FTSE 100, FTSE 250 shares to watch: Moonpig, Helios Towers, Persimmon, Trainline

The FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices were left in the dust by their global peers. They remained in a tight range even as the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Nikkei 225 indices surged to their all-time highs. The FTSE 100 index was trading at £7,651 while the FTSE 250 was hovering at £19,601.

UK corporate earnings

These indices consolidated as some of the biggest companies in the UK published their earnings. The most notable ones were insurers like Aviva, Legal & General, Admiral Group, and Direct Line, as I wrote here.

Looking ahead, the UK earnings calendar will be a bit light next week, with only a handful of companies expected to release their results. 

The biggest FTSE 100 index company that will release its numbers is Persimmon, one of the biggest housebuilders in the UK. These results come at a time when the UK housing sector is recovering, with recent data showing that prices have continued rising in the past few months.

In January’s trading statement, Persimmon said that its new home completions in 2023 stood at 9,922, a 33% drop from the previous year’s 14,868. This drop was offset by a small increase in average house price, which rose to £255,616. This means that its annual revenue will approximately be £2.5 billion. 

Helios Towers earnings ahead

The other important FTSE 100 company to watch will be Helios Towers, a leading player in the telecom industry in Africa and the Middle East. The company has been growing, helped by acquisitions. In November, the company said that its number of sites increased by 29% to 14,024.

Its revenue rose by 31% to £533.7 million while its operating profit jumped by79% to £112 million. However, its net debt soared by 51% to over £1.79 billion. This explains why the stock has dropped by over 58% from its highest point in 2022.

The other top FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies that will publish their financial results are Moonpig, Deliveroo, and Trainline. Moonpig stock price has jumped by over 65% from its lowest point in 2023 but it remains about 66% below its all-time high.

Deliveroo shares have also retreated to 120p, up by 55% from its lowest point. Trainline, on the other hand, has jumped by over 48% from its 2023 low. As I wrote in December, the surge happened after the government scrapped plans for a rival ticketing platform.

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