LONDON (AFX) - Here are the top stories on AFX News United Business Media FY pretax pre-ex up 5.5 pct, will pay special div of 72p
LONDON (AFX) - United Business Media PLC, the UK publishing and exhibition group, posted a 5.5 pct rise in pretax pre-exceptional profit for 2006 and announced it will pay a special dividend of 72 pence a share this month.
Pretax profit before amortisation and exceptional items increased to 160.5 mln stg from 152.1 mln stg in 2005. Deutsche Bank had forecast pretax profit of 157 mln stg. Continuing revenue grew 16.6 pct to 739.1 mln stg. WPP unit buys 70 pct stake in US's Global Strategies International
LONDON (AFX) - WPP Group PLC its Neo@Ogilvy unit has bought a 70 pct stake in Global Strategies International Inc, a US company that specialises in search
engine optimisation, brand reputation management and training for global Bodycote rejects Sulzer's 325 pence a share offer, says it undervalues co
LONDON (AFX) - The board of UK group Bodycote International PLC has rejected a cash offer of 325 pence per share from Swiss engineering firm Sulzer AG.
Bodycote, which is being advised by Lehman Brothers and Credit Suisse, said it considered Sulzer's proposal but rejected it because it undervalued the company. Imperial Chemical Industries' Quest unit CEO Charles Knott to step down
LONDON (AFX) - Imperial Chemical Industries PLC said Charles Knott, chairman and chief executive of Quest International, its flavours and fragrance business, is stepping down with immediate effect after the sale of Quest to Givaudan SA, which was completed today.
On Feb 21, the European Commission cleared the proposed 1.2 bln stg acquisition of Quest by Givaudan. Schroders beats expectations as FY pretax rises 16 pct
LONDON (AFX) - Schroders PLC said its full-year pretax profit rose 16 pct to 290 mln stg, beating a consensus of analysts' forecasts of 264.7 mln stg and helped by strong growth at its asset management and private client businesses and slower fund outflows this year.
Funds under management at December 31 were 128.5 bln stg, up from 122.5 bln stg the year before, boosted by stronger stock markets. This was helped by a funds under management figure on the retail side of 42.5 bln stg, up from 36 bln stg in 2005. Molins FY profits on cont ops rise 6 pct to 5.4 mln stg, restores div
LONDON (AFX) - Tobacco and packaging machinery maker Molins PLC said it had restored dividend payments after a gap of three years as it reported a 6 pct rise in annual pretax profits on continuing operations to 5.4 mln stg.
Molins said it would pay a final dividend per share of 4 pence after a significant increase in orders at its packaging machinery division more than offset a decline in its tobacco machinery operations and slightly lower orders in its scientific services unit. Rightmove underlying FY pretax 17.7 mln vs 8.8 mln
LONDON (AFX) - Online property advertising group Rightmove PLC today reported full-year pretax profit of 17.7 mln stg, up 101 pct on the 8.8 mln seen last year.
The company saw sales increase by 85 pct to 33.6 mln stg from 18.2 mln stg last time. The group said it intends to pay a final dividend of 3 pence per share, making a total dividend of 4.5 pence for the year. Wetherspoon H1 pretax up 20 pct; cautious on H2 but confident longer term
LONDON (AFX) - Pub operator JD Wetherspoon PLC reported a 20 pct rise in its first-half pretax profit, which narrowly beat analysts' expectations and said that it remains confident of future prospects although it is cautious about the second half.
The company's pretax profit rose to 32.9 mln stg for the six months to Jan 28, 2007 from 27.4 mln in the same period last year. Analysts had expected the company to post a pretax profit of 32 mln stg for the first half of 2006-07. Revenue increased to 438.37 mln stg from 406.33 mln a year ago. UK Feb construction sector PMI falls to 57.3 from 57.9 in Jan
LONDON (AFX) - UK construction sector growth slowed slightly in February, with input price inflation touching an 18-month low, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply said.
The headline purchasing managers index fell to 57.3 in February from an eleven-month high of 57.9 in January, CIPS said. Woolworths Group chairman Gerald Corbett to step aside for Richard North
LONDON (AFX) - Woolworths Group PLC said its chairman, Gerald Corbett, will step down after the company's AGM on June 6 2007 to be succeeded by Richard North.
North, who joined the Woolworths board in Oct 2006, was previously chief executive of Intercontinental Hotels Group and group finance director of Bass and The Burton Group. Wilson Bowden FY pretax up 1.9 pct to 220.5 mln stg
LONDON (AFX) - Housebuilder Wilson Bowden PLC said its 2006 pretax profit and revenues were up again on the back of strong residential sales volume growth in a more stable housing market, following falls in a challenging 2005.
Leicester-based Wilson, which in early February accepted a 2.2 bln stg takeover offer from Barratt Developments PLC, presented its last results as an independent company showing pretax profit for the year to 31 December 2006 increasing 1.9 pct to 220.5 mln, up from 216.4 mln stg last year, and revenue up 8.2 pct to 1,331.4 mln. COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. AFX News and AFX Financial News Logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited