BUZZ-UK retailers: gloomy Xmas updates

** Xmas trading updates send shares in Home Retail (Other OTC: HMRLF - news) & Booker sharply lower after strong recent gains

** Household goods retailer Home Retail, down 7.6 pct, top midcap faller & on course for its worst 1-day pct move since June 2013 after missing sales forecasts for Argos & Homebase chains over Christmas

** Stock up some 25 pct since mid-Oct lows

** Peer Kingfisher, down 3.4 pct & top loser on FTSE 100 index

** Cash-and-carry wholesaler Booker another midcap casualty, suffering biggest 1-day pct drop in 4 mths after Q3 LFL sales come in shy of mkt expectations

** Co posts non-tobacco LFLs of +2.6 pct vs a consensus in mkt of +4 pct; says FY profit outlook remains in line with expectations

** Stock, down 6 pct, has risen some 30 pct since mid-Oct low

** Non-tobacco sales represent over 60 pct of Booker's total sales

** Elsewhere in sector Dixons Carphone (LSE: DC.L - news) , which issues its Xmas update on Jan 21, 3rd biggest UK blue-chip decliner

** Factbox of how retailers fared over Xmas (RM (LSE: RM.L - news) :aastha.agnihotri.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net RM:tricia.wright1.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)