LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Thursday.----------
FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------
TUI Group, down 9.5%. The travel operator reiterated its annual earnings guidance as it posted a 27% drop in third-quarter pretax profit. The Anglo-German operator also said that summer bookings for the current year are up 4%, with 86% of the programme sold, in line with prior year. For the three months to June-end, TUI recorded pretax profit of EUR147.5 million, down from EUR203.3 million recorded in the comparative year ago period, on a revenue of EUR5.02 billion and EUR4.78 billion, respectively. The drop in quarterly pretax profit was blamed upon a decline in financial income and increased cost of sales. The rise in revenue was credited to 5% growth in customer volumes, good portfolio performance, and additional hotel and cruise ship capacity. ----------
Coca-Cola HBC, down 2.1%. The soft drinks bottler said profit rose in the first half of the year as a result of strong volume growth and reduced costs. In the six months to June 29, the company recorded pretax profit of EUR290.1 million, up 14% from EUR254.2 million a year before. A particularly strong second quarter brought sales volume up 4.6% in the first half, led by Coca-Cola's sparking beverages segment. New product launches and the FIFA World Cup drove revenue up 6.4% in the first half on an constant currency basis. At actual currency rates, revenue climbed modestly in the period, by 0.6% to EUR3.23 billion from EUR3.21 billion.----------
Randgold Resources, down 2.0%. The gold miner posted a decrease in profit from mining, increased costs, and lower gold sales and production which led to a year-on-year drop in profit for the the second quarter of the current year. For the three months to June-end, the miner recorded pretax profit of USD74.3 million, down from USD150.2 million in the comparative year ago period, on revenue of USD283.7 million from USD336.8 million. Gold sales for the second quarter fell to USD411.5 million from USD422.1 million, with an average gold price of USD1,299 per ounce versus USD1,254 per ounce. Production at the company's Tongon mine in Ivory Coast was affected by industrial strikes, with production from the Loulo-Gounkoto mine in Mali also lower but Kibali recorded a 43% year-on-year increase in quarterly production to 201,742 ounces.----------
FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------
Cineworld, up 6.7%. The cinema chain reported a large increase in interim profit after its USD5.8 billion acquisition of American cinema chain Regal Entertainment Group. In the six months ended June, the London-listed company more than doubled its pretax profit to USD160.2 million from USD60.5 million the year before. Cineworld's revenue quadrupled to USD1.86 billion from USD528.7 million. Admissions more than doubled to 123.0 million from 50.7 million. The second largest cinema chain in the world, by number of screens, posted a 12% increase in UK revenue to USD353.7 million from USD317.0 million despite a 2.7% decrease in admissions to 25.6 million. ----------
UDG Healthcare, up 3.8%. Jefferies raised its rating on the healthcare services provider to Buy from Hold.----------
Capita, up 2.5%. Jefferies also lifted its recommendation on the outsourcer to Buy from Hold.----------
FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------
Card Factory, down 10%. The cards retailer said its interim results showed a strong performance in seasonal ranges but a decline in non-seasonal sales, as "extreme weather" dented UK high-street footfall. For the first half to July 31, total group sales grew by 3.2% compared to a 6.1% growth a year before. Like-for-like sales were down by 0.2% compared to 3.1% growth in the first half of the year before. A strong seasonal performance continued between May and July with a record Father's Day, Card Factory said. However non-seasonal like-for-like sales fell by 0.7% in the first half compared to a rise of 3.0% a year before. The company said: "Due to the weather impact and continuing uncertainty around the UK consumer environment, the board expects underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for the year ending January 2019 to be within the range of GBP89 million to GBP91 million". ----------
G4S, down 7.1%. The security services provider reported a large drop in interim profit and revenue due to currency movements and business disposals. The firm said pretax profit decreased 37% in the six months ended June to GBP139 million from GBP219 million the year before. Revenue decreased 7.5% to GBP3.67 billion from GBP3.97 billion. Currency movements contributed a GBP10 million loss to profit and a GBP173 million loss to revenue year-on-year. Excluding the effects of currency movements, profit fell due to weaker trading in the company's Europe & Middle East Secure Solutions division as well as lower revenue and increased business costs in its Cash Solutions division. G4S revenue also suffered from business disposals in Hungary, Israel and its Youth Services business in the US.----------
Savills, down 3.9%. Estate agent Savills lifted its interim dividend despite profit dropping on rising costs and tough conditions for its largest business unit. For the six months ended June, pretax profit declined 18% to GBP26.7 million from GBP32.4 million the year prior. This was despite revenue rising 1.9% to GBP727.8 million from GBP714.4 million the year before. Profit was hurt by a rise in operating expenses to GBP216.2 million from GBP205.9 million the year prior. It also was held back by a steep fall in profit from its transaction advisory business unit, which is its largest. Underlying profit in the unit dropped 20% on the year prior, despite flat revenue. Savills proposed a 4.8 pence per share interim dividend, up 3.2% from 4.65p the year prior.----------
OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------
North Midland Construction, up 39%. The building firm doubled its interim dividend after profit rose two-fold on higher margins and revenue growth. For the six months ended June 30, pretax profit doubled to GBP2.5 million from GBP1.2 million the year prior. This was after revenue rose 19% to GBP160.9 million from GBP135.1 million the year before. North Midland proposed a 6.0 pence per share interim dividend, double the 3.0p announced the year prior. "These results demonstrate the continued progress made in the business against our strategic objectives," North Midland Chief Executive Officer John Homer said.----------
Pennant International, up 12%. The technical training equipment firm said it has been provisionally awarded a contract for a "major" programme with an undisclosed customer. The company anticipates the contract to be worth between GBP25 million and GBP30 million during 2019 through to the end of 2021. Assuming terms are agreed, the contract is expected to be formally awarded later in 2018. The contract will see Pennant design, build and deliver training equipment to the customer.----------
OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------
Ryanair Holdings, down 1.0%. The budget airline is seeking a temporary injunction in the Netherlands to block a strike scheduled to start on Friday. A Haarlem court will rule Thursday on whether the national pilot union may go ahead with the strike, which is set to last one day. Pilots and crew are seeking a new contract on wages that includes better working conditions. The union announced Wednesday that its members would join their counterparts in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, and Sweden in the strike. It is scheduled to take place between 3:01 am local time Friday and 2:59 am Saturday.----------
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