15th Sep 2022 11:55
(Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers among London Main Market small-caps on Thursday.
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SMALL-CAP - WINNERS
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Wickes Group PLC, up 7.7% at 124.54 pence, 12-month range 111.1p - 253.8p. Notes its outperformance compared to the wider home improvement market and reaffirms annual profit guidance, despite interim results showing profit is 14% lower year-on-year at GBP33.5 million, from GBP35.7 million in the 26 weeks to July 2. Revenue edges up 1.3% to GBP822.3 million from GBP812.0 million. Raises dividend 71% to 3.6p from 2.1p. "While market volumes have declined, we have made further market share gains and delivered a particularly strong performance in Trade, with an acceleration in the rate of sign-ups to our TradePro membership scheme," says Chief Executive Officer David Wood. Anticipates adjusted pretax profit between GBP72 million and GBP82 million.
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Trustpilot Group PLC , up 6.6% at 68.2p, 12-month range 51.85p-418.81p. The online review platform names Zillah Byng-Thorne as deputy chair and non-executive director from October 1. Byng-Thorne, currently CEO of online media firm Future PLC, steps down with immediate effect from her position as senior independent director of e-commerce retailer THG PLC. Earlier in the week, the firm reported strong interim results, with a double-digit rise in revenue and a narrowed loss.
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Civitas Social Housing PLC, up 4.2% at 78.38p, 12-month range 67.1p-100p. The social housing investor says trading remains robust and in line with management expectations. Buys back GBP10.9 million in shares over the past year, at a discount to prevailing net asset value, which enhances NAV per share by 0.4p.
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SMALL-CAP - LOSERS
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THG PLC, down 14% at 41.99p, 12-month range 37.26p-668.5p. The online retail company cuts annual guidance, now expecting adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to come in at a range of GBP100 million to GBP130 million. Earlier this year, it had been expecting adjusted Ebitda of GBP161 million, in line with the previous year. The downgrade comes despite a narrowed interim loss and a 12% increase in revenue, and is the result of a lower margin due to "adverse macro-economic conditions and a period of unusually high raw material costs".THG also said two non-executive directors are departing and two new ones have been appointed.
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DFS Furniture PLC, down 12% at 119.00p, 12-month range 115p-287.23p. Shares in the sofa seller are hit after it warns that UK furniture market is "challenging" and outlook uncertain. Says order volumes "softened markedly" in the fourth quarter and gives range of trading outlook scenarios. In worst case view, sees profit before tax and brand amortisation around GBP20 million, which would be down sharply from the GBP60.3 million achieved in the financial year ended June 2022. This, in turn, was down from GBP109.2 million the year before that. Shares in online furniture retailer Made.com Group PLC were down 4.8% in a negative read-across.
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By Elizabeth Winter; [email protected]
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Related Shares:
Wickes Group P.TrustpilotThgFutureCSH.LDfs FurnMADE.L