UK SMALLCAP ROUNDUP: SuperGroup Profit Leaps On New Stores

15th Jul 2010 09:30

Dow Jones smallcap news is now on Twitter, allowing you to catch up on the news away from your desk. Go to http://twitter.com/DJ_UK_Smallcaps SUPERGROUP PLC (SGP.LN), a fashion retailer, posted a leap in fiscal 2010 pretax profit as sales surged due to more store openings, and said this fiscal has started in line with its expectations, with its largest store to date due to open later this month. At 0801 GMT, shares +22 pence or 2.8% at 822 pence. ELECTROCOMPONENTS PLC (ECM.LN), an electronics distributor, said revenue grew 24% on year during the first quarter of its fiscal year, driven by strong trading in North America and online. At 0800 GMT, shares -4.6 pence or 1.9% at 232.1 pence. ABCAM PLC (ABC.LN), a seller of antibodies online, said fiscal-year earnings will be about 9% ahead of average market expectations as a weak pound and cost savings boosted sales and profit. At 0800 GMT, shares flat at 1,370 pence. DIMENSION DATA HOLDINGS PLC (DDT.JO), an IT services company, agreed a 120 pence a share takeover offer from Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. (9432.TO), valuing it at GBP2.1 billion. At 0800 GMT, London-traded shares +18.9 pence or 19% at 120.5 pence. SMITHS NEWS PLC (NWS.LN), a newspaper and magazine wholesaler, said revenue rose 38% on year in the 19 weeks to July 10, bolstered by the acquisition of U.K. book wholesaler Bertrams in March 2009 and contract awards last year. At 0759 GMT, shares +1.25 pence or 1.1% at 112.25 pence. BOWLEVEN PLC (BLVN.LN), an oil and gas explorer, said it found deeper reservoirs of oil and gas condensate during drilling of an appraisal well at the Etinde permit, offshore Cameroon. At 0759 GMT, shares +13 pence or 9.6% at 149 pence. 888 HOLDINGS PLC (888.LN), an online gambling company, said it has been awarded a license by the French gaming regulator to operate poker betting websites in France. At 0759 GMT, shares +1.25 pence or 3% at 43.5 pence. MOTHERCARE PLC (MTC.LN), a retailer of parenting products, said sales from its U.K. stores open more than a year fell 4.1% in its first quarter, although it enjoyed strong growth overseas as it continued its expansion into new territories. At 0758 GMT, shares -27 pence or 4.9% at 525 pence. ASTAIRE GROUP PLC (ASTR.LN), a stockbroker, said it is mulling a share sale to end its majority ownership by Evolve Capital PLC (EVOL.LN). Astaire said it is in talks with a number of parties about a share subscription that would end its involvement with Evolve, which owns about 54% of the company. Talks are at an early stage and shareholders will be told more in August, Astaire said. At 0758 GMT, shares flat at 1 pence. SDL PLC (SDL.LN), a translation services company, said it agreed to buy an automatic translation software company for $42.5 million, in a deal that will allow its customers to translate larger volumes of online content quicker. SDL said the cash purchase of Los Angeles-based Language Weaver Inc. will reduce earnings in 2011 because of amortization charges but will boost earnings in future years. At 0758 GMT, shares +3 pence or 0.6% SOCO INTERNATIONAL PLC (SIA.LN), an oil and gas company, said it agreed to assign a 20% interest in the Nganzi exploration block in Congo to Japan's Inpex Corp. (1605.TO). Inpex, which works alongside Soco in Angola, has agreed to fund 40% of a three-well exploration program at Nganzi and its share of future development costs. At 0758 GMT, shares +0.7 pence or 0.2% at 419.6 pence. LONRHO PLC (LONR.LN), a conglomerate that operates in Africa, said it has big plans to expand its ports, airline and farming businesses in the years ahead, as it prepares for a return to the main market of the London Stock Exchange. At 0757 GMT, shares +0.5 pence or 4.8% at 11 pence. ILIKA PLC (IKA.LN), a maker of materials for batteries, electronics and medical devices, announced several new deals, including an agreement to develop transport fuel cells, as it posted a wider fiscal 2010 pretax loss on higher costs and less income from short-term deposits. At 0757 GMT, shares flat at 55.5 pence. JUBILEE PLATINUM PLC (JLP.LN), a platinum producer, said it agreed to form a joint venture with Northam Platinum Ltd. (NHM.JO) to evaluate the construction of a furnace incorporating Jubilee's ConRoast smelting technology. At 0757 GMT, shares flat at 28.5 pence. DJ UK Smaller Cos -0.03% AIM +0.02% -By Jason Douglas, Hannah Benjamin and Rachael Gormley, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0) 20 7842 9272; [email protected] (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 15, 2010 04:30 ET (08:30 GMT)