JPJ.L Share News (JPJ)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Tuesday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------Antofagasta, up 4.3%. The Chilean copper miner's shares were higher after it posted a better than expected dividend. The firm is paying a final dividend of 37 US cents, taking the year's figure to 43.8 cents, down 14% from 50.9 cents in 2017. However, the payout ratio is similar year-on-year at 67% of underlying earnings per share and well above its 35% minimum. Peel Hunt said despite the dividend cut, the final dividend was well ahead of the broker's 18 US cents estimate and market consensus forecast of 35 cents. "We take this as a statement of confidence from management over the tightness of the copper market and the strong cash flow generation that its portfolio can generate in such conditions," analysts at Peel Hunt said. ----------Ocado Group, up 3.5%. The online grocer reported continued revenue growth in the first quarter of the year, despite a fire at its Andover automated warehouse taking a toll on the company's sales. For the 13 weeks to March 3, the company reported an 11% rise in revenue to GBP404.0 million from GBP363.4 million a year prior. This was despite the fire at the customer fulfilment centre at the beginning of February reducing revenue by 1.2% in the quarter, the company said. The average number of orders in the period rose 11% to 314,000 a week from 282,000 the prior year, while the average order size dipped by a miniscule 0.2% to GBP110.24 from GBP110.45. The FTSE 100 company expressed confidence in its future, buoyed by a new joint venture signed with high street stalwart Marks & Spencer at the end of February. ----------Informa, up 2.0%. Morgan Stanley raised the business publishing and events group to Overweight from Equal Weight. ----------Hikma Pharmaceuticals, up 1.8%. Citigroup raised the drugmaker to Buy from Neutral.----------J Sainsbury, up 1.5%. The supermarket chain confirmed submitting a response to the UK Competition & Markets Authority in response to its preliminary findings regarding the supermarket's proposed tie-up with Walmart Inc-owned Asda. The UK anti-monopoly regulator released its preliminary statement regarding the merger in mid-February leaving little hope that the tie-up would go forward due to significant competition concerns. The CMA will publish its final decision on the merger on April 30. On Tuesday, Sainsbury's said that, together with Asda, it "strongly disagrees" with the CMA's findings and has found "significant errors" in the regulator's analysis. Among the "errors", was the CMA's choice of a threshold for identifying competition problems that "does not fit the facts and evidence in the case". Furthermore, the threshold was set at an "unprecedentedly low level", therefore generating an unreasonably high number of areas of concern, Sainsbury's explained. ----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Evraz, down 5.9% at 593.00 pence. The Russian steelmaker said four investors have finalised the sale of a combined 25.4 million shares in the company. Greenleas International Holdings, Abiglaze, Crosland Global, and Toshi Holdings offered the shares, equivalent to 1.8% of the FTSE 100 company, in a placing at 595 pence for a total of GBP151.1 million. Evraz was not a party to the placing and received no proceeds from it. Of the 25.4 million shares, 11.5 million were sold by Greenleas, 8.5 million by Abiglaze, 4.2 million by Crosland, and 1.2 million by Toshi. Following the placing, the four investors are subject to a lock-up of 60 days. Greenleas continues to hold a 30% interest in Evraz, while Abiglaze, Crosland and Toshi retain 20%, 10%, and 2.9% stakes respectively. ----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------TP ICAP, up 5.2%. The interdealer broker reported "resilient" results in a "mixed" 2018 as the company continued its integration programme and prepares for "all Brexit eventualities". In 2018, TP ICAP's pretax profit decreased by 14% to GBP62 million from GBP72 million. The company's revenue was flat at GBP1.76 billion. Underlying profit increased 5.2% to GBP245 million from GBP233 million in 2017. The adjusted figures remove acquisition, disposal & integration costs, and exceptional items. TP ICAP declared a final dividend of 11.25 pence per share, along with an interim dividend of 5.6p, gives a total dividend for 2018 of 16.85p, in line with the year before.----------Softcat, up 3.8%. The IT infrastructure products and services company said it expects to report annual results slightly ahead of forecasts following strong growth in profit in the first half. Softcat said pretax profit in the six months to the end of January grew 40% to GBP34.0 million from GBP24.2 million reported for the same period a year earlier. Softcat's revenue rose by 21% to GBP434.20 million from GBP358.3 million the year before, helped by improved cloud-based software sales. Customer numbers also grew by 6.5% to 10,100 from 9,500. The company declared an interim dividend of 4.5p per share, up 36% from 3.3p paid the year prior.----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Ferrexpo, down 9.5%. The iron pellet producer said a review of funds paid to a Ukrainian charity indicate the funds may not all have been used for their stated purpose and, as a result, will delay 2018 its financial results to April 3. In early February, Ferrexpo said it would conduct a comprehensive review into Blooming Land after uncovering issues with the charity's accounts. At the time, Ferrexpo explained its auditor Deloitte received bank statements directly from the charity Blooming Land in order to verify the use of contributions by Ferrexpo. The bank statements from the charity - which is separately managed from Ferrexpo - revealed "as yet unexplained discrepancies". As well as discovering problems with bank statements, Ferrexpo has now identified "a number of discrepancies" on the application of funds by Blooming Land - which, according to Ferrexpo, suggest the funds "may not have been used for their stated purpose".----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------JPJ Group, up 4.5%. The online bingo operator turned to profit in 2018, helped by the strong performance of its Vera & John unit. JPJ said it swung to a profit of GBP18.1 million in 2018 from a GBP70.7 million loss a year earlier, as gaming revenue climbed by 10% to GBP319.6 million from GBP289.3 million. Gaming revenue in the Jackpotjoy unit was flat on the prior year due to the impact of enhanced responsible gambling measures and the closure of a small number of high-value accounts. Meanwhile, revenue in the Vera & John unit - which operates on its own proprietary technology platform - jumped by 42%. The company said trading in the first two months of 2019 has been strong with double-digit growth in revenue.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Mears Group, down 7.5%. The housing and care services firm is to take steps to reduce its debt over the next two years, it said, while it is also will review non-core activities. Mears said following discussions with shareholders, it is to take "active" steps to reduce debt and review capital allocation. Mears ended 2018 with GBP65.9 million in debt, up from GBP25.8 million. It said its average debt during 2018 was worse than expected. Mears recognises shareholders want better financial outcomes, it said, and it is clear "it must take action" to refocus activities to those of a specialist housing provider. As a result, non-core activities will be reviewed, with disposals possible. Mears also released financial results for 2018, with revenue falling 3.4% to GBP869.8 million. ----------