Toys, banks and tiles

Tuesday 1 December 2015

The headline index opened strongly, tracking good performances in Asia, despite mixed Chinese PMI data, while traders await Thursday's announcement from the ECB on further QE measures.

Toy group Character (LSE:CCT) is in good shape in the run up to the Christmas with results ahead of forecasts,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.

The toy market is notoriously fickle but the group is confident its cornerstone brands will deliver in the UK and abroad and it has new ranges coming to the market over the next 12 months which have already received good reviews.

Banks were among the biggest blue chip risers in early trading following results of the Bank of England’s latest stress test. Lloyds (LSE:LLOY), Barclays (LSE:BARC) and Royal Bank of Scotland (LSE:RBS) were among the top five early risers.

Topps Tiles (LSE:TPT) slipped back despite achieving its strategic goal of a one-third share of the domestic tile market a year ahead of schedule. Revenues rose to a record £212.2m but like-for-like revenues in the first eight weeks of the new financial year were up 3.3% against 5.8% previously.

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