(Alliance News) - Stock prices in London are seen opening slightly lower on Tuesday, amid mixed trading in Asian equity markets, as investors look ahead to the upcoming testimony from US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Capitol Hill.In company news, online grocer Ocado's interim loss deepened in the wake of the fire at its flagship distribution centre and software company Micro Focus left its annual guidance unchanged.IG futures indicate the FTSE 100 index is to open 7.67 points lower at 7,541.60. The blue chip index closed down 3.87 points, or 0.1%, at 7,549.27 on Monday. FTSE 100-listed grocery delivery firm Ocado Group said Tuesday its interim loss deepened due to the effects of a warehouse fire in Hampshire, but it continues to experience healthy sales growth amid "strong" demand.For the six months ended June 3, pretax loss widened dramatically to GBP142.8 million from just GBP13.6 million a year prior. This was despite revenue rising 11% to GBP882.3 million from GBP795.3 million, as retail revenue grew 10% to GBP811.5 million from GBP736.6 million.Profit performance was primarily hurt by GBP100.6 million in exceptional administrative costs during the period. This was largely the write down of property, plant and equipment following a fire at Ocado's Andover warehouse.Adjusted pretax loss, excluding such one-off costs, still worsened to GBP43.0 million from GBP12.9 million the year before. FTSE 100-listed Micro Focus International said its half-year revenue performance was in line with guidance and its full-year guidance was maintained.For the half year ended April 30, revenue came in at USD1.66 billion, down 7.5% from USD1.79 billion the year before. Profit for the period after tax surged to USD1.40 billion from USD619.7 million the year before, following the sale of its SUSE software business. The company said the SUSE separation and disposal was delivered on schedule resulting in a USD1.7 billion profit on disposal and USD1.8 billion returned to shareholders. From continuing operations Micro Focus posted a pretax loss USD99.6 million, in line with the USD100.9 million loss the year before.Micro Focus declared an unchanged interim dividend of 58.33 cents.The Newbury-based software firm reiterated its guidance for constant currency revenue change for the 12 months to 31 October of minus 4% to minus 6%.Bovis Homes said it delivered an excellent first-half performance with a significant improvement in profitability and a strong cash position.For the six month period ended June 30, Bovis reported a 15% increase in average private sales rate per site per week in the period to 0.60 from 0.52 last year, reflecting a "step change in the group's performance and stable market demand".Bovis delivered a total of 1,647 completions in the half year, a 4% increase on the prior year and its private average selling price in the period increased to GBP342,000, driven by an improved geographical spread."Market fundamentals remain stable and despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Brexit, we continue to see good demand for our new homes across all our operating regions. We start the second half of the year with a strong forward sales position and are confident of delivering completions in line with our expectations for the year, said Chief Executive Greg Fitzgerald. Residential landlord Grainger said it has agreed to forward fund and acquire a 146-home, private rented sector development at Hallsville Quarter in Canning Town, London for GBP62 million. Grainger said the project builds on its existing portfolio of PRS investments in east London and is positioned just 200 metres from Argo Apartments and close to its forthcoming Pontoon Dock project, which is due to reach completion in late 2019. The Japanese Nikkei 225 index closed up 0.1%. In China, the Shanghai Composite is down 0.5%, while the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong is down 0.7%.In the US on Monday, Wall Street ended lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.4%, S&P 500 down 0.5% and Nasdaq Composite down 0.8%.On Friday, the strong US jobs report dealt a blow for a cut in interest rates, halting a rally in equities and pushing the dollar higher.The focus now turns to the release of minutes from the Fed's June policy meeting and the two-day congressional testimony of Powell on Wednesday on Thursday for clues on the direction the central bank will take. "The Fed may opt for a 25-basis-point cut to support the market in the foreseeable future; but a 50-basis-point would perhaps be too much for what the economy needs for the moment. The chances of a 25-basis-point cut in July is fully priced in by the US sovereign markets. What may happen beyond July is for sale," said London Capital Group's Ipek Ozkardeskaya.Additionally, Powell speaks in Boston at 1345 BST.The pound was quoted at USD1.2506 early Tuesday, flat against USD1.2508 at the London equities close Monday.Milder weather conditions led to the worst June on record for UK sales as retailers struggled to compete with last year's performance, the British Retail Consortium-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor showed on Tuesday.Retail sales fell by 1.3% in June on an annual basis, compared to a 2.3% rise in the same month a year ago. This brought the three-month average to a decline of 0.1% and the twelve-month average to a rise of 0.6%, the lowest since the monitor's records began in December 1995.On a like-for-like basis, UK sales fell at an annual rate of 1.6% in June, versus a 1.1% rise in the same month the year before.
UK dividends calendar - next 7 days
Monday 27 June | |
Henderson European Focus Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Kingfisher PLC | dividend payment date |
Tuesday 28 June | |
Civitas Social Housing PLC | dividend payment date |
Ferrexpo PLC | dividend payment date |
Wednesday 29 June | |
Menhaden PLC | dividend payment date |
Victrex PLC | dividend payment date |
Thursday 30 June | |
Alliance Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Atlantis Japan Growth Fund Ltd | dividend payment date |
Burberry Group PLC | ex-dividend date |
Caledonia Investments PLC | ex-dividend date |
Caledonia Investments PLC | special ex-dividend date |
Cardiff Property PLC | dividend payment date |
Chelverton UK Dividend Trust PLC | ex-dividend date |
Diversified Energy Co PLC | dividend payment date |
Downing Renewables & Infrastructure Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
F&C Investment Trust PLC | ex-dividend date |
HICL Infrastructure PLC | dividend payment date |
iEnergizer Ltd | ex-dividend date |
Imperial Brands PLC | dividend payment date |
IntegraFin Holdings PLC | dividend payment date |
IP Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Learning Technologies Group PLC | ex-dividend date |
Liontrust Asset Management PLC | ex-dividend date |
Lowland Investment Co PLC | ex-dividend date |
NextEnergy Solar Fund Ltd | dividend payment date |
Palace Capital PLC | ex-dividend date |
Premier Foods PLC | ex-dividend date |
Premier Miton Global Renewables Trust PLC | ex-dividend date |
Record PLC | ex-dividend date |
Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust Ltd | dividend payment date |
SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Serica Energy PLC | ex-dividend date |
Smart Metering Systems PLC | ex-dividend date |
Spectris PLC | dividend payment date |
Tate & Lyle PLC | ex-dividend date |
Temple Bar Investment Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Treatt PLC | ex-dividend date |
Troy Income & Growth Trust PLC | ex-dividend date |
Urban Logistics REIT PLC | ex-dividend date |
Vertu Motors PLC | ex-dividend date |
Warehouse REIT PLC | dividend payment date |
Watkin Jones PLC | dividend payment date |
Friday 1 July | |
AJ Bell PLC | dividend payment date |
Aurora Investment Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Bellway PLC | dividend payment date |
Grainger PLC | dividend payment date |
GSK PLC | dividend payment date |
Hilton Food Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Keller Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Marshalls PLC | dividend payment date |
Pacific Assets Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Securities Trust of Scotland PLC | dividend payment date |
Shaftesbury PLC | dividend payment date |
Titon Holdings PLC | dividend payment date |
Vertu Motors PLC | dividend payment date |
Whitbread PLC | dividend payment date |
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