVS) 917.00p 4.62%
Marshalls (MSLH) 364.70p 4.20%
Softcat (SCT) 380.80p 3.39%
GVC Holdings (GVC) 730.00p 3.11%
Wetherspoon (J.D.) (JDW) 957.00p 2.96%
Grafton Group Units (GFTU) 672.50p 2.83%
Dixons Carphone (DC.) 310.90p 2.78%
Amec Foster Wheeler (AMFW) 518.50p 2.67%
Renishaw (RSW) 3,185.00p 2.64%

Fallers

Ted Baker (TED) 2,682.00p -5.56%
IG Group Holdings (IGG) 504.50p -3.72%
Allied Minds (ALM) 337.10p -2.99%
Kaz Minerals (KAZ) 481.70p -2.69%
SEGRO (SGRO) 453.00p -2.14%
Redefine International (RDI) 36.24p -2.05%
Galliford Try (GFRD) 1,545.00p -2.03%
Bovis Homes Group (BVS) 897.50p -1.81%
John Laing Infrastructure Fund Ltd (JLIF) 135.30p -1.67%
Sanne Group (SNN) 641.50p -1.61%