(Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Wednesday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------Fresnillo, up 4.2%. The Mexican gold miner gained as traders continued to invest in safe haven assets for fear for a further escalation in trade war tensions. An ounce of the precious metal was quoted at USD1,487.27 on Wednesday, up from USD1,472.50 at the London market close on Tuesday.----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Spirax-Sarco Engineering, down 5.7%. Spirax, which manufactures valves and pumps, reported a slight increase in first-half profit and also raised its dividend payout. Spirax kept its full-year expectations remain unchanged, despite weakening global industrial production growth forecasts for the second half of 2019. Pretax profit was GBP108.1 million for the six months to June 30, up 1.2% from the year-ago period, on revenue of GBP591.2 million, up 8.0% year-on-year. First-half adjusted operating profit increased 3% year-on-year to GBP129.2 million, negatively impacted by GBP1.1 million from acquisitions and disposals, and a GBP800,000 exchange headwind.Standard Life Aberdeen, down 5.4%. The fund manager reported a rise in assets under management & administration at the end of the first half as net outflows narrowed and investment performance improved. The company declared an unchanged interim dividend of 7.3p. Standard Life recorded assets under management & administration from continuing operations of GBP577.5 billion at June 30, up 4.7% from GBP551.5 billion six months earlier. Net fund outflows totalled GBP15.9 billion versus GBP24.0 billion outflows recorded the year before. The majority of the outflows were seen in Standard Life Aberdeen's Equities strategies, which saw GBP13.6 billion in redemptions leading to net outflows of GBP9.3 billion.Glencore, down 2.4%. The miner reported a drop in earnings in what it said was a challenging half-year for its commodities. Further, Glencore is to put the Mutanda mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on care & maintenance by the end of 2019 due to reduced cobalt prices. Glencore's adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation for the six months to end-June came in at USD5.58 billion, down 32% on a year before, and well short of analyst consensus of USD5.94 billion. Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes was USD2.23 billion, 56% lower year-on-year and again short of consensus of USD2.36 billion. Glencore's first half net income attributable to shareholders slumped 92% to USD226 million, with revenue down 1.3% to USD107.10 billion. ----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Hill & Smith, up 7.8%. The infrastructure products maker boosted its interim dividend on the back of rising profit and revenue in a "much improved" performance. For the six months ended June, pretax profit widened 16% to GBP33.4 million from GBP28.9 million the year prior. This was after revenue rose 15% to GBP339.5 million from GBP295.4 million the year prior. Hill & Smith proposed a 10.6 pence per share interim dividend, up 6.0% from 10.0p the year prior. In a separate announcement on Wednesday, Hill & Smith promoted Non-Executive Director Alan Giddins to chair from the start of October. He has been a non-executive since October 2017. Giddins - a former head of private equity at 3i Group PLC - will replace Chair Jock Lennox who is retiring. Lennox has been chair since 2017.Ultra Electronics, up 7.5%. The defence engineer lifted its interim dividend Wednesday after profit, revenue and orders grew in a "solid" start to the year. For the six months ended June, pretax profit almost doubled to GBP37.9 million from GBP20.0 million the year prior. This was after revenue rose 10% to GBP387.1 million from GBP350.5 million the year before. Profit performance was helped by a steep fall in one-off charges. In particular, acquisition intangibles impairments charges fell on the year prior as well as a GBP2.6 million gain booked on derivatives, compared to a GBP5.2 million loss the year prior. Ultra proposed a 15.0 pence per share interim dividend, up 2.7% from 14.6p the year before.----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Sirius Minerals, down 11%. Berenberg downgraded the fertiliser development firm to Hold from Buy. On Tuesday, the stock tumbled 29% after suspending a USD500.0 million secured note offering due to "current market conditions".----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Avon Rubber, up 8.3%. The firm, which makes gas masks and cow milking equipment, said it acquired the ballistics protection unit from New York-listed 3M Co for up to USD116 million. Avon will pay an initial USD91 million in cash for the business - including the Ceradyne ceramic brand - with a further USD25 million payment depending on the outcome of pending tenders. In 2018, the acquired business generated USD10.8 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation on revenue of USD85.4 million. For the year ended September 2018, Avon Rubber generated GBP35.3 million in Ebitda on revenue of GBP165.5 million. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Burford Capital, down 42%. The litigation finance firm noted a recent plunge in its share price, saying it believed the reason for its share movement was due to the rumour of a "short attack". On Tuesday, the stock had fallen 19%. A short attack was defined by Burford as a tactic where sellers take a short position in a company's stock, then engage in claims about the company with the intent to spook investors, and depress the company's stock and profit from the decline. The litigation finance firm noted the release of a short attack document by US research firm Muddy Waters Capital. In the document, Muddy Waters said it had shorted Burford, on the grounds that "it is a poor business masquerading as a great one". In response to the research firm's note, Burford said it had never been contacted by Muddy Waters, but stated that its cash position and access to liquidity was strong, and that its returns were robust.----------
