Member Info for mulledwine

Total NEXT Brand sales for the first half were up 4.5% (VAT exclusive) against last year. This is at the top of the +1% to +4% guidance range given in our March and May statements. NEXT Retail sales were 0.2% up on last year, with sales from new space offsetting lower sales from like for like stores. NEXT Directory sales were up 13.3% on last year, another strong all round performance. END OF SEASON SALE Total stock for the End of Season Sale was up 8.7% with cash recovery in line with our forecast. FULL YEAR GUIDANCE TO JANUARY 2013 We are modestly increasing and narrowing our sales and profit guidance ranges for the full year. We now anticipate Brand sales growth of +2.0% to +4.5% and group profit before tax of £575m to £620m (previously £560m to £610m). The profit range and growth percentages exclude exceptional profits. It remains our intention to buy back approximately £200m of shares this year, of which to date we have spent £112m buying 3.9m shares. The effect of share buybacks and lower UK corporation tax rates on these estimates is to increase EPS by approximately 6% more than the growth in profit before tax.

http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=201208010700069786I

Update on Sale of Fuss Feed China Food Company plc (AIM: CFC), a leading Chinese manufacturer of cooking and dipping sauces, is pleased to give the following update on the sale of the Group's animal feed business. This follows the announcement made on 18 July 2012 relating to the Company's 100% subsidiary, Full Fortune Holdings Pte Ltd, entering into an agreement with Wisehand Planning Co., Ltd ("Wisehand" or the "Buyer") to dispose of the Group's animal feed business (the "Disposal"), for a total consideration of US$16 million. The Group is pleased to announce that the Buyer has unconditionally agreed to proceed with the First Completion and the Transaction, and the first payment of US$4.5 million is now expected by mid August 2012 due to unexpected regulatory delays on the part of the Buyer. The timing of the remaining payments is subject to other milestones, including the completion of the land sale and the completion of the new factory, but it is expected that US$3.5 million will be paid in autumn 2012 and the remaining US$8.0 million will be paid by the end of the year. The Disposal is expected to result in a one-off gain of approximately £4.8 million.

http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=201208010700069788I

Dr. Bill Higgs, Chief Executive of the Company, commented: "The acquisition of LGOI's 10 per cent interest in Malta Offshore Area 4 PSC will elevate the Company's working interest to 100 per cent. We believe this will help to facilitate the current farm out process in respect of the licence, which we aim to complete prior to Q4, 2012, and will enable us to more effectively pursue the further exploration of the licence with the drill bit."

Malta, Offshore Area 4 Production Sharing Contract ("PSC") Acquisition of 10 per cent interest from Leni Gas and Oil Plc The Board of Mediterranean Oil and Gas Plc (AIM: MOG)(the "Company" or "MOG"), the central Mediterranean producer, developer and explorer of oil and gas assets, is pleased to announce that the Company, through its subsidiary, Phoenicia Energy Company Limited ("PECL"), has entered into an agreement with Leni Gas and Oil Investments Limited ("LGOI") (together, the "Parties"), a subsidiary of Leni Gas and Oil Plc, to acquire the 10 per cent interest LGOI holds ("Transferred Interest") in the Malta Offshore Area 4 PSC (the "Acquisition"). PECL will pay LGOI consideration of one United States Dollar for the Transferred Interest with an effective date of 1st January 2012. In addition, PECL will assume liability for LGOI's residual costs of USD 19,050, arising under the Joint Operating Agreement between the Parties associated with the acquisition of 3D seismic data in 2011. The Acquisition is conditional upon the receipt of approval from the Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs in Malta.

http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=201208010700079842I

It touched £2 on the way past to 162 - ouch

Commenting, Graham Chipchase, Rexam's chief executive, said: "We are encouraged by the progress of the continuing business in the first half and, in spite of a challenging trading environment, our overall performance was in line with our expectations. Beverage Cans traded well with the global growth of specialty cans and the performance of the North American business overcoming cost headwinds. As indicated previously, we had some specific challenges in Healthcare. We are pleased to have announced the proposed sale of the Personal Care business and our intention to return around £370m to shareholders once the transactions are completed. In an increasingly uncertain macroeconomic environment, we will continue to focus on generating cash, managing costs and return on capital employed for the rest of 2012. Our progress to date gives us confidence of achieving our 15% return on capital employed target by the end of 2013."

Highlights · Total beverage cans volumes up 6% · Underlying profit before tax2 (including Personal Care) £225m · Beverage Cans organic3 operating profit up 9% · Healthcare underlying1operating profit down from £36m to £27m · Proposed sale of Personal Care business for $709m (£452m)4 announced in early July with c £370m to be returned to shareholders · Return on capital employed (ROCE) on track for 15% by end of 2013 · Interim dividend 5p up 6%

http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=201208010700079852I

Operationally, management at Petra Diamonds are delivering – but the economic background remains tough. Problems in the Eurozone hit diamond prices last year – and the same pattern has repeated this year. Europe is not a major market for diamond sales, with the US and Asia being the main drivers. However, global sentiment has been subdued as there appears to be no end in sight for the crisis. Rough diamond prices fell from July to December 2011 before a temporary recovery in the first three months of 2012. However, prices have weakened again and Petra said it expects the rough market to remain under pressure. "However, Petra's view is that the medium to long-term outlook for diamond prices remains positive due to the well reported supply/demand fundamentals," it added. Named as a tip of the year in January, the shares are up 8%, compared with a FTSE 100 up 2%. Trading on a 2013 earnings multiple of 10 times, Questor maintains a buy rating.

