(Bloomberg) — When UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivers his spring budget on Wednesday, investors in the country’s homebuilders, retailers and investment platforms will be watching with a sense of anticipation.
The stocks are among those that analysts see as most likely to benefit from any potential giveaways aimed at boosting the political fortunes of the ruling Conservative party ahead of a general election expected later this year.
“It is a pre-election budget, so I suspect he’s going to try and deliver something,” said Simon Gergel, chief investment officer for UK equities at Allianz Global Investors. “There’s been some talk of tax cuts or national insurance cuts, which could be taken quite well for the consumer.”
Such reductions would be a boost to the likes of Marks & Spencer Group Plc and EasyJet Plc, while a plan to create a so-called British ISA, a tax-free savings account for investing in UK equities, would be…