UK dividends calendar - next 7 days
Friday 17 May | |
AB Dynamics PLC | dividend payment date |
Barratt Developments PLC | dividend payment date |
Breedon Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Cairn Homes PLC | dividend payment date |
Direct Line Insurance Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Drax Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
IMI PLC | dividend payment date |
Impact Healthcare REIT PLC | dividend payment date |
JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income PLC | dividend payment date |
JPMorgan US Smaller Cos Investments Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Kenmare Resources PLC | dividend payment date |
Luceco PLC | dividend payment date |
Morgan Advanced Materials PLC | dividend payment date |
Primary Health Properties PLC | dividend payment date |
Seneca Growth Capital VCT PLC - Class B | dividend payment date |
Standard Chartered PLC | dividend payment date |
Monday 20 May | |
Airea PLC | dividend payment date |
Ascential PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
hVIVO PLC | dividend payment date |
Invesco Bond Income Plus Ltd | dividend payment date |
Jupiter Fund Management PLC | dividend payment date |
Murray International Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Tuesday 21 May | |
Bridgepoint Group PLC | dividend payment date |
HgCapital Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Lloyds Banking Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Old Mutual Ltd | dividend payment date |
Wednesday 22 May | |
Central Asia Metals PLC | dividend payment date |
Eurocell PLC | dividend payment date |
Harbour Energy PLC | dividend payment date |
London Stock Exchange Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Man Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Merchants Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Phoenix Group Holdings PLC | dividend payment date |
Smith & Nephew PLC | dividend payment date |
Softcat PLC | dividend payment date |
Thursday 23 May | |
abrdn Equity Income Trust PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
AEW UK REIT PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Andrews Sykes Group PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Aptitude Software Group PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Avingtrans PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Bellway PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
BlackRock Greater Europe Investment Trust PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
BlackRock Smaller Cos Trust PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Bluefield Solar Income Fund Ltd | ex-dividend payment date |
Burford Capital Ltd | ex-dividend payment date |
Cardiff Property PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC | dividend payment date |
ConvaTec Group PLC | dividend payment date |
CRH PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
DCC PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Diploma PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Diversified Energy Co PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Empresaria Group PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Fintel PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Grainger PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
HICL Infrastructure PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
HSS Hire Group PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Imperial Brands PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
ITV PLC | dividend payment date |
JPMorgan UK Smaller Cos Investment Trust PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Keywords Studios PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Lords Group Trading PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
ME Group International PLC | dividend payment date |
Mincon Group PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
NextEnergy Solar Fund Ltd | ex-dividend payment date |
Nexus Infrastructure PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Niox Group PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Savills PLC | special dividend payment date |
Scottish American Investment Co PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Secure Trust Bank PLC | dividend payment date |
Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income Fund Ltd | dividend payment date |
Spire Healthcare Group PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
TI Fluid Systems PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Town Centre Securities PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Town Centre Securities PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Tritax Big Box REIT PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Tritax EuroBox PLC EUR | ex-dividend payment date |
Tritax EuroBox PLC GBP | ex-dividend payment date |
UIL Ltd | dividend payment date |
Weiss Korea Opportunity Fund Ltd | ex-dividend payment date |
Whitbread PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
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