Market wrap: Housebuilders wobble as Covid crisis talks continue

Shares in the listed housebuilders have tumbled on the stock exchange, after rising Covid-19 rates put London stocks in a sea of red. Persimmon, Berkeley Group and Barratt Developments all made the list of today’s biggest fallers on the FTSE 100, while Crest Nicholson Holdings made the list of biggest drops on the FTSE 250. Persimmon saw the largest fall among housebuilders listed on the FTSE 100 biggest fallers, down 7.17% to 2,317p. Berkeley Group came second, falling 6.64% to 4,159p, and Barratt Developments declined 6.44% to 443.40p. Over on the FTSE 250 Index, Crest Nicholson toppled by 11.68% to 167.80p. The falls come following a subdued day of trading for many, as the UK takes stock of its rising Covid-19 cases. The government’s chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance addressed the country today, claiming that the UK could see 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October if no action is taken to curb the spread of the virus. The FTSE 100 ended 3.38% down on 5,804.29. The FTSE 250 ended the day down 3.98% on 16,870.78. To send feedback, e-mail lucy.alderson@egi.co.uk or tweet @LucyAJourno or @estatesgazette Image © Andy Wong/AP/Shutterstock