Hogg Robinson Group Share News (HRG)

The top share index retained its strength to close with good gains, in spite of weakness in the mining sector. Rocketing commodity prices meant record profits for BHP Billiton in the first half, bankrolling a huge investment programme and share buyback scheme, but the shares still fell.Profit attributable to shareholders jumped 71.5% to US$10.5bn (£6.5bn) on revenue up 39% to $34.2bn. The group announced an ambitious investment programme that's expected to top $80bn over five years, and a $10bn share buyback programme, expected to complete by the end of 2011.Fellow miner Rio Tinto was lower in sympathy, but elsewhere in mining, African Barrick moved ahead after it revealed full year revenue rose to $309.5m in 2010 from $229.6m in 2009. Profit before tax tripled to $104.9m from $34.4m the year before.Property stocks were in demand on the back of some favourable broker commentary. HSBC has upgraded British Land to overweight from neutral while Land Securities is upgraded to neutral from underweight.Meanwhile, yesterday's results from British Land prompted Goldman Sachs to lift its price target for the stock from 643p to 645p.Engineer GKN and insurer Resolution are the best performing blue-chips, however, with the former benefiting from a "buy" recommendation from Investec and the latter from an upbeat note from Redburn Partners. BG Group has announced yet another new discovery of oil in its highly prospective Santos Basin acreage, offshore Brazil but Tullow Oil has plugged and abandoned its Gharabi-1 well, located in Block 6 offshore Mauritania after poor drilling results. Brokerage Matrix Group said the Gharabi-1 well result would shave about 2p off its valuation of the firm. "All eyes in the short term are on the Uganda election scheduled for 18 February. The expectation is for Museveni to be re-elected and for that to be the trigger for final sign-off by Uganda of all remaining obstacles related to ongoing work in the Lake Albert licences," Matrix analyst Charlie sharp said.Meanwhile, French oil giant Total is reportedly renegotiating parts of a deal it agreed with Tullow Oil to buy a stake in Tullow's Ugandan oil fields.In the FTSE 250, Game Group has unveiled its strategy update to investment analysts in London. The proposals will include a greater emphasis on online and digital revenues. The group's chief executive, Ian Shepherd, warned that the group's "gross margin percentage will decrease as online and digital revenues become a larger part of our sales mix."Engineering group Morgan Crucible has set itself a target of doubling underlying profits by 2013 after a strong performance in 2010. The firm, which specialises in engineered metals and thermal ceramics, saw profits in the year just ended jump by 115% to £67.7m on revenues up 8% at £1.02bn. Underlying profits rose by 59% to £75.7m.rEngineering contractor WS Atkins is trading in line with expectations, but government spending cuts mean hundreds of jobs are likely to go by the end of the year. The highways business has been hardest hit by the coalition's spending review, forcing Atkins to axe staff despite a strong forward workload of long term contracts in highway services. Trading at specialist chocolate retailer Thorntons has turned down since January with trading through its High Street stores described as weak. "As a result the board is now more cautious about Own Store trading for the remainder of the current financial year and including the important trading periods of Mothers' Day and Easter," chairman John von Spreckelsen said. "This is the latest in a series of disappointments stretching back over a decade," says David Stoddart, investment analyst at Matrix Group. "The business faces structural challenges that have withstood several sensible-sounding strategic shifts. This time it might be different. Then again, it might not, on which basis we stick with our Sell recommendation," Stoddart said.Corporate travel services firm Hogg Robinson said full year profit is expected to be slightly ahead of expectations, despite travel disruption caused by freezing weather conditions, as businesses increase travel budgets. The group issued an upbeat outlook as the group benefits from a recovery in corporate travel budgets as firms lift executive travel bans imposed during the financial crisis.Shares in Lo-Q, the theme park queuing technology group, rose strongly as it unveiled profits up 18% in the past year as attendances at parks held up despite the economic uncertainty.FTSE 100 - RisersGKN (GKN) 217.00p +4.48%Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 47.20p +4.31%Land Securities Group (LAND) 727.00p +3.56%InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) 1,400.00p +3.09%Autonomy Corporation (AU.) 1,634.00p +2.77%ARM Holdings (ARM) 636.50p +2.69%International Power (IPR) 347.60p +2.60%Fresnillo (FRES) 1,484.00p +2.56%International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (IAG) 253.20p +2.55%Prudential (PRU) 734.00p +2.54%FTSE 100 - FallersSerco Group (SRP) 543.00p -1.45%BHP Billiton (BLT) 2,464.00p -1.44%Rio Tinto (RIO) 4,520.00p -1.35%BG Group (BG.) 1,494.50p -1.35%Tullow Oil (TLW) 1,409.00p -1.26%Petrofac Ltd. (PFC) 1,533.00p -1.10%Smiths Group (SMIN) 1,386.00p -1.00%RSA Insurance Group (RSA) 137.60p -0.99%Johnson Matthey (JMAT) 1,979.00p -0.90%Wolseley (WOS) 2,166.00p -0.87%FTSE 250 - RisersPremier Foods (PFD) 27.90p +8.35%Morgan Crucible Co (MGCR) 299.00p +8.14%Inchcape (INCH) 414.00p +6.43%Exillon Energy (EXI) 420.90p +5.52%Forth Ports (FPT) 1,417.00p +5.12%William Hill (WMH) 192.30p +5.08%Brewin Dolphin Holdings (BRW) 177.40p +4.66%Ladbrokes (LAD) 142.00p +4.41%Derwent London (DLN) 1,620.00p +3.78%Imagination Technologies Group (IMG) 405.90p +3.68%FTSE 250 - FallersMitie Group (MTO) 200.00p -5.75%Catlin Group Ltd. (CGL) 385.60p -3.41%QinetiQ Group (QQ.) 131.10p -2.60%CSR (CSR) 429.50p -2.39%Dixons Retail (DXNS) 21.59p -2.22%Bovis Homes Group (BVS) 437.10p -2.13%Chemring Group (CHG) 3,479.00p -2.10%Britvic (BVIC) 430.00p -1.94%Paragon Group Of Companies (PAG) 188.00p -1.83%SThree (STHR) 402.20p -1.81%