Henry Boot Share News (BOOT)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Friday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------Shire, up 2.6%. The Irish pharmaceutical company said the US Food & Drug Administration has approved its Takhzyro drug to treat a rare genetic disease. The disease, hereditary angioedema, causes attacks of swelling in different parts of the body and can be life-threatening. Approval from the FDA follows a phase III study of 125 patients in which Takhzyro reduced monthly attacks by, on average, 87% in patients when compared with a placebo. Antofagasta, up 2.0%. RBC Capital upgraded the Chilean copper miner to Outperform from Sector Perform. ----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Berkeley Group, down 2.3%, Barratt Developments, down 1.9%, Persimmon, down 1.7%, Taylor Wimpey, down 1.2%. The housebuilders were lower amid a decline in UK mortgage approvals in July. The number of mortgages approved in July fell to 39,584 from 40,330 in June. Economists had forecast approvals to rise to 40,650, data from UK Finance showed. "Housebuilders have taken a knock as a double whammy of lower new approved mortgages and a five-month low in mortgage lending weighed on the sector," IG Group analyst Chris Beauchamp said. Midcap peers McCarthy & Stone, Bovis Homes and Bellway were down 2.1%, 1.4% and 1.2%, respectively. ----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Ted Baker, up 2.0%. Peel Hunt raised the high street fashion retailer to Add from Hold. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Henry Boot, up 4.5%. The construction company said interim profit and revenue both rose in an "impressive" first half performance. For the six months to June, Henry Boot's pretax profit was up 16% to GBP26.2 million, while revenue rose slightly to GBP196.2 million from GBP195.4 million a year prior. Its net asset value per share increased by 18% to 217 pence. Henry Boot is paying an interim dividend to shareholders of 3.20p, from 2.80p a year prior. The company said it has seen "consistent" levels of demand across all of its businesses in the first half of 2018, particularly in housing development land. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Bahamas Petroleum, down 63%. The oil and gas explorer said its exclusivity agreement with a major international oil company will terminate at the end of the month. The unnamed international company has notified Bahamas that it will not be extending the agreement, which has been in place since the start of May, past next Friday and will cease exclusivity payments. Bahamas said it has recommenced broader asset-based discussions with third parties. These will continue alongside the ongoing non asset-based discussions which surround the funding of its first exploration well.----------