Halma (HLMA)

Sector:

Electronic and Electrical Equipment

Index:

FTSE 100

2,732.00p
   
  • Change Today:
    -4.00p
  • 52 Week High: 2,762.00
  • 52 Week Low: 2,121.00
  • Currency: UK Pounds
  • Shares Issued: 379.65m
  • Volume: 40,194
  • Market Cap: £10,372m
  • RiskGrade: 112
  • Beta: 1.16

London close: Stocks rise after UK borrowing data, Nvidia results

By Josh White

Date: Thursday 21 Nov 2024

LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - London stocks ended Thursday on a positive note, as markets rebounded following quarterly results from US tech giant Nvidia and investor response to the latest UK government borrowing figures.

The FTSE 100 index rose 0.79% to close at 8,149.27 points, while the FTSE 250 advanced 0.52% to 20,349.92 points.

In currency markets, sterling was last down 0.56% on the dollar to trade at $1.2581, while it edged up 0.17% against the euro, changing hands at €1.2021.

"The FTSE 100's day has been dominated by the weak outlook from JD Sports, which has sent the shares diving 16%, and the solid update by Halma, which has gained over 5%," said IG chief market analyst Chris Beauchamp.

"But the updates from one of its flashiest members and also one of its more staid constituents has had little overall effect given their small weighting.

"Bigger names like Shell, bolstered by a rising oil price, have had more effect on a day that has seen a continuation of the index's recent strength."

Beauchamp added that antitrust worries had resurfaced stateside for Alphabet, after US regulators pushed for the giant to divest its Chrome search engine.

"Combined with last night's Nvidia earnings, which surprisingly failed to lift a stock that has gained 50% in almost three months, the news has been enough to prevent the Nasdaq and S&P 500, with its heavy tech weighting, joining in the gains by the Dow and the small cap Russell 2000.

"Crypto stocks like Coinbase have also suffered a check after recent strong gains."

UK government borrowing surges past forecasts in October

In economic news, the UK government's borrowing rose to £17.4bn in October, far exceeding economists' expectations of £12.3bn and marking a £1.6bn increase compared to the same month last year.

The Office for National Statistics noted it was the second-highest borrowing figure for October since records began in 1993.

The rise, driven by higher spending and debt repayments outpacing tax receipts, was the first since Chancellor Rachel Reeves's budget announcement last month.

"Despite the cut in the main rates of National Insurance earlier in 2024, total receipts rose on last year," said Jessica Barnaby, deputy director for public sector finances at the ONS.

"However, with spending on public services, benefits and debt interest costs all up on last year, expenditure rose faster than revenue overall."

Meanwhile, the Confederation of British Industry's latest Industrial Trends Survey revealed that UK manufacturing output volumes fell in the three months to November, with a weighted balance of -12, down from -6 in October.

Output declines were reported across 14 of 17 sub-sectors, and total order books remained below seasonal norms, albeit with some improvement from the previous month.

Manufacturers expressed cautious optimism, with a balance of 9 anticipating higher output over the next three months.

"Output has underperformed expectations in recent months, with manufacturers pointing to uncertainty around the Budget, the US elections and recent political instability in Europe as among the factors leading customers to pause or cancel orders," said Ben Jones, CBI lead economist.

"Many firms still need to work through the implications of the Budget for their own plans for pay, hiring and investments.

"But it's an encouraging sign that output volumes are expected to return to growth in the quarter ahead, with order books also showing some improvement this month."

Across the Atlantic, US labour and housing markets showed signs of recovery.

Weekly jobless claims fell by 6,000 to 213,000 in the week ended November 16, the lowest level since April and well below forecasts.

The four-week average also dropped to 217,750, suggesting continued strength in employment.

In US housing, existing home sales rose 3.5% in October, reversing a 14-month low, with annualised sales reaching 3.96 million - slightly above expectations.

Home prices climbed 4% to an average of $407,200, ending a three-month decline.

Halma and Ithaca Energy rise, ex-divs prove a drag

On London's equity markets, Halma rose 6.08% after the safety equipment specialist reported record first-half sales exceeding £1bn and announced a 7% increase in its interim dividend.

The group also reaffirmed its full-year guidance.

Ithaca Energy jumped 9.22% on news of a $200m special dividend, rewarding shareholders with an unexpected payout.

On the downside, JD Sports Fashion plummeted 14.79% as the retailer cautioned that full-year profits would hit the lower end of expectations.

The company cited a challenging October marked by heavier discounts, unseasonably warm weather, and cautious consumer spending ahead of the US election.

Similarly, CMC Markets tumbled 14.77% despite reporting a swing to a £49.6m interim pre-tax profit from a £2m loss a year earlier.

PayPoint slid 5.51% despite a 20.6% rise in first-half underlying EBITDA to £37.5m, driven by strong operational momentum.

Vodafone Group, National Grid, Petershill Partners, DCC, and Great Portland Estates all lost ground as they traded ex-dividend.

Among other movers, Frasers Group edged down 0.61% after calling for a leadership change at Boohoo Group, whose shares gained 3.92%.

