By Duncan Ferris
Date: Thursday 19 Dec 2019
LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 250 was up by 0.07% at 21,679.21 in afternoon trade on Thursday, with real estate services provider Savills leading the index higher.
Hunting followed close behind after non-executive chairman John Glick purchased 18,373 ordinary shares in the energy services provider.
PureTech Health also racked up gains after it said results from a study into a hair loss treatment developed by its affiliate Follica had demonstrated a statistically significant 44% improvement in hair count.
Down at the other end of the index, outsourcer Capita was led the fallers after a downgrade to 'sell' at Deutsche Bank.
"Capita has risen by 15% since the UK election result. Whilst a 5-year Tory government is a theoretical positive, UK outsourcers have generally fared better when the government has increased spending materially as a proportion of GDP, and this is unlikely to happen, in our view," said analysts.
Pub chain Wetherspoon also sloshed lower after a downgrade from 'buy' to 'hold' at HSBC.
Real estate investment trust GCP Student Living was also under the cosh after saying it planned to raise £75m through a share placing in response to demand from various pension funds managed by APG Asset Management.
Finally, Tullow Oil edged downward after analysts at Jefferies slashed the stock's target price from 168p to 65p.
Market Movers
FTSE 250 (MCX) 21,679.21 0.07%
FTSE 250 - Risers
Savills (SVS) 1,148.00p 5.81%
Frasers Group (FRAS) 473.00p 5.30%
Contour Global (GLO) 204.00p 5.15%
NewRiver REIT (NRR) 205.50p 3.68%
Hunting (HTG) 401.60p 3.56%
Watches of Switzerland Group (WOSG) 332.00p 3.49%
Spirent Communications (SPT) 235.50p 3.06%
PureTech Health (PRTC) 278.00p 2.96%
Bank of Georgia Group (BGEO) 1,646.00p 2.88%
Stagecoach Group (SGC) 164.90p 2.74%
FTSE 250 - Fallers
Capita (CPI) 168.45p -5.39%
Wetherspoon (J.D.) (JDW) 1,638.00p -5.04%
GCP Student Living (DIGS) 189.80p -4.33%
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings (AML) 541.00p -3.94%
Syncona Limited NPV (SYNC) 217.50p -3.33%
Centamin (DI) (CEY) 115.65p -2.32%
Direct Line Insurance Group (DLG) 312.10p -2.07%
Cineworld Group (CINE) 222.80p -2.02%
PZ Cussons (PZC) 178.20p -1.98%
Tullow Oil (TLW) 64.14p -1.90%