Capital Shopping Centres Group (LON:CSCG) noted the announcement by the Takeover Panel, which set a deadline of 5pm on 12 January 2011 for Simon Property Group to either provide a firm offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of the company or withdraw.
Lloyds (LON:LLOY) said that since the release of its interim management statement on 2 November 2010, the Group has seen a further significant deterioration in market conditions in the Republic of Ireland.
“Therefore, the Board anticipates that, compared to 30 June 2010, approximately a further 10 per cent of the £26.7 billion Irish portfolio will become impaired by the 2010 year end.
“Furthermore, the Board believes that it is prudent to increase the level of provisions against the portfolio, and currently anticipates an increase in the impairment charge relating to Irish exposures for the full year 2010 to approximately £4.3 billion on a combined businesses basis.
“This would result in an increase in provisions as a percentage of impaired Irish loans to approximately 54 per cent at the 2010 year end,” said Lloyds.
Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) agreed to sell its non-core project finance assets to The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ. Royal Bank of Scotland has also entered into an agreement with DBS Group Holdings (DBS) to transfer certain staff and customers of its Retail and Commercial business in China (R&C business) to DBS.
This transfer marks further progress in the execution of the asset reduction element of RBS's strategic plan announced in February 2009.
Petrofac (LON:PFC) said that net profit for the year expected to be in line with expectations for like-for-like year-on-year growth of at least 20%.
Aggreko (LON:AGK) said that profit before tax expected to be up 25% to around £305 million in 2010. Fleet capital expenditure is expected to be 23% higher in 2011 than in 2010.
AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) announced that US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a complete response letter (CRL) for the new drug application (NDA) for ticagrelor (BRILINTA).
In the CRL, the FDA requested additional analyses of the PLATO data. The agency did not request that additional studies, including clinical studies, be conducted as a prerequisite for approval of the ticagrelor NDA.
Centrica (LON:CNA) noted the announcement by Lake Acquisitions Limited regarding the plant life extensions for Hartlepool and Heysham 1 power stations, extending the life of these stations for accounting purposes by five years to 2019. Also this week, Centrica has appointed Margherita Della Valle as a non-executive director. Della Valle, who is Group Financial Controller for Vodafone, will also become a member of Centrica's Audit, Nominations and Remuneration Committees.
Rolls-Royce (LON:RR) has been awarded an US$89 million MissionCare contract by the U.S. Department of Defense Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River to provide support for the F405 (Adour) engines that power the U.S. Navy's T-45 training aircraft.
BT Group (LON:BT.A) said that Nick Rose, the outgoing Group Finance Director of Diageo (LON:DGE), is to join the BT board as a non-executive director. His appointment takes effect from January 1 2011. BT has also completed the sale of a 5.5% shareholding in Tech Mahindra to M&M for total gross cash proceeds of £63 million.
Scottish & Southern Energy (LON:SSE) has said that it welcomes the UK government's consultation on Electricity Market Reform (EMR) as the next step towards establishing a “robust and enduring market framework for the electricity sector in the transition to a low carbon economy”.
Serco Group (LON:SRP) reconfirmed the guidance given in its interim management statement on 15 November.
“We remain on track to deliver our financial guidance for 2010, which is for continued strong organic revenue growth and further progress towards our 2012 margin guidance,” said Serco. Serco Group has been selected as preferred bidder for the prison management contract for the Mt Eden and Auckland Central Remand Centre (ACRP) prison in Auckland, New Zealand.
Weir Group (LON:WEIR) said that the hearing held at the High Court in Edinburgh has concluded.
The company pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching UN sanctions in connection with a number of UN Oil for Food programme contracts awarded between 2000 and 2002.
Following the guilty plea, Weir has been subject to a confiscation order in the sum of £13,945,962. In addition it has been fined £3 million.
Old Mutual (LON:OML) announced an update to the timetable for the contracted sale of Old Mutual's US Life operations to affiliates of Harbinger Capital Partners LLC. Closing is now expected during the first quarter of 2011.
Hammerson (LON:HMSO) and Oman Investment Fund, an Omani Government Investment arm, have sold Bishops Square Holdings Limited, the 25:75 joint venture, whose principal asset is the long leasehold interest in the Bishops Square office building, London E1.
The JV company has been purchased by two funds managed by J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and the transaction is based on a property price of £557 million.
Cobham (LON:COB) secured a US$40 million contract to provide major radio frequency and microwave assemblies for Aegis surveillance and fire control radar systems ordered as part of new-build Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyers for the US Navy and foreign customers.
The US Navy is so far committed to building eight Arleigh Burke vessels between 2011 and 2016.
British Airways (LON:BAY) has increased its fuel surcharge on longhaul services from Thursday, December 16.
There will be no fuel surcharge increase to any British Airways' shorthaul services. All longhaul tickets have increased by £10 per sector.
Capita Group (LON:CPI) has acquired McKeown Software Limited, trading as iSoft Business Solutions, for a consideration of £23 million on a cash-free, debt-free basis.
Bunzl (LON:BNZL) reported that overall trading is consistent with expectations at the time of the interim management statement in October. Group revenue growth for the year to 31 December is expected to be between 3% and 4%.
Whitbread (LON:WTB) said that total sales in the 13 weeks to 2 December climbed 13.6%, while like for likes were up 6.8%.
Reckitt Benckiser (LON:RB) has agreed to buy Paras Pharmaceuticals for approximately £460 million. RB will finance the transaction from existing facilities.