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FTSE 100 helped by AB Foods and Barratt updates | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
(Noon): The FTSE 100 jumped more than 1%, helped by upbeat trading updates from Primark owner AB Foods and housebuilder Barratt Developments. | |
Shortly after midday, the FTSE 100 index was up 72.97 points at 6,563.67. | |
AB Foods led the way, rising 4.7%, after it said it was on track to meet full-year profit forecasts. | |
The company also said it planned to open a Primark store in Italy next year, which would be the 10th European market the chain has reached. | |
Shares in Barratt Developments rose 2.8% after it said full year profits were set to rise by a better-than-expected 45% to about £565m. | |
The housebuilder also said the cut in tax relief for buy-to-let investors announced on Wednesday's Budget was unlikely to affect the housing market. | |
However, shares in supermarkets and retailers came under pressure as investors feared these would be hit by the new national living wage announced in the Budget. Sainsbury's shares fell 0.9%. | |
In the FTSE 250, shares in Balfour Beatty fell 4.5% after the engineering group issued another profit warning. | |
It said its 2015 results would be hit by a "shortfall" of £120m-£150m after a review of its businesses had continued to "identify legacy issues" in the UK, US and Middle East. | It said its 2015 results would be hit by a "shortfall" of £120m-£150m after a review of its businesses had continued to "identify legacy issues" in the UK, US and Middle East. |
Supergroup - the owner of the Superdry brand - climbed 5% after it reported a 2% rise in full-year profits and said recent trading had been strong. | |
The company also said it was to enter China after signing a joint venture deal with Chinese retailer Trendy International Group. | The company also said it was to enter China after signing a joint venture deal with Chinese retailer Trendy International Group. |
On the currency markets, the pound rose 0.4% against the euro to €1.3933 and was 0.1% higher against the dollar at $1.5381. |