WGB.L Share News (WGB)

Dow Jones smallcap news is now on Twitter, allowing you to catch up on the news away from your desk. Go to http://twitter.com/DJ_UK_Smallcaps ALLERGAN INC. (AGN), a drug maker, Wednesday said the European Medicines Agency has granted marketing approval to Ozurdex, a treatment for an eye condition that can lead to blindness. The agency approved Ozurdex following a recommendation by its Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use in May. At 1403 GMT, New-York listed shares +5 cents, or 0.1%, at 6,100 pence. JJB SPORTS PLC (JJB.LN), a sportswear retailer, said its former chairman who steered it away from the brink of administration late last year has decided to retire as a director due to ill health. David Jones's retirement is effective immediately, JJB Sports said in a statement following its annual general meeting, and follows his decision to step down as the company's chairman in January, which was also due to health reasons. At 1404 GMT, shares flat at 12.25 pence. KRYSO RESOURCES PLC (KYS.LN), a Tajikistan-focused gold and base metal explorer, said it agreed to raise GBP11 million from a new Chinese investor to fund development of the Pakrut gold project. At 1404 GMT, shares +1.5 pence, or 11%, at 16.3 pence. WALKER GREENBANK PLC (WGB.LN), a luxury furnishings company, said first-half pretax profit is expected to nearly quadruple on the year, boosted by a return to growth of its premium brand Zoffany. At 1404 GMT, shares +3.5 pence, or 11.5%, at 34 pence. BRIT INSURANCE HOLDINGS NV (BRE.LN), a U.K. insurer and reinsurer, said it has opened its books to New York-based Apollo Global Management LLC for due diligence after it raised its indicative proposal to buy the insurer to GBP10.75 a share in cash, valuing the insurer at around GBP851 million. Earlier this month, Brit rejected an indicative bid of GBP10.50 a share in cash from Apollo, its second rejection in four weeks. At 1405 GMT, shares +90.5 pence, or 9.9%, at 1,004 pence. YELL GROUP PLC (YELL.LN), a directories firm, said revenue is set to remain under pressure in fiscal 2011 until there is a meaningful economic recovery, as it posted a 7.5% drop in first-quarter sales. The debt-laden firm, which publishes the Yellow Pages but has been trying to grow its online presence, had expected trading conditions to start improving at the beginning of 2010 but admitted a recovery was "proving slower than expected." At 1404 GMT, shares -4.7 pence, or 16%, at 25.5 pence. MWANA AFRICA PLC (MWA.LN), a gold and base metals explorer, said it raised its resource estimate for its Zani-Kodo gold project in Congo. Mwana said it raised the total resource estimate at Zani-Kodo to 1.25 million troy ounces of gold, a 98% increase since February. At 1404 GMT, shares +0.7 pence or 7.8%, at 9.7 pence. BODYCOTE PLC (BOY.LN), an engineer, said it is seeking acquisitions to broaden the geographic reach of its automotive and general industrial unit and bulk up its surface technology business. At 1406 GMT, shares -20.6 pence, or 8.2%, at 229.4 pence. MECOM GROUP PLC (MEC.LN), a European newspaper group, posted a much-narrowed first-half pretax loss as it cut costs and improved operating earnings but said full-year revenue will fall from a year earlier. Chief Executive David Montgomery told Dow Jones that in spite of improving advertising revenue trends, ad sales are unlikely to turn positive in the second half. At 1406 GMT, shares +0.5 pence, or 0.2%, at 214.5 pence. RATHBONE BROTHERS PLC (RAT.LN), a U.K. fund manager, posted an 11% rise in first-half pretax profit and said it is interested in making acquisitions similar to its previous purchases of some of the private banking business of Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LLOY.LN). At 1407 GMT, shares flat at 830 pence. AVOCET MINING PLC (AVM.LN) said it swung to a first-half pretax profit following a jump in production and a rise in the gold price. Avocet, which has mines and exploration projects in west Africa and Asia, said it expects to increase production at its Inata mine in Burkina Faso to 140,000 troy ounces of gold by the end of the year. The company told Dow Jones that incorrect reports it agreed a sale of its mines in south Asia to an Indonesian mining magnate sparked a frenzy of interest from potential purchasers. At 1407 GMT, shares +1.75 pence, or 1.4%, at 125.75 pence. MORGAN CRUCIBLE CO. PLC (MGCR.LN) said first-half profit more than doubled and it expects analysts to increase their revenue expectations for 2010. The company, which makes ceramics and other advanced materials used in sectors including aerospace, electronics, power generation and oil and gas, said orders at most units have shown consistent month-on-month improvement since the fourth quarter of 2009. At 1407 GMT, shares -0.5 pence, or 0.2%, at 218.8 pence. ILIKA PLC (IKA.LN), a U.K.-based technology company, Wednesday said its subsidiary Altrika is one of three organizations that will share in a GBP153,000 U.K. government grant to fund development of a treatment for problematic skin wounds. At 1408 GMT, shares +1 pence, or 1.8%, at 56 pence. UMECO PLC (UMC.LN), an aircraft parts supplier, said fiscal-year first-quarter group revenue rose 3.9% on the year, adding that it was encouraged by the level of orders for civil aircraft by Airbus and Boeing Co. (BA) at the recent Farnborough International Air Show. At 1408 GMT, shares -11 pence, or 2.7%, at 395 pence. DJ UK Smaller Cos -0.4% AIM flat By Rachael Gormley, Jason Douglas & Hannah Benjamin, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0) 20 7842 9272; uksmallcaps@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 28, 2010 11:00 ET (15:00 GMT)