FTSE 250 movers: Berkeley slumps on downgrade; XPS up on acquisition

(Sharecast News) - FTSE 250 (MCX) 22,999.87 -0.70% Pensions and insurance consulting & administration business XPS Group said it had bought the trade and assets of Austin Professional Resourcing, a UK-based specialist actuarial consultancy for £3.3m in cash on completion with a further £10.0m payable in years 2 and 3, contingent on achieving certain stretching business performance criteria.

Berkeley Group slumped Berenberg downgraded the stock to 'hold' from 'buy'. It said its long-held admiration for the company's differentiated business model, with impressive operational and financial outcomes, is unchanged.

However, it is downgrading its rating given the stock's relative outperformance, which means the valuation - at 1.0 TNAV - and upside are less compelling than other opportunities in sector.

FTSE 250 - Risers

Ocado Group (OCDO) 183.40p 6.02% Pan African Resources (PAF) 102.30p 2.85% Diversified Energy Company (DI) (DEC) 976.00p 1.77% Syncona Limited NPV (SYNC) 101.40p 1.50% Endeavour Mining (EDV) 3,803.00p 1.50% Bytes Technology Group (BYIT) 374.20p 1.47% Raspberry PI Holdings (RPI) 773.25p 1.43% Hochschild Mining (HOC) 480.60p 1.39% XPS Pensions Group (XPS) 305.00p 1.33% TR Property Inv Trust (TRY) 311.50p 1.30%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

AEP Plantations (AEP) 151.60p -9.85% Ceres Power Holdings (CWR) 468.80p -7.11% WPP (WPP) 240.40p -5.98% Berkeley Group Holdings (The) (BKG) 3,564.00p -4.96% Ithaca Energy (ITH) 214.40p -4.52% Vistry Group (VTY) 263.00p -4.30% Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings (AML) 37.10p -3.64% Pacific Horizon Inv Trust (PHI) 1,144.00p -3.22% Baltic Classifieds Group (BCG) 183.30p -3.18% Schroder Asian Total Return Investment Company (ATR) 689.00p -2.96%