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Why Ladbrokes, Tullow Oil, and Premier Oil Should Lag the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The FTSE 100 has opened the week poorly, falling 0.61% to 6,490 points by 7:50 a.m. EDT after the latest figures from China saw first-quarter economic growth come in lower than expected. Amid a sell-off of commodities, the gold price fell 5% to its lowest level for two years — it’s now down 25% since its peak of September 2011.

But even with the index falling, there are companies doing worse. Here are three whose share prices are tumbling today.

Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes‘ shares have dropped 8.2% to 190 pence after the bookmaker issued a first-quarter profit warning. Full-year operating profit is now expected to come in at the bottom end of expectations after Q1 was hit by “a significant reduction in profit” from horse racing at Cheltenham and weakness in online gambling. Operating profit for the quarter dropped 13 million pounds to 37.4 million pounds.

Ladbrokes shares are now down more than 20% from a mid-March peak of 245 pence, with the previous six months’ bull run now almost completely reversed.

Tullow Oil
Shares in Tullow Oil have fallen 4.3% to 1,110 pence after the explorer delayed its Sabisa-1 well in Ethiopia, citing “hole instability issues” that require the drilling of a secondary “sidetrack” bore. Exploratory results are now due in late May. But on the upside, initial drilling did reveal hydrocarbon indications.

In other positive news, we were told that the first of the firm’s six well tests at Ngamia-1 in Kenya has demonstrated flows of 281 barrels of oil per day. Further tests should soon reveal the area’s full production potential.

Premier Oil
Premier Oil have also slipped 4.3% today, despite the firm announcing the first oil flows from its Huntingdon field in the North Sea, which commenced last Friday. Chief executive Simon Lockett said: “This marks the first of four U.K. North Sea projects from our development portfolio which will come on-stream over the next few years.”

After ramping up from an initial 30,000 bopd, the field is expected to produce 250,000 bopd to 300,000 bopd when in full flow.

Finally, reliable dividends can more than compensate for the day-to-day ups and downs of share prices. So how about a company that’s offering a 5.7% yield and could be set for some nice share-price appreciation, too? It’s the subject of our brand-new report “The Motley Fool’s Top Income Share For 2013,” which you can get completely free of charge — but it will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your copy today.

The article Why Ladbrokes, Tullow Oil, and Premier Oil Should Lag the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/15/why-ladbrokes-tullow-oil-and-premier-oil-should-la/

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

3 More FTSE 100 Shares Going Ex-Dividend Next Week

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — We’ve already looked at three FTSE 100 companies set to go ex-dividend next week, but it’s a busy week as payments from firms with years ending in December approach, so here are some more from the top-flight index.

As long as you are holding shares in the following three companies up to April 17, you’ll be in the money — or, if they should fall after that date, you might be able to pick up a bargain.

Tullow Oil
Shareholders in Tullow Oil are set to receive a final dividend of 8 pence per share, taking the total annual payout to 12 pence. That’s exactly the same as the previous year and provides a yield of just 1% on the current share price of 1,179 pence. It’s perhaps not a great compensation for the firm’s share price fall of about 17% over the past 12 months — but long-term shareholders have done well with Tullow, as the shares are up 16-fold over the past decade.

Smith & Nephew
With its full-year results on Feb. 7, Smith & Nephew announced a 50% lift of its final dividend to 16.2 cents per share. Added to the interim payment, it made a total of 26.1 cents per share for the year. On today’s price of 752 pence per share, that’s a yield of about 2.3%.

The orthopedics, endoscopy, and wound-care specialist is expecting market conditions for 2013 to remain similar to last year’s, but we hope to see more of what the company described as “a move to a progressive dividend policy.”

Resolution
Resolution is our final pick to go ex-dividend next Wednesday, and again it’s a final payment. This time it amounts to 14.09 pence per share, taking the full-year dividend up 6.3% to 21.14 pence and providing an annual yield of 7.9% on the current price of 268 pence. The income will be available only as cash, as the insurance sector restructuring specialist has discontinued its scrip dividend program.

Going forward, the firm will consider a progressive dividend policy once sustainable cash-generation reaches 400 million pounds per year, and it plans to pay one-third of its annual dividend at the interim stage each year.

Dividends like these can add nicely to your investment returns — they can be spent or reinvested, according to your needs. Whether you’re investing for income or growth, good old cash is always welcome. And that’s why I recommend the brand-new Fool report “The Motley Fool’s Top Income Share For 2013,” in which our top analysts identify a share they believe will provide handsome dividend income for years to come. But it will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your copy today.

