WPP Share News (WPP)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Monday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------J Sainsbury, up 15%. The supermarket chain shares rose after it agreed a proposed merger deal with Walmart-owned supermarket rival Asda, which could create a retail giant worth in excess of GBP13 billion and with revenue of GBP51 billion. The grocer said it had agreed a deal which values Asda at around GBP7.30 billion on a debt-free, cash-free and pension free basis. As part of the deal, Walmart will receive 42% of the issued share capital in the combined business - though will hold no more than 29.9% of voting rights - and receive GBP2.98 billion in cash. Separately, Sainsbury's reported full year profit fell on exceptional costs despite like-for-like revenue growing as it hiked its final dividend to keep the full year distribution in line with the prior year. Sainsbury's had been due to report on Wednesday. Peers Tesco and WM Morrison Supermarkets were down 1.3% and 1.2% respectively. WPP, up 7.0%. The advertising firm's shares were higher as it left its 2018 guidance unchanged and said it would be "taking a fresh look" at its strategy in the wake of former Chief Executive Martin Sorrell's departure. Moreover, the Financial Times said WPP was in talks with private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for a potential sale of its market research arm Kantar. Although, the companies warned that they are at a very early stage, according to the FT, and did not provide any comments. WPP didn't mention Kantar in its trading update Monday. WPP reported a drop in quarterly revenue, hit by its North American performance. WPP said its revenue fell 4.0% to GBP3.6 billion for the three months to the end of March from GBP3.7 billion for the same period in 2017.----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Glencore, down 3.2%. RBC Capital downgraded the commodities house to Outperform from its original rating as Top Pick in the sector. ----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Thomas Cook, up 3.5%. Jefferies started coverage on the travel agent with a Buy rating. ----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Victrex, down 3.5%. Barclays downgraded the chemicals firm to Underweight from Equal Weight.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Interserve, down 16%. The support services and construction firm reported a significantly widened loss in what it called a "difficult" 2017. Interserve posted a pretax loss of GBP244.4 million for 2017, compared to a GBP94.1 million loss the prior year. Before non-underlying items and the amortisation of acquired intangible assets, the figure was a profit of GBP52.4 million, compared to GBP137.3 million in 2016. Interserve's wider loss was due to increased administrative expenses to GBP79.1 million from GBP50.8 million, as well as a GBP60.0 million impairment of goodwill and a larger negative share of result of associates and joint ventures. ----------