The FTSE 100 started the week up 0.7% with ITV topping the risers list. "Having started the day with gains, indices across Europe have held on to their bullishness throughout the session, with Friday's nervousness being swept aside," IG's Chris Beauchamp said. ITV rose 2.5%, but the broadcaster's gains may have been driven by the fact that it initially traded at a one-month low, which could have prompted bargain hunting, Michael Hewson from CMC Markets said. Experian and Intermediate Capital also saw their share prices increase more than 2.0%. On the red side, Rio Tinto appears to factor in recent weakness in iron ore prices. Shares in the Anglo-Australian miner also fell 1.3%.
Companies News:
United Oil & Gas Lowers Production Guidance at Egyptian Oil Field; Shares Fall
United Oil & Gas PLC shares fell Monday after it said it has lowered its full-year production guidance for the Abu Sennan license in Egypt, as the proportion of water to oil increased in one field.
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Attraqt Appoints Tom Crawford as Chairman, Nick Habgood Steps Down
Attraqt Group PLC said Monday that it has appointed Tom Crawford as nonexecutive chairman with immediate effect, taking over from Nick Habgood.
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Randall & Quilter Swung to 1H Pretax Loss
Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings Ltd. said Monday that it swung to a first-half pretax loss, and lowered its interim dividend.
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PCI-PAL's Pretax Loss Narrowed in Fiscal 2021
PCI-PAL PLC said Monday that its fiscal 2021 pretax loss narrowed as revenue rose, and that it has had a strong start to fiscal 2022.
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Xpediator Names Mark Whiteling as Incoming Non-Executive Chairman
Xpediator PLC said Monday that it has appointed Mark Whiteling as nonexecutive chairman effective from Sept. 22, taking over from Alex Borrelli.
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City of London Group Agrees to Sell Milton Homes for GBP9.3 Mln
City of London Group PLC said Monday that it has agreed to sell Milton Homes Ltd. to Max Barney Investments Ltd. for a total consideration of 9.3 million pounds ($12.9 million).
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Goldman Sachs's Petershill Plans London Listing
Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s Petershill Partners said Monday it plans to list an investment vehicle on the London Stock Exchange, taking advantage of a sizzling market for private equity.
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Checkit Appoints New CFO as Aylsa Muir Steps Down
Checkit PLC said Monday that Chief Financial Officer Aylsa Muir has stepped down from the board to pursue opportunities outside the company, and that Greg Price has been appointed as her replacement with immediate effect.
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MD Medical Group Investments 1H Net Profit, Revenue Surge
MD Medical Group Investments PLC has posted higher net profit and revenue in the first half, helped by in-patient treatments and segments such as oncology, internal medicine, trauma and cardiology.
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Spectra Systems 1H Pretax Profit Rose
Spectra Systems Corp. said Monday that pretax profit for the first half of the year rose as revenue increased, and that it is on track to achieve record earnings and meet market expectations for the year.
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Marechale Capital Shares Rise on Lithium Company Subscription
Shares in Marechale Capital PLC rose Monday after the company said it has subscribed for founder shares in lithium exploration and development company Weardale Lithium Ltd.
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Foresight Sustainable Forestry Plans GBP200 Mln IPO
Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company PLC said Monday it seeks to raise 200 million pounds ($277.2 million) with an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange.
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Totally PLC Shareholders Pass Authorization on Share Issue by Slim Margin at AGM
Totally PLC on Monday said that a proposal to grant directors additional authorization to issue shares was passed by a slim margin at the annual general meeting.
Market Talk:
Tesco Could Be Next Private-Equity Bid Target
1216 GMT - Tesco shares gain 1% after a brokerage reportedly tipped the U.K. grocer as the next potential target for private-equity firms seeking cheap U.K. takeover deals. Bernstein says the supermarket--led by chief executive Ken Murphy--was its top pick for a takeover as its shares are cheaper than U.K. rivals and it completed a turnaround under former boss Dave Lewis, the Daily Mail reported Saturday. "We think it's the most attractive at a fundamental level," the newspaper quoted Bernstein as saying. Still, the Mail said only a few of the world's largest private-equity firms, such as Blackstone, KKR and CVC, would have the financial muscle to bankroll such a deal. It comes as Tesco rival Morrisons faces competing private-equity bids.
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Guinea Coup Should Support Aluminum Prices
1159 GMT - The military coup in Guinea should be a net beneficiary to aluminum prices, as well as alumina and bauxite prices, Berenberg says. Guinea ships around 25% of global bauxite, the German bank says, adding that a metric ton of aluminum requires around 2 tons of alumina, which in turn requires around 2.5 tons of bauxite. Although Berenberg expects prices to ease on the assumption that a peaceful transition of government occurs, the news should be a net positive for producers such as Rio Tinto. "The aluminium division [of Rio Tinto] comprises 17% of revenue and 9% of Ebitda, so any near-term disruption in the aluminium value chain has scope to support and augment aluminium division earnings." (jaime.llinares@wsj.com)
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Gulf Keystone Petroleum's Investment Case Is Picking Up
1139 GMT - Gulf Keystone Petroleum is becoming a better investment bet, says house brokerage Peel Hunt. While the crude oil producer underwent a heavily-dilutive financial restructuring several years ago and has faced occasional takeover speculation, GKP now generates significant cash and shows good financial discipline by returning excess profits to shareholders, Peel Hunt says. Even after $100 million in FY 2021 dividends and increased spending, the company ought to end the year with a strengthened balance sheet and more cash, the brokerage says. "We reiterate our buy recommendation and 300 pence target price," Peel Hunt says. Shares rise 4.9% to 192 pence.
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Crypto Demand Could Fall on Potential UK Regulatory Clampdown
0956 GMT - Cryptocurrency demand could fall if the U.K.'s financial watchdog adopts proposals from the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision that would make it costlier to invest in the digital assets, Hargreaves Lansdown says. The Financial Conduct Authority appears to be "throwing its weight" behind the Basel Committee's recommendations, including a consideration to enforce banks and other financial institutions to set aside enough capital to cover potential losses involved in adopting cryptocurrencies, Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Susannah Streeter says. "Giving speculative tokens a high risk price tag is likely to make crypto currency dealing and investment very expensive and could limit the number of new institutional entrants into the crypto world," Streeter says. Bitcoin rises 3.3% to $51,759, according to CoinDesk.
Contact: London NewsPlus, Dow Jones Newswires; Write to Sarka Halas at sarka.halas@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
09-06-21 1217ET
