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"The Group has made good progress despite the challenging economic environment, particularly for businesses serving government-funded customers such as Smiths Detection and Smiths Interconnect, where performance has been disappointing. Remediation in Smiths Detection is on track, although the benefits will be weighted to the second half. Elsewhere, John Crane continues to report strong growth driven by investment in oil and gas infrastructure. Performance at Flex-Tek was encouraging and Smiths Medical has been resilient against a tough trading backdrop. Our results continue to benefit from restructuring initiatives and operational improvements. These savings are being reinvested to build a solid foundation to accelerate medium-term revenue growth. "We have increased our focus on top-line growth through new product development, sales effectiveness, expansion of our emerging market exposure and targeted acquisitions. The trading environment remains uncertain and sustained pressures on government spending are likely to affect some of our divisions. However, we continue to see further potential to grow sales, drive operational improvements and deliver strong cash conversion. We remain confident of meeting expectations for the full year." Philip Bowman Chief Executive

Highlights · Resilient performance in a difficult trading environment · Headline revenue up 3%; headline operating profit up 2% · Continued investment in new products and new markets driving growth · Emerging market sales up from 12.5% to 15% of Group sales · Good headline margin progression in John Crane, Smiths Medical and Flex-Tek · Performance improvement initiatives on track in Smiths Detection; improving order book · Improved headline operating cash conversion at 82% - with free cash-flow of £81m · Dividend up 4%

http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=201203140700162915Z

Shore Capital retained its "buy" stance on Prudential (PRU), pointing to the insurance firm's well placed geographical exposure and product mix. The broker noted good progress in Asia, with the group 69% of the way to achieving its operating profit target for 2013, as well as reduced new business strain. Shore Capital added that the shares trade at a 4.3% discount to its forecast 2012 embedded value of 820p, rising to 11.3% in 2013. Prudential shares advanced 22p to 785p.

N+1 Brewin downgraded its stance on moneysupermarket.com (MONY) from "buy" to "add" with an unchanged target price of 140p, following recent share price strength. The broker noted the company's market leading position, with a market share by visitor numbers of 42%, while its nearest peer has a share of just 13%. Brewin is also impressed by the online comparison site's high operating margins of around 26% and expects this to improve further with scale. The shares crept up 0.3p to 130.3p.

Oriel Securities initiated coverage of Safestore Holdings (SAFE) with an "add" recommendation, expecting the self storage firm to see an increase in occupancy from 64% to 70% over the next three years. The broker noted that the firm is still looking to expand and expects to see further acquisitional and organic growth. Oriel noted that Safestore will have a major debt refinancing even in August 2013, but does not foresee any difficulty. The broker forecasts adjusted net asset value of 219p for 2012, meaning the shares trade at a discount of 44.1%. The shares inched up 1p to 122.5p.

John Worby, Group Finance Director of Genus, the FTSE 250 animal genetics firm, has sold 43,000 shares, half of the amount he vested earlier this month. Worby sold 43,261 shares at 1,318.41p each for a total of £570,357. The sale was made further to the vesting of 86,523 conditional nil-cost share options on March 5th under the company's performance share plan. The remaining 43,262 share options that vested under the plan have been retained by Worby.

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ZIMPLATS HOLDINGS LIMITED ("ZIMPLATS") INDIGENISATION UPDATE Implats announces further clarification of the agreement reached with the Government of Zimbabwe ("Government") on 13 March 2012. The Government has agreed in principle that the new plan presented is compliant with the law and is acceptable. No agreement has been reached on timing or valuation other than that the transactions would be at appropriate value. The proposals made by Implats to the Government in this regard are:- * shares in Zimplats representing 10% of the enlarged issued share capital of Zimplats will be issued to the Community Trust at the independent valuation previously submitted to the Government. Zimplats will provide an interest free loan to the Community Trust to fund the shares and the loan will be repaid from dividends. This stake would be non-contributory. * shares in Zimplats representing a further 10% of the enlarged issued share capital of Zimplats will be sold to an employee share ownership trust for the benefit of all full time employees of Zimplats. The shares will be sold at the same independent valuation and Zimplats will provide an interest-bearing loan to the Employee Trust to fund the purchase of the shares. The loan will be repaid from dividends and will be contributory or dilutive. It has also been agreed that Zimplats and the Government will explore fair value compensation in lieu of empowerment credits for the ground released under the agreement of 24 May 2006. It was proposed to Government that on receipt of this compensation, Zimplats will make available for sale to the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Fund ("NIEEF") a 31% fully contributory stake in Zimplats for cash at an independently determined fair value at the time. Future expansion opportunities will therefore not be impacted. Upon the execution of these initiatives, Zimplats will have met all of the Government's indigenisation and empowerment objectives and requirements. 14 March 2012

http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=20120314134448P4BEE

Nomura has reiterated its buy recommendation and 180p target price for insurance group Legal and General after its 2011 results came in ahead of consensus expectations in key areas. Nomura says the focus of the results was on the dividend, which was raised by 35% to 6.4p, surpassing expectations of 5.93p. "Dividend cash cover was 2.25x in 2011 and the company’s guidance is to reduce this to 2x or below in the medium term, providing scope for further structural increases in the dividend, in our view," the broker said. Nomura added that the earnings growth seen in 2011 was mainly driven by a capital light strategy of growing its asset management and unit-linked savings business.

