30th Jul 2026 11:05
(Alliance News) - The following are the leading risers and fallers among FTSE 100 and 250 index constituents on Thursday.
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FTSE 100 winners
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Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC, up 6.0% at 1,463.3p, ups outlook
Informa PLC, up 2.9% at 931.2p, ups share buyback by GBP100 million
Croda International PLC, up 2.5% at 3,299.5p
Rio Tinto PLC, up 2.4% at 7,147.0p, Berenberg lifts to 'buy'
Howden Joinery Group PLC, up 2.3% at 804.75p
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FTSE 100 losers
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Rentokil Initial PLC, down 16% at 374.05p, calls time on a margin goal
London Stock Exchange Group PLC, down 2.4% at 8,979.0p
Sage Group PLC, down 1.9% at 1,002.5p, rose 8.8% on Wednesday
GSK PLC, down 1.9% at 1,969.5p
AstraZeneca PLC, down 1.3% at 12,963.0p
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FTSE 250 winners
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Mondi PLC, up 14% at 903.3p
Ocado Group PLC, up 6.0% at 206.6p
Goodwin PLC, up 5.8% at 17,290.0p
Helios Towers PLC, up 5.2% at 212.8p, ups guidance
Genuit Group PLC, up 4.7% at 277.4p
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FTSE 250 losers
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Alfa Financial Software Holdings PLC, down 4.8% at 165.4p, notes weaker Delivery unit revenue on project delays
AEP Plantations PLC, down 3.2% at 168.5p
Hays PLC, down 2.9% at 62.8p
Henderson Far East Income Ltd, down 2.5% at 249.0p, shares go ex-dividend, meaning new buyers do not qualify for latest payout
Mony Group PLC, down 2.5% at 207.7p, also goes ex-dividend
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FTSE 100 & 250 movers in focus:
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Rentokil Initial PLC, down 16% at 374.05p, 12-month range 342.50p-507.00p. It plans to invest more in its North American business, and as a result "retire" a margin target, as performance in the unit falls short of expectations. The pest control specialist is "retiring" its North America margin target of 20% in 2027 to reflect the increased investment. "Achieving our potential will require disciplined reinvestment primarily back into the North America business which we will fully self-fund through cost savings," says Chief Executive Mike Duffy, who took charge in March.
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Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC, up 6.0% at 1,463.3p, 12-month range 988.00p-1,532.60p. The jet engine maker hails a "strong first half performance" and it lifts its annual guidance. Revenue in the first six months of 2026 rises 21% to GBP11.45 billion from GBP9.49 billion, though pretax profit slumps 60% to GBP1.93 billion from GBP4.84 billion. The prior year was boosted by a GBP679 million gain on a disposal. Operating profit, which strips out this item, rises 17% to GBP2.42 billion from GBP2.07 billion. Underlying operating profit is up 46% to GBP2.53 billion, from GBP1.73 billion. Rolls-Royce now expects to deliver underlying operating profit of GBP4.7 billion to GBP4.9 billion and free cash flow of GBP3.8 billion to GBP4.0 billion for the full-year. Its profit guidance was previously ranged at GBP4.0 billion to GBP4.2 billion, and the cash flow goal was GBP3.6 billion to GBP3.8 billion. Rolls-Royce lifts its interim dividend to 6.0p from 4.5p.
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Helios Towers PLC, up 5.2% at 212.8p, 12-month range 113.20p-247.60p. The mobile tower company
says tenancies in the first half of 2026 rise 13% on-year to 34,455 from 30,617. It lifts its full-year view to 3,500-4,000 tenancy additions, from a prior view of 3,000 to 3,500. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rise 14% to USD257.0 million in the first half from USD225.5 million, with its full-year view increased to a USD520 million to USD535 million rangem from USD515 million to USD530 million previously.
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Alfa Financial Software Holdings PLC, down 4.8% at 165.4p, 12-month range 140.40p-252.00p. The provider of software to automotive finance providers in a trading statement says second quarter revenue rises 6% on-year to GBP33.2 million. "This was in line overall with higher than expected Software Engineering revenues, driven by increased work for new implementations, offsetting lower Delivery revenues as a result of some customer implementation delays on projects," it adds. For the whole of the first half of 2026, revenue rises 4% to GBP65.1 million. It says: "We continually assess the resources we need to efficiently deliver to customers. In the first half, this resulted in 31 non-voluntary departures, mainly from Product Engineering. We incurred one-off costs in H1 of GBP1.6 million but the savings in H2 will outweigh these costs to give a small favourable impact on operating profit for 2026 as a whole and with a more significant benefit in 2027."
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Lloyds Banking Group PLC, up 1.7% at 113.25 pence, 12-month range 74.40p-116.00p. In the second quarter of 2026, the lender's pretax profit amounts to GBP2.27 billion, up 14% from GBP1.99 billion a year prior. Net income improves 9.7% to GBP4.96 billion from GBP4.52 billion. Net income beats consensus of GBP4.95 billion, with pretax profit beating a GBP2.10 billion forecast. Underlying net interest income alone rises 10% to GBP3.71 billion from GBP3.36 billion a year prior, and Lloyds reiterates its aim of achieving an annual outcome "greater than GBP14.9 billion", improving from 2025's GBP13.64 billion. The bank raises its interim dividend by 30% to 1.58 pence per share from 1.22p a year ago and announces a new share buyback programme of up to GBP1.0 billion, in addition to the GBP1.75 billion programme announced earlier this year with its 2025 results. It outlines ambitions out to 2030, part of its "accelerate 2030" strategy. For the 2027 to 2030 period, it sizes up a "mid-single-digit net income compound annual growth rate and high-single-digit underlying other operating income compound annual growth rate".
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By Eric Cunha, Alliance News news editor
Comments and questions to [email protected]
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