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DOMINO'S PIZZA UK & IRL PLC (DOM.LN), the pizza delivery
firm, said its sales increased by 9.5% in the last quarter of 2011
compared with the same period last year, reflecting continued
growth in online sales, notably from mobile devices.
The company said the strong fourth-quarter sales performance
meant it would deliver full-year results in line with market
expectations. In December, a survey of seven analysts forecast a
2011 pretax profit of GBP42.1 million, according to FactSet.
At 1203 GMT shares +29.6 pence, or 6.5%, at 440.7 pence.
KEFI MINERALS PLC (KEFI.LN), a gold and copper miner, said
Wednesday it has been granted two exploration licenses in Saudi
Arabia through the Gold & Minerals joint venture, in which it
has a 40% interest.
The Hikyrin and Hikyrin South licenses are located in the
Central Arabian gold region of Saudi Arabia and have been granted
for five years. The company said it would immediately commence
surface exploration programs on both areas.
Shares +0.07 pence, or 1.9%, at 4.125 pence.
VERNALIS PLC (VER.LN), a U.K. drug developer, said it has signed
a drug discovery collaboration with Roche Holding AG's (ROG.VX)
unit Genentech.
The company didn't give any financial details of the
collaboration which will use Vernalis' drug discovery platform
against an undisclosed target.
Shares +1 pence, or 5.1%, at 20.75 pence.
DS SMITH PLC (SMDS.LN), a recycled packaging firm, said that
Chairman Peter Johnson has decided to retire and has resigned from
the board of the company with immediate effect.
DS Smith said Johnson will be replaced on a permanent basis by
Gareth Davis, who has been acting chairman since October. Davis was
previously chief executive at Imperial Tobacco Group PLC and is
current chairman of both Wolseley PLC (WOS.LN) and William Hill PLC
(WMH.LN).
Shares -1.8 pence, or 0.9%, at 204.3 pence.
AVANTI COMMUNICATIONS GROUP PLC (AVN.LN), a
broadband-by-satellite provider, said it is on course to sell out
the capacity on its second satellite within its five-year target as
it announced a further $7.3 million five-year contract.
Avanti has sold the capacity on the HYLAS 2 satellite, which is
due to launch in the second quarter of 2012 and will provide
coverage to high-growth markets in the Middle East and Africa to
Insat GmbH.
Shares +9.5 pence, or 3.2%, at 311 pence.
BBA AVIATION PLC (BBA.LN), a flight services provider, said it
has bought Alabama, U.S.-based airport operator Azalea Aviation for
as much as $27.3 million in cash.
BBA also said it has bought 95% of flight services firm
Arrindell Aviation, based in St. Maarten, Caribbean, for $7.8
million in cash.
Shares -0.1 pence, or 0.1%, at 180.6 pence.
FTSE Small-Cap -0.2%
AIM +0.04%
-By Peter Evans and Tommy Stubbington, Dow Jones Newswires; +44
(0) 20 7842 9296; uksmallcaps@dowjones.com