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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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Dignity, up 5.5% at 640 pence, 12-month range 210.5p-759p. The funeral services provider reports a fall to loss in 2020, despite a 14% increase in deaths in the UK due to Covid-19. Dignity swings to a GBP19.6 million loss in the financial year that ended December 25 from a GBP44.1 million profit in the financial year that ended December 27, 2019. The company hasn't paid a dividend since June 2019. Chair Clive Whiley says the board doesn't expect to pay dividends "until the business has returned to a sustainable and stable financial footing".
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Petra Diamonds, up 2.2% at 139p, 12-month range 0.7p-4.19p. Moody's puts the diamond miner's ratings on review for upgrade following its capital restructure.
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River & Mercantile, up 2.0% at 207.00p, 12-month range 144.92p-242p. Assets under management as at December 31 are GBP45.72 billion, up 3.4% from GBP44.20 billion six months earlier. Says 93% of investment strategies by AUM beat their respective benchmarks over the period and has GBP2.2 billion of new mandates. Declares interim dividend of 3.89p, unchanged from last year.
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SMALL-CAP - LOSERS
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Empiric Student Property, down 1.1% at 77.05p, 12-month range 50.3p-79.7p. The student accommodation provider sinks to a loss in 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in students studying at home. For 2020, Empiric falls to a pretax loss of GBP24.0 million compared to a GBP54.8 million profit in 2019. Revenue falls 16% to GBP59.4 million from GBP70.9 million as net rental income drops 23% to GBP36.8 million from GBP47.6 million.
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By Arvind Bhunjun; arvindbhunjun@alliancenews.com
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