The Morning News Update with Shire, Whitbread, Go Ahead and ASOS

FTSE 100

Shire (SHP) – AbbVie terminates offer for Shire, with the break fee of $1.635 billion now payable.

Meggitt (MGGT) – has secured  a multi-million dollar contract for an advanced wheel and braking system for Gulfstream Aerospace’s new G500 and G600 business jets.

William Hill (WMH) – Group net revenue grew 23% in Q3 and 12% in the year-to-date.

Whitbread (WTB) – Underlying profit before tax up by 18.5% to £256 million in the six months to 28th August.

FTSE 250

Go Ahead (GOG) – Trading in the first quarter has been robust and full year expectations for both bus and rail operations remain unchanged.

Informa (INF) – Current trading remains on track with full year expectations unchanged

Ophir Energy (OPHR) – announces the successful Drill Stem Test on the Fortuna-2 well in Block R, Equatorial Guinea. Ophir holds 80% of Block R and GEPetrol 20%.

Small caps

ASOS (ASC) – pre-tax profits down by 14% at £46.9 million in the year to August.

Northern Petroleum (NOP) – Canada drilling and production update – the company’s initial three wells have been producing at a combined restricted rate of approximately 140 barrels of oil per production day.

Amara Mining (AMA) – the 2014 drilling programme at its Yaoure Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire is complete.  

Ortac Resources (OTC) – has received the final set of assay results from the systematic trenching programme recently completed by Andiamo Exploration on the Yacob Dewar deposit located within the Haykota exploration concession area, Eritrea.

InterQuest (ITQ) – is launching a review of options to maximise value for shareholders including a potential sale of the company.