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B&Q owner Kingfisher is to hand back £23m in UK furlough cash after a do-it-yourself boom due to coronavirus. People in England have been told to work from home if possible after a period of more relaxed restrictions. Kingfisher's e-commerce sales rose 164% in the first half of the year and now represent 19% of total sales, up from 7% in the same period last year. UK firms have voluntarily returned millions of pounds to the government in furlough scheme payments they did not need or took in error.

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Major OEM to lab test Guident regenerative shock absorbers soonView Video. Will Rhind, CEO at US provider GraniteShares hails ETF's as a low cost alternative for investorsView Video. (Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was up 0.7% at 5,846.40 in afternoon trade on Tuesday following heavy losses in the previous session.B&Q and Castorama owner Kingfisher was a high riser after it posted a 23.1% jump in first-half adjusted pre-tax profit thanks to a strong sales recovery in the second quarter.British American Tobacco and Imperial Brands gained after an upgrade to 'outperform' from 'sector perform' at RBC Capital Markets.On the downside, Hikma Pharmaceuticals slumped as it cut 2020 guidance for its generics business following another delay in approval for the asthma drug candidate it is developing with Vectura.Hotel and restaurant chain Whitbread lost ground as it said it was cutting 6,000 jobs after suffering a slump in trading due to the coronavirus pandemic. 244.25p 3.47%Smiths Group (SMIN) 1,416.00p 3.32%Royal Dutch Shell 'B' (RDSB) 997.30p 3.29%NATWEST GROUP PLC ORD 100P (NWG) 96.34p 3.24%Royal Dutch Shell 'A' (RDSA) 1,036.60p 3.16%Standard Chartered (STAN) 349.20p 3.16%Pearson (PSON) 495.30p 2.33%FTSE 100 - FallersHikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 2,435.00p -5.84%Whitbread (WTB) 2,045.00p -3.03%Flutter Entertainment (FLTR) 11,565.00p -2.53%Admiral Group (ADM) 2,714.00p -2.20%RSA Insurance Group (RSA) 461.50p -2.16%International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 95.34p -1.91%Fresnillo (FRES) 1,264.00p -1.71%Persimmon (PSN) 2,280.00p -1.60%Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.)

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Major OEM to lab test Guident regenerative shock absorbers soonView Video. London midday: Stocks steady after Monday's losses; Kingfisher rallies. "While pub shares fell on curfew news, several earnings reports today highlight the uneven nature of the recovery so far, and the uncertain path ahead. "Investors were also digesting the latest comments from Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, who pretty much ruled out negative interest rates in the near future but left the possibility on the table.In equity markets, B&Q owner Kingfisher was a high riser after it posted a 23.1% jump in first-half adjusted pre-tax profit thanks to a strong sales recovery in the second quarter.British American Tobacco and Imperial Brands were both up after an upgrade to 'outperform' from 'sector perform' at RBC Capital Markets.Online supermarket Ocado and food delivery service Just Eat were also in the black as demand for both companies is expected to increase amid tighter Covid-19 restrictions.Hikma Pharmaceuticals slumped as it cut 2020 guidance for its generics business following another delay in approval for the asthma drug candidate it is developing with Vectura.British Airways and Iberia parent IAG and engine maker Rolls-Royce were both weaker for the second day in a row amid concerns about the impact of further restrictions on the airline industry.Hotel and restaurant chain Whitbread lost ground as it said it was cutting 6,000 jobs after suffering a slump in trading due to the coronavirus pandemic. 155.80p -3.05%Informa (INF) 359.80p -2.12%Admiral Group (ADM) 2,719.00p -2.02%Land Securities Group (LAND) 502.90p -1.89%Legal & General Group (LGEN) 177.65p -1.85%Compass Group (CPG) 1,186.00p -1.78%FTSE 250 - RisersNetwork International Holdings (NETW) 278.20p 17.88%Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) 129.40p 8.74%Calisen (CLSN) 155.65p 4.46%GCP Student Living (DIGS) 132.40p 3.44%Close Brothers Group (CBG) 993.00p 3.17%Virgin Money UK (VMUK) 74.34p 2.94%Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust (USA) 253.00p 2.85%Airtel Africa (AAF) 63.70p 2.74%Allianz Technology Trust (ATT) 2,360.00p 2.61%Just Eat Takeaway.Com N.V. (CDI) (JET) 8,764.00p 2.57%FTSE 250 - FallersBeazley (BEZ) 347.00p -11.03%Direct Line Insurance Group (DLG) 283.60p -5.91%Moneysupermarket.com Group (MONY) 255.40p -4.70%Sabre Insurance Group (SBRE) 246.50p -4.09%Shaftesbury (SHB) 481.80p -4.02%Hiscox Limited (DI) (HSX) 853.60p -3.96%Provident Financial (PFG) 196.50p -3.86%easyJet (EZJ) 476.60p -3.76%Rank Group (RNK) 91.10p -3.70%WH Smith (SMWH) 981.50p -3.49%.

