FTSE 250 movers: Vistry boosted by upgrade; Restaurant Group retreats

London’s FTSE 250 was up 0.4% at 22,749.97 in afternoon trade on Friday.

Vistry was the top performer on the index as Barclays upped its stance on shares of the housebuilder to ‘overweight’ from ‘equalweight’ and lifted the price target to 1,600p from 945p.

It put the price target change down to "strong" fundamentals and a new sum-of-the-parts valuation.

Fellow housebuilder Crest Nicholson also rallied.

On the downside, Wagamama owner Restaurant Group was in the red after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday that the lifting of all Covid restrictions on 21 June may be delayed due to the spread of the Indian variant.

FTSE 250 - Risers

Vistry Group (VTY) 1,332.50p 4.84%
Hammerson (HMSO) 40.50p 3.71%
PureTech Health (PRTC) 399.00p 3.64%
Crest Nicholson Holdings (CRST) 457.40p 3.62%
Workspace Group (WKP) 907.50p 3.54%
GCP Student Living (DIGS) 171.40p 3.25%
Shaftesbury (SHB) 630.00p 3.03%
Pagegroup (PAGE) 599.50p 2.74%
Euromoney Institutional Investor (ERM) 1,078.00p 2.67%
Big Yellow Group (BYG) 1,312.00p 2.66%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

Volution Group (FAN) 433.00p -4.63%
Centamin (DI) (CEY) 109.45p -3.91%
Ferrexpo (FXPO) 451.00p -3.67%
FirstGroup (FGP) 82.85p -3.66%
Restaurant Group (RTN) 122.00p -3.48%
C&C Group (CDI) (CCR) 241.40p -3.36%
Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 165.90p -3.04%
Savills (SVS) 1,198.00p -3.00%
National Express Group (NEX) 304.60p -2.75%
Pets at Home Group (PETS) 452.60p -2.37%