FTSE 250 movers: Dixons, Home Retail rise on Sunday trading announcement

21st Mar 2012 15:36

Retailers Dixons and Home Retail were among the best performers after George Osborne's Budget revealed that all-day trading on Sundays will be allowed from July 22nd to coincide with the Olympics and Paralympics.Debenhams was also making gains helped by Citigroup which upped its recommendation on the stock from hold to buy a day after Debenhams reported that LFL sales had accelerated towards the end of the first half. Shares in Bovis Homes were advancing after UBS upped its target price by nearly a fifth. "Bovis should see substantial increases in profitability over 2012-14E as new, more profitable outlets are opened and legacy low return land is sold," UBS said. The broker did however keep its sell rating on the stock. Ophir Energy, the African energy firm which began trading in London last year, rose after hailing 2011 as a 'transformational year' as both revenue and cash-flow surged. Revenue jumped from just $0.53m in 2010 to $14.68m in the 12 months ended December 31st 2011, helped by a farm-out gain from its AGC Profond interests to Noble Energy.Sector peer Essar Energy was also in demand after it commissioned a further two units at its Vadinar refinery in India, leaving just one additional unit remaining to be commissioned as part of the $1.81bn phase one expansion project. "The Vadinar refinery, which is now in the final leg of its expansion programme, will soon be among the world's most complex refineries capable of producing fuels that meet the world's most stringent emission norms," its Chief Executive said.BCFTSE 250 - RisersDixons Retail (DXNS) 18.43p +5.50%Barratt Developments (BDEV) 149.40p +4.84%Home Retail Group (HOME) 121.10p +4.49%Imagination Technologies Group (IMG) 702.00p +4.31%Bovis Homes Group (BVS) 509.00p +3.27%Exillon Energy (EXI) 194.10p +3.03%Persimmon (PSN) 679.00p +2.88%Lamprell (LAM) 339.00p +2.73%Regus (RGU) 106.80p +2.69%Hochschild Mining (HOC) 474.80p +2.57%FTSE 250 - FallersOcado Group (OCDO) 119.10p -3.41%Chemring Group (CHG) 420.50p -3.31%Logica (LOG) 98.15p -3.30%Avocet Mining (AVM) 187.10p -2.81%Savills (SVS) 371.80p -2.72%Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CW.) 36.97p -2.71%Perform Group (PER) 308.70p -2.68%Millennium & Copthorne Hotels (MLC) 486.50p -2.68%John Laing Infrastructure Fund Ltd (JLIF) 106.60p -2.65%Centamin (DI) (CEY) 77.90p -2.38%