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News & Tips: Ladbrokes, Sutton Harbour, Infinis Energy & more...

European stocks push higher, buoyed by expectations that a long-awaited deal between debt-burdened Greece and its creditors is taking shape.
June 23, 2015

The European Central Bank has stepped in with a third cash injection to prop up Greek banks. The move comes after Greek bank account holders pulled an estimated €4.2 billion from Greek lenders last week.

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Plymouth's waterfront property development company Sutton Harbour Holdings (SUH) reported record landings at Plymouth Fisheries and record revenues for its car parks. The marina company and leaseholder of Plymouth City Airport announced its year-end financial results this morning and said it had been a 'strong year'.

Revenue and profits were ahead of expectations last year at specialist engineering group Hayward Tyler (HAYT), albeit modestly. Revenue in the year to the end of March 2015 rose 13 per cent to £48.6m, eclipsing the consensus forecast of £48m.

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Ladbrokes (LAD) and Gala Coral are in merger talks to create the UK’s largest bookmaker by number of betting shops. The talks, which are at an early stage, would give the combined company more than 4,000 shops and it’s planned that the companies would combine their businesses and list the entity on London's stock market.

Infinis Energy (INFI) announces that it has acquired an 18.5MW consented onshore wind farm project from Peel Group. The wind farm is sited on former surface mining land in Northumberland and neighbours the 8MW consented Sisters Wind Farm project developed by Infinis.

Aim minnow Alecto Minerals (ALO) has raised £300,000 through a placing at 0.1p with an existing institutional investor. The placing shares will represent approximately 21.43 per cent of the enlarged issued share capital. Proceeds will provide additional working capital while it looks for a suitable gold producer acquisition.

Immunodiagnostic Systems Holdings (IDH) posted a decline in pre-tax profit, mostly due to a decline in revenue, and reiterated expectations for a further fall in revenue in its current year.

Roxi Petroleum (RXP) said its "sole objective" in 2015 is to achieve 4,000 barrels of oil per day from its flagship asset, as it posted a substantial full-year pre-tax profit after reversing a previous impairment.

Firestone Diamonds (FDI) said that the schedule at the Liqhobong diamond mine in Lesotho has slipped back from the end of the first half of 2016 to the fourth quarter of 2016. Adverse weather conditions and the need to shift more earth than had previously been anticipated have added ZAR 156m (£8.3m) to costs.

In a trading update ahead of its annual meeting, Saga (SAGA) reassured that its business was on track to meet its growth targets for the year.

Distribution and support services group Bunzl (BNZL) unveiled a string of international acquisitions as it reported an expected rise in half-year revenue. The deals take the number of businesses that the group has bought so far this year to 10, with a total year-to-date committed acquisition spend of more than £210m.

Multi-utility provider Telecom Plus (TEP) said its trading was in line with expectations, after posting a one-fifth increase in annual pre-tax profits.

International Greetings' (IGR) revenues rose to £229m in the year to the end of March, up 4.4 per cent on constant exchange rates. Pre-tax profits were up by a fifth.

OTHER COMPANY NEWS:

Verizon Communications (VZC) has offered salary hikes to 38,000 employees at its East wireline business after its first negotiating session with representatives of the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The wage increases were subject to an agreement between the company and the unions.

Aer Lingus (AERL) has taken major steps to improve relationships with its unions as it moves closer to being taken over by British Airways owner IAG.

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) announced that it has signed a multi-year broadcast and media services deal with BT Sport to help launch three new television channels and an interactive red button service in the UK.

Nomad Foods (NHL) announces that its ordinary share capital of 154m ordinary shares has today been admitted to the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and to trading on the London Stock Exchange's main market.

Meanwhile, Tesco’s (TSCO) suppliers have rated the retailer as the worst of the major supermarkets at complying with a government-backed industry code designed to protect manufacturers.