ZPG PLC Share News (ZPG)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Friday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------G4S, up 3.0%. Exane BNP upgraded the security services company to Outperform from Neutral. Randgold Resources, up 2.5%, Fresnillo, up 1.4%. The gold miners were tracking spot gold prices higher quoted at USD1,322.39 per ounce compared to USD1,318.60 at the London equities close on Thursday.Royal Bank of Scotland, up 2.0%. The state-backed lender was raised to Hold from Sell by Societe Generale. RBS on Thursday agreed a USD4.90 billion penalty to settle a US Justice Department investigation over the bank's issuance of residential mortgage-backed securities in the run up to the financial crisis in 2008.----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------InterContinental Hotels Group, down 1.0%. Merrill Lynch downgraded the Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites parent to Neutral from Buy. ----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------ZPG, up 30% at 489.60 pence. The Zoopla property portal parent recommended to shareholders a GBP2.20 billion takeover offer from Zephyr Bidco, a subsidiary of funds managed by US venture capital firm Silver Lake Management Co. The offer values each ZPG share at 490.00 pence in cash. This is a 31% premium to the closing price of ZPG on Thursday of 375.20p. Media firm Daily Mail and General Trust - which currently holds a 29.87% stake in ZPG - has given its support for the acquisition in irrevocable undertakings, stating the the offer is consistent with DMGT's objectives of "increasing portfolio focus and enhancing financial flexibility". ZPG listed on the London Stock Exchange in June 2014 at an IPO price of 220 pence - valuing the firm at around GBP1 billion. ZPG shares hit a record high of 489.60p earlier in the session - more than double its IPO price. Peer Rightmove was up 6.2%.John Wood Group, up 6.8%. The oilfield services company said it has seen good trading momentum across its businesses in the first quarter and its overall outlook for 2018 remains unchanged. First quarter performance has been led by the Asset Solutions Americas division, including capital projects activity in power, downstream & chemicals and US shale, the company said. The Americas business contributes around 35% of the company's annual revenue. For 2018, the company said it expects to deliver earnings before interest, taxation and amortisation in line with guidance and market expectations and does not anticipate to record any significant charges.----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Renishaw, down 5.5%. Peel Hunt downgraded the precision measurement, 3D laser scanning and healthcare products maker to Reduce from Hold. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Crawshaw, up 15%. The fresh meat and food-to-go retailer appointed Jim Viggars as chief executive officer and Nick Taylor as chief financial officer, with effect on May 21. Viggars will replace Noel Collett after three years in the role since March 2015, and Taylor will be replacing Alan Richardson, who left the company after more than two years since September 2015.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Carpetright, down 6.2%. The troubled floor-coverings retailer said it has secured interim funding of GBP15 million from shareholder Meditor European Master Fund to cover short-term working capital requirements. The company, which in April implemented a company voluntary arrangement to keep itself afloat, also said that its lenders have agreed to defer the final repayment date of its revolving credit facility to December 31, 2019. The lenders have reset financial covenants of the loan in accordance with the company's revised business plan. The GBP15 million Meditor loan has been made on an unsecured basis and bears an interest rate of 18% per annum. It is repayable by July 31, 2020. Earlier, the retailer had secured an unsecured loan of GBP12.5 million from Meditor. The company was forced to implement a company voluntary arrangement due to disappointing sales performance amid what it has called a tough UK consumer environment.----------