WINNERS & LOSERS: Airtel Africa falls; Softcat funds US deal

(Alliance News) - The following are the leading risers and fallers among FTSE 100 and 250 index constituents on Friday.

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FTSE 100 winners

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Lion Finance Group PLC, up 2.4% at 14,150.00 pence

Fresnillo PLC, up 2.3% at 3,074.00p

IG Group Holdings PLC, up 1.9% at 1,340.50p

Endeavour Mining PLC, up 1.4% at 4,741.00p

Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust PLC, up 0.7% at 1,529.75p

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FTSE 100 losers

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Airtel Africa PLC, down 8.5% at 326.30p, Airtel Money arm said to trim IPO ahead of deal

Coca-Cola HBC AG, down 4.5% at 4,402.00p

Next PLC, down 3.6% at 14,385.00p

BT Group PLC, down 3.6% at 200.75p

Vodafone Group PLC, down 3.4% at 127.28p

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FTSE 250 winners

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Ocado Group PLC, up 5.0% at 238.80 pence

THG PLC, up 3.4% at 26.85p

Wizz Air Holdings PLC, up 3.3% at 1,017.50p

Ceres Power Holdings PLC, up 3.2% at 399.00p

IP Group PLC, up 3.0% at 72.10p

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FTSE 250 losers

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Softcat PLC, down 2.8% at 1,913.50p, raises GBP350 million to help fund US acquisition

Moonpig Group PLC, down 2.4% at 257.80p

B&M European Value Retail PLC, down 2.3% at 240.40p

Rank Group PLC, down 2.3% at 84.55p

Pets at Home Group PLC, down 1.7% at 210.20p

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FTSE 100 & 250 movers in focus:

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Airtel Africa PLC, down 8.5% at 326.30 pence, 12-month range 219.00p-436.20p. Bloomberg reports that the Airtel Money arm is considering raising at least USD800 million in its planned London initial public offering, substantially below the previously targeted USD1.5 billion to USD2.0 billion. The mobile money business is also considering a valuation of USD8.0 billion to USD9.0 billion, down from the USD10.0 billion previously sought, following investor feedback. Airtel Money could file for the IPO as early as next week and is targeting the start of trading on the London Stock Exchange in October.

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Softcat PLC, down 2.8% at 1,913.50 pence, 12-month range 1,830.00p-2,134.00p. The IT infrastructure provider raises GBP354 million through an equity placing to help fund its USD1.05 billion acquisition of US-based GDT Topco LP. Softcat will issue around 18.7 million new shares at 1,890p each, equivalent to roughly 9.5% of its existing share capital, with the acquisition also funded through GBP100 million of cash and new debt facilities. The company says GDT will significantly accelerate its expansion in the US and strengthen its capabilities across networking, data centres, artificial intelligence infrastructure and cybersecurity. Softcat expects the deal to deliver high-single-digit to low-double-digit underlying earnings per share accretion in its first full financial year and to close by the end of the first quarter of financial 2027. Separately, Softcat raises its financial 2026 underlying operating profit growth guidance to the high teens from the mid-teens previously.

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AstraZeneca PLC, up 0.5% at 12,486.00 pence, 12-month range 9,892.00p-15,732.00p. The US Food & Drug Administration has accepted and granted 'Priority Review' designation to Alexion's biologics licence application for efzimfotase alfa to treat patients aged two years and older with hypophosphatasia, a rare inherited metabolic disease. The FDA's regulatory decision is expected in the first half of 2027. The application is supported by results from the phase 3 Hickory, Mulberry and Chestnut trials, in which AstraZeneca says efzimfotase alfa demonstrates a favourable safety profile and is generally well tolerated. If approved, the drug would be the first treatment designed to address skeletal abnormalities and functional impairments regardless of disease onset, with self-administration every two weeks. Regulatory submissions are also under review in Japan and other markets.

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Harworth Group PLC, down 0.5% at 177.50 pence, 12-month range 116.80p-185.00p. The board unanimously rejects an increased cash takeover offer from Peel Point, saying the revised 177.5 pence-per-share proposal, up from 172.5p, still significantly undervalues the Rotherham, South Yorkshire-based property regeneration company. Peel Bidco and its concert parties have increased their stake to 30%, requiring the voluntary offer to become a mandatory offer. Harworth advises shareholders who have not accepted the bid to reject it, those who have accepted to withdraw their acceptances, and shareholders not to sell further shares to Peel. The board describes the offer as "opportunistic", arguing it seeks to "extract value" from Harworth's future growth prospects.

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By Eva Castanedo, Alliance News senior economics reporter

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