Playtech Share News (PTEC)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Thursday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------Barclays, up 3.2%. The lender raised its dividend and pledged a greater focus on returns to shareholders, as annual profit slipped on litigation and conduct charges. Pretax profit for 2018 came in at GBP3.49 billion, slightly lower than the GBP3.54 billion achieved last year. This included litigation and conduct charges of GBP2.2 billion, which the bank said was principally related to a GBP1.4 billion settlement with the US Department of Justice. Excluding these charges, pretax profit for the year was up 20% on 2017 to GBP5.7 billion. The lender declared a full-year dividend of 4.0 pence, bringing its total dividend to 6.5p. This is more than double the 3p paid out in respect of 2017. "We will use the strong capital generation of the bank to return a greater proportion of those earnings to shareholders by way of dividends and to supplement those dividends with additional returns, including share buybacks. I am optimistic for our prospects to do more in 2019 and beyond," said Chief Executive James Staley.----------RELX, up 2.1%. The Anglo-Dutch firm reported revenue growth above consensus with strong improvement from its scientific, technical & medical and risk & analytics businesses. However, profit was flat due to higher expenses. Revenue increased 2.0% in 2018, hitting GBP7.49 billion versus GBP7.34 billion in 2017. The latest result was 1.8% ahead of company-compiled consensus for GBP7.36 billion. Revenue from RELX's scientific, technical & medical arm increased 2.8% to GBP2.54 billion from GBP2.47 billion. Its risk & analytics business also performed well, with revenue up 1.9% at GBP2.11 billion from GBP2.07 billion. Selling and distribution costs rose to GBP1.19 billion from GBP1.16 billion and administration and other expenses rose to GBP1.73 billion from GBP1.68 billion. Additionally, finance costs rose to GBP217 million from GBP205 million.Consequently, RELX's annual profit was flat in 2018 from the year before due to increased costs and expenses, with pretax unchanged at GBP1.72 billion.----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Centrica, down 11%. The energy supplier reported an increase in its annual profit and revenue but warned on the pressuring effects of the UK tariff caps on its 2019 results. For 2018, the energy company posted pretax profit of GBP575.0 million, significantly higher that the GBP137.0 million profit posted a year ago. Adjusted pretax profit was in line with analysts consensus at GBP1.12 billion, 24% higher than the GBP901 million generated last year. However, the British Gas owner described its 2018 performance as "mixed", with good financials but struggling volumes in its Spirit Energy and Nuclear units and a slow recovery in the firm's North America business. "Our 2019 financial performance will be impacted by the UK default tariff cap and continuing lower volumes in Exploration & Production and Nuclear, meaning our 2018-20 target range for average adjusted operating cash flow is under some pressure," Chief Executive Officer Iain Conn said.----------BAE Systems, down 6.7%. The defence firm boosted its annual dividend Thursday after its order book reached record highs and profit rose on lower costs, despite revenue dipping. In 2018, pretax profit widened 14% to GBP1.22 billion from GBP1.07 billion the year prior. This was despite reported revenue falling 2.3% to GBP16.82 billion from GBP17.22 billion the year before, on a constant currency basis falling by 1%. The order intake during 2018 jumped to GBP28.28 billion from GBP20.28 billion in 2017. This helped take the order backlog to GBP48.4 billion at the end of 2018 from GBP38.7 billion at the end of 2017.----------Intertek, down 2.4%. Berenberg cut the product testing and certification company to Hold from Buy.----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Playtech, up 5.8%. The gaming software firm said annual revenue rose sharply amid progress with recent acquisition, whilst reported profit suffered on one-off costs. Meanwhile, the firm slashed its dividend payout as it turned attention to a new EUR40 million share buyback programme. In 2018, pretax profit narrowed 31% to EUR183.4 million from EUR266.6 million the year prior. This was despite revenue rising 53% to EUR1.24 billion from EUR807.1 million the year before. Playtech proposed a final dividend of 12.0 euro cents per share, almost half the 23.9 cents paid the year before. For the full year, the dividend was cut 33% to 24.1 cents from 36.0 cents the year prior. This was after the firm decided to rebalance its shareholder distributions between a share buyback and the dividend, announcing a EUR40 million share buyback programme starting on Friday.----------Serco, up 4.8%. The outsourcer said profit multiplied in 2018 due to a drop in both expenses and cost of sales, and it increased its revenue guidance. Pretax profit for the year was GBP74.1 million, seven times higher than its GBP10.6 million profit in 2017. While Serco's revenue decreased 3.7% to GBP2.84 billion from GBP2.95 billion, its gross profit was 21% higher at GBP290.2 million versus GBP240.3 million. This was due to a drop in cost of sales to GBP2.55 billion from GBP2.71 billion. The outsourcing company also raised its 2019 revenue guidance to between GBP2.9 billion and GBP3.0 billion, up from December guidance of GBP2.8 billion to GBP2.9 billion. This reflects recent contract wins, particularly is asylum support service contracts in the UK and a defence health contract in Australia.----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Hays, down 7.5%. The recruitment firm hiked its interim dividend after profit and revenue both rose as "supportive" markets boosted fee performance. For the six months ended December, pretax profit widened 7.6% to GBP122.6 million from GBP113.9 million a year prior. This was after revenue rose 7.4% to GBP3.04 billion from GBP2.83 billion a year before. "We have delivered another good first half, and despite increasingly tough comparatives are pleased to report 9% net fee and profit growth. Conditions were supportive in most of our markets, with 20 of our 33 countries delivering record net fees," Hays Chief Executive Officer Alistair Cox said.----------Just Eat, down 4.3%. Uber Eats is looking to cut the delivery fees it charges to restaurants in the UK and Ireland in a competitive challenge to rival Just Eat, the Financial Times reported. Uber Eats will cap the fees it charges to restaurants at 30% of the value of an order, compared with the current maximum fee of 35%, the FT said. The FT also said Uber Eats is also planning to roll out a "market place" in the UK, to allow restaurants to use its app but carry out their own deliveries, which would put the firm in direct competition with Just Eat. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Morgan Sindall Group, up 3.7%. The construction firm hiked its 2018 dividend Thursday after profit jumped amid another "strong" year of growth for the company, with momentum set to continue into 2019. In 2018, pretax profit increased 24% to GBP80.6 million from GBP64.9 million the year prior. This was after revenue rose 6.5% to GBP2.97 billion from GBP2.79 billion the year before. The company's committed order book fell 5.3% to GBP3.6 billion from GBP3.8 billion the year prior. Morgan Sindall proposed a 34.0 pence per share final dividend, up 17% from 29.0p the year prior. For the full year, the dividend rose 18% to 53.0p from 45.0p the year before. "Looking ahead to 2019, we are confident of another good year of progress and the group is in a strong position to deliver on its expectations," Chief Executive John Morgan said.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Purplebricks, down 26%. The online estate agent cut its annual guidance by GBP35 million and warned that its revenue in Australia and the US will fail to meet expectations. Purplebricks now expects to post revenue of between GBP130 million to GBP140 million in the year to the end of April. It previously guided for revenue to be between GBP165 million and GBP175 million. A year ago, the real estate firm generated revenue of GBP93.7 million. The reduction is due to both Australian and US revenue being expected to come in below the board's expectations due to "a number of headwinds". Furthermore, the real estate agent said that both UK CEO Lee Wainwright and US CEO Eric Eckardt will leave the company shortly. Wainwright will be replaced by Chief Operating Officer Vic Darvey, who joined the business last month from Moneysupermarket.com. Meanwhile, group CEO Bruce will take on day-to-day management of the US business with immediate effect, the company added.----------