Britain’s top share index held roughly steady on Wednesday, supported by gains in construction stocks even though losses in grocers weighed on the market.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 was down 0.1 per cent at 6,701.03 by 0813 GMT after closing flat in the previous session which also saw it drop to an intraday low of 6,656.90 points — the worst level since late January.

Among individual stocks, mid-cap housebuilder Berkeley surged 7.7 per cent after posting better-than-expected full-year profit, lifting the rest of the sector with it.

Housebuilder Persimmon was the biggest gainer on the blue-chip index, adding 1.4 per cent, with peers Wolseley, CRH, Travis Perkins and Barratt Developments making up the rest of the top five.

Persimmon is up over 20 per cent since the Conservatives won an unexpected majority at a general election in May, which traders anticipated would lead to more measures to support the housing market, and removed the chance of a “mansion tax’’ from the opposition Labour party.

“Berkeley’s figures have set the tone for the sector, and they’re pretty impressive when one stock in the sector charges higher like this, the others are bound to follow,’’ Alastair McCaig, market analyst at IG, said.

“We felt that the Conservatives coming to power was going to be a positive for housebuilders. With the summer budget in a few weeks, there’s every likelihood of the confirmation of ongoing benefits. So there’s optimism in that regard, and with Berkeley's good figures as well, it all bodes well for the sector.’’

On the downside, supermarkets Sainsbury, Morrison, Marks and Spencer and Tesco all fell around 1 per cent.

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