JJB.L Share News (JJB)

Dow Jones smallcap news is now on Twitter, allowing you to catch up on the news away from your desk. Go to http://twitter.com/DJ_UK_Smallcaps JJB SPORTS PLC (JJB.LN), a sportswear retailer, Wednesday said its former chairman who steered it away from the brink of administration late last year has decided to retire as a director due to ill health. Sir David Jones's retirement is effective immediately, JJB Sports said in a statement following its annual general meeting, and follows his decision to step down as the company's chairman in January, which was also due to health reasons. At 1045 GMT, shares +1 pence, or 4%, at 13 pence. KRYSO RESOURCES PLC (KYS.LN), a Tajikistan-focused gold and base metal explorer, Wednesday said it agreed to raise GBP11 million from a new Chinese investor to fund development of the Pakrut gold project. At 1045 GMT, shares +0.45 pence, or 3%, at 15.2 pence. WALKER GREENBANK PLC (WGB.LN), a luxury furnishings company, Wednesday said first-half pretax profit is expected to nearly quadruple on the year, boosted by a return to growth of its premium brand Zoffany. At 1045 GMT, shares +4 pence, or 11.5%, at 34 pence. BRIT INSURANCE HOLDINGS NV (BRE.LN), a U.K. insurer and reinsurer, Wednesday said it has opened its books to New York-based Apollo Global Management LLC for due diligence after it raised its indicative proposal to buy the insurer to GBP10.75 a share in cash, valuing the insurer at around GBP851 million. Earlier this month, Brit rejected an indicative bid of GBP10.50 a share in cash from Apollo, its second rejection in four weeks. At 1045 GMT, shares +89 pence, or 9.7%, at 1,002 pence. YELL GROUP PLC (YELL.LN), a directories firm, posted a drop in first-quarter pretax profit as sales fell, but said while revenue will likely remain pressured until there is a meaningful economic recovery, online sales continue to rise and print retention rates have improved. Yellow Pages publisher Yell said the anticipated economic recovery is "proving slower than expected" but said it has no plans for more fundraisings. At 1045 GMT, shares -4 pence, or 13.5%, at 26 pence. MWANA AFRICA PLC (MWA.LN), a gold and base metals explorer, Wednesday said it raised its resource estimate for its Zani-Kodo gold project in Congo. Mwana said it raised the total resource estimate at Zani-Kodo to 1.25 million troy ounces of gold, a 98% increase since February. At 1045 GMT, shares +1 pence or 5.7%, at 10 pence. BODYCOTE PLC (BOY.LN), an engineer, Wednesday said it is seeking acquisitions to broaden the geographic reach of its automotive and general industrial unit and bulk up its surface technology business. At 1045 GMT, shares -16 pence, or 6.4%, at 234 pence. MECOM GROUP PLC (MEC.LN), a European newspaper group, posted a much-narrowed first-half pretax loss as it cut costs and improved operating earnings but said full-year revenue will fall from a year earlier. Chief Executive David Montgomery told Dow Jones that in spite of improving advertising revenue trends, ad sales are unlikely to turn positive in the second half. At 1045 GMT, shares +2 pence, or 0.7%, at 215 pence. RATHBONE BROTHERS PLC (RAT.LN), a U.K. fund manager, posted an 11% rise in first-half pretax profit and said it is interested in making acquisitions similar to its previous purchases of some of the private banking business of Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LLOY.LN). At 1045 GMT, shares +5.5 pence, or 0.7%, at 835.5 pence. AVOCET MINING PLC (AVM.LN) said it swung to a first-half pretax profit following a jump in production and a rise in the gold price. Avocet, which has mines and exploration projects in west Africa and Asia, said it expects to increase production at its Inata mine in Burkina Faso to 140,000 troy ounces of gold by the end of the year. The company told Dow Jones that incorrect reports it agreed a sale of its mines in south Asia to an Indonesian mining magnate sparked a frenzy of interest from potential purchasers. At 1045 GMT, shares +1 pence, or 0.4%, at 125 pence. MORGAN CRUCIBLE CO. PLC (MGCR.LN) said first-half profit more than doubled and it expects analysts to increase their revenue expectations for 2010. The company, which makes ceramics and other advanced materials used in sectors including aerospace, electronics, power generation and oil and gas, said orders at most units have shown consistent month-on-month improvement since the fourth quarter of 2009. At 1045 GMT, shares -0.1 pence, or 0.05%, at 219 pence. ILIKA PLC (IKA.LN), a U.K.-based technology company, Wednesday said its subsidiary Altrika is one of three organizations that will share in a GBP153,000 U.K. government grant to fund development of a treatment for problematic skin wounds. At 1045 GMT, shares +1 pence, or 1.8%, at 56 pence. UMECO PLC (UMC.LN), an aircraft parts supplier, said fiscal-year first-quarter group revenue rose 3.9% on the year, adding that it was encouraged by the level of orders for civil aircraft by Airbus and Boeing Co. (BA) at the recent Farnborough International Air Show. At 1045 GMT, shares -12 pence, or 3%, at 394 pence. DJ UK Smaller Cos -0.36% AIM +0.2% -By Hannah Benjamin, Rachael Gormley & Jason Douglas & Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0) 20 7842 9298; uksmallcaps@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 28, 2010 07:29 ET (11:29 GMT)