The article 3 More FTSE 100 Shares Going Ex-Dividend Next Week originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why Ophir Energy, Dunelm, and Sirius Minerals Lagged the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The FTSE 100 was going steady today until the last couple of hours of trading, when it spiked to close 1.17% higher at 6,387 points, thanks in part to the mining and banking sectors. That comes after slower inflation in China helped Asian and U.S. markets to higher finishes yesterday, though there are still fears of overheating consumer demand in China.

Although the index rose today, there are always individual shares falling. Here are three that slipped today.

Ophir Energy
Shares in Ophir Energy dropped 2.8% even though the firm upped its resource estimates for its Jodari field in Tanzania by 700 billion cubic feet to 4.1 trillion cubic feet. The company is also planning a drill stem test at its Mzia-2 field, scheduled for completion by the end of the month. Once these testing phases are complete, Ophir plans to start drilling at its Ngisi prospect, and it has also secured a drilling ship for its Starfish-1 well off the shore of Ghana.

Dunelm
Soft-furnishings retailer Dunelm Group announced a 15.4% rise in third-quarter revenue, with like-for-like sales up 5.2% — and the share price fell 0.8% to 841 pence! The outlook for the rest of the year is behind the fall: Q3 figures were boosted by a late end to the firm’s winter sale and an early Easter. Chief executive Nick Wharton warned, “We anticipate that sales growth in like for like stores will become much harder to achieve in the remainder of the current financial year,” compared with a strong final quarter last year.

Sirius Minerals
Potash miner Sirius Minerals saw its shares drop by 1.2% to 21.5 pence today despite positive results from coring tests at its York Potash project — the company has found 58 meters of 88% polyhalite within a total length of 72.4 metres. In the words of chief executive Chris Fraser, “These preliminary results provide further confirmation of the volume, quality and consistency of the York Potash polyhalite orebody.”

Finally, reliable dividends can more than compensate for the day-to-day ups and downs of share prices. So how about a company that’s offering a 5.7% yield and could be set for some nice share-price appreciation, too? It’s the subject of our brand-new report “The Motley Fool’s Top Income Share For 2013,” which you can get completely free of charge — but it will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your copy today.

The article Why Ophir Energy, Dunelm, and Sirius Minerals Lagged the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why ICAP, Victrex, and Centamin Should Lag the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The FTSE 100 has been lifted by rising mining shares today, up 0.45% to 6,305 points as of 8:15 a.m. EDT after the latest inflation figures from China were lower than expected, boosting expectations of a continuation of the country’s stimulus policies.

But not all shares are going up. Here are three constituents of the various FTSE indexes that are lagging today.

ICAP
ICAP shares have dropped 0.17% to 292 pence after the interdealer broker was moved to comment on press speculation regarding an investigation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission into the possible manipulation of prices for the ISDAfix benchmark for swap rates.

Telling us that it does not make submissions to ISDAfix but is involved in the administration of part of the process, the firm said, “ICAP had no knowledge of the allegations prior to the media speculation, and is investigating them.”

Victrex
Despite a first-half update from Victrex telling us that sales volumes are ahead of last year, the company’s shares have fallen 1% to 1,578 pence. The firm, which makes speciality polymer materials, shipped 1,392 tonnes compared to 1,377 tonnes in the first half of last year. The company describes its order book for April as “robust.”

Despite a small reversal since the middle of March, Victrex shares have had a strong run of late, gaining a third since last July.

Centamin
Shares in Centamin, the Egypt-based gold miner, have dropped 4.8% despite the release of a solid first-quarter production update. Gold production from Centamin’s Sukari mine for the period amounted to a record 87,016 ounces, up 77% on the same period last year and up 2% on 2012’s fourth quarter.

Chairman Josef El-Raghy said that, “This marks a solid start to the year and output remains on target to achieve the 2013 guidance of 320,000 ounces,” and he told us the firm’s planned stage-four expansion is on course for an end-of-year completion.

Finally, reliable dividends can more than compensate for the day-to-day ups and downs of share prices. So how about a company that’s offering a 5.7% yield and could be set for some nice share-price appreciation, too? It’s the subject of our brand-new report “The Motley Fool’s Top Income Share For 2013,” which you can get completely free of charge — but it will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your copy today.

