VRP.L Share News (VRP)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are amongst the biggest risers and fallers within the main London indices midday Tuesday.
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FTSE 100 WINNERS
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Taylor Wimpey, up 1.7%. The home builder joined sector peers in reporting strong growth in 2014 profits driven by higher home completions at higher average selling prices, and it was also positive about its outlook saying the so-called "spring selling season" has got off to a better start than it had expected.

Direct Line Insurance Group, up 1.5%. The insurer's pretax profit from continuing operations rose to GBP456.8 million in 2014, compared with GBP407.3 million in 2013, as restructuring and other one-off costs fell by half. Operating profit from ongoing operations was almost flat at GBP506.0 million from GBP509.9 million. The company also increased its total dividend for 2014 to 27.2 pence from 20.6 pence in 2013, boosted by a 4.8% increase in the final dividend to 8.8 pence per share and a second special interim dividend of 4.0 pence per share. However, it warned that the UK motor and home insurance markets are still highly competitive, with the opening months of the new year showing signs of more pressure in motor and "broad stability" in the home market.

British American Tobacco Group, up 1.2%. The company said its Brazilian unit British American Tobacco Prestação de Serviços Ltda has filed a request with the Brazilian securities regulator to register a public tender offer to acquire up to all of the 24.7% of Souza Cruz shares which are not currently owned by BAT and to delist the company.
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FTSE 100 LOSERS
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Barclays, down 3.0%. The bank reported an increase in adjusted pretax profit last year, but the group's earnings on a statutory basis were dragged down by a provisions over alleged foreign exchange manipulation, insurance mis-sold to customers in the UK, and a technical change in the valuation of a portfolio of loans held in its non-core unit.

Travis Perkins, down 2.4%. The building merchants reported higher pretax profit and revenue for 2014 as the continued recovery in the UK housing market drove good revenue growth in its general merchanting and contracts divisions, although profit growth was held back partly by restructuring costs for its plumbing and heating business. It reported a pretax profit of GBP321.4 million for 2014, up from GBP312.6 million in 2013, even though revenue grew strongly to GBP5.58 billion from GBP5.15 billion.

RSA Insurance Group, down 2.3%. Bernstein has cut the company to Market-Perform from Outperform.

Glencore, down 1.9%. The metals and mining giant joined sector peers in slashing its capital expenditure plans, after it reported lower 2014 profits hit by the fall in the oil price and prices for other commodities. It said its capital expenditure fell to USD8.57 billion in 2014, from a pro-forma USD1132 billion in 2013, and it now expects total industrial capital expenditure for 2015 to be between USD6.5 billion and USD6.8 billion, down from its previous guidance of USD7.9 billion. Glencore reported a closely watched adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of USD12.76 billion for 2014, down from a pro-forma USD13.07 billion in 2013, while net profit fell to USD2.31 billion, from USD2.47 billion.

Intertek Group, down 1.6%. HSBC has cut the group to Neutral from Overweight.
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FTSE 250 WINNERS
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Pace, up 8.7%. The maker of products such as set-top boxes for pay-TV and broadband expressed confidence in making "further progress" in 2015, saying it expects earnings to rise, as it posted a increase in pretax profit for 2014. It also proposed a final dividend of 4.75 cents per share, taking its total dividend to 7.00 cents, up 27.5% from 5.49 cents in 2013.

James Fisher & Sons, up 6.8%. The marine services company reported a rise in pretax profit and revenue in 2014 and increased its dividend by 10% on the back of a solid performance across its business, and said it has struck a deal to buy a South African marine services company. It said its pretax profit ticked up to GBP49.2 million, from GBP46.2 million in 2013, as revenue rose to GBP444.8 million from GBP413.7 million.

Rotork, up 6.8%. The manufacturing company said its pretax profit rose in 2014 as revenue was buoyed by strong sales in the power market, and it said that growth in other sectors would help offset the challenging energy markets it is expecting in the current year. It said its pretax profit for the year was GBP141.2 million, up from GBP138 million in 2013, as revenue rose to GBP594.7 million from GBP578.4 million on the back of a 16% increase in sales to the power market.

