FTSE 250 movers: Retail stocks lead rise as footfall decline slows

21st Oct 2014 14:38

Retail stocks were putting in a strong performance on Tuesday after data from BRC-Springboard showed the decline in UK retail footfall eased to 0.9% in September from a 1.1% drop in August. Stocks such as Debenhams, Home Retail, Just Eat, WH Smith and Halfords were all in positive territory."With a return to more normal, albeit mild, weather conditions in the UK in October 2014, we would expect the footfall data to improve further month-on-month, particularly for shopping centres selling fashion," said analysts at Shore Capital.Travel-tour operator Thomas Cook was also a high riser despite reports of travel disruptions and cancelled flights in the UK because of Hurricane Gonzalo. Stocks across the sector were extending gains made over the last few sessions as concerns about the spread of Ebola began to ease slightly.Ophir Energy was making decent gains after saying that positive drill stem tests at its Fortuna-2 well in Block R, Equatorial Guinea, mean that it won't need as many development wells to produce the gas field, "thereby improving development economics".Business media group Informa was in demand after a solid third-quarter kept it on track to hit full-year results, with its events business strength counterbalancing weaker business intelligence performance.Leading the fallers were mining peers Ferrexpo and Kazakhmys, along with pharmaceutical and healthcare groups BTG and NMC Health.FTSE 250 - RisersThomas Cook Group (TCG) 117.10p +6.36%Just Eat (JE.) 283.30p +5.99%Informa (INF) 472.30p +5.52%Debenhams (DEB) 61.80p +5.19%Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) 349.60p +5.17%Home Retail Group (HOME) 173.70p +4.76%Ophir Energy (OPHR) 198.80p +4.63%Crest Nicholson Holdings (CRST) 325.80p +4.59%Enterprise Inns (ETI) 120.90p +4.58%Jupiter Fund Management (JUP) 348.70p +4.56%FTSE 250 - FallersFerrexpo (FXPO) 87.95p -3.83%Kazakhmys (KAZ) 244.90p -2.82%BTG (BTG) 686.50p -1.79%NMC Health (NMC) 471.50p -1.77%Redefine International (RDI) 50.30p -1.28%Daejan Holdings (DJAN) 4,823.00p -1.27%Supergroup (SGP) 1,026.00p -1.25%Stock Spirits Group (STCK) 304.30p -1.17%SSP Group (SSPG) 227.40p -1.13%Micro Focus International (MCRO) 993.00p -1.00%