FTSE 250: 18,734.15, up 0.78% at 1456 GMT.
After a busy week of rate rises, sentiment surveys and macroeconomic data, there was little to drive markets in the run-up to Christmas.
Shares in electricals retailer Currys fell after a downgrade to ‘hold’ at Investec.
Shares in transport service provider FirstGroup gained after announcing late on Friday that it had finalised the sale of all but two of its US legacy greyhound property portfolio to Twenty Lake Holdings in a £122m deal while also unveiling a share buyback.
FirstGroup announced the sale of its greyhound portfolio in September, with assets and liabilities expected to fetch £140m in proceeds at the end of the next financial year.
“Accordingly, following the receipt of the Greyhound proceeds and in light of the group’s cash generative operations and strong net cash financial position, the group is launching a share buyback programme to purchase up to 75m of ordinary shares of 5p, in line with the group’s existing authority granted by shareholders, which will commence on 19 December.”
The share buyback programme will end no later than 18 December 2023.
FTSE 250 – Risers
FirstGroup (FGP) 103.70p 5.71%
Hammerson (HMSO) 23.95p 5.41%
Sirius Real Estate Ltd. (SRE) 73.40p 4.26%
Syncona Limited NPV (SYNC) 184.20p 4.07%
Caledonia Investments (CLDN) 3,660.00p 3.83%
Bridgepoint Group (Reg S) (BPT) 193.90p 3.75%
Helios Towers (HTWS) 107.10p 3.68%
IP Group (IPO) 58.25p 3.65%
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings (AML) 179.80p 3.63%
Ashmore Group (ASHM) 234.40p 3.35%
FTSE 250 – Fallers
Dechra Pharmaceuticals (DPH) 2,614.00p -4.32%
Currys (CURY) 55.20p -2.99%
Darktrace (DARK) 271.60p -2.65%
Barr (A.G.) (BAG) 528.00p -2.40%
Carnival (CCL) 600.00p -2.12%
Genus (GNS) 2,920.00p -1.88%
Fidelity China Special Situations (FCSS) 239.00p -1.65%
Smithson Investment Trust (SSON) 1,274.00p -1.39%
Wizz Air Holdings (WIZZ) 2,080.00p -1.38%
Volution Group (FAN) 334.00p -1.33%