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Major OEM to lab test Guident regenerative shock absorbers soonView Video. Another lockdown and, or tighter restrictions, with the result that thousands of jobs could be lost for ever as businesses start to close, or finding a way to learn to cope with a virus that is likely to be with us for the foreseeable future. The government is also expected to say that people should work from home if they can.In equity markets, B&Q owner Kingfisher rallied after it posted a 23.1% jump in first-half adjusted pre-tax profit thanks to a strong sales recovery in the second quarter.Online supermarket Ocado and food delivery service Just Eat were also in the black as demand for both companies is expected to increase amid tighter Covid-19 restrictions.Travel giant TUI was up after saying it continues to anticipate low single-digit hundreds million of cash outflow per month for the final quarter of the financial year after paying out more refunds to customers in August and September.British Airways and Iberia parent IAG and engine maker Rolls-Royce were both weaker for the second day in a row amid concerns about the impact of further restrictions on the airline industry.Cruise operator Carnival and budget airline easyJet also fell, while pub chain Wetherspoons was under the cosh on the curfew news.Hotel and restaurant chain Whitbread lost ground as it said it was cutting 6,000 jobs after suffering a slump in trading due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Premier Inn owner announced the 18% cut in its workforce as like-for-like sales plunged by more than 77% as it felt the full force of the lockdown from March to June.Insurer Beazley fell sharply after it said Covid-19 claims are set to double from the $170m expected in April, mainly due to event cancellation losses.Market MoversFTSE 100 (UKX) 5,833.80 0.51%FTSE 250 (MCX) 16,820.04 -0.30%techMARK (TASX) 3,728.58 0.13%FTSE 100 - RisersKingfisher (KGF) 282.00p 6.54%Ocado Group (OCDO) 2,865.00p 2.21%Just Eat Takeaway.Com N.V. (CDI) (JET) 8,726.00p 2.13%British American Tobacco (BATS) 2,675.50p 1.92%Avast (AVST) 522.50p 1.75%Imperial Brands (IMB) 1,364.50p 1.75%Antofagasta (ANTO) 1,072.50p 1.61%Aveva Group (AVV) 4,854.00p 1.51%AstraZeneca (AZN) 8,739.00p 1.47%Experian (EXPN) 2,999.00p 1.45%FTSE 100 - FallersInternational Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 93.64p -3.66%Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 2,515.00p -2.75%Whitbread (WTB) 2,052.00p -2.70%Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.)

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LONDON (Reuters) - The COVID-19 crisis has prompted consumers to rediscover the joy of home improvement, do-it-yourself (DIY) retailer Kingfisher KGF.L said, as it reported a 23% jump in first half profit. Shares in the group, which owns B&Q and Screwfix in Britain and Castorama and Brico Depot in France and other markets, were up 7% at 0905 GMT on Tuesday, extending 2020 gains to over 30%, after it also said strong second quarter sales had continued. Like-for-like sales in the second quarter to July 31 soared 19.5% and are up 16.6% in the third quarter so far. Given its financial position the group intends to pay back to the government its UK job retention furlough claim of 23 million pounds in the second half.

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Britain's Kingfisher sees profit rise on pandemic DIY mini boom. LONDON (Reuters) - Home improvement retailer Kingfisher <KGF.L> reported a 23.1% rise in first half profit, driven by a strong sales recovery in its second quarter as consumers took to do-it-yourself (DIY) and gardening projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group, which owns B&Q and Screwfix in Britain and Castorama and Brico Depot in France and other markets, said on Tuesday second quarter to July 31 like-for-like sales had increased 19.5%. Kingfisher made an adjusted pretax profit of 415 million pounds ($531 million) in its first half - ahead of analysts' expectations and up from 337 million pounds in the same period last year.

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(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was up 1.1% in afternoon trade on Tuesday to 6,091.34.Online grocer and technology firm Ocado rallied after it recorded a sharp rise in third-quarter revenue, driven by continued higher average spends as it forecast annual core earnings of £40m.RSA Insurance was also in the black even as the Financial Conduct Authority claimed a partial victory in a closely-watched test case concerning business interruption payouts during the Covid-19 pandemic.The City regulator brought the case on behalf of policyholders earlier this year, after a large number of claims made during the height of the pandemic and lockdown were rejected by insurers.The industry claimed that these policies were never intended to cover government-imposed measures in a global pandemic.RSA estimated that the additional financial impact of the judgement would be £104m on a gross basis across the portfolio of relevant business interruption policies.However, that would be reduced to around £85m following the application of its catastrophe reinsurance protection, it said, "which is in turn expected to reduce further through qualifying as a loss covered by the group-wide aggregate reinsurance programme".The blue chip also announced it was resuming dividend payouts, with the payment of the delayed interim dividend set at 8p per ordinary share.Flutter Entertainment got a boost after peer William Hill said a multi-year deal between its US partner Caesars Entertainment and broadcaster ESPN will feature its sports betting apps and sports book odds.Miners Rio Tinto, Glencore and Anglo American were all higher after Chinese industrial production and retail sales figures for August beat expectations.On the downside, B&Q and Castorama owner Kingfisher was the worst performer on the index, followed by engine maker Rolls-Royce. FTSE 100 - RisersOcado Group (OCDO) 2,517.00p 6.88%RSA Insurance Group (RSA) 502.20p 6.85%Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) 3,046.00p 4.32%Smith (DS) (SMDS) 288.40p 3.74%Flutter Entertainment (FLTR) 12,205.00p 3.43%Rio Tinto (RIO) 5,157.00p 3.14%Glencore (GLEN) 187.28p 3.11%Anglo American (AAL) 1,993.20p 2.88%Ashtead Group (AHT) 2,931.00p 2.77%M&G (MNG) 155.10p 2.58%FTSE 100 - FallersKingfisher (KGF) 273.00p -4.01%Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 206.20p -1.95%International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 132.20p -1.60%Informa (INF) 397.30p -1.56%Compass Group (CPG) 1,297.50p -1.22%Standard Chartered (STAN) 378.40p -0.99%Vodafone Group (VOD) 108.70p -0.84%Pearson (PSON) 515.80p -0.77%Whitbread (WTB) 2,275.00p -0.74%Avast (AVST) 537.00p -0.74%. By Ross Kerber Sept 15 (Reuters) - Investors drove longer-term U.S. Treasury yields higher on Tuesday, steepening the yield curve, as equity markets rose while the Federal Reserve began a two-day meeting.

