Next Share News (NXT)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Wednesday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------Standard Chartered, up 4.5%. The emerging markets-focused lender reported a significant rise in third quarter profit due to a reduction in credit impairment and growth in its major businesses. For the three months ended September, StanChart reported pretax profit of USD1.06 billion, up 37% from USD774 million the year before. The bank's operating income in the third quarter increased 3.6% year-on-year to USD3.72 billion from USD3.59 billion, with net interest income increasing 7.9% to USD2.19 billion from USD2.03 billion. The group's third-quarter loan impairment charges reduced 67% year-on-year to USD115 million from USD348 million on the back of improved credit quality. The bank's common equity tier 1 ratio - a key measure of a bank's financial strength - amounted to 14.5% at the end of the period, compared to 13.6% at the end of the same period the year before.----------Smurfit Kappa, up 3.5%. The Irish corrugated packaging company said its nine month profit and revenue was boosted by a "very strong" performance. For the nine months ended September, pre-exceptional earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation was 27% higher at EUR1.13 billion on the year prior. This was after Ebitda margins improved 290 basis points to 16.9%, while underlying revenue is 7% higher on the year prior. Smurfit explained the "very strong" performance was due to "continued demand" across "most" of its markets. This was combined with "corrugated price recovery initiatives, the continued benefit of our capital investment programmes and lower average recovered fibre costs". Smurfit also agreed to buy two Serbian plants for EUR133 million from Kappa Star Group. The deal will see Smurfit acquire the Fabrika Hartije doo Beograd paper mill and Avala Ada doo Beograd corrugated plant in Belgrade. Peers DS Smith and Mondi were up 4.7% and 2.0%, respectively. ----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Next, down 3.7%. The clothing and homewares retailer reported an increase in third-quarter full-price sales, despite struggles in its Retail sector, which encompasses its High Street shops. For the third quarter ended October 27, Next reported a 2% increase in total sales driven by sales in its Online unit, up 13%, and Finance business interest income, up 12%. In the year-to-date Online is up 15% and Finance 3.1%. Within the company's Retail unit however, sales dropped 8.0% in the quarter and are down 6.3% so far this year. Next maintained its guidance for the current financial year, predicting total full price sales up 3% year-on-year and annual pretax profit up 0.1% to GBP727 million in financial 2019. "Next will continue to be a victim of lower footfall on the UK's high streets, but while its online platform is doing well, there is intense competition coming from other online operators," said Share Centre analyst Helal Miah. Peer Marks & Spencer was down 2.1%. ----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------William Hill, up 7.8%. The bookmaker announced it has agreed a GBP242 million takeover of Swedish firm Mr Green & Co. The offer, worth SEK2.82 billion, is a 49% premium to Mr Green's closing price of SEK46.5 per share on Nasdaq Stockholm on Tuesday. Mr Green's board has recommended shareholders accept the offer, and shareholders covering 40% of its share capital have already said they will do so. William Hill Chief Executive Philip Bowcock commented: "This proposed acquisition accelerates the diversification of William Hill - immediately making us a more digital and more international business." The move to expand in Europe comes as the UK's bookmakers face significant pressures at home. William Hill has warned over the health of the UK High Street, while in May the UK government said it would be introducing a GBP2.00 maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals, down from GBP100.----------Inchcape, up 5.9%. Barclays double upgraded the car dealer to Overweight from Underweight. ----------Just Group, up 5.6%. The retirement specialist reported an "excellent" quarter with income from retirement product sales and lifetime mortgages significantly up. For the three months to September 30, the insurer increased its total new business sales by 17% to GBP765 million from GBP656 million the year before. The company said income sales increased 15% to GBP581 million from GBP504 million with a strong rise in defined benefit de-risking products, which increased 35% in the period to GBP363 million from GBP269 million the year before. Just Group's lifetime mortgage loans advanced in the quarter increased 25% year-on-year to GBP170 million from GBP137 million.----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Computacenter, down 17%. The IT infrastructure provider reported a 3% decline in third-quarter sales and said an expected improvement in the fourth quarter won't match its first half performance. For the three months to September 30, Computacenter said group revenue dipped 3% to GBP900 million from GBP931.9 million a year prior. However, in the year-to-date, revenue remains up 11%. "This small decline, compared to the strong results in the first half, is due to a significantly more challenging comparison," the company said. UK saw revenue in the three-month-period down 9% to GBP296 million from GBP326 million in the quarter but up 17% so far in 2018. Looking ahead, Computacenter said its 2018 outlook remains in line with the board's expectations as it guided for "an improved growth" in the fourth quarter, yet not at the same pace as experienced in the first half. For the six months ended June 30, the company posted revenue of GBP2.01 billion and pretax profit of GBP52.0 million. ----------IWG, down 2.5%. Berenberg cut the office provider to Sell from Hold. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Europa Metals, up 7.5%. The lead-zinc producer said it identified the potential to expand the resource at its Toral lead-zinc-silver project in Spain. The four-hole extension drilling campaign has extended the boundaries of the mineralisation 200 metres to the east of the pre-existing defined mineral resource estimate. Every drill hole encountered limestone and slate which contained lead, zinc and silver mineralisation. The phase two diamond drilling programme at Toral is currently being conducted in the pre-existing defined resource areas, with the first holes of infill drilling completed on budget and schedule. In addition, during the third quarter of 2018 to the end of September, Europa Metals increased the inferred resource estimate for the Toral project to 19 million tonnes, containing 720,000 tonnes of zinc, 570,00 tonnes of lead and 14 million ounces of silver.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------GYG, down 36%. The luxury yacht maintenance company guided for its annual earnings to be "significantly" below market expectations. The Mallorca-headquartered company said its revenue and profit have been hurt by a challenging trading environment in the second half. Revenue for 2018 is expected to be EUR44.0 million, down year-on-year from EUR62.8 million, with the deterioration partly due to delays in a number of projects. The firm guided for a earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation loss of GBP1.2 million, down from an adjusted Ebitda profit of EUR7.2 million a year ago. In light of the profit warning, the company said it would not to pay a dividend in the current financial year, however said it intends to return to the dividend list "at the earliest appropriate opportunity".----------Fastjet, down 27%. The low-cost African airline reiterated the need for additional funding to continue to operate. At the end of September, Fastjet said that it required additional capital by the end October for it to continue to operate. However, due to some improvement in trading and cash generation, Fastjet said it is able to operate beyond October but will still need to secure additional funding to survive. The headroom currently available will allow the company to continue discussions with its shareholders and creditors to find a funding solution. ----------