The FTSE 100 (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE) ended yesterday with a loss of 39 points, and by mid-afternoon today it’s regained some 17 points of that to stand at 6,575. Most commentators today are blaming continued uncertainty from the US Federal Reserve, although there’s nothing new there and it is sure to be only short-term.
But which companies are not being held back? Here are three from the various FTSE indices that are picking up nicely today:
Home Retail
Home Retail Group (LSE: HOME) shares got a 4.5p (2.7%) boost today to 169p after the owner of Argos announced a deal with eBay to trial a buy-and-collect service on behalf of sellers on the online sales giant’s site. Products from around 50 selected eBay sellers will be available for purchase, to be collected from one of about 150 Argos stores around the country.
Conventional home-delivery is inconvenient for people who are out at work when the post arrives, and schemes like Amazon’s Locker delivery are becoming popular. The eBay/Argos trial is likely to last around six months.
Home Retail shares, meanwhile, are up 80% over the past 12 months.
Close Brothers
Full-year results from banking and finance firm Close Brothers Group (LSE: CBG) helped push the shares up 34p (3%) to 1,167p today, after adjusted operating profit was reported to be 24% up, to £166.5m, with adjusted earnings per share up 23% to 83.1p.
The group’s banking division contributed the lion’s share, with a 17% rise in adjusted operating profit to £157.8m, but Close’s asset management business is also back in profit. The full-year dividend was lifted 7% to 44.5p per share, for a yield of 3.8%.
Euromoney Institutional Investor
Media and information group Euromoney Institutional Investor (LSE: ERM) is also on the up today, with its shares gaining 79p (7.5%) on the back of a trading update ahead of full-year results. Trading has continued in line with expectations, with signs of recovering strength in the US although European markets are still weak.
The firm expects to announce a rise in revenue of 9% for the fourth quarter, with a like-for-like increase of 5%. For the full year, total revenue should be up around 2%, and adjusted pre-tax profit should come in at “not less than £114 million“. Results should be with us on 14 November.
