Kingfisher (LON:KGF) has made a strong start to the financial year as sales were helped by warm weather and the Royal Wedding bank holiday in the UK.
However, the outlook for the rest of the year was cautious with the home improvement retailer foreseeing a “tough one for all retailers”, especially in the UK. Shares in Kingfisher slipped 3.5 percent to 272 pence in early deals, making it the heaviest faller in the FTSE 100.
Wood Group (LON:WG) said that 65.9 million shares were tendered and will be purchased by J.P. Morgan Cazenove at 625 pence per share for a total cost of £411.9 million. This represents 12.2 percent of the company’s issued capital.
Johnson Matthey (LON:JMAT) released its results for the year to 31 March 2011. Revenues climbed 27 percent to nearly £10 billion. Underlying profit before tax and underlying earnings per share rose 36 percent and 38 percent respectively.
HICL Infrastructure (LON:HICL) has acquired a 75 percent interest in the Brentwood Community Hospital PFI Project. The total consideration paid by the Group for its share of the acquired interest amounted to £4.6million.
Ascent Resources (LON:AST), the Europe-focused oil and gas explorer and developer, said the outlook for 2011 and beyond is highly encouraging as it reported its final results for 2010.
“Having proved up our core portfolio we are now focused on extracting value from it and, in line with this, aggressive work programmes are underway,” said the firm’s chairman John Kenny.
ASOS (LON:ASC) reported a considerable improvement in sales during the past year and said its international expansion programme was firmly on track.
Group revenues in the year to 31 March 2011 soared 52 percent to £340 million as group sales jumped 58 percent to £324 million. The online fashion retailer’s gross profit rose 41 percent to £131.6 million, however, pre-tax profits dropped 23 percent to £15 million due to relocation costs of £12.9 million.
Westminster Group (LON:WSG) says it is confident of a "solid" performance in 2011 with exciting growth prospects beyond.
"Whilst 2010 suffered a downturn due to delayed contract awards, we have made an extremely positive start to 2011 with several significant contract awards being announced, including two-multi million pound contracts," said CEO Peter Fowler, as the firm released its final results to 31 December 2010.
The delivery of two hydraulic shovels to the El Limon gold mine should lead to a “significant improvement” in production, Red Rock Resources (LON:RRR) said today.
Shares in Empyrean Energy (LON:EME) jumped by more than 10 percent in early trading this morning after Marathon Oil Corporation – the US’s fourth-largest integrated energy company – agreed to pay $3.5 billion for Hilcorp Energy’s assets in the Eagle Ford shale trend in Southern Texas.
Lonzim’s (LON:LZM) first half results demonstrate that management has rationalised its investments in Zimbabwe, establishing a base of companies which are able to benefit from continued economic recovery, according to broker WH Ireland.
EMED Mining (LON:EMED, TSE:EMD) shares offer good value at current levels, about 11 pence each, according to Fairfax analyst John Meyer. The respected mining analyst reckons the approval process that had seemingly stalled now appears to be back on again.
Stellar Diamonds (LON: STEL) is "on course to deliver substantial value to shareholders” said house broker Northland Capital Partners after an analyst visit to Stellar’s operations in Guinea and Sierra Leone. Northland said that progress on the key Tongo and Droubja kimberlite projects is encouraging while there are some significant improvements from the Mandala alluvial operations.
TanzaniteOne (LON:TNZ) has secured an option to acquire 100 percent of “an established sapphire project” in a known sapphire field in Australia. The AIM listed miner and supplier of rough tanzanite now has an exclusivity period for a minimum of three months and a maximum of six months to conduct due diligence and make a final decision.
The Real Good Food Company (LON:RGD) told investors that it believes it is on course to significantly exceed market forecasts for the current financial year. In a statement ahead of today’s AGM chairman Pieter Totté said the group has made a strong start to the year throughout all its businesses.
Gulfsands Petroleum (LON:GPX) said that while the Abu Ghazal-1 (AGZ-1) exploration well on Block 26 in Syria encountered potentially significant hydrocarbon columns, a series of tests recovered sub-commercial quantities of heavy/viscous oil. The well has now been suspended pending detailed analyses of well results.
Mozambique-focused tantalum miner Noventa (LON:NVTA, TSE:NTA) said it has an “urgent fund raising requirement” as it seeks to bring its new processing plant at its Marropino mine into full operation this year.
Cancer care specialist ValiRx (LON:VAL) has appointed Oliver de Giorgio-Miller as an independent non-executive director.