WINNERS & LOSERS SUMMARY: Kier Falls On Housebuilding Unit Sale Report

(Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Friday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------Fresnillo, up 3.0%. The Mexican gold miner was tracking spot gold prices higher quoted at USD1,354.70 an ounce, up from USD1,336.70 late Thursday. Midcap peers Centamin and Hocshchild Mining were up 3.7% and 2.6% respectively. "Gold has blast past the level of USD1,350 and it is likely that traders are going to target the next resistance of USD1,370. The fact is that there are large number of bearish bets on the dollar index, and it is likely that the Federal Reserve would make a U-turn with respect to their monetary policy," said ThinkMarkets analyst Naeem Aslam. ----------FTSE 250 - WINNERS----------Royal Mail, up 1.6%. Societe Generale upgraded the postal operator to Hold from Sell. ----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Kier Group, down 17%. The troubled construction firm is preparing the sale of its housebuilding business in a deal that could be worth up to GBP150 million, the Times reported. The move to prop up its finances comes as two trade credit insurers withdrew cover insuring Kier's suppliers from any potential losses, the Times reported. Trade credit insurers pay a company's suppliers when it stops paying bills. The stock is down 57% so far this year and 83% over the past 12 months. Earlier this month, Kier said adjusted operating profit for financial 2019 will be lower than previously expected due to mounting volume pressures on three of its divisions continued. These are its Highways, Utilities and Housing Maintenance businesses. Kier will be demoted from the midcap index when the FTSE Russell index review changes come into effect later this month. ----------Lancashire Holdings, down 3.1%. Peel Hunt cut the insurer to Hold from Add. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Frontier Smart Technologies Group, up 17% at 37.0 pence. The audio technology firm has received an approach from a "credible industry player", it said, shortly after a major shareholder said it may make an offer. In mid-May, Frontier and Science Group failed to reach a takeover agreement, which would have seen Science Group make a 30.0p per share bid. Advisory firm Science Group currently holds 28% of the share capital of Frontier, but, even if it takes this above 30%, will not be obliged to make an offer for the entirety of Frontier Smart's shares, as Frontier isn't subject to the UK takeover code. However, on Friday Science Group said: "Science Group has continued to try to engage with Frontier but no tangible progress has been made since the first letter on May 8. In the opinion of Science Group, Frontier has consistently tried to frustrate Science Group's proposal, most recently by the notification to Science Group that deal-related bonuses have been granted to the executive directors of Frontier, equivalent to six months' salary in addition to their contractual rights." Science Group was up 0.9%----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Live Company, down 9.6%. The events and education firm said it halved its loss in 2018 after revenue more than doubled amid a significant expansion in events activity, with 2019 already getting off to a "very good" start. In 2018, the Lego-based events firm reported its pretax loss narrowed to GBP2.6 million from GBP5.4 million the year prior. This was after revenue more than doubled to GBP5.4 million from GBP1.9 million the year before. Live Company does not pay a dividend. ----------