FTSE 100 movers: Centrica boosted by directorate change, oil and gas stocks strong

23rd Dec 2014 14:07

Centrica shares were boosted as the company appointed Carlos Pascual as a new non-executive director, who is said to have extensive geopolitical, economic and commercial development experience in the energy industry. "He brings a wealth of experience with his exceptionally strong international background in energy affairs. Carlos is a rich addition to the mix of the Centrica board," said chairman Rick Haythornthwaite.Oil and gas-related stocks were largely higher after Brent crude prices rose 1.3% to $60.86 a barrel. As a result, resource engineer Weir Group and oil producer Tullow Oil both made strong gains.Pharmaceutical and healthcare stocks were leading the fallers as investors dumped defensive assets amid a continued pre-Christmas rally. Medical-device maker Smith & Nephew was among the worst performers, followed closely behind by pharma giants Astrazeneca and Shire. RisersTullow Oil (TLW) 419.10p +2.97%Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets (MRW) 180.50p +2.56%CRH (CRH) 1,548.00p +2.38%Weir Group (WEIR) 1,916.00p +2.24%Tesco (TSCO) 184.95p +2.18%Smiths Group (SMIN) 1,105.00p +2.13%Centrica (CNA) 283.20p +2.13%Sports Direct International (SPD) 710.50p +2.08%Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 4,236.00p +2.07%ARM Holdings (ARM) 995.50p +2.05% FallersSmith & Nephew (SN.) 1,082.00p -2.35%AstraZeneca (AZN) 4,510.00p -2.02%Shire Plc (SHP) 4,572.00p -1.97%Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB.) 5,210.00p -1.88%Taylor Wimpey (TW.) 134.40p -1.54%Persimmon (PSN) 1,569.00p -1.51%Barratt Developments (BDEV) 459.80p -1.31%Aggreko (AGK) 1,523.00p -1.17%BG Group (BG.) 878.90p -0.81%Ashtead Group (AHT) 1,166.00p -0.77%