HSTG.L Share News (HSTG)

(Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Tuesday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------Burberry Group, up 9.8%. The fashion house reported a strong rise in first quarter like-for-like sales, thanks to the new designs from Chief Creative Officer Riccardo Tisci. For the 13 weeks ended June 29, reported retail revenue grew 4.0% to GBP498 million from GBP479 million the year prior. At constant currency rates, retail revenue grew 2%. On a comparable store basis, sales grew 4% on the year prior driven by new products. Burberry said that the proportion of its main offer within stores being from new products was 50% in June, up from between 10% and 15% in March. As new product continues to build throughout the year, Burberry expects comparable store sales to accelerate. Geographically, Asia Pacific comparable stores growth was up by a "high single digit" with mainland China driving growth with "mid-teen" growth reported. For the full year ending March 2020, Burberry maintained current forecasts. The FTSE 100-listed firm expects revenue and adjusted operating margins to remain broadly stable on the year prior. ----------ITV, up 2.5%. Liberum raised the broadcaster to Buy from Hold. ----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Experian, down 2.0%. The credit checking agency was down despite saying it has started the year "well", with revenue growth driven by North America. In the three months to June 30, Experian saw total revenue growth of 4% compared to the year before. This was entirely driven by a 9% growth in the company's North American operations. Every other region in which Experian operates - Latin America, UK & Ireland and EMEA/Asia Pacific - saw total revenue slip. At constant exchange rates, Experian saw total organic revenue growth of 6%. In North America, organic revenue growth was 8%, with 9% growth in Latin America. UK & Ireland's organic revenue was flat on the year before with EMEA/Asia Pacific slipping 1%. The stock is 25% higher so far this year. ----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Aston Martin Lagonda, up 3.2%. Jefferies raised the DB9 sports car maker to Hold from Underperform.----------James Fisher & Sons, up 1.8%. The marine engineering firm said it secured a series of offshore renewable energy contracts worth a combined GBP30 million. In the UK, James Fisher won contracts for unexploded ordnance and boulder clearance work at the East Anglia One wind farm project and the Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm of German energy firm Innogy SE in Moray East. The firm also secured a marine coordination and communication contract in Moray East. In Taiwan, James Fisher secured an initial contract for unexploded ordnance and survey and structural work in addition to consultancy for James Fisher's high voltage engineering business EDS HV Group. In 2018, James Fisher reported GBP55.4 million pretax profit on revenue of GBP561.5 million. James Fisher also announced it had acquired the 35,000 tonne tanker Raleigh Fisher for GBP9 million. This follows a five-year Royal Navy fuelling support contract being won. ----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------AG Barr, down 26%. The Irn-Bru and Rubicon soft drinks maker said weak trading during the first half of the year saw revenue sink 10%, with forecasts that full-year profit could be as much as a fifth lower. For the 26 weeks ending July 27, revenue is forecast by the company to fall 10% to GBP123 million from GBP136.9 million reported the year prior. AG Barr reported trading during the period had been "below our expectations" amid a number of market and brand-specific headwinds. In particular, AG Barr said 2018 had been a year of "unprecedented" challenges for the industry through a combination of a new soft drink levy, carbon dioxide shortages, and a hot summer. At the time, AG Barr had focused on building volume over the short-term before returning emphasis on increasing prices in March 2019. AG Barr had expected this change to hurt volumes. Nonetheless, a combination of "disappointing" spring and early summer weather and brand-related issues at Rockstar energy and Rubicon juice drinks sapped trading performance. ----------Hastings Group, down 5.0%. The insurer said it will record a GBP8.4 million one-off pretax charge in 2019 results due to changes in the discount rate applicable for personal injury damage awards. The UK government on Monday unveiled a cut to the rate used to calculate the amount insurers must pay for personal injury claims. The personal discount rate, or Ogden rate, has been raised to minus 0.25% from the minus 0.75% implemented in 2017. The Ogden rate is a calculation used by courts to work out how much insurance companies need to pay out in the event of life-changing injuries to customers, taking into account the likely return from the investment of such awards. The higher the rate, the better the outcome is for insurers. Hastings Group said it will now update its best estimate - expected present value of future cash flows - to reflect the change in the Ogden rate to minus 0.25%. The company's insurance unit previously held its best estimate reserves consistent with an Ogden rate in the range of 0% to 1%.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------7digital Group, up 67%. The digital music and radio services platform said it has appointed Tamir Koch as non-executive chair with immediate effect and, as a result, Mark Foster will revert back to his non-executive director role. 7digital said Koch along with his partners is co-ordinating GBP6.5 million in funding for the company. 7digital didn't specify the type of funding planned, whether debt or equity. Koch and his partners have already invested GBP2 million by purchasing existing loan notes and subscribing for new shares in the company. At the start of July, 7digital said it still needs to raise funds, despite welcoming the investment by Koch and Lazarus. 7digital had said it plans a fundraise in this month, saying this is required to stave off insolvency. In late June, the firm said shareholders had refused to grant the right to issue shares. 7digital posted GBP19.9 million in revenue for 2018, up 19% year-on-year, but its pretax loss widened to GBP12.2 million from GBP5.2 million, after a significant rise in expenses and one-off costs. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Albert Technologies, down 67%. The software company said it plans to cancel its AIM stock market listing as the board believes that a listing hinders its ability to raise extra funds. Albert Technologies said it needs to seek extra financing to support further growth and believes a strategic or financial investor with knowledge of the company's core markets would be in its best interests.----------