FTSE 100 movers: Diploma surges on outlook upgrade; easyJet tanks

(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was up 0.4% at 8,963.89 in afternoon trade on Thursday. Diploma surged to the top of the index after lifting its full-year organic growth target following a "strong" performance in the third quarter.

In a very brief trading update for the nine months to 30 June, the company upped its organic growth target for the year to 10% from 8%.

Diploma highlighted year-to-date organic growth of 10%, with a continuation of the positive trends seen in the first half.

Lloyds was among the gainers after KBW upgraded shares of the bank to 'outperform' and lifted the price target to 90p from 75p.

On the downside, easyJet tanked as the budget airline said that higher fuel costs and a strike by French air traffic controllers would hit full-year profits by around £25m. British Airways and and Iberia owner IAG also lost ground.

FTSE 100 - Risers

Diploma (DPLM) 5,250.00p 7.06% Ashtead Group (AHT) 4,828.00p 3.18% Whitbread (WTB) 3,099.00p 2.48% Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 78.28p 2.46% Airtel Africa (AAF) 190.00p 2.37% Taylor Wimpey (TW.) 110.05p 2.18% IMI (IMI) 2,178.00p 2.06% CRH (CDI) (CRH) 6,940.00p 2.06% Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (DI) (CCEP) 7,150.00p 2.00% Smiths Group (SMIN) 2,366.00p 1.98%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

easyJet (EZJ) 493.60p -6.12% Mondi (MNDI) 1,158.50p -1.49% Anglo American (AAL) 2,192.00p -1.48% Antofagasta (ANTO) 1,816.00p -1.09% Severn Trent (SVT) 2,638.00p -1.01% Glencore (GLEN) 304.10p -0.86% Reckitt Benckiser Group (RKT) 4,968.00p -0.76% GSK (GSK) 1,412.00p -0.67% AstraZeneca (AZN) 10,378.00p -0.56% International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 378.40p -0.55%