Financial News

LONDON (ShareCast) - Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW.L - news) surged after it said it may increase outlet openings during the second half of the year following continued stability in the UK housing market since April's final results.

Its net private reservation rate remains at around 0.6 per site per week, with prices broadly flat and cancellation rates below the long run average. The normal seasonal slowdown is expected over the summer months.

"Whilst wider economic conditions remain weak and rising unemployment could still have an effect on our markets, the severe downside scenarios for which we have been planning now appear less likely to materialise," the group will tell shareholders at today's AGM.

Aquarius Platinum (LSE: AQP.L - news) is higher today. The Southern African resource firm said yesterday that UK platinum from Ridge Mining (LSE: RDG.L - news) will vote on an all-share offer from Aquarius Platinum at a meeting on July 6.

Aquarius has received irrevocable undertakings to vote in favour of the transaction from shareholders holding 32,7% of Ridge's shares.

FTSE 250 (news) - Risers Enterprise Inns (LSE: ETI.L - news) (ETI (A024810.KQ - news) ) 132.50p +9.50% Taylor Wimpey (TW.) 33.50p +8.06% Daejan Holdings (LSE: 381220.L - news) (DJAN) 1,899.00p +7.90% Barratt Developments (LSE: BDEV.L - news) (BDEV) 154.50p +7.67% Travis Perkins (LSE: TPK.L - news) (TPK) 509.00p +7.16% PV Crystalox Solar (LSE: PVCS.L - news) (PVCS) 87.25p +6.73% Hochschild Mining (LSE: HOC.L - news) (HOC) 281.00p +5.74% Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) 236.50p +5.35% SVG Capital (LSE: SVI.L - news) (SVI) 114.25p +5.30% Aquarius Platinum Ltd. (AQP) 240.50p +5.25%

FTSE 250 - Fallers DS Smith (SMDS) 57.75p -5.33% Spirent Communications (LSE: SPT.L - news) (SPT) 60.50p -3.59% Cranswick (LSE: CWK.L - news) (CWK) 587.00p -3.45% Vectura Group (LSE: VEC.L - news) (VEC) 65.00p -2.99% Brown (N.) Group (BWNG) 224.75p -2.71% Talvivaara Mining Company (TALV) 342.75p -2.42% Morgan Sindall (LSE: MGNS.L - news) (MGNS) 670.00p -2.40% Chaucer Holdings (LSE: CHU.L - news) (CHU) 40.50p -1.82% Domino Printing (DNO) 224.25p -1.64% Hargreaves Lansdown (HL (002105.SZ - news) .) 210.25p -1.52%