The FTSE 100Â (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE) has been hovering close to setting a new 14-year record all week — all it had to do was beat last May’s peak of 6,876 points. But weak US economic data yesterday sent the index to a 53-point fall by close, and today the top London index is down a further 41 points. That record was looking set to fall, but it’s going to take a bit more time yet.
Meanwhile, we do have some FTSE 100 shares setting their own records. Here are three:
NEXT
NEXT (LSE: NXT) shares reached a new 52-week high yesterday, of 6,425p, before dropping back to 6,350p by close of trading — and today they’re back up a little, to 6,384 by mid-morning.
NEXT’s expectations-busting Christmas trading, together with the announcement of a one-off special dividend of 50p per share earlier this month, certainly helped, and the shares are now up more than 55% over the past 12 months while the FTSE 100 hasn’t even managed 10%.
NEXT is expecting pre-tax profit of £684-700m for the year ending 25 January, for a rise of 10%-12.6%, and basic earnings per share should be up between 21.6% and 24.5%.
Land Securities
A recovering property market along with general economic strengthening has helped Land Securities Group (LSE: LAND) shares to a gain of 28% over the past 12 months, reaching a high of 1,055p yesterday — at the time of writing today the price stands at 1,049p.
The real estate investment trust released a third-quarter statement on 22 January, telling us of “continued high levels of activity across its business“, with a number of developments in London going well and occupancy improving. Demand for retail property in good locations is apparently strong.
InterContinental Hotels
Shares in InterContinental Hotels Group (LSE: IHG) hit a new closing high of 2,038p on Wednesday, and today they’re trading at the 2,034p level.
That gives us a relatively modest 12-month gain of just under 10%, but over five years we’ve seen a rise of better than 250% with the FTSE 100 up just 65%.
The shares are on a relatively high P/E of nearly 22 going forwards, but there is reasonable earnings growth forecast for three years.