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Interim results: Cardiff-headquartered motor insurer Admiral announced an 8% rise in its dividend today after unveiling a better-than-expected first half profit. Growth was primarily driven by a combination of an improved combined loss ratio (68.8% vs 79.7% H1-2012) and a “positive claims experience” in the group’s core UK car insurance business where it maintains a focus on margins over volume growth. Commenting on the announcement, Henry Engelhardt, Chief Executive Officer said, "All in all it has been a busy, exciting and profitable first half of 2013 and we are poised to meet our expectations for the full year. We continue to give great service and prices to millions of motorists which gives us great confidence in the future." On balance, the UK car insurance market remains extremely competitive and caution persists as some competitors seek to add market share

Positive Points: WPP, the owner of agencies including Young & Rubicam and Ogilvy & Mather said it expects organic revenue growth of over 3% for 2013, compared to its previous target of "around 3%", with growth accelerating in the second half of the year. The group said it will accelerate its current strategy of expanding its presence in emerging markets and digital advertising and reiterated that the company now aims to make at least 40% to 45% of the group's revenue in emerging markets and digital by 2018, compared with its previous target of 35% to 40%. WPP remained upbeat regarding prospects in 2014 with opportunities in the form of the football World Cup in Brazil, the Winter Olympics in Sochi and the mid-term US Congressional elections. Significant improvements were seen in revenue growth rates in the group's mature markets of North America and the United Kingdom in the second quarter, which offset a slight slowdown in the previously burgeoning markets of the likes of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The group completed 26 acquisitions in the first half, 17 in new markets and 13 in new media.

Negative Points: Each WPP company operates in a fiercely competitive sector. The company is exposed to foreign exchange risk. The lack of "maxi-quadrennial" events was seen as a barrier to progress this year. WPP, currently the biggest advertising company in the world is expected to be overtaken if a merger between its two rivals, Omnicom and Publicis goes ahead. As at 30 June, net debt stood at £2.71 billion (31 Dec 2012 - £2.82 billion).

Financial Highlights: WPP posted a 12% rise headline profit before tax to £524 million, in line with market expectations. Revenues improved by 7.1% in the first half to £5.3 billion. Billings increased by 5% to £22.7 billion. The group's UK operations posted revenues of £669 million in the period, an increase of 13.1%, while North American sales rose 5.3% to £1.84 billion. The board have proposed a 20% rise in the interim dividend to 10.56p per share (2012 – 8.80p).

Interim results: The benefits of diversification are exemplified by today's numbers, with the share price reacting positively. In a mirror image of the June trading update, it's growth in the UK and North America which has offset a slight slowdown in the previously burgeoning markets of the likes of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Overall key metrics remain strong, the dividend policy progressive (even though the current yield of 2.2% is not generous in comparative terms to some of WPP's premier index peers) and the full year outlook sales numbers have been increased. The lack of "maxi-quadrennial" events, which was seen as a barrier to progress this year, has been largely overcome by the general strength of the business which, for example, has been well positioned to benefit from a spike in the healthcare and specialist communication markets. This has unsurprisingly fed through to a share price which has risen 41% over the last year, as compared to a 12% hike in the wider FTSE100. With 2014 looming into view and bringing opportunities in the form of the football World Cup, the Winter Olympics and the mid-term US Congressional elections,

CareTech, the AIM-listed social care services firm, is hoping to save substantial costs in rental charges after the acquisition of two property portfolios. The company said on Wednesday that it has bought the freeholds of the portfolios, comprising 29 properties in total, for £38m. "The board responded swiftly to the opportunity to acquire these key property assets at what it considers to be a compelling valuation," CareTech said. "It is expected that the transaction will be immediately earnings enhancing and will save the group substantial cost in rental charges over the lifetime of the historic leases." The company estimates that it will save up to £4.4m in rent in 2014 and more thereafter given that previous rental terms were subject to inflation-based increases. Given that the majority of the purchase price will be provided by existing and new debt facilities with the group's syndicate of banks, CareTech's net debt following the transaction will be around £169m, up from £133m at the end of the fiscal first half (March 31st). Chairman Farouq Sheikh said: "We now have much greater flexibility to reconfigure and upgrade the properties in line with our strategy for enhancing fee rates whilst offering the highest quality of care."

Kullberg joins the group from Royal Boskalis where he was Divisional Director of Towage. He was also the Managing Director of Harbour Towage and Terminals at SMIT International, where over the past nine years he expanded the business and doubled turnover in existing and new organisations within the firm. "After an extensive search programme, we are delighted that Loek is joining us to lead the InterBulk Group in its next phase of development," said David Rolph, Non-Executive Chairman of InterBulk. "Loek brings significant experience in the logistics field and organisational development which will support the delivery of our strategy in the future."

Interbulk, which provides logistics solutions to the chemical, polymer, food and minerals sectors, has announced the retirement of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Koert Van Wissen. He will step down on September 30th when he will be appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the company. Louis Frans Jacob Kullberg will replace Van Wissen as the new CEO on October 1st. Van Wissen spent seven years as the founding CEO of Interbulk. The company said following the acquisition of United Transport Tankcontainers in 2006, the formation of InterBulk and the subsequent acquisition of UBC in 2007, Van Wissen integrated the businesses and built the company successfully and profitably to become a global leading provider of intermodal logistics solutions.

http://www.lse.co.uk/share-regulatory-news.asp?shareprice=BGL&ArticleCode=6j77k6pb&ArticleHeadline=Bullabulling_Drilling_Completed__Results_Received

"I look forward to seeing our first projects reach completion and to making Gasol an African gas champion providing gas for the next generation of Africans.

