Westminster Group Share News (WSG)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Friday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------United Utilities, up 3.2%. Center for Financial Research & Analysis raised the water services company's price target to 800 pence from 700p, while keeping its Hold rating. On Thursday, United Utilities saw its pretax profit for the year ended March 31 slide to GBP432.1 million from GBP442.4 million the year before, as a rise in operating profit was more than offset by a bigger rise in net finance costs. This was on revenue that remained flat at GBP1.70 billion.----------Intertek Group, up 1.4%. Goldman Sachs raised the price target for the safety testing and assurance firm to 5,510 pence from 5,350p, while keeping its Neutral rating. On Thursday, Intertek reported 2.5% year-on-year drop in revenue at actual rates for the first four months of 2018, however, at constant rates it was up 4.4%. The company said it is on track to deliver good organic growth in 2018.----------Old Mutual, up 1.1%. The dual-listed financial services firm is preparing for shareholders to vote on the managed separation of the group and the acquisition of UK court approval for the scheme from 1030 BST onwards.----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Royal Mail, down 2.9%. Berenberg cut the post services company to a Sell rating from Hold.----------Royal Dutch Shell 'B', down 0.7%, Shell 'A', down 0.4%, BP, down 0.5%. A US federal judge on Thursday said he needed more information before deciding whether to dismiss lawsuits by San Francisco and Oakland alleging that five of of largest oil companies should pay to protect the cities' residents from climate change impacts.----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Pennon Group, up 5.0%. The water company posted a 25% jump in pretax profit for the financial year ended March to GBP262.9 million from GBP210.5 million recorded a year ago, on a revenue of GBP1.40 billion and GBP1.35 billion, respectively. The increase was driven by the company's South West Water business, which recorded higher revenue on tariff increases and customer demand.----------Cranswick, up 3.6%. Berenberg raised its price target for the meat retailer to 3,625 pence from 3,525p, keeping its Buy rating. On Tuesday, Cranswick reported pretax profit of GBP88.0 million for the year to March-end, up 14% on GBP77.5 million recorded in the comparative year ago period. Revenue rose 18% to GBP1.46 billion from GBP1.24 billion.----------Entertainment One, up 2.7% JPMorgan raised the price target for the entertainment content provider to 423 pence from 376p, retaining its overweight rating. On Tuesday, Entertainment One said pretax profit in the year ended March 31 increased to GBP77.6 million from GBP35.9 million the prior year, despite revenue dropping 4.0% to GBP1.04 billion from GBP1.08 billion in 2017 financial year, with a reduced performance in the Film division. ----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Centamin, down 17%. The miner lowered its production guidance for Sukari Gold Mine located in Egypt to range of 505,000 ounces and 515,000 ounces, from previous 580,000 ounces guidance, as total underground production was 10% below forecasts.----------Big Yellow Group, down 1.2%. JPMorgan cut the self-storage company to a Neutral rating from Overweight. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Nakama Group, up 14%. The recruitment firm said that it has continued to benefit from its partnership with shareholder Sheffield Haworth Ltd, as it pays all obligations to the Australian Tax Officer as they fall due. In addition, Deputy Chairman John Higham stepped down from his role with immediate effect, and Patrick Meehan was appointed as finance director on an interim basis----------Keras Resources, up 13%. The mineral resource company saw a substantially narrowed pretax loss for the six months to the end of March to GBP177,000 from GBP706,000 the year before.----------Westminster Group, up 7.5%. The security services provider saw a double-digit rise in revenue to GBP5.4 million for 2017 from GBP4.4 million recorded in 2016. The company, however, posted a widened loss of GBP6.1 million versus GBP2.0 million loss a year ago.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Orosur Mining, down 16%. The South America-focused gold producer terminated its option agreement over its Anillo gold project in Chile with national mining company Nacional del Cobre de Chile, due to the lack of positive exploration results during phase one.----------Echo Energy, down 15%. The South America-focused upstream gas company said it intends to raise GBP8.5 million through a placing and subscription of 71.2 million shares at a price of 12.0 pence per share, a discount of 17% to its closing price on Thursday at 14.5 pence.----------Surgical Innovations, down 14%. The medical technology designer reduced its revenue expectations for 2018 by 10% due to delays in the supply of products for its UK distribution business Elemental Healthcare Ltd.----------