Saga Share News (SAGA)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Thursday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------WPP, up 3.5%. The advertising and marketing company's shares up on a positive read-across from peer Publicis Groupe. The French advertising and public relations company reported that its third quarter net revenue was EUR2.19 billion, up 0.5% from EUR2.18 billion in the third quarter last year. Growth at constant exchange rates was 1.3%. Organic growth was also 1.3% in the quarter. WPP will report its own third quarter results next Thursday. ----------GVC Holdings, up 1.5%. The gaming company said its third quarter performance was "very pleasing" with total net gaming revenue increasing on a large jump in online revenue. For the three months ended September, the company's total net gaming revenue increased 14% on a year before. GVC, which acquired bookmaker Ladbrokes Coral late last year, saw its online net gaming revenue increase by 28% in the recent period from a year prior, with Sports brands revenue increasing 31% on sports wagers increasing 16%. GVC said Ladbrokes.com net gaming revenue increased 23% and Coral.co.uk increased revenue 29%. Online Games brands revenue increased 19% on year, driven by GVC's partypoker site's revenue up 43%.----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Smiths Group, down 1.6%, BAE Systems, down 0.8%. The stocks went ex-dividend meaning new buyers no longer qualify for the latest dividend payout. ----------Unilever, down 1.6%. The Anglo-Dutch consumer goods firm said its revenue fell in the third quarter, hurt by disposals and currency rate movements. For the three months to the end of September, the consumer goods firm said turnover fell to EUR12.5 billion from EUR13.16 billion in the same quarter a year prior, with impacts of 5.2% from exchange rates and 5.3% from the disposal of the company's spreads business. For the nine months to the end of September, Unilever's turnover decreased to EUR38.7 billion from EUR40.89 billion. Earlier this month, the company scrapped its plan to simplify its dual-headed structure, which included moving its headquarters to the Netherlands from the UK, as it faced strong opposition by a number of major UK shareholders. In a parliamentary inquiry held of Tuesday, Unilever admitted failing to talk to shareholders in the run-up to its decision to move to the Netherlands.----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Domino's Pizza, up 8.5%. The pizza chain announced a further GBP25 million share buyback and reported rise in quarterly sales. The company's group system sales increased 5.9% year-on-year to GBP303.3 million from GBP286.4 million for the 13 weeks to September 30, and rose 6% on an organic basis. Due to its "strong" balance sheet, Domino's said it approved a further GBP25 million of share buyback. The company has already completed a GBP50 million share repurchase programme. In the UK & Republic of Ireland, system sales were up 6% to GBP277.3 million, with a similar organic growth rate at 6.1%. Like-for-like UK sales grew 2.2% and Republic of Ireland same store sales were up 3.3%. ----------National Express, up 3.9%. The transport operator said its revenue and profit rose "strongly" in the third quarter of the year. For the three months to September 30, the bus and coach operator reported a 9.5% increase in revenue, 8.9% at constant currency, helped by a "good summer's trading". Meanwhile, pretax profit for the period was up 18% in reported terms, 11% at constant currency. For the year-to-date, pretax profit is up 15%. In the UK, revenue for the quarter was up 5.3%, driven by "outstanding organic growth" in the coach business. This division saw core revenue up 10%, 9.4% on a like-for-like basis, and passenger numbers up 6%. The UK bus division saw revenue increase by 1.1% and passengers grow by 0.5%. In North America, revenue increased by 6.9% in constant currency. ----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Games Workshop, down 11%. The miniature wargaming manufacturer and retailer said its trading to October 7 has "continued well" but remains "aware" that "some uncertainties" lie in the trading periods ahead to the end of its financial year in the end of May 2019. In a brief trading statement, Games Workshop said sales in the period from September to early October are ahead of the prior year with profit at similar levels.----------Mediclinic International, down 4.5%. Barclays cut the private hospital group to Equal Weight from Overweight. Mediclinic International saw a drop in earnings and revenue on a reported basis for the first half of its financial year.----------Newriver REIT, down 2.9%, Saga, down 2.0%. The stocks went ex-dividend. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------RWS Holdings, up 11%. The intellectual property support services firm said it expects revenue for the recently-ended year to increase by at least 85% on the year before. For the year ended September, the company expects revenue to come in at "no less" than GBP305 million, compared to GBP164 million posted a year ago. Adjusted profit before tax is also expected to "have grown strongly" and is predicted to come in slightly ahead of market expectations.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Zytronic, down 8.5%. The touch technology firm said various issues mean profit for its recently ended financial year will miss expectations. Second half revenue for its year ended September 30 improved by 10% year-on-year, meaning annual revenue is to meet expectations of GBP22.3 million. In its last financial year, the company recorded revenue of GBP22.9 million. However, this new business required "new designs and production techniques" which hit margins, while a "spurious" patent claim also brought extra costs. The company now expects pretax profit to be between GBP4.2 million and GBP4.5 million, without litigation costs, compared with GBP5.4 million pretax profit recorded a year before. Zytronic is cash generative, and in a "robust" cash position. It has several pipeline opportunities, it continued, to help "materially" improve future performance. ----------