Why investors chased Vistry shares to top of FTSE 250 index
Rounding up the action away from the blue-chip index, Graeme Evans explains why this housebuilder is popular again. He also reports on two of today’s other big movers.
27th October 2026 15:51
by Graeme Evans from interactive investor
Vistry shares today topped the FTSE 250 index after interest in the housebuilder’s turnaround mission was boosted by the hiring of a finance chief from the ranks of the FTSE 100.
Helen Miles, who has been chief financial officer (CFO) of Severn Trent since 2023 and previously held the same role at BT Group division Openreach, joins the Vistry Group (LSE:VTY) board next year.
Shares jumped 18.4p to 273.6p as the appointment completed changes to the Vistry executive team, which is now led by former divisional director Adam Daniels.
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Broker Peel Hunt said: “The appointment of an experienced FTSE 100 CFO, with a broad array of business experience, demonstrates Vistry’s ability to continue attracting talent, which should provide some comfort to investors.”
It added that the builder, which has switched its focus to cash generation to bolster its balance sheet, now had a more solid base from which to execute its turnaround strategy.
Robert Allen, who was most recently CFO of The Crown Estate, has been appointed to the role on an interim basis pending the arrival of Miles in 2027.
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The shares are down by 11% in the past month, which reflects underperformance due to the wider sector’s greater exposure to the government’s Your First Home scheme.
The partnership-focused builder’s shares were as low as 216p earlier this month, having slumped from more than 1,300p in the space of two years.
In the FTSE All-Share, Luceco (LSE:LUCE) failed to realise the benefit of a second strong trading update in as many months as shares retreated by another 7p to 202p.
The stock had been 290p in June and 235p prior to September’s interim results, when the maker of wiring accessories, electric vehicle chargers, LED lighting and portable power products upgraded profit guidance for the year.
Luceco said today that its “excellent trading momentum” continued in the third quarter, with like-for-like revenues 17% higher and adjusted operating profit up 60%.
The top-line performance was driven by energy transition growth, which includes sales of electric vehicle chargers and the contribution from regulatory incentives that seek to adjust demand to match supply and the carrying capacity of the electricity grid.
Today’s price compared with the 325p target of City bank Jefferies, which noted that the shares were on an undemanding valuation multiple of 10.6 times forecast 2027 earnings.
It added that not many businesses in its coverage were growing organically at more than 15% and improving their margin/earnings quality. Berenberg and Peel Hunt have 300p target prices, with the latter describing the shares as “excellent value” at current levels.
On AIM, a strong year-end update by RWS Holdings (LSE:RWS) backed up the turnaround for shares since a new leadership team evolved the company from a language services leader into one helping clients integrate advanced AI into their core operations.
Pre-tax profits are set to be about 9% ahead of the previous year, which includes an improved margin of 9.4% and constant currency revenue growth of 3% for the full year.
RWS has won new clients across several end markets, while the agreed acquisition of Acolad is set to widen its reach in Europe and its base for cross-selling.
Shares today rose 5.5p to 148.5p, meaning they have more than doubled since June. Berenberg sees further upside to 190p, which compares with the price targets of 180p at Deutsche Numis and 160p at Investec.
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