The article Why ICAP, Victrex, and Centamin Should Lag the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Victrex. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why FirstGroup, Vedanta Resources, and Shanks Should Beat the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The FTSE 100 has risen 0.57% to 6,313 points this morning. The main force behind the U.K.’s top-tier index appears to be the miners, which are generally up around 2% to 3%. And those in turn were buoyed by lower-than-expected Chinese inflation figures, which raise hopes that the economy will keep growing.

But which companies are beating the indexes today? Here are three that are rising.

FirstGroup
FirstGroup shares have picked 2.9% to 207 pence after the rail and bus operator told us that full-year trading is going as expected. In a statement ahead of results due on May 22, the firm reminded us that its interim dividend was held but told us that it has still to decide on this year’s final payment. It’s hard to predict anything right now, with the West Coast rail franchise still on hold.

Should the final payment also be held at last year’s levels, we’d be seeing a yield of more than 11% — though many will surely be expecting to see a cut. If earnings come in close to the latest City forecasts, the shares will be on a price-to-earnings ratio of about seven.

Vedanta Resources
Shares in Vedanta Resources have gained 3.8% to 1,100 pence after the company’s Indian exploration subsidiary announced an oil discovery in Rajasthan. Cairn India‘s latest strike takes the total number of discoveries in the RJ-ON-90/1 block to 26.

A gross oil column of approximately 10 meters was found this time, and evaluation of potential oil volume will be the next stage. Vedanta shares had been sliding since the start of the year, but they have regained about 10% in the past week.

Shanks Group
Waste management specialist Shanks Group saw its shares rise 1.3% to 75.5 pence following an upbeat end-of-year update told us that trading has continued “robustly.” Despite bad weather hampering the firm’s operations, we should see full-year results in line with previous expectations.

Management of costs has been the key issue in “very challenging” market conditions, and the current plan is expected to save about 20 million pounds per year by fiscal year 2016. Results should be released on March 31.

Finally, if you’re looking for investments that should take you all the way to a comfortable retirement, I recommend the Fool’s special new report detailing five blue-chip shares. They’ll be familiar names to many, and they’ve already provided investors with decades of profits. But the report will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your hands on these great ideas — they could set you on the road to long-term riches.

The article Why FirstGroup, Vedanta Resources, and Shanks Should Beat the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why Faroe Petroleum, Mecom, and Findel Lagged the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The FTSE 100 is made a bit of a comeback today, rising 0.43% to close at 6,277 points. Last week’s disappointing jobs news from the U.S. is weighing heavily on the index of top U.K. shares, but a spate of buying into long-term defensive shares is apparently helping to hold it up.

But there are individual shares failing to manage even a modest rise today. Here are three falling behind.

Faroe Petroleum
Faroe Petroleum fell a further 7.3% to 128 pence today after the Darwin frontier exploration well in the North Sea, in which Faroe has a 12.5% stake, was declared dry and set to be plugged and abandoned.

Drilling did uncover some gas in the Paleocene interval, but no hydrocarbons were found in the Cretaceous strata. The shares are now down 14% from a recent peak of 150 pence reached at the end of March.

Mecom
Mecom Group shares lost more than a third of their value, plunging 34.3% after the European newspaper-publisher issued a profit warning due to falling advertising revenue. Advertising from the firm’s Dutch publications during March and April is falling further after full-year figures in March showed a 28% year-on-year fall for January and February — it’s a slightly slower rate, but still in excess of 20%.

Forecasts for the year to December 2013 already suggested an 18% fall in earnings per share, though analysts will be rethinking that now. But the shares are on a forward P/E of only five before any possible downgrades, with an apparently well-covered 6% dividend penciled in. Will there be further falls, or is this a recovery prospect? It could be one for the brave.

Findel
Home-shopping and educational retailer Findel saw another 7.5% lopped off its share price this morning despite releasing a reasonable-looking pre-close trading statement. The firm, which owns the U.K.’s Kleeneze brand, told us that full-year performance should be “in line with expectations,” with net debt lower than the previous year.

Results for the year to March 29 are scheduled to be released on June 5.

Finally, reliable dividends can more than compensate for the day-to-day ups and downs of share prices. So how about a company that’s offering a 5.7% yield and could be set for some nice share-price appreciation too? It’s the subject of our brand-new report “The Motley Fool’s Top Income Share For 2013,” which you can get completely free of charge — but it will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your copy today.

