Wood Group (J) Share News (WG.)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Tuesday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------Persimmon, up 1.3%. The housebuilder said it continued to deliver on its long-term strategy after recording a rise in first half profit and revenue. For the six months to the end of June, pretax profit totaled GBP516.5 million, up 13% from GBP457.4 million the year before, as revenue grew 5% to GBP1.84 billion from GBP1.75 billion. Persimmon said it sold 8,402 homes during the period, up from 7,794 the prior year, with the average selling price of those homes standing at GBP215,813, up 1.2% from GBP213,262. Fellow housebuilders Berkeley Group, Barratt Developments and Taylor Wimpey were up 0.8%, 0.7% and 0.5% respectively. WM Morrison Supermarkets, up 0.9% and Ocado, up 0.5%. Morrisons regained the position of fastest growing - which it had lost to Asda last month - with sales up 2.7% and market share flat at 10.4% according to data from Kantar Worldpanel. Ocado saw sales up 8.5%, as it increased its market share to 1.2% from 1.1% recorded in the year ago period. Kantar - reporting market share figures for the 12 weeks to August 12 - said branded products sales increased 3.9%, overtaking the total growth of supermarket-owned products for the first time since May 2015.----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------BHP Billiton, down 1.3%. The Anglo-Australian miner paid out to shareholders above its policy level, with annual profit rising though short of consensus. The total dividend for BHP's financial year was 118 cents, far higher than the 83 cents paid out a year earlier and above analyst consensus of a 116 cents return. BHP's pretax profit rose to USD14.75 billion from USD11.14 billion the prior year, while underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation was up 20% to USD23.18 billion. This excludes US shale operations, since sold off to BP, and falls short of analyst consensus of USD24.31 billion underlying Ebitda. Including US shale, the figure was USD24.11 billion. ----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------John Wood Group, up 6.5%. The oilfield services company swung to a loss in the first half of 2018 due to its purchase of Amec Foster Wheeler, in spite of strong revenue growth. The company swung to a pretax loss for the six months to the end of June on a proforma basis of USD25.3 million from a profit of USD13.5 million the year before, due to a one-off cost of USD101.1 million. The loss stemmed from bank fees related to the GBP2.20 billion acquisition of peer Amec Foster Wheeler, which completed in October. However, on an underlying basis, pretax profit rose to USD82.0 million from USD64.2 million. John Wood's revenue saw double digit growth, rising by 13% to USD5.38 billion from USD4.74 billion on a proforma basis the year before, due to growth in the company's Asset Solutions Business with increased capital projects activity.Aggreko, up 5.1%. HSBC upgraded the temporary power generator supplier to Buy from Hold. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------IXICO, up 16%. The data science company said it expects 24% jump in annual revenue, ahead of market expectations. For the year ending September 30, the data science company said it now expects revenue to be "at least" GBP5.1 million, up from GBP4.1 million a year ago, reflecting contract wins in the period. "The board expects that this will result in a reduced operating loss for the year," the company added. Looking further ahead, the company said it it confident in meeting market expectations for the year ending Septmebr 2019, as it "continues to invest in its commercially led growth strategy on the path to profitability".Tracsis, up 8.8%. The transport industry software and technology company said it expects annual revenue "ahead of market expectations" after experiencing positive momentum in all parts of the group. For the year to July 31, the company said it expects revenue at GBP40 million, up 16% from GBP34.5 million a year ago. The company added that it expects earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation and adjusted profit to be both ahead of market expectations and ahead of the previous year, which had come in at GBP8.5 million and GBP7.7 million respectively.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Panthera Resources, down 25%. The gold exploration and development company noted that the government of Rajasthan has rejected the prospecting licence application made for the Bhukia joint venture in India by partner Metal Mines India. The government rejected the application due to finding the reconnaissance permit granted to Metal Mines null and void as the licence application was filed under the name Metal Mining India Ltd but the permit given to Metal Mining India Pvt Ltd. Other reasons for the rejection was a restriction in place for grant in Tibal Areas under a government order in 2000, and because the Geological Survey of India had reserved some of the land, and has expressed intentions to carry out G-2 level exploration. Panthera Resources said its joint venture has an very strong base to launch a legal challenge against the Rajasthan government to deny his rights.----------