Directors of Drax say that all the technical issues involved in converting half its capacity to burn biomass such as waste wood and woodchip have been resolved and the process can go ahead, now that the Government has settled the level of subsidy that the business can expect. Some in the market plainly have their doubts. There are still issues, in particular finding enough biomass to feed those higher needs. Drax will have to build plants in the United States to produce pellets, which are cheaper to transport. There are questions over the cost of scrubbing out emissions of nitrogen oxide. Future earnings, which will have to fund some of the investment, are hard to predict; halfway pre-tax profits fell from £169m to £141m because Drax sells most of its power forward and earnings from this reflect an earlier, less favourable environment for coal-fired producers. The dividend goes up and down in line with these lumpy earnings, a 14.4p interim payment this time, as against 16p last. Then there is the question of how much bid premium there is in the shares. Drax is seen as a target and the ending of uncertainty should make it more attractive. But it hasn’t happened yet. A difficult investment to value; only for investors prepared for speculative risk, The Times´ Tempus column says.

While markets have been, and are likely to remain, challenging for some time, we have made good progress in positioning the Group for the future; we have communicated a clear strategy for our Institutional, Consumer and Property businesses, we have aligned management incentives to the delivery of that strategy and we are, and will remain, focused on execution and delivery.

Edward Bramson, Executive Chairman, said: "2012 is a transitional year, during which F&C is implementing new business strategies, re-sizing its expense base, and beginning to improve its capital position. In the first half of 2012 we have made major progress on all of these fronts. I look forward to reporting further progress when our year-end results are announced." The Group will host a presentation at 10.30 today at 26 Southampton Buildings, London WC2A 1PB. The presentation will also be available to view via a live webcast at www.fcamplc.com , a recording of which will be posted on the site later today.

Interim Results for the six months to 30 June 2012 (unaudited) 1 August 2012 The F&C Asset Management plc group (F&C or the Group) has today announced its unaudited financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2012. Financial and Business Highlights · Underlying earnings per share increased 11% to 3.0p (H1 2011: 2.7p) · Underlying earnings per share on a constant exchange-rate basis increased 22% to 3.3p (H1 2011: 2.7p) · Operating cost savings target increased by £3.0 million to £48.8 million · Total assets under management of £98.2 billion (31 December 2011: £100.1 billion) · Institutional net pipeline increased to £1.6 billion (31 December 2011: £nil) · H1 2012 investment performance improved in both fixed income and equities versus one-year and three-year track records · Interim dividend of 1.0p covered 3.0 times by H1 underlying earnings per share (H1 2011: 1.0p, covered 2.7 times)

http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=201208010700099897I

how much will this impact today - will it touch £2 ?

The deterioration in performance in the Far East/Pacific Rim Region will have a significant effect on overall Group performance in the near term. The Group is therefore unlikely to meet previous expectations for the year to 31 December 2012 and, whilst steps are being taken to restructure the region's business unit, the challenging conditions in the Far East/Pacific Rim Region are expected to persist into 2013. The UK Region continues to trade strongly supported by long term maintenance contracts. Activity levels in the Middle East show good growth albeit at lower margins. In the CIS & North Africa Region activity levels remain robust and the one off charge previously announced in respect of the GL3 Z LNG project in Arzew in Algeria is expected to remain sufficient. Cape will report results for the six months ended 30 June 2012 on 30 August 2012.

Trading Update Cape plc, the international provider of essential, non-mechanical support services principally to the energy and mineral resources sectors, today provides the following update. The trading performance of Cape's Onshore business unit in Australia (reported as part of Cape's Far East/Pacific Rim Region) deteriorated sharply in the second quarter. Following a review of this business, it has become clear that the trading performance for the Far East/Pacific Rim Region for the remainder of the year will be well below management's previous expectations. Lower revenue, combined with increasing pricing pressure, has led to operating margins being significantly lower than previously expected. With delays in major project work in Australia now apparent, no improvement in activity levels is expected in the near term. A review of the region's business structure is now underway and an initial overhead cost reduction plan has been implemented. Management now expects revenue from this region for the year to 31 December 2012 to be slightly less than that of 2011 and operating margin, before the impact of any restructuring, to reduce to approximately half of 2011 levels. In the Far East/Pacific Rim, the Group is more exposed to the construction support services cycle than in other more mature regions in which Cape enjoys leading market positions, underpinned by a solid maintenance support services base with multi-year contracts. Whilst capital spending in the Far East/Pacific Rim region is expected to benefit Cape strongly over the medium term, the timing of work releases on the major projects remains uncertain.