The article Why Faroe Petroleum, Mecom, and Findel Lagged the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why AMEC, BTG, and Domino's Pizza Group Should Beat the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The FTSE 100 looks to be continuing yesterday’s fall today, down 0.35% to 6,398 points as of 8:20 a.m. EDT. Today looks more like a day for the small caps that are beating top-tier shares. We have central-bank meetings to look forward to, and with first-quarter economic figures not expected until April 25, we could be in for a relatively calm period.

But there are plenty of companies beating the indexes. Here are three achieving that today.

AMEC
AMEC shares are up 3.6% to 1,118 pence after a first-quarter update from the oil and gas services firm confirmed that things are going well. Chief executive Samir Brikho told us that “AMEC has performed in line with expectations in the first three months of the year,” highlighting the company’s recent 68 million pound contract with BP for commissioning two new oil platforms. AMEC‘s order book stands at 3.7 billion pounds (up from 3.6 billion pounds at the end of December).

The full year should be in line with expectations, which currently suggest a 7% rise in earnings per share, with a 6% dividend rise in the cards.

BTG
Shares in BTG have picked up 1% to reach 362 pence after the specialist health care company told us of a “strong financial performance” in an update ahead of full-year results due on May 20. Revenue should be around 230 million pounds, with the firm’s specialty pharmaceuticals and licensing and biotechnology divisions picked out as especially good performers — and that’s a significant boost from January’s estimate of 205 million pounds to 215 million pounds.

Analysts are currently expecting to see pre-tax profit of about 41 million pounds, with a 10% rise in earnings per share.

Domino’s Pizza
A first-quarter update from Domino’s Pizza Group sent its shares up 6.6% to 609 pence. System sales rose 12.3% to 164.1 million pounds, with like-for-like sales in mature U.K. stores up 6.6% despite the snow affecting the earlier part of the period. Like-for-like sales in the Republic of Ireland rose by 8.1% in euro terms.

Trading for the full year looks like it should be in line with current expectations, indicating a possible 15% rise in earnings per share, though it is clearly early days yet.

If you’re looking for investments that should take you all the way to a comfortable retirement, I recommend the Fool’s special new report detailing five blue-chip shares. They’ll be familiar names to many, and they’ve already provided investors with decades of profits. But the report will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your hands on these great ideas — they could set you on the road to long-term riches.

The article Why AMEC, BTG, and Domino’s Pizza Group Should Beat the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has no position in …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why Babcock International, Interserve, and Blinkx Should Lag the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — A fall in the Vodafone share price helped pressure the FTSE 100 today, taking it down 0.42% to 6,463 points by 9:30 a.m. EDT after rumors were denied that a takeover bid for the telecom giant by Verizon Communications and AT&T was afoot. Weakness in the mining sector also helped depress the index of top U.K. shares.

Here are three other constituents of the various FTSE indexes that are also on the way down today:

Babcock International
Babcock International Group shares have dropped 1.5% to 1,087 pence despite a pre-close trading update telling us that results for the year ended March 31 will be in line with previous expectations. The engineering-support firm told us that business had gone well during the year and that its contract pipeline was looking strong with a stable order book of about 12 billion pounds.

Babcock shares have had a great year, putting on about 30% over the past 12 months. But their P/E ratio has risen to 16, with a dividend yield of only a modest 2.3% expected.

Interserve
In another case of positive news presaging a share price fall, Interserve lost 3% to 495 pence after announcing a new contract win. Through a joint venture, the construction services firm will help develop Edinburgh’s Haymarket area in a project that will see the construction of commercial accommodation, retail units, leisure and hotel facilities, and underground parking.

Interserve will invest 10.5 million pounds and expects to take on construction work worth 150 million pounds as part of the overall 200 million pound development.

Blinkx
Shares in Blinkx, a constituent of the Fool’s Beginners’ Portfolio, have dropped 3.3% to 81 pence, though again the only news of the day looks good. The Internet video technologist revealed a new deal with XOS Digital, which will “give Blinkx users access to a wide array of original and high-quality sports content.”

Although the share price responded disappointingly to the news, it is still up nearly 60% since October 2012.

Finally, reliable dividends can more than compensate for the day-to-day ups and downs of share prices. So how about a company that’s offering a 5.7% yield and could be set for some nice share-price appreciation, too? It’s the subject of our brand-new report “The Motley Fool’s Top Income Share For 2013,” which you can get completely free of charge — but it will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your copy today.

