FTSE 250 movers: Bovis Homes leads after positive interims

18th Aug 2014 14:49

Bovis Homes was the top performer after delivering what Panmure Gordon described as a "positive set of interim results". Pre-tax profit in the six months to 30 June totalled £49.4m, up 166% over the year before, on revenues that jumped 75% to £322.1m, as completions reached a record level and sales prices improved. Operating margins climbed by 480 basis points year-on-year to 15.9%. The interim dividend was hiked by 200% to 12p and the company signalled its intention to pay an "enhanced dividend" of 35p (total) this year and 35p thereafter, compared with 13.5p in 2013.Sector peers Foxtons and Redrow were also lifted higher by the news. Canaccord Genuity helped Petra Diamonds higher with a reiteration of its 'buy' rating, although the broker did say that the group's guidance was worse than expected on Monday. Production is forecast to rise by around 3% to 3.2m carats in the 12 months to 30 June 2015, 7% below Canaccord's estimate of 3.4m carats.Construction group Carillion was higher, partly lifted by the news it has won a £90m contract with HUB for the Hoola London project, a residential development in London's Royal Docks. Meanwhile, Rank Group retreated as the share price rebalanced after last week reporting a 21% jump in half-on-half operating profits and recommending a 3.15p rise in the final dividend payment. Ted Baker was similarly retreating from strong gains seen on Friday, alongside fellow retailer Debenhams, which were out of favour after data from the British Retail Consortium and Springboard showed that footfall across UK stores fell 0.6% in July. FTSE 250 - RisersBovis Homes Group (BVS) 843.50p +5.24%Foxtons Group (FOXT) 284.00p +4.87%Supergroup (SGP) 1,078.00p +3.55%Ocado Group (OCDO) 347.60p +3.54%Regus (RGU) 183.70p +3.14%Balfour Beatty (BBY) 247.00p +2.96%Just Retirement Group (JRG) 147.20p +2.94%Petra Diamonds Ltd.(DI) (PDL) 195.50p +2.89%Brit (BRIT) 259.60p +2.85%Redrow (RDW) 261.20p +2.83%FTSE 250 - FallersRank Group (RNK) 163.70p -3.71%Exova Group (EXO) 226.90p -3.45%Ted Baker (TED) 1,767.00p -2.05%Countrywide (CWD) 501.50p -1.96%Perform Group (PER) 210.30p -1.77%Centamin (DI) (CEY) 65.45p -1.58%Dechra Pharmaceuticals (DPH) 724.50p -1.29%NMC Health (NMC) 474.10p -1.23%Debenhams (DEB) 63.80p -1.16%Premier Farnell (PFL) 187.90p -1.11%NR