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(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was down 0.1% at 5,847.03 in afternoon trade on Friday.Housebuilders were under the cosh after a weak UK construction PMI reading for August and after the UK's competition regulator said it will take enforcement action against four of the biggest names in the sector over their treatment of leasehold homeowners.The CMA has opened cases on Barratt, Countryside, Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey. It said the companies may have imposed unfair terms on leaseholders and misled buyers.On the upside, B&Q owner Kingfisher was the top gainer after an upgrade to 'outperform' at Exane.Imperial Brands was a high riser after JPMorgan Cazenove upgraded its rating on the shares to 'overweight' from 'neutral', as it said the current valuation is pricing in severe downside risks, leaving the risk/reward tilted strongly to the upside following the dividend cut in May. "Supported by its robust free cash flow...we see IMB's circa 50% payout ratio as sustainable with a further £1bn+ per annum available for cash returns or M&A from FY23e in our base case," said JPM.Hikma Pharmaceuticals was also boosted by a broker note as Barclays lifted its recommendation to 'overweight' after a US court ruled in favour of the generic drugmaker's treatment for heart conditions.On Thursday the US court of appeals for the federal circuit upheld a district court ruling against Amarin's objections to Hikman's generic version of its Vascepa drug. The court ruled Hikma's version did not infringe any of Amarin's six main patents for the fish-oil based treatment.FTSE 100 - RisersKingfisher (KGF) 277.20p 4.45%Imperial Brands (IMB) 1,319.50p 3.90%Melrose Industries (MRO) 117.55p 3.89%Fresnillo (FRES) 1,295.00p 3.56%NATWEST GROUP PLC ORD 100P (NWG) 108.55p 3.38%Antofagasta (ANTO) 1,087.50p 3.13%Anglo American (AAL) 1,823.00p 3.06%Evraz (EVR) 328.50p 2.98%Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 2,480.00p 2.82%International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 221.80p 2.78%FTSE 100 - FallersBarratt Developments (BDEV) 515.40p -4.45%Scottish Mortgage Inv Trust (SMT) 877.50p -3.31%Persimmon (PSN) 2,575.00p -2.50%Taylor Wimpey (TW.)

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LONDON, Sept. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kingfisher plc is an international home improvement company with over 1,300 stores in nine countries across Europe, Russia and Turkey, supported by a team of over 77,000 colleagues. With the digital transformation project under way, then came the requirement to transition to the new IFRS 16 accounting standards and recognise lease commitments on the company balance sheet. It soon became clear that existing manual methods and reliance on a cumbersome spreadsheet would be inefficient and risk inaccuracies, so Kingfisher began searching the market for a software-based IFRS 16 calculation tool. Solution. Technology partnership – Kingfisher gave the green light on Horizon six months before it needed to report on the new standards, and MRI Software was able to consistently support tight deadlines and call on experience gained from helping hundreds of retail brands transition to IFRS 16.

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It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times.Close. A number of high street chains including B&Q, John Lewis and Wilko have launched urgent recalls on a variety of items. The recall statement reads: "There is a risk of electric shock resulting from direct contact with internal live parts which could occur if you attempt to replace an E27 lamp without first switching off the mains supply. "The products were on sale in B&Q from October 2019 to March 2020. In a statement, Wilko said: "We have recently become aware of a potential safety issue with our Wilko Safari Buddies Tambourine. "We have identified that in certain circumstances, the pins that secure the cymbals can become detached, leading to a potential safety issue. "As a precautionary measure we are therefore advising customers that have purchased the tambourine with the above batch codes to stop using the product immediately, keep it away from children, and return it to any store for a full refund. "Nothing matters more to us than our customer safety so if you’ve purchased this product from us, please return it to any of our stores for a full refund of the purchase price. "Please note that the recall only applies to the batches highlighted above. "If you have any questions, please contact your local Wilko store or call the Wilko Customer Care Team free on: 08000 329 329.

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