(Sharecast News) – London’s FTSE 100 was up 0.7% at 7,455.57 in afternoon trade on Thursday.
Auto Trader shot to the top of the index as it posted a 10% jump in first-half operating profit and a 12% increase in revenue. It said the volume of buyers on Auto Trader is at “record” levels.
AstraZeneca rallied as it lifted its full-year guidance for core earnings per share and total revenue excluding Covid medicines.
Taylor Wimpey was also in the black as the housebuilder highlighted an uncertain market backdrop, but said it now expects full-year operating profit to be at the top end of its guidance range of £440m to £470m thanks to a “focus on optimising price and sharp cost discipline”.
Flutter Entertainment was under the cosh as it said full-year group adjusted EBITDA excluding the US was set to come in at the bottom end of the range of £1.44bn to £1.6bn.
Discount retailer B&M fell even as it raised guidance for profits and store openings after a strong first half, with double-digit growth in both revenues and earnings.
Sainsbury’s and HSBC both fell as they traded without entitlement to the dividend.
FTSE 100 – Risers
Auto Trader Group (AUTO) 685.00p 7.81%
Rightmove (RMV) 487.50p 3.86%
AstraZeneca (AZN) 10,488.00p 3.13%
RS Group (RS1) 711.00p 2.78%
Smurfit Kappa Group (CDI) (SKG) 2,848.00p 2.74%
Spirax-Sarco Engineering (SPX) 8,630.00p 2.45%
Taylor Wimpey (TW.) 118.30p 2.38%
Antofagasta (ANTO) 1,328.50p 2.19%
Mondi (MNDI) 1,379.50p 2.11%
Diploma (DPLM) 3,018.00p 2.10%
FTSE 100 – Fallers
Flutter Entertainment (CDI) (FLTR) 12,565.00p -8.28%
B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI) (BME) 515.00p -4.24%
Endeavour Mining (EDV) 1,648.00p -2.20%
Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 228.50p -1.68%
HSBC Holdings (HSBA) 600.90p -1.05%
Fresnillo (FRES) 536.60p -0.96%
Airtel Africa (AAF) 114.00p -0.87%
3i Group (III) 2,025.00p -0.78%
Sainsbury (J) (SBRY) 266.10p -0.60%
BP (BP.) 474.30p -0.60%