Vesuvius, up 5.3%. The molten flow engineering company reported a rise in pretax profit in 2014 despite lower revenue as the group improved its profit margins and brought down costs. It said its pretax profit for 2014 was GBP111.2 million, compared with GBP104.1 million in 2013.

Laird, up 3.7%. The electronics firm said it has good momentum for further growth in 2015, as it posted a rise in pretax profit for 2014 and raised its total dividend. Laird reported a pretax profit of GBP48.1 million, up from GBP43.2 million, as revenue rose 5% to GBP564.9 million from GBP537.0 million. On a dollar basis, revenue was up 11%. The company makes around 70% of its revenue in dollars. The company also proposed a final dividend of 8.23 pence, taking its total dividend for 2014 up to 12.5 pence from 12.0 pence in 2013.
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FTSE 250 LOSERS
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Moneysupermarket.com Group, down 5.4%. The price comparison site operator is trading lower despite reporting a big rise in pretax profit for 2014 as swelling revenue significant outpaced an increase in costs, prompting the company to hike its dividend. Analysts are worried about the potential impact of the House of Commons energy and climate change committee's report on the former industry practice of not displaying non-commission paying deals to customers by default.

Regus, down 5.3%. The office provider is trading lower despite reporting a rise in 2014 pretax profit and revenue, even as both measures were held back by the strength of sterling over the year, and saying it would hike its dividend payout. The company said its pretax profit for the year to the end of December was GBP87.1 million, up from GBP81.5 million a year earlier. At constant currencies, pretax profit rose 19%, Regus said.

Tullett Prebon, down 5.1%. The interdealer broker reported lower profit and revenue for 2014 as market conditions remained challenging amid subdued trading activity, and it said revenue in the first two months of 2015 is flat excluding its recent acquisition of PVM. It said it is hard to accurately predict the level of activity in the markets it serves, although it is set to get a further boost from cost cutting measures it took last year, while its acquisition of PVM will give it a lift.
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AIM ALL-SHARE WINNERS
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Hydro International, up 14%. The water treatment technology and products company said its pretax profit rose in 2014 as an improvement in its margins offset flat revenue. Hydro said its pretax profit rose 24% to GBP1.7 million, from GBP1.4 million a year earlier.

Crimson Tide, up 11%. The software company said it expects its 2014 earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation and pretax profit to be ahead of market expectations and higher year-on-year.

Vernona Pharma, up 9.6%. The company said it is likely to report a slightly lower-than-expected pretax loss for its full year, although it also warned that it expects its costs in 2015 to be around a third higher than it had previously expected. It is continuing to focus on developing its chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment RPL554, and said that the first subjects have been successfully dosed in its initial clinical trial with the new proprietary and commercially scalable nebulized formulation of RPL554.

Bacanora Minerals, up 9.5%. The company is trading higher after Rare Earth Minerals said it has increased its stake in Bacanora to 15.02% though further market purchases totalling GBP334,564. It previously held a 14.48% stake.
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AIM ALL-SHARE LOSERS
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ISG, off 28%. The construction services and fit-out company said it swung to a loss in the first half of its financial year owing to issues with contracts secured in the past and said it will raise GBP16 million in a discounted share placing. ISG said its pretax loss for the six months to the end of December was GBP15.6 million, compared with a GBP4.6 million profit a year earlier.

Webis Holdings, down 20%. The company said it is to close down its BetInternet.com Ltd business this week and will focus on its WatchandWager LLC business. Webis said it had made the decision to close down the BetInternet business due to a lack of opportunities in the US pari-mutuel division. It had held talks over selling the unit, but no firm offers were tabled, leaving closing the division the only viable option.
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By Neil Thakrar; neilthakrar@alliancenews.com; @NeilThakrar1

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