Financial highlights · Cash at bank of £6.75 million as at 31 March 2013; · Successful placement of £13.2 million ($20 million) bond facility with institutional investors; · £670,825 ($1 million) in new funds in the form of a convertible loan from Socar Trading S.A.; · Repayment of existing debt of £2.5 million from African Gas Development Corporation Limited; · Successful restructuring of the Company's share capital through a 50 into 1 consolidation of existing shares; · Roll-over of existing £694,000 convertible loan facility from Banque Benedict Hentsch & Cie S.A.; · Losses for the year increased to £4.03 million (2012: £1.99 million); · Net cash expenditure on operating activities increased to £3.47 million (2012: £1.48 million) as a result of increased project development activities. Rilwanu Lukman, Gasol Chairman, commented: "We believe that Gasol's LNG to power strategy will meet the requirements of governments in West Africa. The Company's success in attracting superior alliance partners and the speed with which it has secured the rights to the Benin project have placed the Company in an excellent position to transition from a development company to a revenue earning operating company. "I look forward to seeing our first projects reach completion and to making Gasol an African gas champion providing gas for the next generation of Africans.

Joint venture agreement signed with Societe BenGaz S.A, ("Bengaz S.A") for the establishment of a JV company (to be named "Cogaz") and the distribution and sale of natural gas in Benin and Togo; · Memorandum of Understanding signed for Cogaz to supply gas to Communaute Electrique du Benin, the electric authority for both Benin and Togo; · Memorandum of Understanding between AfGen and Ghana National Gas Company Ltd to explore the establishment of various joint venture arrangements for the supply of natural gas into Ghana. Financial highlights · Cash at bank of £6.75 million as at 31 March 2013; · Successful placement of £13.2 million ($20 million) bond facility with institutional investors; · £670,825 ($1 million) in new funds in the form of a convertible loan from Socar Trading S.A.; · Repayment of existing debt of £2.5 million from African Gas Development Corporation Limited; · Successful restructuring of the Company's share capital through a 50 into 1 consolidation of existing shares; · Roll-over of existing £694,000 convertible loan facility from Banque Benedict Hentsch & Cie S.A.; · Losses for the year increased to £4.03 million (2012: £1.99 million); · Net cash expenditure on operating activities increased to £3.47 million (2012: £1.48 million) as a result of increased project development activities.

Thu, 29th Aug 2013 07:00 RNS Number : 6925M Gasol plc 29 August 2013 29th August 2013 Gasol plc ("Gasol" or "the Company") Preliminary Results Focused on providing gas for the next generation of Africans Gasol plc (AIM: GAS) the West African energy development company, today announces its preliminary results for the year ended 31 March 2013. Operational highlights · Board strengthened by the appointments of Dr Rilwanu Lukman as the new non executive chairman and Fassine Fofana as a non executive director; · The Company's refocused strategy aims to make Gasol the leading supplier of gas for power generation in West Africa. It aims to: o develop its own gas reserves in the Gulf of Guinea and to supply this gas to power projects in West Africa; and o until natural gas reserves become available, Gasol is working on plans that will secure availability of regasified LNG as an interim fuel supply to support current power generation requirements in the West African region; · Good progress on development of the Company's Liquefied Natural Gas ("LNG") Import Project in Benin; · Option Agreement signed, and extended for a further 6 months to 24 February 2014, for the acquisition of African Power Generation Limited ("AfGen"), which has an existing pipeline of LNG Import Projects; · Key Strategic Alliances signed with Socar Trading S.A. and by AfGen with Dredging International to support the Company's LNG Import Project in Benin

thanks mate well up at moment.....

Embattled security company G4S (GFS) will be reporting interims on Wednesday. G4S has been plagued by scandal and mishaps of late, and it will be interesting to see whether this has had a knock-on effect for their results. Most recently the group said it was facing a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation concerning overcharging in government tagging contracts. Investors are probably still reeling from G4S’ involvement in the Olympics last year, however the Telegraph’s Questor column believes the shares look cheap, and that it is a “Hold”, a view also echoed by an active investment fund that recently took a stake in the group. The jury is still out on this company in more ways than one

Listing of Bond Instrument Thu, 22nd Aug 2013 07:00 RNS Number : 2444M Gasol plc 22 August 2013 Gasol plc ('Gasol' or the 'Company') Listing of Bond Instrument Gasol, the West African energy development company, today announces it has listed its Bond instrument, announced in a statement to market on 7 March 2013 of up to US$100,000,000, in Dublin on the Irish Stock Exchange. The bonds were listed on 21 August 2013. The Company has issued US$20,000,000 Bonds on 5 March 2013, which were fully subscribed and remain outstanding. The Bonds have a coupon of 10%, payable semi-annually in arrears on 31 August and 28 February each year, with the last payment date expected to be due 28 February 2016. - Ends - Enquiries

Drax Group: UBS increases target price from 710p to 845p and reiterates its buy recommendation.

CRH: Jefferies cuts target price from 1770p to 1700p, while keeping a buy recommendation. Deutsche Bank reduces target price from 1580p to 1500p and retains a buy recommendation

British Sky Broadcasting Group: Citi takes target price from 950p to 1000p reiterating its buy recommendation

BHP Billiton: Goldman Sachs ups target price from 1950p to 2000p and retains a neutral rating. UBS takes target price from 2080p to 2180p and leaves its buy recommendation unchanged. JP Morgan reduces target price from 2310p to 2280p maintaining its neutral rating. Citi raises target price from 1900p to 2000p and maintains a neutral rating. Deutsche Bank cuts target price from 2309p to 2290p, while leaving its buy recommendation unaltered