London’s FTSE 250 was 0.1% lower at 20,893.80in afternoon trade on Thursday.
Specialist lending and retail savings group OSB surged after it posted record full-year profits and announced a £100m share buyback. In the year to the end of December 2021, underlying pre-tax profit rose 51% to a record £522.2m, while statutory pre-tax profit was 78% higher at £464.6m, mainly due to a lower cost of retail funds and an impairment credit for the year.
Trainline chugged higher after it said that ticket sales and revenues improved in 2022 as it recovered from the impact of the pandemic.
Landscaping products manufacturer Marshalls rose after saying it had delivered record sales and adjusted profitability in 2021, reflecting sustained heightened demand post Covid-19 lockdowns.
North Sea oil and gas producer Harbour Energy advanced as it reported a return to profits in its first results since its merger with Premier Oil.
On the downside, Helios Towers was on the back foot as it posted a widening of its annual losses, while house builder Crest Nicholson fell as it went ex-dividend.
FTSE 250 – Risers
OSB Group (OSB) 539.50p 13.44%
Essentra (ESNT) 308.00p 7.88%
TBC Bank Group (TBCG) 1,070.00p 7.00%
Auction Technology Group (ATG) 1,028.00p 5.22%
Trainline (TRN) 209.80p 5.22%
Centamin (DI) (CEY) 93.32p 4.88%
Marshalls (MSLH) 672.50p 4.51%
Drax Group (DRX) 714.50p 4.38%
Harbour Energy (HBR) 413.60p 4.34%
Hochschild Mining (HOC) 130.20p 3.99%
FTSE 250 – Fallers
Petropavlovsk (POG) 1.83p -16.82%
Helios Towers (HTWS) 120.20p -11.09%
Wizz Air Holdings (WIZZ) 2,597.00p -9.67%
Syncona Limited NPV (SYNC) 175.20p -5.81%
Crest Nicholson Holdings (CRST) 283.60p -5.15%
easyJet (EZJ) 523.20p -4.91%
Bodycote (BOY) 692.00p -4.75%
Oxford Instruments (OXIG) 2,055.00p -4.42%
Bridgepoint Group (Reg S) (BPT) 277.50p -3.81%
Virgin Money UK (VMUK) 169.95p -3.77%
