U.K. Equity Preview: Aggreko, Bodycote, Countrywide, Macfarlane
By John Fraher and Chris Gothard
London, Aug. 23 (Bloomberg) -- The following stocks may make significant gains or losses in U.K. markets today. Stock symbols are in parentheses after the company names, and prices are from yesterday's market close.
The benchmark FT-SE 100 Index rose 42.6 points, or 0.7 percent, to 6584.8. Three stocks advanced for every two that declined in the FT-SE All Share Index, which gained 16 points, or 0.5 percent, to 3159.04, its highest close since March 28.
Aggreko Plc (AGK LN): The world's largest renter of power generators said first-half profit rose 36 percent as it benefited from Millennium-celebration demand and expanded in markets outside the U.K. earnings rose to 5.4 pence a share from 3.9p a year earlier. The stock added 0.5p to 416.
ATA Group Plc (ATP LN): The recruitment company said first- half earnings rose to 3.3p from 2p a year earlier. The shares advanced 1p to 87.5.
Bodycote International Plc (BOY LN): The U.K.-based metallurgical company said first-half earnings slipped to 10.4p a diluted share from 10.6p in the same period a year earlier. The shares rose 1p to 213.5.
BP Amoco Plc (BP/ LN): Exxon Mobil Corp., BP Amoco, Eni SpA and Statoil made their eighth oil discovery and their biggest find yet in the deep waters offshore Angola, Eni said.
The well, drilled in the seabed 680 meters under the ocean's surface, yielded 5,500 barrels of oil a day in test production, the company said. The drilling area, known as Block 15, may hold more than 2 billion barrels of oil, the companies have estimated. BP Amoco shares rose 8p, or 1.3 percent, to 639.
Dicom Group Plc (DCM LN): The digital-scanner distributor won a contract worth 500,000 pounds to supply software to Salomon Smith Barney Inc. The shares fell 5p to 540.
Domnick Hunter Group Plc (DKH LN): The maker of filtration and purification equipment said first-half earnings rose 43 percent to 8.25p a diluted share from 5.75p in the same period a year earlier. The shares rose 1p to 367.5.
International Quantum Epitaxy Plc (IQE LN): The maker of components used in computer chips said earnings in the three months to June 30 rose to 2.15p a share from 0.75p in the year- earlier period. The shares rose 150p, or 2.7 percent, to 5,650.
Macfarlane Group Plc (MACF LN): The Scottish packaging and manufacturing company said first-half earnings rose to 3.95p a share from 3.3p a year earlier. The shares fell 1p to 63.5.
Marconi Plc (MNI LN): The U.K.'s largest telecommunications- equipment maker won a contract of undisclosed value to supply T- Mobil, the wireless unit of Deutsche Telekom AG, with equipment for high-speed networks. The stock climbed 29p, or 2.6 percent, to 1,134.
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