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London afternoon: Stocks are becalmed
Wed, 08 Feb, 2012
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London afternoon: Stocks are becalmed
Thu, 4 Mar 2010, 14:54:00
It's been an up and down day for the blue-chip index although the Footsie has rarely strayed far from its overnight level. As expected, the Bank of England has held interest rates at 0.5% and taken no further action on quantitative easing (QE) amid conflicting signals over the state of the UK economy. House prices fell by 1.5% in February breaking a run of seven consecutive monthly increases. The average house price in the UK is now £166,587, still more than 4.5% higher than a year ago, according to High Street lender the Halifax. Company results came thick and fast in the morning session and the market's response to many of the announcements from the heavyweight was negative. Engineering and project management firm <b>Amec</b> is worst of the blue chips as investors react badly to a 3% slip in revenues, or 12% on an underlying basis, last year amid tough economic conditions. Insurer <b>Aviva</b> has taken a tumble despite beating profit expectations in 2009. Operating profit on an IFRS basis fell to £2.02bn in the year ended 31 December 2009 from £2.30bn in 2008, but rose 3% to £3.48bn on a market consistent embedded value (MCEV) basis. Panmure Gordon predicted a 17% drop in IFRS profit to £1.91bn and a 7% decline in MCEV operating profit to £3.11bn, in the middle of the £2.94bn-£3.29bn range of forecasts. A mixed statement from <b>Cobham</b> also brought out the sellers. Underlying profit before tax increased 21% to £295m in 2009, towards the top end of the range of analysts' forecasts. But its Mission Systems and commercial markets businesses are finding it tough and earnings, and earnings are expected to be more than usually weighted to the second half. In a subdued mining sector Kazakhstan based <b>Kazakhmys</b> edges higher after finishing 2009 in stronger shape. Copper production of 320,000 tonnes beat expectations. Leisure group <b>Whitbread</b> posted continuing double-digit sales growth at its coffee shop chain Costa and a move into like-for-like (LFL) sales growth at its hotel chain Premier Inn. <b>Schroders</b> is in demand as the fund manager said it had got off to a good start in 2010 following record net inflows and funds under management last year. Scottish temporary power solutions provider <b>Aggreko</b> is another faller even after it reported record revenues, profits and margins in 2009, helped by foreign exchange tailwinds. Elsewhere, <b>Petrofac</b> is proposing to hive off its UK Continental Shelf assets into a new company to be formed with Swedish oil and company Lundin Petroleum. The new company, called EnQuest, will be 45% owned by Petrofac shareholders and will be listed on the London stock exchange as well as on the NASDAQ OMS bourse in Stockholm. In the FTSE 250, newspaper publisher <b>Trinity Mirror</b> is higher. The publisher of the Daily Mirror saw a sharp fall in profits in 2009 as advertising sales slumped and circulation revenues were squeezed, but said it had seen an improvement in advertising towards the end of the year. Pre-tax profits in the 53 weeks to January 3 fell to £72.7m from £124.2m over the preceding 52 week period on revenues that were down to £763.3m from £871.7m. <b>Galiform</b> is in the red. The joiner posted a fall in revenues in 2009, but the severity of the decline was softened by the company's exposure to public and private sector tenanted housing, which has not experienced the same turmoil as the owner-occupied housing market. Online gaming group <b>PartyGaming</b> fell into the red in the year to December 31 after paying costs for a non-prosecution agreement with the US authorities. The firm posted a net loss $26.5m in the year to December 31 having posted a profit of $66.1m the previous year. Communications technology firm <b>Spirent</b> posted a rise in full year profit as conditions improved. For the year ended 31 December 2009 pre-tax profit rose to £54.1m from £51.4m the year before. Revenue grew by 6% to £272.1m. Car rental firm <b>Avis Europe</b> reported a rise in annual pre-tax profit while revenue shrank 16% as customers continue to cut back on travelling. Pre-tax profit of €4.5m for the year ended 31 December against a profit of €3m the year before after 'rigorous cost cuts'. Revenue fell to €1.4bn from €1.7bn. <b>Mouchel Group</b> is lower after rival support services group <b>VT</b> decided not to proceed with its offer for the company, leaving the field clear for <b >Babcock International</b>. Shares in insurance company <b>Lancashire Holdings</b> took a step back as the company said it was too soon to gauge the effects on first quarter results of the Chilean earthquake. <b>Spirax-Sarco</b>, the engineer that provides services and products for steam-using and specialist peristaltic pumping markets, posted record sales and profits in 2009, with a large helping hand from the weakness of sterling. Adjusted profit before tax, which excludes exceptional charges, edged higher to £90.2m in 2009 from £90.1m but was down 16% in constant currency terms.
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