In the FTSE 100, United Utilities (LON:UU) has completed its non-regulated disposal programme. As outlined previously, the various sales have achieved a total enterprise value of approximately £600 million.
Communications group WPP (LON:WPP) has agreed to acquire I-Behavior, a privately-held database marketing business which provides direct marketing services to multi-channel merchants.
Oil and gas producer Tullow Oil (LON:TLW) reported that to date, in the second half of 2010, it has made “excellent operational progress” and financial performance is in line with expectations.
Scottish & Southern Energy (LON:SSE) reported its financial results for the six months to 30 September. Pre-tax profits declined 6.1% to £385.5 million. Interim dividend was upped 6.7% to 22.4 pence.
Insurer Prudential (LON:PRU) released group wide sales in the first nine months of the year jumped 24% to £2.46 billion, while new business profit for the same period rose 21%.
Retailer Sainsbury (LON:SBRY) reported its interim results, saying that total sales rose 7% to £11.94 billion. Like for like sales excluding fuel were up 2%.
On AIM, Europa Oil & Gas (LON:EOG) provided an update on the Barchiz-1 well in Romania. The well has now been cased to a depth of 664 metres and preparations are being made to drill the main section of the well containing the target horizons.
Dominion Petroleum (LON:DPL) announced that the 3D seismic survey that was recently conducted on Block 7, deep-water Tanzania, has now been completed. A recent competent persons report (CPR) prepared by Energy Resource Consultants on the Alpha prospect, which was among the prospects covered by the survey, confirmed a mean prospective resource of 1.1 billion barrels as the oil case and 7 trillion cubic feet as the gas case.
Patagonia Gold (LON:PGD) said that the construction of the 50,000 tonne heap leach pad (HLPAD) at the Lomada de Leiva Project is progressing ahead of schedule with the completion of earthworks and civils. The company’s subsidiary PGSA has initiated a resource infill and extension drill program, consisting of 38 Diamond HQ drill holes for 4,700 metres, targeting the inferred and peripheral mineralization at Lomada de Leiva and surrounds.