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(Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers among London Main Market small-caps on Wednesday.
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SMALL-CAP - WINNERS
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Avon Protection PLC, up 29% at 955.89 pence, 12-month range 732.00p-2,178.00p. Receives order worth over USD15 million from US Department of Defense, as it reports improved trading in the second half of its financial year. Wins order for 380,000 pairs of M61 filters worth USD15.1 million from US government. Deliveries are expected to commence in early in its 2023 financial year. Notes performance for the soon-to-end financial year, excluding armor, should be "at least in line" with market expectations. Adds search for Chief Executive Paul McDonald's replacement is going well.
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Halfords Group PLC, up 15% at 152.80 pence, 12-month range 124.00p-374.40p. Says revenue growth in 20 weeks to August 19 was helped by product price cuts, and reconfirms its annual profit target. Total revenue in the 20-week period was up 9.2% year on year, but like-for-like sales were down 1.9%. Halfords pinned the revenue slowdown on a surge in sales when the UK emerged from its final Covid lockdown. Like-for-like Autocentres revenue was up 19%, boosted by its expanding car repairs business, but Retail revenue fell 7.1%. Looking ahead, guides for annual underlying pretax profit to be between GBP65 million and GBP75 million. Last year, it posted underlying pretax profit of GBP89.8 million.
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SMALL-CAP - LOSERS
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James Fisher & Sons PLC, down 6.6% at 285.00p, 12-month range 257.00p-988.00p. Posts fall in interim profit as administrative expenses and cost of sales outpaced revenue growth. Pretax profit in six months to June 30 narrows to GBP3.2 million from GBP8.1 million a year prior, the Cumbria, England-based marine services company says. Revenue increases 2.0% to GBP238.4 million from GBP233.7 million. However, this was offset by administrative expenses widening by 9.6% to GBP49.2 million from GBP44.9 million. Further, cost of sales also outpaced revenue growth, increasing by 2.9% to GBP182.7 million from GBP177.6 million.
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By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com
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