The article Why Babcock International, Interserve, and Blinkx Should Lag the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why AstraZeneca, Stobart, and Telecom Plus Should Beat the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The FTSE 100 has started the week well, up 1.16% to 6,486 points as of 8:25 a.m. EDT. The effect of the Cyprus crisis seems to be receding, and the index of top U.K. shares appears to be pretty much unaffected by weak worldwide manufacturing data released over the weekend.

With the FTSE on the up, which companies are doing even better? Here are three constituents of the various indexes on a rise today.

AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca shares have perked up 1.2% this morning, even though the pharmaceutical giant lost a patent case in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The court decided that AstraZeneca’s patent for its Pulmicort Respules asthma treatment is not valid in the U.S. and that no infringement by generic-drug makers has been committed.

AstraZeneca, whose share price has been soaring of late to reach new 52-week highs, is considering whether to appeal the judgment.

Stobart
Stobart has made a welcome gain this morning, up 5.3% after telling us that performance for the year to February 2013 is expected to have been “moderately ahead of market expectations.” The company also announced a new three-year contract with Tesco and revealed that current executive chairman Avril Palmer-Baunack will stand down and be replaced by a “suitable independent” nonexecutive chairman when one can be found.

Current forecasts put Stobart shares on a price-to-earnings ratio of 12, but we should expect something a little better than that now. There’s also a 6% dividend being forecast, but we’ll have to wait and see whether that materializes. Results are due on May 16.

Telecom Plus
Telecom Plus has been a great recent success story, with its shares rising nearly fourfold over the past five years. And today they’ve picked up a further 2.9% after the company released a trading update ahead of results due on May 21.

After a strong fourth quarter, Telecom Plus expects its profit to be in line with current market forecasts, and it intends to pay a final dividend of 18 pence per share. That would bring the total payment for the year to 31 pence per share for a yield of 3% on the current share price.

If you’re looking for investments that should take you all the way to a comfortable retirement, I recommend the Fool’s special new report detailing five blue-chip shares. They’ll be familiar names to many, and they’ve already provided investors with decades of profits. But the report will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your hands on these great ideas — they could set you on the road to long-term riches.

The article Why AstraZeneca, Stobart, and Telecom Plus Should Beat the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Tesco. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why TUI Travel, EnQuest, and Speedy Hire Should Beat the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The FTSE 100 is suffering from further discontent spreading across the eurozone after the Cyprus bailout crisis helped depress Italy‘s latest bond auction. With banks in Cyprus still not open and the punishment to be meted out to savers still undecided, the island’s offshore-banking status is looking very much like a Norwegian blue parrot.

As of 10:30 a.m. EDT, the U.K.’s major index is down 0.34% to 6,377 points, and that should be easy to beat today, shouldn’t it? Here are three companies likely to do just that.

TUI Travel
“Strong trading continues,” said today’s pre-close update from TUI Travel, as the share price climbed 3.8%. The key winter period has gone well, with selling prices improving and margins strengthening, and that momentum has continued into the 2013 summer season. Chief executive Peter Long now says full-year performance should be “toward the upper end of our growth targets.”

That suggests full-year profit could be around up 10%, putting the shares on a forward P/E of only about 11.

EnQuest
EnQuest shares are up 2.1% after the oil and gas producer released full-year results telling us that things are going well. Enquest’s production hit the upper half of its earlier guidance, reaching 22,802 barrels of oil equivalent per day, with the firm’s major projects progressing on schedule. And at the bottom line, profit after tax almost doubled to $259.7 million.

Speedy Hire
Equipment rental firm Speedy Hire has seen its shares climb 5.6% today after announcing a new contract with National Grid . The managed-services agreement will see Speedy Hire providing National Grid with plant and equipment for an initial three-year period and will be worth up to 6 million pounds per year.

Dave Angell of National Grid said, “The contract with Speedy will help National Grid drive further efficiencies across our U.K. business as we implement sustainable, innovative and affordable energy solutions for the future.”

If you’re looking for investments that should take you all the way to a comfortable retirement, I recommend the Fool’s special new report detailing five blue-chip shares. They’ll be familiar names to many, and they’ve already provided investors with decades of profits. But the report will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your hands on these great ideas — they could set you on the road to long-term riches.

