British homebuilder Vistry Group was 8% higher at 1:45 p.m. in London, after reporting a 30% rise in revenue and an increase in operating profit to £488 million for full-year 2023 from £451 million in the previous 12-month stretch. Property stocks have been buoyed by positive signs from the U.K. housing market, as a survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors indicated optimism surrounding sales and pricing. U.K.
house prices fell far less than expected last year, with the average declining by 1.4% , according to the Office for National Statistics. AB InBev , the world's biggest brewer, slipped 4% after U.S. tobacco firm Altria , the maker of Marlboro, on Wednesday said it plans to sell 35 million shares in the firm. It currently holds around 197 million shares , according to Reuters — representing approximately 10% of ownership.