16th Aug 2018 10:37
LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Thursday.----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Evraz, down 2.6%, Legal & General, down 1.0%, Aviva, down 0.7%, Reckitt Benckiser, down 0.6%. The stocks went ex-dividend, meaning new buyers no longer qualify for the latest payouts.----------Kingfisher, down 1.8%. The DIY retailer said warm weather-related items helped to boost UK sales but it continued to see a tough backdrop in France. The B&Q chain owner said sales in its second quarter totalled GBP3.26 billion, up 3.4% from last year and 1.6% higher on a like-for-like basis. Consensus had seen like-for-like sales up 1.3%. Within this, B&Q UK & Ireland saw like-for-like sales up 3.6%, with Screwfix sales up 5.5% to drive overall UK & Ireland comparable sales up 4.2%. Like-for-like sales in France were down 1.0%, while Other International was up 1.4%.----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------On the Beach, up 13%. The online travel agent said hot weather in the UK over recent months suppressed demand for foreign holidays, as it also announced the acquisition of Classic Collection Holidays. While August and September are "important" trading months, the company said it continues to expect that adjusted pretax profit for its current financial year will be broadly in line with management expectations. Additionally, On the Beach said its subsidiary On the Beach Travel has bought Classic Collection Holidays for GBP20 million. Classic Collection sells luxury beach holiday packages through an independent network of more than 1800 third party travel agencies and homeworkers. The payment will comprise GBP14.6 million in cash on completion, GBP2.7 million in cash which will be deferred for 12 months post completion, and GBP2.7 million payable via 607,747 On the Beach shares. ----------KAZ Minerals, up 6.9%. The Kazakhstan-focused miner reported a sharp rise in interim profit and revenue, as both production and sales increased, resulting in an interim dividend payout. In the six months ended June, the miner posted a 48% increase in pretax profit to USD355 million from USD240 million. Revenue increased 52% to USD1.10 billion from USD721 million the year before. KAZ increased its total copper production by 18% to 139,600 tonnes from 118,000 tonnes, driven by the 83% increase in production at Aktogay to 60,500 tonnes from 33,000 tonnes. KAZ Minerals is proposing an interim dividend of 6.0 cents per share, after not having paid a dividend the year before. The company expects to declare a final dividend "at a similar level".----------Marshalls, up 6.3%. The paving stones maker said it has started the second half of 2018 well after seeing off bad weather to produce a strong interim performance. Recent trading, in June and July, Marshalls said, has been "very strong", with revenue for the two months 21% higher year-on-year. This comes after Marshalls posted revenue of GBP244.3 million for the six months to June, up 12% year-on-year, with pretax profit also increasing 12% to GBP32.5 million. Marshalls has raised its interim dividend to 4.00p per share, having returned 3.40p to shareholders a year prior. ----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Rank Group, down 2.5%. The casino and bingo operator said it intends to increase its focus on the customers and cost control following a sharp fall in profit in its recently ended financial year. Rank reported pretax profit of GBP35.9 million for the year to the end of June, almost halving from GBP62.9 million a year earlier. Revenue also declined, by 2.3% to GBP691.0 million from GBP707.2 million. The pretax result was hurt by impairments of GBP12.1 million related to the underperformance of five Grosvenor casinos and the experimental Luda venues. Also, Rank closed Grosvenor's loss-making casino in Bradford, which resulted in GBP4.3 million charge. During the period, Rank completed a restructuring project. The total cost of the project was GBP10.4 million, with GBP1.6 million recognised in 2018. Total costs include costs associated with changes to management and team structures at both venue and central levels.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Abzena, up at 14.85 pence. Shares in the biopharmaceutical technology firm more than doubled after it agreed to a takeover valuing the firm at around GBP34.4 million. Astro Bidco, a firm set up by WCAS XII-Astro for the takeover, has offered 16 pence per Abzena share. This is a 167% premium to its closing price of 6p on Wednesday, and a 36% premium to its average price in the three months to Wednesday. Abzena's board has accepted the offer, and recommends shareholders vote in favour of it. So far, 78% of Abzena shareholders have supported the deal, which will see it leave the London Stock Exchange. ----------