IN BRIEF

A top banking analyst yesterday upped his target price for Virgin Money to 395p. Investec’s Ian Gordon called the lender, which bought Northern Rock in 2011, “rock solid”, scotching claims about its capital strength. Virgin Money’s share price jumped by 2.8% to 266p yesterday.

Motorbike sales hit the skids last month as commuters shunned two wheels. Sales were down nearly 18% year on year, said the National Motorcycle Dealers Association. The biggest drop was in scooters up to 125cc – popular for getting to work – which fell by a third.

Shares in house builders tumbled yesterday amid fears the sector had reached its stock market peak. It came after Redrow founder Steve Morgan became the latest to offload a £172million stake. Shares in Redrow dropped more than 8% in its biggest fall since the Brexit vote, while Taylor Wimpey, Barratt Developments and Persimmon were also down.