Persimmon PLC

British housebuilders rallied on Monday after the government announced a state-backed equity loan scheme to help first-time buyers purchase new-build homes with deposits of just 2.5%. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the scheme, called 'Your First Home,' will be confirmed at next month's Budget and will operate in England, supporting 2.5% deposits backed by 20% government-backed equity loans for first-time buyers purchasing a new-build property from a participating developer. Shares of Berkeley Group Holdings, Persimmon, Barratt Redrow, Taylor Wimpey, Bellway, Vistry Group and Crest Nicholson Holdings plc rose between 3% and 14.5%. Buyers will access the equity loans with an initial interest-free period, which the government said could save those who use the scheme hundreds of pounds per month compared with a 95% mortgage. The government said the scheme will help tackle the deposit barrier for first-time buyers and act as a stimulus for a new-build market facing challenging headwinds, with developers expected to make a contribution when signing up to help cover costs.

European stock markets extended gains, with the STOXX Europe 600 index closing at a record high for a third consecutive session. Information analytics firm RELX fell 4.1 percent as it traded ex-dividend, while concerns over its performance following results from a US software company also weighed. Housebuilder Persimmon rose 2.9 percent after issuing a solid earnings outlook. Advertising giant WPP surged 28.6 percent, and Deutsche Telekom, which expanded its share buyback program, gained 6.3 percent. On the other hand, German defense major Rheinmetall dropped 3.5 percent after cutting its full-year revenue forecast.

The FTSE 100 index closed 0.1% lower on Monday, weighed down by a sharp drop in AstraZeneca shares following reports of merger talks with US drugmaker Bristol Myers Squibb. AstraZeneca shares plunged 8.9%, making it the biggest faller in the index, after reports that the two companies are in discussions to create one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms worth around 400 billion US dollars. Meanwhile, housebuilder stocks rose as UK government bond yields fell, with Vistry Group jumping nearly 8%, and Bellway and Persimmon gaining 2.8% and 2.1% respectively. Clarkson shares surged 8.9%, the most in the London market, after the company issued a positive outlook for full-year results.

The FTSE 100 closed higher on Wednesday, lifted by a surge in property stocks after Segro rejected a £12.6 billion takeover proposal from US logistics giant Prologis. Segro shares jumped 17%, sparking gains across the sector, with Tritax Big Box REIT up 6.4% and British Land and Land Securities both up 4.1%. Housebuilders also advanced, with Barratt Redrow and Persimmon rising 6.6% and 5.8% respectively, supported by a further fall in UK bond yields and Berkeley Group's full-year profit slightly ahead of guidance. The gains offset a slump in mining and energy stocks as gold fell to $4,014.40 an ounce and Brent crude slipped below $75 a barrel for the first time since the start of the Middle East war, dragging BP down 3.7% and Shell down 1.9%. The FTSE 100 closed up 32.78 points, or 0.3%, at 10,461.63, while the FTSE 250 added 0.8% and the AIM All-Share fell 0.7%.