(Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Friday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------ITV, up 1.8%. The broadcaster has confirmed details of its agreement with the BBC to launch BritBox, a subscription-based video streaming service, in the UK during the fourth quarter of 2019. ITV will hold a 90% stake in the streaming service, which will be charged monthly at GBP5.99. As a founding partner with 10% stake, BBC "will contribute to the strategic direction of the venture". The BBC has an option to increase its stake in the BritBox venture to 25% over time, while ITV will be able to bring additional investors and will be appointing the majority of Britbox's board members. ----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Acacia Mining, up 18%. The miner has agreed a full takeover by parent Barrick Gold at a valuation well above what Barrick had previously suggested. Barrick is offering 0.168 of its own shares per Acacia share, which implies a value of 232 pence per Acacia share. This is a 54% premium to Acacia's closing price of 151p on May 20, the day before Barrick announced a possible offer. The agreed deal values the entirety of Acacia at GBP951 million, and given Barrick already has a 64% stake, Barrick will be paying GBP343 million for the stock it does not already own. The new 232p offer is well above what Barrick had previously proposed, a 0.153 Barrick share offer valuing Acacia at 146p per share. ----------Aston Martin, up 3.7%. A major shareholder is to increase its stake at a cost of GBP68 million, the investor said. Strategic European Investment was set up last December, and is a subsidiary of Investindustrial VI, a fund managed by Investindustrial Advisors. Investindustrial Advisors also manages Prestige Motor and Preferred Prestige Motor, which combined own 31% of Aston Martin. Strategic European is to buy 6.8 million Aston Martin shares at GBP10.00 each, for approximately GBP68.4 million. This will take the combined stake of Investindustrial Advisors' funds to 34%. ----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Close Brothers, down 3.3%. The firm said its banking division's loan book grew during the first 11 months of financial 2019, as the company saw a "solid" performance despite mixed trading conditions. The financial services company said the loan book reached GBP7.6 billion as at June 30, up from GBP7.3 billion at the end of the first 11 months of the last financial year. The firm said the commercial and retail sectors have both grown with its property division remaining flat. Close Brothers said the banking unit's bad debt ratio remained low and year-to-date net interest margin was 7.8%, slightly lower on last year's 8.0% The company's asset management sector saw managed assets rise to GBP11.3 billion from GBP10.2 billion a year ago. Total client assets also increased year-on-year to GBP12.9 billion from GBP12.0 billion. The Winterflood securities business saw "solid" profit levels despite trading volumes remaining low, Close Brothers said. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Amerisur Resources, up 23%. The oil and gas producer has started a review of the company, including a potential sale, with some interest already received. Amerisur, with a market capitalisation of GBP170.2 million, was worth more than four times that. Amerisur said the review has been initiated after interest in the company and its assets from peers, as well as the "high level" of activity in the Colombian oil and gas sector. "The company confirms that, at the time of this announcement, it has received a non-binding proposal regarding a potential sale of the company and various other indicative proposals regarding the sale of certain assets of the company," said Amerisur.----------Symphony Environmental Technologies, up 16%. The company has raised GBP1.9 million after Vincel Investment Holdings took 15.5 million new shares at 12.5p each. The funds will be used to help Symphony continue to development of its environmental technologies. ----------
31 Dec 2013 07:45
