Merlin Entertainments Share News (MERL)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Tuesday.----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Tesco, down 2.8%. The supermarket chain was lower following the release of the latest Kantar Worldpanel grocery market survey. For the 12 weeks to October 7, Tesco delivered a sales increase of 0.9% in the 12 week period, beating J Sainsbury, which grew sales by 0.6%. However, Tesco's market share declined by 0.6 percentage point to 27.4%, while Sainsbury's market share was down by 0.4 percentage point to 15.4%. Sainsbuy's shares were down 0.6%. Conversely, grocery delivery firm Ocado was up 3.7% after its sales growth was reported at 7.5%. ----------British American Tobacco, down 1.5%. The tobacco maker said it is still doing well, with market share continuing to rise. However, BAT revised down its revenue target for its tobacco heating products and e-cigarettes to GBP900 million from previous target of GBP1 billion. This is due to a reduction of planned end-of-year stocks in Japan and a recall of BAT's Vuse Vibe product in the US. BAT also said it expects full-year adjusted earnings per share growth to be hurt by a currency translation headwind of around 7%, on the assumption that exchange rates remain unchanged for the rest of the year.----------Smith & Nephew, down 1.4%. HSBC downgraded its recommendation on the medical devices maker to Hold from Buy, expecting a soft organic revenue performance for the third quarter. At Smith & Nephew's third-quarter results, due November 1, HSBC said it expects the company to report organic revenue growth of 2.4%, towards the lower end of the 2% to 3% guidance range but accelerating from the 1% posted for the first half.----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Meggitt, up 5.3%. The aerospace components maker upgraded its revenue guidance on a stronger-than-expected performance in its core civil aerospace and defence business divisions and improving market conditions, particularly US defence spending. Meggitt now expects 2018 total organic revenue growth of between 7% to 8%, up from 4% to 6% seen previously. Annual operating margins guidance remains unchanged and is expected to be towards the lower end of the 17.7% to 18.0% range. Meggitt said growing demand for business and large jets led to 5% revenue growth for original equipment - part of civil aerospace division - for the three months to the end of September. Full year organic revenue growth from the civil aerospace division is now expected between 6% to 8%, up from previous 2% to 4% estimates.----------Drax Group, up 4.1%. The power generation company said it has acquired a portfolio of low-carbon power generation assets in the UK for GBP702 million in cash from ScottishPower, part of Spanish utility company Iberdrola. The acquired portfolio is expected, based on recent power and commodity prices, to generate earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation in a range of GBP90 to GBP110 million, from gross profits of GBP155 million to GBP175 million, in 2019. For 2017, the portfolio generated Ebitda of GBP36 million. ----------Aggreko, up 4.0%. The temporary power provider was raised to Outperform from Sector Perform by RBC. ----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Merlin Entertainments, down 7.0%. The theme park and attractions operator said organic revenue increased in the year-to-date, driven primarily by new business development. As at October 6, Merlin's year-to-date organic revenue growth was 4.7% and like-for-like revenue growth stood at 1.4%. The company opened four of its six new businesses in the last two months, meaning that new business development has been weighted towards the second half of the year. These new developments helped to offset a 0.7% organic growth decline in Merlin's Midway Attractions, which include Madame Tussauds and the Blackpool Tower. Trading thus far, Merlin said, has been in line with expectations and expects to report 2018 results in line with market consensus. "This comes across as rather disappointing given the good weather this summer, and the number of people who probably stayed at home for their annual break this year," said CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson. ----------JD Sports Fashion, down 3.8%. Morgan Stanley started coverage on the sportswear retailer with an Underweight rating. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Solgold, up 17% at 41.33 pence. Anglo-Australian mining giant BHP Billiton said it will invest GBP45 million into London-listed gold miner. BHP will buy 100 million SolGold shares at a price of 45 pence each. The deal will see BHP's stake rise to just over 11% from 6.0% previously. BHP can nominate a director to SolGold's board, and it also has anti-dilution rights to keep its stake above 10%. BHP said it will, for two years, support capital raisings and "change of control transactions" provided they have support of 60% of SolGold shareholders. BHP was down 1.0%.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Nanoco Group, down 11%. The nanomaterials manufacturer said its loss narrowed in its recently ended financial year due to a rise in revenue and lower expenses. The company said pretax loss narrowed in the year to the end of July to GBP7.4 million from GBP10.9 million reported a year prior, as revenue more than doubled to GBP3.3 million from GBP1.3 million. Billings have increased to GBP6.5 million from GBP1.1 million reported a year earlier as a new development & supply agreement was signed during the year. Research & development costs fell to GBP4.0 million from GBP5.5 million year-on-year, while payroll costs declined to GBP5.3 million from GBP5.7 million due to a 22% decrease in average staff numbers following restructuring.----------