Final Dividend Mecom announces that the Board has proposed a final dividend for the Financial Year Ending 31 December 2011 of 9.9 euro cents per share, to be paid on 22 June 2012. This dividend will be paid in pounds sterling, and the pounds sterling amount will be announced via the Company's website two weeks before the payment day. The exchange rate used to determine the pounds sterling amount will be the average of the market exchange rates in London over the three working days prior to the announcement of the pounds sterling amount ('the pounds sterling cash dividend announcement date'). The timetable for the payment of the proposed final dividend is as follows:

http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=201203140715012979Z

Laird a company which makes components for mobile phones, has exited China by selling its division that made handset antennaes. This was an unfortunate necessity says Tempus as it means Laird’s exposure to Nokia has reduced. Now able to focus on its core performance materials and wireless systems businesses, and, with profits growing, Tempus thinks Laird will rise. Buy.

All four of insurance leviathan Legal and General's operating business divisions delivered increased sales, cash generation and profits in 2011. Although operating profit in 2011 rose to £1,056m from £1,002m the year before, profit before tax eased to £956m from £1,092m in 2010, below market expectations of £976m. The decline in pre-tax profit was largely due to the absence this time round of asset related investment variances, which contributed £0.19m to profits in 2010.

Dr. Ron Collins, Department of Anesthesiology, Kelowna General Hospital, commented: "The average patient's hospital stay was reduced from 9.5 days to 5.5 days. This improvement in patient outcomes is consistent with Interior Health's vision to set new standards of excellence in the delivery of health services in British Columbia. Indeed, the combination of benefits to patients in terms of improved outcomes and the benefits to the health care system in terms of improved bed efficiency is remarkable." Ewan Phillips, Chief Executive of Deltex Medical, commented: "We are pleased with Interior Health Authority's rapid progress with implementing CardioQ-ODM. Their audit results provide compelling further evidence of the clinical and economic benefits of CardioQ-ODM in surgery as well as informing ongoing implementation within the Interior Health system."

Progress with implementation of CardioQ-ODM at Interior Health Authority in Canada 14 March 2012 - Deltex Medical Group plc, the global leader in oesophageal Doppler monitoring (ODM), announces the results of the first phase of the Interior Health Authority's implementation of CardioQ-ODM™. Six hospitals within Interior Health Authority, a primarily rural health authority in British Columbia, Canada, audited the impact of introducing CardioQ-ODM to guide fluid management during bowel surgery. The audit showed improved outcomes for patients with reduced post-operative complications and a consequent 40% average reduction per patient in length of hospital stay. As a result of the audit, the clinical team leading the project has: · requested ongoing funding for the maintenance and expansion of CardioQ-ODM for the largest eight hospitals in the 20 plus hospital authority: an initial order for close to 500 probes has already been placed with our Canadian distributor · incorporated the CardioQ-ODM and its associated fluid management principles as a key component of the enhanced recovery pathway to ensure optimal patient care · planned for ongoing measurement of compliance and successes of the CardioQ-ODM · developed a draft article to disseminate the Interior Health experience throughout Canada

http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=201203140700152885Z

Johan Dippenaar, CEO of Petra, commented: "These initial drilling and microdiamond analysis results indicate that kimberlite KX36 has significant potential, in terms of its possible size, diamond grade and potential coarse diamond size frequency distribution. The next step is a large diameter bulk sampling drilling programme, commencing in April 2012, in order to obtain further information with regards to grade and an indication of diamond value." Jim Davidson, Technical Director of Petra, commented: "Our exploration programme in Botswana has led to the discovery of five new kimberlites so far and the strong micro diamond results and the favourable coarser diamond size indications for kimberlite KX36 are most encouraging. We have now launched the next phase of our evaluation of this exciting discovery, with the bulk sampling work programme scheduled to commence shortly. KX36 is approximately 60km from the nearest known kimberlite, meaning there is the potential for KX36 to be part of a new kimberlite field."

Highly Encouraging Drilling and Microdiamond Results Petra Diamonds Limited announces an update in respect of the exploration work programme at kimberlite KX36 ("KX36"), which is situated in Petra's Kukama East project area in central Botswana. A drilling and microdiamond sampling campaign was carried out at KX36 in 2011 and microdiamond results from samples taken from delineation/evaluation drill core have now been received and analysed. A total of 1,373m was drilled in five holes; the deepest borehole was drilled to a vertical depth of 516m below surface, with the borehole ending in kimberlite at that depth. A total of 250 diamonds, collectively weighing 0.756 carats, was recovered from 403.88kg of kimberlite; the largest diamond recovered was a white, transparent dodecahedron, weighing 0.393 carats. Highlights · Initial modelled (undiluted) diamond grade between 75 carats per hundred tonne ("cpht") and 180 cpht, based on 90% confidence limits around the estimated average grade of 130 cpht, at a +1 Diamond Trading Company ("'DTC") sieve size · Independent diamond content modelling of the results indicates a reasonably coarse diamond size distribution, implying that the average diamond value for KX36 may be positively affected by the presence of a large proportion of coarse stones · Incorporation and integration of all drilling results into the existing 3D geological model indicates a potential kimberlite tonnage of between 28 million tonnes ("Mt") and 34 Mt to a vertical depth of 516m below surface. The deposit remains open ended at depth · Delineation drilling and geophysics indicate a surface area of approximately five hectares under circa 78m of Kalahari overburden · Large diameter (24 inch) drilling campaign will commence during April 2012 to obtain a bulk sample