Member Info for jange

True, there's some evidence of margin resilience - the third-quarter retail profit margin rose slightly at the French and UK and Ireland divisions, although it slipped about a percentage point at the other international unit to 10.2 per cent. A prospective divided yield of over 3 per cent isn't bad, either. But the shares have risen 12 per cent since late July and now trade on 13 times Numis's earnings estimate for 2013 - leaving them rated in line with those of some better-placed retailers that are delivering reasonable sales growth, such as Halfords (HFD). As consumer weakness continues to hurt, those gains could easily be lost.......but as always dyor and gl

Trading was more mixed at the other overseas operations. Underlying third-quarter like-for-like sales in Poland, Spain and Turkey fell 7.3 per cent, 8.5 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively, but rose 3.5 per cent in China and an impressive 21.3 per cent in Russia. Don't place too many hopes in that robust Russian performance, however - just 4.7 per cent of Kingfisher's sales come from there. Overall, third-quarter like-for-like sales at the other international division dropped 0.8 per cent year on year. But Kingfisher is pursuing various self-help measures. Indeed, management announced in March that its self-help plan, called 'creating the leader', would deliver an additional £300m of annualised retail profit by its fifth year. It's an eight-point plan and includes such measures as upgrading the online offering and boosting the group's presence in its existing markets, while also expanding into new and developing markets. However, at the half-year stage, it emerged that this self-help effort had generated a £10m cost, reflecting the accelerated roll-out of commonly sourced own brands - so it could be a while before there's much sign of that targeted extra profit. In fact, the near-term earnings outlook appears distinctly unattractive - broker Numis Securities, for example, forecasts that adjusted earnings will fall 10 per cent in the year to the end of January 2013.

Kingfisher's business in France, responsible for 40 per cent of group sales, is struggling, too. Its Brico Dépôt operation, focused on trade professionals, was hit especially hard as French housing market conditions weakened - in particular, management notes that new housing starts there are falling. Accordingly, Brico Dépôt's underlying sales slumped 4.9 per cent at the third-quarter stage. Castorama coped better, with some strength evident in kitchen and joinery product sales - but its like-for-like sales still fell 0.9 per cent. Overall, Kingfisher's French underlying third-quarter sales fell 2.8 per cent and, with the IMF expecting the French economy to grow just 0.4 per cent during 2013 as eurozone-related woe continues to bite, don't expect radical improvements there any time soon.

Business is tough for Kingfisher (KGF), the operater of DIY retail outlets that include B&Q and Screwfix in the UK and Castorama and Brico Dépôt in France. True, last year's wet summer weather certainly helped keep Kingfisher's customers away. But with retail conditions still fragile - average wages are still falling, leaving consumers under ongoing pressure - Kingfisher faces bigger long-term challenges than mere weather fluctuations. That was clear from the retailer's latest sales figures. At the third-quarter stage, group like-for-like sales had fallen 2.8 per cent year on year. The group looks especially embattled in the UK and Ireland, where its B&Q chain generates a third of Kingfisher's sales. B&Q's third-quarter like-for-like sales to 27 October slumped 4 per cent on the same period last year. Admittedly, Screwfix's sales did rise 10.9 per cent, but generating 5.5 per cent of group sales, it's too small to have made much overall difference and third-quarter underlying sales in the UK and Ireland fell 3.8 per cent. Management blamed the "generally weak consumer backdrop in the UK and a particularly challenging environment in Ireland".

Although Tate & Lyle’s (TATE) profits may have been under pressure as reported at the half way stage in early November, the newsflow has improved since then, taking the share price up with it. Last month’s move to shore up the pensions deficit by £347m led to broker Investec rating the stock a buy once again. The note came just three days after an investor seminar held by the food producer – with the group’s product stream seen as particularly attractive. Credit Suisse followed this move in January by raising Tate’s price target from 750p to 845p.

Regular followers of AstraZeneca (AZN) may be familiar with the recent pattern going into major trading announcements – a rally beforehand, and then a sharp selloff. So far shares of the drugs giant have delivered a 300p rally from November, up approximately 10%. What remains to be seen now is how much of this will be given back due to drug trial disappointments, patent expiries and/or a generally downbeat profits outlook. That said, it may be the case that the post November rally for Astra is founded on the news last month that its key Crestor patent is valid and enforceable, at least according to a U.S. court.

Brooks Macdonald Group: Numis ups target price from 1400p to 1470p and retains a hold recommendation.

APR Energy: JP Morgan lowers target price from 1005p to 950p, while its overweight rating is left unchanged.

