FTSE 100 movers: Diploma rallies; Ashtead tumbles on outlook

(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was down 0.1% at 7,498.66 in afternoon trade on Monday. Diploma rallied as the industrial supplier expressed confidence in current-year forecasts after a solid set of annual results, with adjusted operating profits growing by a quarter.

Halma gained after announcing the acquisition of TeDan - a US supplier of surgical instruments - for up to $100m (£81m).

Standard Chartered was higher after Goldman Sachs upgraded its rating on the shares from 'neutral' to 'buy', saying that upside risk isn't reflected in the current share price.

The stock currently trades close to record-low valuations, despite a near-decade-high return on tangible equity of 11% next year, and offering a 10% total capital return yield, Goldman said.

Meanwhile, StanChart is set to show a "rare out-performance relative to its bank peers over the next two years", according to Goldman.

Ashtead tumbled as it lowered full-year revenue and profit forecasts after a quieter hurricane season and the writers' and actors' strike in the US and revealed it would take a $2bn depreciation charge.

Compass was also in the red as the catering group hiked its final dividend by 27% as annual profits surged but revenues and earnings per share missed expectations.

FTSE 100 - Risers

Diploma (DPLM) 3,326.00p 10.13% Ocado Group (OCDO) 591.00p 5.42% Spirax-Sarco Engineering (SPX) 9,144.00p 2.28% Flutter Entertainment (CDI) (FLTR) 12,910.00p 1.69% Halma (HLMA) 2,082.00p 1.41% Burberry Group (BRBY) 1,586.50p 1.41% Shell (SHEL) 2,636.00p 1.05% Rentokil Initial (RTO) 468.20p 0.97% Antofagasta (ANTO) 1,391.50p 0.91% Standard Chartered (STAN) 665.60p 0.85%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Ashtead Group (AHT) 4,620.00p -11.90% Compass Group (CPG) 2,002.00p -4.30% DCC (CDI) (DCC) 5,244.00p -1.94% Airtel Africa (AAF) 111.90p -1.76% AstraZeneca (AZN) 10,082.00p -1.73% Convatec Group (CTEC) 223.40p -1.50% Associated British Foods (ABF) 2,345.00p -1.47% Glencore (GLEN) 461.95p -1.22% Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 252.20p -1.21% Endeavour Mining (EDV) 1,708.00p -1.10%