Kingfisher Share News (KGF)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Thursday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------Just Eat, up 2.8%. JPMorgan raised the online takeaway platform to Neutral from Underweight.----------Royal Mail, up 2.7%. RBC Capital upgraded the postal operator to Sector Perform from Underperform. ----------GVC Holdings, up 1.4%. The gambling company agreed to buy Australian sports betting company Neds International for up to AUD95 million, or around GBP52 million. GVC, which will initially pay AUD68 million for buying Neds, expects the deal to be earnings accretive from 2020 amid AUD16 million in cost synergies on an annualised basis, fully realised in 2021. Neds is a relatively new entrant into the Australian digital sports betting market, having launched in 2017. The business is expected to achieve AUD1 billion of wagers and gross gaming revenue of AUD100 million in 2018.---------- FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Centrica, down 7.7%. The British Gas parent company reported a drop in customer numbers and said it expects to meet targets set at the time of its last annual results, despite a few operational challenges. The company's UK home energy customer numbers reduced by 372,000 in the four months to the end of October due to continued high levels of market switching and a second standard variable tariff increase earlier in August. Centrica also reduced 2018 production guidance for its Spirit Energy business to 47.5 million barrels of oil equivalent from 50 million barrels guided earlier. In February, Centrica had guided for production of between 50 million barrels of oil equivalent and 55 million barrels. This cut reflects unplanned stoppages as well as operational issues. "The group is now losing customers at a faster rate, and that has rocked investor confidence. In the last seven years, the number of energy providers has soared by 421%. Centrica is a part of the old guard, and now new firms are nipping away at their customer base," said CMC Markets analyst David Madden.----------Imperial Brands, down 4.7%. The tobacco stock went ex-dividend meaning new buyer no longer qualify for the latest dividend payout. ----------Halma, down 4.0%. Morgan Stanley cut the safety equipment maker to Equal Weight from Overweight. ----------Kingfisher, down 3.9%. The home-improvement store chain was downgraded to Sell from Hold by Societe Generale and to Hold from Buy by HSBC. Kingfisher on Wednesday said it was going to exit its businesses in Spain, Russia and Portugal, as attempts some DIY on its struggling French operations, which suffered a drop in like-for-like sales in the third quarter. ----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Hill & Smith Holdings, up 3.8%. The galvanising services firm said it expects its 2018 annual results to be in line with market forecasts after revenue for the second half to date rose 12%. For the period from July 1 to October 31, the company's revenue increased to GBP224.7 million from GBP201.5 million a year ago. After adjusting for currency exchange and acquisitions, the organic increase was 5%. Meanwhile, the company added adjusted operating profit in the four-month-period was "ahead" year-on-year.----------Equiniti, up 3.2%. The financial administration services provider said it expects its 2018 financial results at the "upper range of market expectation" as revenue momentum continued in the second half. Currently, according to Equiniti, the market expects annual revenue between GBP491.0 million and GBP505.0 million and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation between GBP118.0 million and GBP123.0 million. In 2017, Equiniti's revenue came in at GBP406.1 million and adjusted Ebitda was GBP98.5 million. For the period from July 1 to November 21, the company said its performance had been "encouraging" with continued organic revenue growth. ----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Rotork, down 8.1%. The valve actuators maker reported a drop of 4.0% in order intake during the third quarter of its financial year. In the third quarter, order intake in Rotork's fluid system division dropped 20%, while Controls saw orders down 3.3%. The company's Gears division orders dipped 1.9% with Instruments as the only unit with increased order intake in the quarter up 12%. However, revenue for the three months to October 28 rose 8.4%, or 9.9% at constant currency, reflecting the variation in the timing of project orders and deliveries compared to the prior year.----------Spirax-Sarco Engineering, down 4.8%. Morgan Stanley cut the engineer to Equal Weight from Overweight. ----------Keller, down 4.7%. The geotechnical contractor said it has refinanced its loan and taken "tough but necessary actions" to address losses. In early October, Keller had issued a profit warning, saying it expects its Asia Pacific region to record a GBP12 million to GBP15 million annual loss for 2018, having previously expected to post a small profit. Keller said Thursday it plans to take action due to deteriorating market conditions in the countries making up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and will downsize its business in the region. To this end, a managed exit from heavy foundations activities in Singapore and Malaysia is planned. In combination, these operations contribute approximately GBP60 million to annual revenue but also represent substantially all of the expected ASEAN loss for 2018.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Majestic Wine, down 16%. The wine retailer posted a rise in half-year revenue but swung to a loss. Revenue for the half to October 1 was up 5.4% at GBP229.1 million, as the wine seller swung to a pretax loss of GBP200,000 from a GBP3.1 million profit a year ago. On an adjusted basis, pretax profit plunged 63% to GBP2.5 million from GBP6.8 million. The firm said it is "doing well" amid a tough market, though now expects annual earnings before interest and tax to be, "at best", flat on last year. The company had previously expected earnings growth. Following the update, brokers Peel Hunt and Liberum cut their ratings on the stock to Hold from Buy. ----------