Virgin Money Holdings Share News (VM.)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Friday.
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FTSE 100 - WINNERS
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Lloyds Banking Group, up 6.1%, Standard Chartered, 6.0%, Royal Bank of Scotland Group, up 5.2%, Barclays, up 4.7%. The financial services stocks took back some recent losses as concern about a UK vote next Thursday to leave the EU receded among investors. "An easing of Brexit fears may well be behind why a number of UK-focused assets are in demand this morning, with UK banks sitting at the top of the index, as once again an absence of polls acts to calm the market," said IG Group analyst Chris Beauchamp. In the FTSE 250 Shawbrook Group was up 10%, Virgin Money Holdings was up 5.6% and Aldermore Group was up 4.3%.

Wolseley, up 2.7%. The plumbing and heating products supplier was upgraded to Buy from Hold by Liberum, saying weakness in the share price presents a buying opportunity. "Wolseley’s shares have been weak since its third quarter results in early June as management commented on slower trading in May. We think the slowing in the US is likely to prove short lived as weather was a likely contributor and lead indicators are favourable," the broker said.
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FTSE 100 - LOSERS
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Randgold Resources, down 3.2%, Fresnillo, down 2.1%. The gold miners were tracking a decline in the gold price. Gold was quoted at USD1,284.90 an ounce compared to USD1,309.49 at the London equities close Thursday. Centamin was also down 3.6%.

National Grid, down 1.0%. The UK Energy & Climate Change Committee published a report that recommended a "major change" in the way the UK energy system is operated by breaking up National Grid, claiming the transmission and distribution utility has "conflicts of interest". The parliamentary committee, which is made up of cross-party members to examine the activities and policy of the Department for Energy & Climate Change, has called for a move toward local energy compared to one national network that distributes energy around the country.
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FTSE 250 - WINNERS
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UBM, up 3.5%. The events group said it has completed the sale of its PR Newswire business to Cision, a PR software company owned by Chicago-based private equity house GTCR Canyon Holdings. UBM had announced the sale of the business in late 2015 and said the total cash proceeds from the sale will be GBP490.0 million. As it previously announced, UBM will return GBP245.0 million of the proceeds to shareholders via a special dividend, payable on July 8.
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MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS
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ZincOx Resources, up 39% at 0.866p. The zinc recycling company said it has raised funds to boost its finances and allow it to pursue potential deals, The company said it has raised GBP300,000 through the placing of 30 million shares at 1 pence each. The company said the proceeds will be used for working capital purposes and to allow the company to pursue any potential investment opportunities. The group also said Simon Hall, its finance director, has stepped down as part of its push to cut costs. He will be replaced by an interim finance director in due course.
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MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS
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CDialogues, down 28%. The mobile marketing company said it has initiated a review of its business and assets after it received notice that the contracts it holds with telecommunications services firm Numbase, from which it generates all its current revenue, will be terminated. CDialogues has been providing mobile marketing and campaign services via Numbase to mobile companies in Lebanon and Kuwait, under two contracts in each of the countries. Numbase has now said it will terminate the deals and CDialogues said it is holding talks with Numbase to try to seek alternative outcomes. The four deals have different termination terms, but CDialogues said it anticipates all the deals will have been cancelled by the end of September, at the latest, should the plans proceed.

Scancell Holdings, down 19%. The cancer immuotherapies developer said it has suspended dosing with its current clinical trial supplies for its SCIB1 treatment with immediate effect. Scancell said ongoing quality control analysis has found the stored drug product no longer meets the original specifications for the trial and has concluded it is no longer suitable for further use. No side effects from the use of the drug have emerged, Scancell said. The suspension will effect eight patients in the trial, which is investigating the use of SCIB1 as a monotherapy for the treatment of melanoma. Scancell said it intends to make a fresh batch of SCIB1 and has recently signed an agreement with a manufacturer.
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By Arvind Bhunjun; arvindbhunjun@alliancenews.com; @ArvindBhunjun

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