UK pre-market stocks update – Taylor Wimpey, Unilever, Vodafone, Amigo, Abrdn

At 07:29GMT, FTSE 100 futures are trading higher by 0.1% at 7,482.

In FX markets, GBP/USD is trading at 1.3535, EUR/GBP is trading at 0.8445. The US Dollar Index is up 0.05%.

Bitcoin is trading at $42,752.

Today’s calendar highlights include Eurozone Sentix Investor Confidence, ECB President Lagarde Speaks.

Data
UK house prices rose 0.3% MoM in January, according to Halifax, the slowest pace since June last year. On an annual basis, house prices were 9.7% higher, the same annual increase as December.

Stocks
Taylor Wimpey (LON:TW) – Jennie Daly has been appointed as CEO, effective from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting on 26 April 2022. Daly is currently Group Operations Director of Taylor Wimpey and a member of the Board of Directors.

Unilever (LON:ULVR) – Two of the company’s largest investors have called for change following the abandoned bid for GlaxoSmithKline consumer health unit. (FT)

Pets at Home (LON:PETSP) – Lyssa McGowan has been appointed as CEO, effective from 1 June 2022. McGowan is the outgoing Chief Consumer Officer at Sky UK Limited, with responsibility for the Consumer business.

Abrdn (LON:ABDN) – Has been forced to delay a shareholder ballot on its plans to launch a £1.5 billion takeover of online investment platform interactive investor because of an international paper shortage. (Sky News)

Reckitt Benckiser (LON:RKT) – Reportedly weighing options for its infant nutrition unit. The unit could attract offers from private equity firms or rival baby food makers. (Bloomberg)

Vodafone (LON:VOD) – The company is reorganising its global enterprise division, which serves large corporate customers, as part of a sweeping overhaul of its operations in the UK and continental Europe. Separately, Vodafone has discovered the company overestimated money coming in from some multinational clients at the division. (This Is Money)

Darktrace (LON:DARK) – Mike Lynch has resigned as an adviser to the company after his extradition to the US to face criminal charges. (Telegraph)

Trainline (LON:TRNT) – Repurchased £6.6 million in aggregate principal amount of the £150 million of senior unsecured Convertible Bonds due 2026. Following this purchase £114.8 million in aggregate principal amount of the Bonds remain outstanding. The Company may look to make further repurchases from time to time, subject to market conditions.

Great Portland Estates (LON:GPOR) – GPE has now signed 460,900 sq ft of new lettings since the start of the financial year (1 April 2021), generating a combined annual rent of £32.5 million (GPE share: £26.4 million), with market lettings 9.8% ahead of March 2021 ERV. December quarter’s rent collection was in line with the previous quarter.

Diversified Energy Company (LON:DEC) – Closed a sustainability-linked asset backed securitisation involving certain of its Appalachian assets on 4 February. The Company will use the ABS proceeds to reduce its revolving credit facility borrowings and create additional liquidity. ABS note amount of $365 million with fixed coupon of 4.875%.

Bodycote (LON:BOY) – CFO Dominique Yates has announced his intention to retire from the company and board.

Throgmorton Trust (LON:THRG) – NAV outperformed the Benchmark Index over one year by 12.5% and the share price outperformed the same index over one year by 14.3%. Final dividend declared of 8.00p per share.

SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust (LON:SEIT) – Agreed to acquire an 80% equity interest in a high-efficiency and operational biomass cogeneration plant, Sociedade de Iniciativa e Aproveitamentos Florestais – Energia, in Mangualde, Portugal from Capwatt, for approximately €22 million.

BBGI Global Infrastructure (LON:BBGIB) – Completed an investment in InPower BC General Partnership, an investment made through the existing strategic partnership between the Company and SNC-Lavalin. BBGI’s investment is approximately CAD 41 million and is being funded from the Company’s existing cash resources and drawing upon the Company’s £230 million corporate revolving credit facility.

Amigo Holdings (LON:AMGO) – The Court Convening hearing will now take place on 8 March 2022 and the Court Sanction hearing will take place on 23 and 24 May 2022. This will allow the detailed Schemes documentation to be finalised in good time before the Court Convening hearing in consultation with relevant stakeholders.