LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Thursday.----------
FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------
CRH, up 4.7%. The Irish building materials company said it will establish a new division effective from January 2019 that will bring together parts of its Europe and Americas business. The new Building Products division will combine the Europe Lightside, Europe Distribution and Americas Products divisions under the management of the latter's President Keith Haas. CRH also said it is targeting to improve its group earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation margin by 300 basis points by 2021.----------
Informa, up 2.2%. The events firm said it now expects its GBP3.90 million takeover of FTSE 250-listed rival UBM to become effective on June 15 after the UK Competition and Markets Authority announced it would not be investigating the acquisition. In China, Germany, Turkey and the US, the regulatory process was already completed.----------
Mediclinic International, up 1.8%. Credit Suisse raised the private healthcare firm's price target to 660 pence from 630p, retaining its Neutral rating. Mediclinic is due to be demoted to the FTSE 250 in mid-June.----------
FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------
National Grid, down 3.9%. The electricity and utility company went ex-dividend, meaning that new buyers no longer qualify for the latest dividend payout. In addition, JPMorgan raised its price target to 950 pence from 870p, keeping its Overweight rating.----------
GlaxoSmithKline, down 0.1%. JPMorgan re-initiated the pharmaceutical giant with a Neutral rating and price target of 1,500 pence.----------
FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------
B&M European Value Retail, up 3.4%. HSBC raised the discount retailer's price target to 500 pence from 470p, while retaining its Buy rating. On Wednesday, B&M reported a 25% jump in pretax profit for the year to the end of March to GBP229.3 million from GBP182.9 million the year before, on revenue that reached GBP2.98 billion, up 22% from GBP2.43 billion. B&M attributed the growth to its new store openings, with 47 new stores opened in the UK and 12 new stores opened in Germany. The 47 new stores in the UK contributed GBP128.4 million of revenue in the year alone. B&M now has 841 stores in the UK and 86 in Germany. ----------
UBM, up 2.9%. The events firm's GBP3.90 million takeover by FTSE 100-listed rival Informa is to become effective on June 15 after the UK Competition and Markets Authority announced it would not be investigating the acquisition. In China, Germany, Turkey and the US, the regulatory process was already completed. UBM shares will cease trading on June 14.----------
Electrocomponents up 2.2%. UBS raised the engineering firm's price target to 745 pence from 680p, retaining its Neutral rating.----------
Ocado Group, up 1.1%. UBS upped its rating for the online grocer to Neutral from Sell and raised its price target to 750 pence from 280p, while JPMorgan raised its target price to 871p from 505p with a Neutral rating, following the news that Ocado will be promoted to the FTSE 100 Index.----------
FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------
FirstGroup, down 13%. The bus and train operator swung to a GBP326.9 million pretax loss for the year to the end of March, having reported a GBP152.6 million profit a year earlier due to Greyhound booking an impairment charge of GBP12.3 million on its property, plant and equipment. Moreover, FirstGroup also took a GBP260.6 million impairment of the carrying value of Greyhound goodwill, a GBP2.5 million impairment on the brand and trade name, and a GBP1.9 million impairment on software. This was on revenue of GBP6.4 billion, up 13% from GBP5.7 billion. In addition, Chief Executive Officer Tim O'Toole stepped down with immediate effect, with Non-Executive Chairman Wolfhart Hauser becoming executive chairman until a new CEO is found. FirstGroup said it has started the process to select a new CEO.----------
Card Factory, down 3.3%. The greetings card retailer reported a 3% increase in group sales for the first quarter of 2018 despite a tough retail environment in the UK. However, like-for-like sales fell by 0.4%, and the online gifts retailer Getting Personal, acquired in 2011, continued to show a disappointing performance.----------
Computacenter, down 2.2%. The computer services company went went ex-dividend, meaning that new buyers no longer qualify for the latest dividend payout.----------
OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------
Catanae Innovations, up 36%. The digital media and technology provider's joint venture Trust in Media Ltd signed its first agreement to provide its Fanbase service to an unnamed UK entertainment promoter.----------
Cradle Arc, up 12%. The Africa-focused precious metals miner announced a maiden ore reserve estimate for its 60% owned open pit Mowana copper mine in Botswana, with proved and probable reserves at 31.8 million tonnes at 1.17% copper for 370,800 tonnes of contained copper metal.----------
OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------
Cluff Natural Resources, down 21%. The natural resources investing company said that the UK Oil and Gas Authority waived its requirement for a farm-out to be concluded by the end of May on Cluff's two wholly-owned North Sea gas licences P2248 and P2252. Cluff is currently looking for funding to support its aim of drilling at least one well on these licences.----------
BlueRock Diamonds, down 15%. The diamond mining company raised GBP350,000 through a placing of 29.2 million shares at a price of 1.2 pence per share, which will go towards the development of the Kareevlei Diamond Mine in South Africa, which has an inferred grade of 6.3 carats per hundred tonnes.----------
Akers Biosciences, down 14%. The rapid health technology manufacturer said that the NASDAQ stock market has given it a 180-day extension for the company to meet the minimum price rule for the US index of USD1.00 per share at the closing bid price of its common stock for 10 consecutive business days. In November, Akers was notified that it was not in compliance with with the bid price requirements for its stock.----------