Auction Technology Group dropped 3.71% after Jefferies initiated coverage with an 'underperform' rating, adding to its pressure.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.

Market Movers

FTSE 100 (UKX) 8,149.27 0.79%
FTSE 250 (MCX) 20,349.92 0.52%
techMARK (TASX) 4,632.60 0.68%

FTSE 100 - Risers

Halma (HLMA) 2,645.00p 5.72%
Smurfit Westrock (DI) (SWR) 4,400.00p 4.71%
Beazley (BEZ) 776.00p 3.60%
Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 540.80p 2.77%
Flutter Entertainment (DI) (FLTR) 21,350.00p 2.74%
B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI) (BME) 339.00p 2.70%
Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 371.90p 2.45%
Diploma (DPLM) 4,224.00p 2.38%
Experian (EXPN) 3,710.00p 2.18%
Hiscox Limited (DI) (HSX) 1,036.00p 2.17%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

JD Sports Fashion (JD.) 95.44p -15.50%
Vodafone Group (VOD) 68.88p -3.31%
National Grid (NG.) 963.60p -1.89%
Vistry Group (VTY) 624.50p -1.50%
BT Group (BT.A) 148.00p -1.43%
Croda International (CRDA) 3,462.00p -1.11%
British Land Company (BLND) 375.00p -1.11%
Fresnillo (FRES) 647.50p -1.07%
Convatec Group (CTEC) 229.80p -1.03%
easyJet (EZJ) 511.80p -0.89%

FTSE 250 - Risers

Ithaca Energy (ITH) 109.00p 9.22%
IP Group (IPO) 42.05p 6.19%
Wood Group (John) (WG.) 54.15p 5.04%
Grainger (GRI) 232.50p 4.73%
Ninety One (N91) 162.70p 4.56%
Bytes Technology Group (BYIT) 446.20p 4.34%
W.A.G Payment Solutions (WPS) 85.00p 3.66%
Oxford Instruments (OXIG) 2,020.00p 3.59%
Harbour Energy (HBR) 267.80p 3.40%
Bridgepoint Group (Reg S) (BPT) 342.20p 3.07%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

CMC Markets (CMCX) 296.00p -14.77%
Petershill Partners (PHLL) 238.50p -6.29%
PayPoint (PAY) 786.00p -5.99%
Mitie Group (MTO) 106.00p -4.50%
Urban Logistics Reit (SHED) 104.80p -4.37%
Auction Technology Group (ATG) 426.50p -3.71%
Discoverie Group (DSCV) 640.00p -3.32%
Dr. Martens (DOCS) 54.10p -3.13%
Wizz Air Holdings (WIZZ) 1,275.00p -3.12%
Genus (GNS) 1,644.00p -2.49%

Email this article to a friend

or share it with one of these popular networks:


Note 1: Prices and trades are provided by Digital Look Corporate Solutions and are delayed by at least 15 minutes.

Note 2: RiskGrade figures are provided by RiskMetrics.

 

Halma Market Data

Currency UK Pounds
Share Price 2,732.00p
Change Today -4.00p
% Change -0.15 %
52 Week High 2,762.00
52 Week Low 2,121.00
Volume 40,194
Shares Issued 379.65m
Market Cap £10,372m
Beta 1.16
RiskGrade 112

Halma Star Ratings

Compare performance with the sector and the market.
more star ratings
Key: vs Market vs Sector
Value
91% below the market average91% below the market average91% below the market average91% below the market average91% below the market average
94.29% below the sector average94.29% below the sector average94.29% below the sector average94.29% below the sector average94.29% below the sector average
Price Trend
78.15% above the market average78.15% above the market average78.15% above the market average78.15% above the market average78.15% above the market average
83.78% above the sector average83.78% above the sector average83.78% above the sector average83.78% above the sector average83.78% above the sector average
Income
70.77% below the market average70.77% below the market average70.77% below the market average70.77% below the market average70.77% below the market average
87.5% below the sector average87.5% below the sector average87.5% below the sector average87.5% below the sector average87.5% below the sector average
Growth
11.03% above the market average11.03% above the market average11.03% above the market average11.03% above the market average11.03% above the market average
69.70% above the sector average69.70% above the sector average69.70% above the sector average69.70% above the sector average69.70% above the sector average

What The Brokers Say

Strong Buy 2
Buy 2
Neutral 9
Sell 2
Strong Sell 1
Total 16
neutral
Broker recommendations should not be taken as investment advice, and are provided by the authorised brokers listed on this page.

Halma Dividends

  Latest Previous
  Interim Final
Ex-Div 19-Dec-24 11-Jul-24
Paid 31-Jan-25 16-Aug-24
Amount 9.00p 13.20p

Trades for 04-Dec-2024

Time Volume / Share Price
08:35 75 @ 2,732.00p
08:35 75 @ 2,732.00p
08:34 140 @ 2,730.96p
08:34 132 @ 2,732.00p
08:34 107 @ 2,732.00p

Halma Key Personnel

CEO Marc Ronchetti
Chair Dame Louise Makin
CFO Steve Gunning

Top of Page