UKX FTSE 100 Index

UK Politics Could Start to Rock Buoyant Pound

1001 GMT - Sterling appears little moved by the prospect of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaving, but this could change, RBC Capital Markets says. The pound rose to a two-year high against the euro after strong inflation data and "still seems relatively insensitive" to political uncertainty, says RBC currency strategist Adam Cole. However, "we think this sensitivity rises if and when the front-runners to replace him [Johnson] become clear," he says, adding that bookmakers' implied probability of Johnson leaving before year-end remains high at 67%. EUR/GBP falls 0.1% to 0.8326, having reached a near two-year low of 0.8312 on Wednesday after higher-than-expected U.K. inflation data fuelled expectations the Bank of England will raise interest rates further. GBP/USD rises 0.1% to 1.3636. (renae.dyer@wsj.com)

 
Companies News: 

DS Smith Says Performance Has Remained in Line With Expectations Since Dec. 9

DS Smith PLC said Thursday that its performance since Dec. 9 has been in line with the board's expectations for a "significant improvement" in second-half profit.

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Deliveroo 2021 Gross Transaction Value Growth Was at Top End of Expectations

Deliveroo PLC said Thursday that its gross transaction value growth in 2021 was at the top end of the guidance range.

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AJ Bell's 1Q Total Assets Under Management Rose

AJ Bell PLC said Thursday that total assets under management for the first quarter of fiscal 2022 rose, driven by its platform propositions and investment business.

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Kier Sees 1H Results In Line With Expectations

Kier Group PLC said Thursday that it expects to report results in line with internal expectations for the first half ended Dec. 31.

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Smiths News Says Fiscal 2022 Performance to Date in Line With Views

Smiths News PLC said on Thursday that its overall performance for fiscal 2022 to date was in line with market expectations, and that the uncertainty and restrictions stemming from the Omicron coronavirus variant has only had a limited effect on its markets.

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Hochschild Mining Expects Unit Costs to Rise in 2022

Hochschild Mining PLC on Thursday forecast higher costs for 2022 and reported operational performance in line with expectations for 2021.

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Premier Foods Says 3Q Beat Expectations; Raises FY 2022 Profit Expectations

Premier Foods PLC said Thursday that its third-quarter was ahead of expectations and that it has increased its profit forecasts for fiscal 2022.

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Wickes Group Core Like-for-Like Sales Fell 6.8% in 4Q; Backs 2021 Guidance

Wickes Group PLC said Thursday that core like-for-like sales fell 6.8% of the final quarter of last year, though they were up 26% on a two-year basis, and backed its full-year guidance.

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N. Brown Expects Lower Adjusted Ebitda for FY 2022

N. Brown Group PLC said on Thursday that it expects adjusted adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for fiscal 2022 to be at the lower end of previous guidance, and that product revenue from strategic brands grew 5.5% in the third quarter.

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Superdry Swung to 1H Pretax Profit; Sees 3Q Sales Recovery

Superdry PLC reported on Thursday a swing to pretax profit for the first half of fiscal 2022 and said sales have increased in the past few weeks, which helped the group improve its gross margin.

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PensionBee Group Sees 2022 Revenue of More Than GBP20 Mln

PensionBee Group PLC said Thursday that it expects to generate revenue of more than 20 million pounds ($27.2 million) in 2022, boosted by a continued increase in customer numbers, and that assets under management rose 91% last year.

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Associated British Foods 1Q Revenue Rose Despite Omicron Hit to Primark Sales

Associated British Foods PLC said Thursday that revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2022 rose on year despite Primark sales declining, and left its full-year guidance unchanged.

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Wickes Group Appoints Mark George as New CFO; Julie Wirth to Retire

Wickes Group PLC said Thursday that it has appointed Mark George as its new chief financial officer, replacing Julie Wirth who is retiring.

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PayPoint 3Q 2022 Net Revenue Rose

PayPoint PLC said Thursday that group net revenue from continuing operations in the third quarter of fiscal 2022 rose 21%, and that revenue from its e-commerce division increased 37%.

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City Pub 2021 Revenue Grew 38% Despite Omicron Hit

City Pub Group PLC on Thursday reported that its revenue grew 38% in 2021 despite a slump in December caused by the Covid-19 Omicron variant.

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Marlowe PLC to Buy Optima Health Group for GBP135M; To Raise GBP130M

Marlowe PLC said Thursday that it is buying Optima Health Group Ltd. for 135 million pounds ($183.7 million), which will be part-funded via a share placing.

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Entain Says 4Q Net Gaming Revenue Rose; Narrows 2021 Ebitda Guidance Range

Entain PLC said Thursday that net gaming revenue rose in the fourth quarter, and narrowed earnings guidance range for 2021 as major markets performed well.

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The Gym Group 2021 Revenue Rose 32%

The Gym Group PLC said Thursday that its revenue grew 32% in 2021, and that performance so far in January has been encouraging.

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Revolution Bars Says 1H Sales Rose Despite Christmas Restrictions

Revolution Bars Group PLC said Thursday that it remains confident it will its full-year guidance and that sales on a like-for-like basis for the first half of the year were positive despite pandemic-related restrictions during the Christmas period.

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Spirent Sees 2021 Revenue Growth, Adjusted Operating Profit Ahead of Consensus

Spirent Communications PLC said Thursday that it expects to report revenue growth of 10% for 2021 and adjusted operating profit slightly ahead of market consensus, despite continuing global supply-chain challenges.

