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Morning Eyecatchers: BP has cash to cover oil spill costs
OFT to examine underwriting market, Halfords year profit up 27% but Argos hit by weak gaming and TV sales; Premier Farnell total profit before tax £22.2 million and Hargreaves pulls out of UK Coal talks.
Markets
* BP says it has cash to cover oil spill costs; has paid out $1.43 billion for oil spill so far
* Four BP marine fuel traders in Asia resign
* OFT to examine underwriting market
* Home Retail targeting to achieve a similar level of profitability to last year; first-quarter Argos like-for-like sales down 8.1%; Argos gross margin down around 150 bps; Homebase like-for-like sales down 1.4%; Homebase gross margin down around 150 bps; video gaming market continued to be particularly weak; against the strong gains made by Argos a year earlier, TV sales were also down
* Halfords pre-tax profit £117.1 million vs £92.4 million; recommended final dividend 14p, making total 20p; net debt, after funding the acquisition of Nationwide, at £155.5 million; gross margin per cent increased by 230 bps tear-on-year to 54.4%; revenue £831.6 million, a 4.6% increased with underlying Easter adjusted like-for-like sales up 0.7%; will seek further acquisitions that meet investment criteria; will double earnings from the Autocentre operations over the next three years; confident that group will deliver further earnings growth in year ahead
* Premier Farnell total profit before tax £22.2 million; year-on-year group sales growth of 19.6%; return to positive year-on-year sales growth in MDD Americas in February accelerated throughout quarter; first-quarter gross margin increased a further 0.5% points over fourth quarter to 40.8%; markets of China and India sales up 112.8% and 74%; very positive momentum in sales growth that company has seen in first-quarter has accelerated in May; broader economic background still somewhat variable
* Hargreaves Services pulls out of UK Coal talks
* UK Coal businesses performing in line
* BAA's May traffic falls hit by ash cloud and British Airways strikes
* Centrica unit buys Clockwork Home Services for $183 million
* Better Capital to raise £67.6 million
* Begbies Traynor acquires Tomlinsons
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