The Morning News Update with Sports Direct, ICAP and Safestyle UK

FTSE 100

London Stock Exchange (LSE) – Q1 total income up 16% to £323.9 million.

Severn Trent (SVT) – trading across the group has been in line with its expectations and prior guidance.   

Sports Direct (SPD) –  Mike Ashley, Executive Deputy Chairman of Sports Direct, after discussion with the Remuneration Committee, has informed the Board that he does not wish to be awarded any shares under the 2015 Bonus Share Scheme. 

FTSE 250

Balfour Beatty (BBY) – its Hong Kong based joint venture Gammon Construction has won two building contracts with a combined value of HK$3.91 billion (£300 million).

ICAP (IAP) – Group revenue for the quarter to June was 14% behind the same period last year on a constant currency basis (19% on a reported basis). 

Big Yellow Group (BYG) – delivered a solid trading performance in the first quarter, in line with expectations, driven principally through growth in both occupancy and rental yield.

Small caps

Brainjuicer Group (BJU) – revenue visibility is limited into the second half of the year, which is traditionally when the bulk of profit is generated.  Subject to this caveat, the company is in a position to meet market profit expectations for the full year to December 2014.

Motive Television (MTV) – has signed a final agreement with icube Corporation of Seoul, South Korea to release retail products that will enable full-featured and certified Freeview broadcast TV to be received on mobile devices in the United Kingdom.

Earthport (EPO) – Revenue expected  to exceed  £10.7 million, an increase of over 160%, for the year to June.

Safestyle UK (SFE) – Revenue for the first half of 2014 is expected to be £68.3 million, an increase of 8.9% on the previous year. Profit growth for the six months is expected to show good progress, reflecting the company’s underlying strong trading performance and improved margins.