UK and other European indices continued their remarkable come comeback last week as the FTSE 100 jumped to a record high while the mid-cap FTSE 250 index surged to 20,105. These indices reacted to the important data dump from the UK that included the latest inflation, jobs, and retail sales numbers. Corporate earnings, especially from big-tech companies like Microsoft and Tesla will dominate the market this week. Here are the top FTSE 250 stocks to watch this week.
EasyJet (EZJ)
EasyJet (LON: EZJ) like other regional airlines, has seen its share price rally in the past few months. It ended last week at 450p, which was about 61% above the lowest point in 2022. The company will publish its trading statement on Wednesday which will provide more color about the state of the business. As I wrote in this article, EasyJet has had a strong recovery than other giant airlines like British Airways and Lufthansa.
Analysts at UBS agreed with my optimistic view of the EasyJet share price. They expect that the stock has more runway to soar by 55% in 2023. Looking to the 1D chart, we see that the stock has formed an inverted head and shoulders pattern, which is a classic bullish pattern. It has moved above the neckline of this pattern, signaling that the shares will likely explode soon.
IG Group
IG Group (LON: IGG) is one of the biggest FTSE 250 forex and CFD brokers. The company will publish its interim results on Monday which will provide more color about the state of the industry. CMC Markets, another competitor, will also publish its results on Wednesday. Analysts believe that IG’s business slowed down slightly as the market remained sluggish in the second half of the year. This explains why the shares have pulled back by 7% from the highest point in December.
Like EasyJet, there is a ray of hope for the stock. On the daily chart, it has also formed an inverse head and shoulders pattern. It is currently completing the right part of this pattern. The neckline of this pattern is at 850p. However, it has formed what looks like a bearish flag pattern. Therefore, at this stage, buyers should embrace caution because of the mixed signals being sent by the two patterns. A bullish breakout will be confirmed if it rises above 850p.
Tullow Oil
Embattled Tullow Oil (LON: TLW) is another FTSE 250 stock to watch this week as the company publishes its results on Wednesday. The company is expected to have a mixed report because of the recent performance of crude oil prices. Also, it will provide an update about its key projects, especially the one in Kenya.
Tullow Oil share price has struggled ahead of its earnings. It has plunged by 41% from its highest point in 2022. This decline happened after the company was abandoned at the altar by Capricorn, which embraced an Israeli rival. The stock moved below 40.92p, the lowest point in 2021. It has also formed a break and retest pattern, signaling that it could continue slumping in the coming days.
Other FTSE 250 stocks to watch
The other FTSE 250 stocks to watch this week will be Fresnillo, Lords Group Trading, Quilter, CMC Markets, Tate & Lyle, Intermediate Capital Group, Rank Group, and Staffline Group. Also, because of the global financial industry, the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices will react to American financials, as most S&P 500 constituents are set to publish their results. Among the most notable ones are Tesla, Raytheon, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, 3M and AT&T.