Commercial passenger aircraft leasing company Avation has completed the purchase of a A320-200 aircraft which it had previously leased from another aircraft leasing company. The aircraft is owned by MSN 429 Leaseco, a new subsidiary of the company which was established for the purpose. The purchase was completed using the company's existing financial resources. Avation's fleet now stands at a total of 19 commercial passenger aircraft. According to the group, it will continue to lease the aircraft to a major Australian regional airline for an extended term of four years. Commenting today, Jeff Chatfield, Chairman of Avation said: "The purchase of this Airbus A320-200 delivers additional assets to the group and will ensure that the company's revenue position will continue to move in a positive direction."

High-grade targets found The group said that it had found areas containing high-grade targets that Newmont had discounted as too small for their requirements but which could be of "great interest" to the company to develop. It stated that it had engaged the services of an experienced team of geologists to commence the process of reviewing project data and added thart the anticipated report would be delivered by the end of February 2013. The company stated that it is also in discussions with Barrick Gold Corporation about their future intentions for the joint venture at Wamum, where it said that exploration work over the last two years had been "very limited". Triple Plate Junction's share price was down 12% to 0.55p at 09:52 on Friday morning.

AIM-listed gold exploration company Triple Plate Junction has unveiled an update on its Papua New Guinea project prompting a sharp fall in its shares. The company announced that Newmont Ventures, a subsidiary of Newmont Mining Corporation, would not be allocating a development budget to the joint venture's Morobe project in Papua New Guinea for 2013. Newmont terminating search for large bulk tonnage gold/copper porphyry systems The company announced that Newmont had decided to terminate its search for large bulk tonnage gold/copper porphyry systems at the JV property, and that Newmont was in the process of exploring its options in consultation with Triple Plate Junction. Triple Plate Junction stated that following its own exploration and that conducted by Newmont on behalf of the JV, it had identified "a very significant amount of related data" which Triple Plate Junction was evaluating in order to determine whether there were areas within the JV territory which could be appropriate and suitable for Triple Plate Junction.

http://www.investegate.co.uk/charles-stanley-grp-(cay)/rns/interim-management-statement/201301250700053357W/

http://www.investegate.co.uk/sage-group-plc-(sge)/rns/transaction-in-own-shares/201301250700053374W/

http://www.investegate.co.uk/conygar-investmnt-co-(cic)/rns/cancellation-of-treasury-shares/201301250700053407W/

http://www.investegate.co.uk/casdon-plc-(cdy)/rns/half-yearly-report/201301250700053381W/

ENDS Neither the content of the Company's website nor the content of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement nor, unless previously published by means of a Regulatory Information Service, should any such content be relied upon in reaching a decision as to whether or not to acquire, continue to hold, or dispose of, securities in the Company.

Valiant Petroleum plc PRESS RELEASE 25 January 2013 Timon Well Operations Valiant Petroleum plc ("Valiant") is pleased to announce that the Transocean John Shaw semi-submersible drilling rig has arrived on location to complete drilling of the Timon prospect (Valiant, 10%) located in the UK Northern North Sea in Blocks 211/11b and 211/16b. The 211/11b-7 well was originally spudded in May 2012 before being suspended due to operational problems with the previous drilling rig. The well is anticipated to take around 40 days to complete. Timon is an Upper Jurassic sand play with gross best estimate prospective resources estimated by Valiant to be 30 million barrels of oil equivalent (net 3 mmboe). The partners in the P1633 licence are MPX North Sea Limited (operator, 15%), Agora Oil & Gas (UK) Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of Cairn Energy PLC) (25%), Taqa Bratani Limited (18%), Wintershall E&P Limited (17%), Sorgenia E&P (UK) Ltd (15%) and Valiant Causeway Limited (10%). In accordance with the AIM Rules, the information in this announcement has been reviewed and signed off by Richard Morgan, UK Exploration Manager, who has over 28 years' relevant experience within the sector.

QFI HAS THE BIGGEST POTENTIAL OF ANY STOCK ON THE AIM IMHO.......

Good luck to us there catch you again mate..........

During the fourth quarter, Petro-SIM Production was launched. It incorporates Infochem's intellectual property in its platform which is to be used in the upstream market. Several trials are underway with major independents, national oil companies and engineering contractors. "We enter 2013 with a strong order book, new products and a business that is better able to deliver profitable growth from both its consulting and software operations," the firm added. KBC is currently restructuring its consultancy business and will release an update in the full results when released in March.