LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Monday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------Antofagasta, up 8.9%, Evraz, up 7.8%, Anglo American, up 7.2%, BHP, up 6.5%, Rio Tinto, up 5.5%, Glencore, up 5.4%. The miners were higher amid easing trade tensions between the US and China and better-than-expected manufacturing data from China. Following the G20 Summit in Argentina over the weekend, the US and China agreed to a 90-day ceasefire in their trade war, giving the sides time to continue negotiations. "Trade-sensitive sectors, such as metals companies fared particularly well from the trade truce," said City Index analyst Fiona Cincotta. In addition, the manufacturing sector in China accelerated slightly in November, the latest survey from Caixin revealed, with a manufacturing PMI score of 50.2. That exceeded expectations for a score of 50.1, which would have been unchanged from the October reading.----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Dunelm Group, up 14%. The homewares retailer was raised to Buy from Hold by Peel Hunt. ----------Spirax-Sarco Engineering, up 4.5%. The steam management systems engineer said it sold unit HygroMatik to Carel Industries for EUR59.0 million on a debt and cash free basis. The firm said Hamburg-headquartered humidification equipment manufacturer HygroMatik has a strong position in the public buildings, spa and wellness sectors. It joined Spirax-Sarco in 1988 but due to limited strategic fit has always operated separately from the Steam Specialties division, in which it was reported. The steam and electrical thermal energy solutions provider highlighted that low level of integration limited HygroMatik's ability to improve sales growth and maintain profitability. In 2017, HygroMatik's sales totaled GBP13.0 million and operating profit was GBP3.9 million.----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Stobart Group, down 9.5%. The infrastructure and support services company, which runs Southend airport, said it intends to reduce its fourth-quarter dividend to invest in "value-creating opportunities" and maintain a "strong" balance sheet. Stobart will reduce its fourth-quarter dividend to 1.5 pence from 4.5p in the same period last year. As a result, Stobart said it will pay a total dividend of 15p in the current financial year, down from 16.5p it said on Monday it had paid in the previous financial year. The company also said it has continued its growth plans for Stobart Aviation and Stobart Energy with trading in the second half in line with expectations. Stobart Group said it is targeting 5 million passengers from 2022 at GBP10 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation per passenger. The company is currently undergoing a "detailed capital review" and intends to update the market on the results with its pre-closing trading statement in March 2019.----------RPC Group, down 4.5%. US private equity firm Bain Capital confirmed it will not make an offer for the plastic products maker following discussions with the board of RPC. Earlier on Monday, RPC said takeover talks with Apollo Global Management remain ongoing but it has "mutually agreed to terminate discussions" with Bain Capital. Both Apollo and Bain Capital had until 1700 GMT on Monday to either announce a firm intention to make an offer, or walk away from the deal. RPC requested an extension to the deadline for Apollo, which now has until December 21 to make a firm offer. RPC said it will make a further announcement "when appropriate" and stressed "there can be no certainty" any offer will be made, nor the terms on which an offer might be made.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Egdon Resources, up 14%. The oil and gas explorer reported its first full month of production from the Ceres gas field, located in the southern North Sea, following the installation of a new flowmeter. Egdon holds a 10% interest in the Spirit Energy-operated Ceres field. Egdon said net gas production during November averaged 1.16 million cubic feet per day. As a result Egdon expects net gas sales for November to be in excess of GBP235,000.----------Faron Pharmaceuticals, up 9.5%. The clinical stage biopharmaceutical company said its clinical trial application to conduct a phase 1/2 study for caner immunotherapy drug Clevegen, has been approved by the Finnish Medicines Agency. Patient recruitment into the phase 1/2 MATINS study is expected to start at Helsinki and Oulu University Hospitals in Finland. The study will be the first-in-human open label phase 1/2 clinical trial to investigate the safety and efficacy of Clevegen in selected metastatic or inoperable solid tumours. The same application is currently being reviewed by the UK's regulatory authority the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for opening sites in the UK.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------McColl's Retail, down 30%. The convenience store chain issued a profit warning, blaming lower-than-expected conversion of sales to profit, transitional challenges, and difficult trading conditions. McColl's said it now expects adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation for the 52-week period ended November 25 to be around GBP35 million, down from GBP44.0 million adjusted Ebitda recorded in the comparative year-ago period. The company also predicted adjusted Ebitda for 2019 financial year to be no more than a modest improvement on financial 2018 due to continued consumer uncertainty, as well as cost pressures due to the increase in the UK national living wage. McColl's said it experienced significant supply-chain disruption because of the collapse of wholesaler Palmer & Harvey and was forced to accelerate the rollout of Wm Morrison Supermarkets-branded products to its 1,300 stores. McColl's recorded a 1.4% drop in full-year like-for-like sales. Same store sales for the final quarter of 2018 financial year were flat. ----------
19 Jan 2016 16:03