The article Why TUI Travel, EnQuest, and Speedy Hire Should Beat the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends National Grid (ADR). Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a target=_blank …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why Costain, ICAP, and Topps Tiles Should Lag the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The FTSE 100 is having a down day today, having tumbled 0.72% points to 6,353 by 9:25 a.m. EDT. The fall has been driven largely by renewed eurozone fears after Italy‘s latest bond auction didn’t go so well as hoped, and that comes in the wake of the Cyprus crisis that has yet to allow the island’s banks to reopen.

Individual companies also have their own problems, of course. Here are three that are falling today.

Costain
Costain Group shares have been riding high this year, up 35% over the past 12 months. But the price has fallen back 6.6% today after the construction services group announced a recommended merger with May Gurney Integrated Services . May Gurney shares, on the other hand, climbed 22%, so it seems clear which company’s shareholders think they’re getting the better deal.

The all-share merger to create Costain May Gurney will result in Costain shareholders getting 53% of the combined firm and May Gurney shareholders holding 47%.

ICAP
A trading statement from ICAP sent the shares down 7.4% after the interdealer broker told us of “extremely challenging” trading conditions for the nine months to December. The firm is expecting pre-tax profits for the year to March 31 of about 280 million pounds, which is at the lower end of previous guidance, with revenue expected to drop by 13%.

Full-year results are expected on May 14.

Topps Tiles
Topps Tiles shares have slipped 2% after the flooring specialist released a pre-close trading update ahead of interim results due on May 29. Total revenue for the six months should be up 1% to 87.4 million pounds, but the like-for-like figure is expected to fall by about 0.3%, with underlying pre-tax profit down 23% to 4.3 million pounds.

Although demand has been weaker than expected, cost-reduction measures should help keep full-year profit within current expectations.

Reliable dividends can more than compensate for the day-to-day ups and downs of share prices. So how about a company that’s offering a 5.7% yield and which could be set for some nice share price appreciation too? It’s the subject of our brand-new report “The Motley Fool’s Top Income Share For 2013,” which you can get completely free of charge — but it will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your copy today.

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The article Why Costain, ICAP, and Topps Tiles Should Lag the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a target=_blank …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Why Compass, Wolseley, and Eurasian Natural Resources Should Lag the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The FTSE 100 is still hovering below the 6,400 level, up a mere four points to 6,383 as of 8:50 a.m. EDT. The U.K.’s major index is being held back today by a small handful of companies whose share prices are struggling, while markets in general are still feeling the aftershocks of the Cypriot financial earthquake.

So which companies are causing grief for the FTSE today? Here are three that are leading the way down.

Compass
Compass Group shares have been rising high of late, gaining about 25% over a 12-month period. But they’ve 2% this morning, extending a recent mini-reversal, after the catering-services group released a pre-close trading update ahead of first-half results due on May 15.

The first half was described as good, and we were told that full-year expectations “remain positive and unchanged.” First-half organic revenue is expected to grow by 5% (excluding the effects of Easter). The group’s 400 million pound share buyback plan announced in November 2012 is underway, with 93 million pounds having been returned so far.

Wolseley
We’ve had another reversal of late, with highflying Wolseley shares retreating from a previous annual rise of more than 30%. Today the shares are down a further 3.2% to 3,107 pence after the plumbing and building-supplies firm released halftime results.

Like-for-like revenue for the period is up 2.2%, but pre-tax profit fell 20% to 199 million pounds, and the firm is in the process of disposing of some of its European operations. Chief executive Ian Meakins said, “We continue to see strong growth in the USA, a broadly flat performance in Canada and the U.K. and very weak conditions in Europe.”

Eurasian Natural Resources
Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation shares are continuing the slide that began ahead of the firm’s final results announcement on March 20. Since closing at 351 pence on March 14, the price has slumped 26% to 261.5 pence, including today’s 2.5% fall. Over the past year, the price is down nearly 60%.

The latest set of results from the Kazakhstan-focused miner and metals processor revealed a loss of $852 million, compared with a profit of $1.99 billion in 2011. There will be no final dividend this year.

Reliable dividends can more than compensate for the day-to-day ups and downs of share prices. So how about a company that’s offering a 5.7% yield and could be set for some nice share-price appreciation, too? It’s the subject of our brand-new report “The Motley Fool’s Top Income Share For 2013,” which you can get completely free of charge — but it will only be available for a limited period, so click here to get your copy today.

