WINNERS & LOSERS SUMMARY: Antofagasta Slides As Half-Year Profit Drops

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Tuesday.----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Antofagasta, down 5.5%. The Chilean copper miner reported a drop in interim earnings as cost rises offset a revenue increase. For the six months to June, revenue increased 3.6% year-on-year to USD2.12 billion, driven by a 10% rise in copper prices despite copper output falling 8.5% to 317,000 tonnes. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation fell 16% to USD904.2 million due to higher costs - the Ebitda margin fell to 43% from 53%. Antofagata's pretax profit for the period was USD465.6 million, down from USD688.6 million a year ago. Group cash costs were USD1.92 per pound, 36 cents higher year-on-year, due to a stronger Chilean peso, lower production, and higher input costs. The company is paying a 6.8 cents interim dividend, compared to 10.3 cents a year ago, in line with its 35% net earnings payout ratio.----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Elementis, up 9.3%. Berenberg raised the speciality chemicals company to Buy from Hold.----------Polypipe, up 5.1%. The plastic piping systems maker said it is on track to meet its expectations for the full year after a "resilient" first half performance. For the six months to June 30, the company posted revenue flat year-on-year at GBP210.2 million, compared to GBP210.0 million. Meanwhile, pretax profit was marginally down to GBP30.1 million from GBP30.5 million the year before. The company said it increased its UK revenue by 0.9% despite taking an GBP8 million blow due to bad weather in February and March. Excluding the weather impact, UK revenue grew 5% year-on-year, it said. The company said it increased its interim dividend by 2.8% to 3.7 pence per share from 3.6p paid to shareholders in respect of the first half a year ago. ----------esure Group, up 4.0% at 277.80p. The insurer confirmed it has agreed to be purchased by private equity firm Bain Capital, in a deal worth GBP1.21 billion. Under the offer, esure shareholders will be entitled to receive 280 pence per share, the same as mentioned on Monday. The offer represents a premium of 37% to Friday's closing share price of 204 pence, being the last business day prior to the commencement of the offer. The all-cash offer has been unanimously recommended by esure's independent directors and accepted by its largest shareholder, Chairman Peter Wood, with 31%, and second largest shareholder, Toscafund, with 17%. Shares in large cap rival Direct Line Insurance Group were up 1.7%. ----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Card Factory, down 3.6%. Berenberg cut the gifts and greeting card retailer to Sell from Hold. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------H&T Group, up 9.5%. The pawnbroker and loan provider said it saw a rise in profit through growth in revenue, particularly in its Personal Loan book in the first half of 2018. Pretax profit for the six months to the end of June was GBP6.1 million, up 11% from GBP5.5 million the year before, through a "good operational performance" and an influx of new customers. Revenue for the six-month period rose to GBP68.5 million from GBP57.7 million, with all segments showing growth on a year-on-year basis. H&T said the average gold price during the period decreased by 2.6% to GBP956 per troy ounce from GBP984 the prior year, which led to a dip in Pawnbroking Scrap gross profit to GBP1.0 million from GBP1.2 million. H&T declared an interim dividend of 4.4 pence per share, up from 4.3p the prior year.----------