Sirius Minerals Share News (SXX)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Thursday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------TUI, up 1.8%. The Anglo-German travel operator said trading is in line with expectations for the current year, but it doubled the estimated currency impact on its results from the woes of the Turkish lira. TUI reiterated its guidance of a 10% minimum growth in its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation. "The financial year is closing out as we expected, with the fourth consecutive year of double-digit growth," said TUI Chief Executive Friedrich Joussen. In addition, the company intends to deliver an additional 60 hotel openings by the end of its 2019 financial year and launch three cruise ships.----------Halma, up 1.3%. The health and safety sensor maker said it has made good progress since April, in line with management's expectations. All units delivered organic constant currency revenue and profit growth, with order intake ahead of the same period last year. The Medical and Environmental & Analysis sectors delivered "strong growth", said Halma, with Medical continuing to benefit from actions taken to improve profitability in the second half of last year. Process Safety and Infrastructure Safety continued to perform well, though Process Safety booked some "modest" re-organisation costs, Halma said.----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------DCC, down 5.5%. The Irish distribution company said operating profit for the six months ending September 30 was driven by acquisitions completed in the prior year and good trading across all business divisions. It has reiterated that year to March 31, 2019, will be another year of profit growth and development. In addition, DCC acquired Canadian sales, marketing and services business Jam Group for USD170 million, or around GBP130 million. DCC set out plans to raise new capital via placing up to 8.9 million new ordinary shares through an accelerated bookbuild process. The share placing represents up to 10% of the existing issued share capital of the company. Net placing proceeds will be used by DCC for acquisitions and to enhance its balance sheet and liquidity. DCC expects Jam Group to be 4.5% earnings per share accretive from completion and to generate a return on capital employed of 15% in the first full year of ownership. The acquisition significantly strengthens DCC Technology unit's presence in the North American market. ----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Sirius Minerals, up 2.5%. The polyhalite mining company said its loss narrowed in the first half of the year due to operating cost and finance expense reductions. For the six months to June 30 the company recorded a GBP96.3 million pretax loss, substantially narrowing the GBP151.3 million loss recorded the prior year. This occurred via a slight reduction in operating costs to GBP10.8 million from GBP14.7 million, as well as a decrease in net finance expense to GBP85.5 million from GBP136.6 million. At present, the mining company is still in its exploratory stage and does not produce revenue. Post period end, the company received USD250 million from the first stage of its royalty financing agreement with Hancock British Holdings Ltd for the development of its polyhalite Woodsmith mine in North Yorkshire.----------Mitchells & Butlers, up 2.4%. The pub and restaurant operator said its underlying sales growth has strengthened over the two months since its last update. For the 51 weeks ended last Saturday, Mitchell & Butlers, which owns the Harvester and Vintage Inns chains, said sales had "strengthened" since its last update in August. For the eight weeks prior to the end of the period, like-for-like sales have grown 2.2% on the year prior. For the financial year to date, like-for-like sales have risen 1.2%. On a reported basis, however, they have increased by a more modest 0.5% due to the impact of disposals in the year prior. ----------Entertainment One, up 2.2%. The Canadian media production group said trading over the first half of its financial year has been in line with expectations, as it backed its annual outlook. Family & Brands continued to perform well in the period to September 30, driven by ongoing consumer product roll-outs. Within the division, children's TV show Peppa Pig remained strong in its core markets, with additional new episodes to be delivered in spring 2019 to support licensing activities. In China, Peppa Pig episodes currently air on the CCTV and Hunan TV networks and across major VOD platforms Tencent, Youku and iQIYI.----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Indivior, down 13%. Shares in the opioid addiction treatment maker fell after the company slashed its sales guidance for its blockbuster opioid addiction treatment Sublocade late Wednesday. Indivior expects net revenue for 2018 in the range of USD990 million to USD1.02 billion, down from the previous guidance of USD1.13 billion to USD1.17 billion. Indivior has struggled to retain US market share, after rival Indian firm Dr Reddy's Laboratories developed a cheaper, generic alternative to its opioid addiction treatment Suboxone film earlier this year. The stock closed down 16% on Wednesday. ----------IG Group, down 10%. The online spreadbetting firm said Chief Executive Peter Hetherington is to step down from his role with immediate effect, though he will remain with the company until the end of the financial year to help with the transition to his successor. IG said it is "well advanced" in its search for Hetherington's replacement, and Chief Financial Officer Paul Mainwaring well take up the additional role of interim CEO until a permanent hire is found. Hetherington has spent 24 years at IG, having joined as a graduate trainee in January 1994 to become CEO in October 2015.----------Halfords Group, down 6.5%. The car parts and bicycle retailer upped its capital expenditure guidance and committed to preserve its ordinary dividend as part of a new long-term strategy. To support a programme of investment designed to help the bicycle and automotive parts retailer combat a "rapidly changing retail environment", Halfords said its capital expenditure is to increase to GBP60 million per year over the medium term from GBP40 million currently. Alongside the higher spend, the company said it has started a "wide-reaching" cost-savings programme. Halfords said it expects pretax profit for the financial year ending in 2020 to be broadly flat on 2019, with "mid-single-digit percentage annual growth" anticipated thereafter. The retailer also set out a commitment to preserve its ordinary dividend, with a target to grow this every year, as well as to increase free cash flow.----------Bovis Homes, down 5.7%. The stock went ex-dividend meaning new buyers no longer qualify for the latest dividend payout. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Ross Group, up 57% at 0.94 pence. The supply chain management and distribution company said it will acquire chitin extraction company Archipelago Aquaculture Group through a share issue. Ross will buy AAG from shrimp aquaculture developer Global Blue Technologies. The initial payment will be 17.9 million shares at a placing price of 1 pence each to Global Blue shareholders, and there will be an additional payment of 26.7 million shares at 1 pence each as well. Based on these figures, the total price will be approximately GBP446,000. Following the acquisition, Global Blue will hold 44.6 million shares or a 20% stake in Ross.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------WideCells Group, down 61%. The stem cell services provider said as interim loss expanded amid a "very difficult time" for the company. Revenue for the first six months of 2018 fell to GBP17,929 from GBP25,000 a year ago, as the company's pretax loss widened significantly to GBP2.0 million from GBP880,396. Administration costs rose to GBP1.5 million in the period from just GBP898,075 a year ago. The company booked "over" GBP390,000 in the period through costs related to aborted acquisitions and three attempts to raise capital, as well as re-organisation expenses of GBP130,000. Looking ahead, particularly at its funding requirements, the company said it has been unable to secure "traditional bank funding" in the form of commercials loans due to a lack of revenue. The board has also been advised that, for similar reasons, further equity raising from existing shareholders is unlikely to succeed.----------