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Glanbia Co-operative Society Sells 5.75 Mln Glanbia PLC Shares at EUR12.25 Each

Glanbia Co-operative Society Ltd. said Thursday that it has sold 5.75 million shares in nutrition company Glanbia PLC at 12.25 euros ($13.90) apiece, via the book-build process first announced late Wednesday.

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Workspace Group 3Q Customer Demand Rose

Workspace Group PLC said Thursday that customer demand in the third quarter remained strong, and that like-for-like occupancy was up 1% to 86.6%.

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Good Energy Sells Generation Assets to Bluefield Solar for Up to GBP24.5 Mln

Good Energy Group PLC said Thursday that it has sold its renewable power generation assets for up to 24.5 million pounds ($33.3 million) to Bluefield Solar Income Fund Ltd.

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Ibstock Expects 19% Rise in 2021 Revenue

Ibstock PLC said Thursday that it expects to report a 19% increase in revenue for 2021, and that it is well positioned for significant further financial and strategic progress in 2022.

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Wincanton Expects Full-Year Profit to Beat Market Views, Shares Rise

Shares in Wincanton PLC rose Thursday after the company said it expects full-year profit to beat market expectations, thanks to a strong performance across all its businesses in the third quarter.

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Artisanal Spirits Expects 2021 Revenue Above Market Views

Artisanal Spirits Co. said Thursday that it expects to report 2021 revenue above market expectations after experiencing strong growth in U.K. and international sales.

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Network International Says 2021 Revenue Rose Ahead of Views, Boosted by 4Q Growth

Network International Holdings PLC said Thursday that revenue for 2021 rose ahead of consensus, and said that underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization is also expected to be slightly ahead of market views.

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Parity Group Shares Rise as 2021 Performance Beat Market Expectations

Shares in Parity Group PLC rose Thursday after it said that 2021 revenue, earnings and debt were ahead of market expectations.

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Global Ports Investments Says Russian Container Market Grew 7.1% in 4Q

Global Ports Investments PLC said Thursday that the Russian container market grew 7.1% on year in the fourth quarter.

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Pennant International Shares Fall on 2021 Revenue, Earnings News

Shares in Pennant International Group PLC fell on Thursday after the provider of technology-based training said it expected to report revenue of around 16 million pounds ($21.8 million) for 2021 and a loss before interest, taxation and amortization.

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Aptitude Software Shares Rise on 2021 Annual Recurring Revenue Growth

Shares in Aptitude Software Group PLC on Thursday rose after the company said it made strong progress in 2021, marked by the closure of several new agreements in the second half and growth in annual recurring revenue.

 
Market Talk: 

Wickes Still Looks Cheap Given Encouraging Guidance

1023 GMT - Wickes maintaining its 2021 pretax profit guidance is encouraging given that Omicron-fueled disruption that has seen some sales and profit shifted into the new year, Liberum says. The U.K. home-improvement retailer forecasts pretax profit of at least GBP83 million for last year. The company's outlook remains positive, with a more-than-doubled "do-it-for-me" year-end order book, while core sales rose 26% in the fourth quarter, both on a two year basis, Liberum says. It also has a strong local trade pipeline, the brokerage says. "The shares remain far too cheap for the high-quality growth, upgrade momentum and net cash on the balance sheet," it says. Liberum retains a buy rating and 450 pence target price on the stock. (joseph.hoppe@wsj.com)

AB Foods Drops After Omicron Drags on Primark Sales

1016 GMT - Associated British Foods shares dropped 1.7% after saying like-for-like sales at its fashion-retail business Primark in the 16 weeks to Jan. 8 were 11% below pre-coronavirus levels and the spreading Omicron variant hit customer numbers in December. "ABF's diversified business offered a safety net throughout the pandemic, but as things normalize, all eyes are on retail for signs of a comeback," Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Laura Hoy says. "Compared to last year, when store closures kept sales painfully low, revenue rose considerably. But sales at Primark have yet to make their way to pre-pandemic levels. Last year's autumn and winter stock made it to the shelves this year with very little discounting, which should be a welcome tailwind for cashflow." (philip.waller@wsj.com)

Deliveroo Faces Headwinds as Life Returns to Normal

1001 GMT - There are big growth percentages all over Deliveroo's year-end trading update, but it might just be too little too late already, Freetrade analyst Dan Lane says. The food delivery company is chalking up 3.4 orders per month over the period as business resilience, but the reality is that Omicron was a huge helping hand that looks set to fall away imminently, Lane warns. "Average order values are sinking back to pre-COVID levels and, now that the U.K. is likely to get back to the office and socialising in town, it's hard to see how Deliveroo can maintain that consumer base and order frequency," he says. (jaime.llinares@wsj.com)

Burberry's Shares Up on China's Central Bank Cut to Mortgage Rate

0944 GMT - Shares in Burberry are rising after the Chinese central bank announced that it is cutting a key mortgage rate, AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould says. China's central bank is trying to revive a struggling property sector by relaxing monetary policy, which benefits the British luxury-goods company given its substantial exposure to the Asian giant. Other stocks such as those of mining companies also got a lift off the back of the news, Mould says. "China's central bank continued to buck global trends," Mould adds, noting that its peers the Bank of England and Federal Reserve are in rate-hiking mode. The shares of the likes of Burberry are currently down, while Burberry's share price is up 1.1% at 1,886.50 pence. (sabela.ojea@wsj.com; @sabelaojeaguix)

Contact: London NewsPlus, Dow Jones Newswires; Dow Jones Newswires; paul.larkins@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 20, 2022 05:42 ET (10:42 GMT)

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