Debenhams Share News (DEB)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Tuesday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------Ferguson, up 1.6%. The plumbing and heating products supplier said it saw an increase in trading profit and revenue for the third quarter of its financial year, leaving it "well positioned" for a successful annual outcome. Ferguson said trading profit, which excludes exceptional items and the amortisation and impairment of acquired intangibles, rose to GBP356 million for the three months to the end of April, up 17% from GBP304 million the same period the year before. Revenue for the period grew by 10% to GBP5.08 billion from GBP4.61 billion, of which 7.1% represented organic growth. Ferguson said the regions of US and of Canada & Central Europe performed well, with 11% and 6.5% revenue growth, respectively, due to recovering US markets and organic growth; however the UK saw an 11% revenue decline as a result of the closure of stores and the exit of low-margin wholesale businesses.----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Ashtead Group, down 5.7%. The equipment rentals firm's shares were lower despite reporting double digit growth in profit and revenue for its recently ended financial year. Underlying pretax profit for its year ended April 30 rose by 16% to GBP862.1 million from GBP765.1 million the year before due to strong performance in its Sunbelt business, both in the US and Canada. Taking out the impact of amortisation and exceptional items, pretax profit was up 21% to GBP927.3 million from GBP793.4 million. This was on double digit revenue growth to GBP3.79 billion from GBP3.19 billion the prior year, as rental revenue rose by 20% to GBP3.41 billion from GBP2.90 billion. Adjusted pretax profit fell slightly short of analyst consensus for its year of GBP934.7 million, however revenue emerged as the outperformer, beating the GBP3.67 billion forecast. "With the firm having gained over 20% for the year up until yesterday, there is likely to be a raft of investors seeing this as a buying opportunity within a positive long term story," said IG's Josh Mahony. ----------DS Smith, down 3.0% at 533.20 pence. The recycled packaging firm said it will raise GBP1 billion via a rights issue of shares to part fund its previously announced GBP1.45 billion acquisition of European packaging business Papeles y Cartones de Europa, commonly known as Europac. The company intends to issue 293.1 million new shares pursuant to a 3-for-11 rights issue at 350 pence per new share. The issue price represents a 31% discount to the stock's closing price on Monday of 549.60p. The issue represents 27% of the existing share capital of DS Smith and 21% of the enlarged capital.----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Capita, up 3.7%. The outsourcer said it sold its supply chain management services business for GBP160 million in cash as part of a previously announced non-core asset disposal programme and simplification strategy. Capita also separately confirmed that it has been selected as the winning tenderer for the Defence Fire and Rescue Project by the UK Ministry of Defence. It, however, did not provide any specific details regarding the value of the contract and said further details will be provided when appropriate. Capita has sold unit Supplier Assessment Services, including Constructionline, to funds affiliated with US private equity firm Warburg Pincus. The sale is expected to complete early next month and proceeds from the disposal will be used by the company to reduce indebtedness.----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------McCarthy & Stone, down 17%. Shares in the retirement housebuilder fell to a record low of 107.80p after it issued a profit warning on disappointing spring sales and announced the departure of its chief executive. The company said its annual earnings were always heavily dependent on a strong spring selling season. Now as a result of less favourable conditions McCarthy & Stone is forecasting to achieve 2,100 to 2,300 legal completions in the financial year ending August compared to 2,302 in 2017. McCarthy & Stone is now guiding annual operating profit in the range of GBP65 million to GBP80 million, down from GBP96 million last year. The group's forward order book including legal completions currently stands at GBP706 million, up from GBP639 million a year ago. The company also said Chief Executive Clive Fenton will retire at the end of August and the search to find his successor is underway. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Ubisense, up 16%. The location intelligence systems developer said it won a GBP4 million contract with a military training solutions provider, which is currently working with a founding NATO member. Ubisense will supply technology with the aim of improving military training effectiveness and efficiency by providing a real-time 3D view of everything happening within the training scenario. The company didn't name either the training solutions provider or the client nation. A real time location environment will be provided which will include simulated weapons effects, and after action review. Revenue is expected to be GBP4.0 million from the contract in 2018, with similar sized follow-on orders expected to 2019.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Debenhams, down 5.2%. The department store chain issued another profit warning Tuesday as it lowered its profit expectations for the current year for the third time, providing further evidence of what it called "difficult times for UK high-street retailers. Debenhams expects pretax profit for the financial year ending September 2 to be in the range of GBP35 million to GBP40 million, down from the market consensus of GBP50.3 million and GBP59.0 million the year before. The company said a "background of increased competitor discounting and weakness in key markets" led to trading in May and June being "below plan despite weak comparatives". Debenhams said like-for-like sales for the 15 weeks to date were down 1.7% and its 41 weeks to date like-for-like sales were down 2.1%. ----------Footasylum, down 47%. The UK footwear retailer warned of modest earnings growth in the new 2019 financial year due to weak consumer sentiment and an expected rise in capital expenditure and property costs. The company expects modest year-on-year rise in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation for the year to February 2019. Adjusted Ebitda - the company's preferred profit measure - grew to GBP12.5 million in the year ended February 24, from GBP11.2 million in the year ago period. Pretax profit for 2018 financial year fell sharply to GBP1.9 million from GBP8.1 million, on a revenue of GBP194.8 million and GBP147.0 million, respectively. The sharp drop in profit was attributed to GBP6.0 million stock listing costs.----------HC Slingsby, down 33%. The industrial and commercial equipment distributor said that a disappointing start to 2018 has led to caution regarding the first half of the year. For the five months to the end of May group sales were down by 1.0% from the same period the year before in spite of good performance in April and May. Despite an improved gross margin level, higher overheads have led to lower pretax profit on a year-on-year basis. In addition, disappointing levels of order intake have led to caution regarding the six months to the end of June.----------