The article Why Compass, Wolseley, and Eurasian Natural Resources Should Lag the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

2 Shares the FTSE 100 Beat Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The FTSE 100 fell 0.49% to 6,458 points today as markets across Europe were shaken by the planned bailout of Cyprus. It looks like the deal will include a one-off tax on the country’s bank deposits, with a large proportion of affected savers not actually living on the Mediterranean island.

But some individual shares fell faster than the FTSE today. Here are two that lagged the index and another that crawled back from early losses.

Legal & General
Legal & General shares dropped 0.5% after the insurance giant announced a new acquisition. The firm is to acquire an interest in upmarket U.K. homebuilder CALA Group from Lloyds Banking.

The deal, which values CALA at 210 million pounds, will see Legal & General take a 46.5% stake in the firm, with strategy director Wadham Downing saying: “At our preliminary results we identified direct investment as one of our five drivers of growth. We are delighted to announce an acquisition in this area as our first M&A transaction for some time.”

Lamprell
Shares in Lamprell fell 2.2% to 144.5 pence in response to the settlement of a Financial Services Authority investigation into the way the oil services firm handled inside information. The FSA found that adequate controls were not in place and that Lamprell had “failed to inform the market of its deteriorating financial position in a timely manner.”

But given that there was no deliberate or reckless behavior and the firm cooperated extensively, a fine of 2.43 million pounds was levied following a 30% early settlement discount.

Rockhopper
The shareholders of Rockhopper Exploration reacted poorly to the appointment of a new technical director today, sending the share price down 2.7% to 150 pence before regaining their cool and bidding the shares back to breakeven for the day. Fiona Margaret MacAulay, currently the oil and gas explorer’s geology and geophysics manager, will take on the role.

Rockhopper shares have slumped over the past 12 months, losing close to 60% of their value — but there’s a strong majority of analysts currently urging investors to buy.

Reliable dividends can more than compensate for the day-to-day ups and downs of share prices. So how about a company that’s offering a 5.7% yield and could be set for some nice share-price appreciation, too? The stock is the subject of our brand-new report “The Motley Fool’s Top Income Share For 2013,” which you can enjoy completely free of charge. It will be available for a limited period only, so click here to receive your copy today.

The article 2 Shares the FTSE 100 Beat Today originally appeared on Fool.com.


Alan Oscroft has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

2 Shares Set to Beat the FTSE 100 Today

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By Alan Oscroft, The Motley Fool

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LONDON — The FTSE 100 has slipped below the 6,500 level, down 0.57% to 6,492 as of 8:05 a.m. EDT. The index of the U.K.’s largest shares did scrape its recent five-year high this morning, reaching a fraction of a point less than 6,534, which the index hit on Tuesday. And we’re a long way from the FTSE‘s 52-week low of 5,230 points set last summer.

But which individual shares are rising today? Here are three that started the session well and look set to beat the FTSE 100 today.

Rentokil Initial
Rentokil Initial shares jumped 10.6% to 100 pence after the firm raised its full-year dividend by 58%. The payment, of 2.1 pence per share, comes from only the second year of renewed dividends after payments were suspended in 2009. The new dividend represents a yield of 2.1% on the current share price.

Revenue for the year to December 2012 was flat, but adjusted pre-tax profit was up 3.6%, with adjusted earnings per share up 3.3%. The fourth quarter was particularly strong, with adjusted pre-tax profit up 11.4%. Chief executive Alan Brown expressed confidence that “2013 will see us sustain the momentum we achieved in the final quarter of 2012.”

Halma
Halma shares have climbed 3.3% to 534.5 pence on news of an acquisition. The health and safety equipment group acquired ASL Holdings on March 14 for an initial cash payment of 6.5 million pounds plus further payments of up to 3.5 million pounds. ASL will become part of Halma’s HWM-Water subsidiary.

Chief executive Andrew Williams told investors, “ASL will further strengthen HWM‘s market position within the water industry as well as adding new opportunities to diversify into other markets.”

When we see stock markets becoming bullish, attention must surely turn to investing in growth possibilities (though a side helping of dividends is always a welcome addition). But finding companies that have not yet achieved their full potential is not always easy, which is why The Motley Fool’s best analysts have put their heads together to bring you their top growth selection for 2013. You can find out what the selection is completely free of charge, but the report will be available for a limited period only. So click here to enjoy your copy today.

The article 2 Shares Set to Beat the FTSE 100 Today originally appeared on Fool.com.

Alan Oscroft does not own any shares mentioned in this article.
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance