UK SMALLCAP ROUNDUP: First Property Sees Asset Growth

Dow Jones smallcap news is now on Twitter, allowing you to catch up on the news away from your desk. Go to http://twitter.com/DJ_UK_Smallcaps FIRST PROPERTY GROUP PLC (FPO.LN), a U.K. property fund manager, Wednesday posted a 28% fall in fiscal 2010 pretax profit but said its earnings are set to grow again as it invests in its new U.K. commercial property fund. The group said it expects the value of assets under management to increase by GBP100 million, or 30%, in the next couple of years. It is also planning to raise funds for Polish property buys on a deal-by-deal basis, Chief Executive Ben Habib said Wednesday, after it found it difficult to raise a pool of funds upfront. At 1100 GMT, shares flat at 16 pence. BRULINES GROUP PLC (BRU.LN), which provides real-time monitoring systems and data management services for the U.K. leisure sector and gasoline forecourts, Wednesday said it has bought a fuel pump verification firm. Leicestershire, England-based Retail & Forecourt Solutions Ltd. is being acquired in cash and is made up of an initial earn-out of four times earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or Ebitda, to July 31. At 1100 GMT, shares +1 pence, or 0.4%, at 119 pence. ASOS PLC (ASC.LN), an online fashion retailer, said it will invest GBP20 million in a state-of-the-art U.K. distribution center aimed at driving sales growth, as it reported a 44% jump in fiscal 2010 pretax profit. The firm said the investment, to be funded through its existing resources, would enable it to reach its target of generating GBP1 billion of sales within five years. At 1100 GMT shares +32 pence, or 5%, at 664 pence. IG GROUP HOLDINGS PLC (IGG.LN), a spread betting firm, said fiscal year profit will be 25% higher on the year following a spike in market volatility during the spring, when traders were grappling with the consequences of an unfolding debt crisis in Europe. At 1100 GMT shares +50 pence, or 13%, at 442 pence. Two U.K. commercial property trusts Wednesday said they agreed to merge in a deal that will create a property company with a portfolio worth GBP1.6 billion. F&C COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TRUST LTD. (FCPT.LN) and UK COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TRUST LTD. (UKCM.LN) said the enlarged trust will be able to save on fees, attract more investors and get involved in bigger property deals. At 1100 GMT, shares in F&C Commercial Property Trust were up 2 pence, or 1.6%, at 93 pence. Shares in UK Commercial Property Trust were up 0.15 pence, or 0.2%, at 77 pence. JD SPORTS FASHION PLC (JD.LN), a U.K. sportswear retailer, Wednesday said sales in its most recent eight weeks' trading have been boosted by the buildup to the soccer World Cup, which kicks off Friday. At 1100 GMT, shares -1 pence, or 0.1%, at 780 pence. OXUS GOLD PLC (OXS.LN), an Uzbekistan-focused gold miner, said it secured $85 million in financing to fund its Amantaytau project and expand its precious metals operations in Central Asia. The funding is part of a $185 million package agreed with a consortium of Chinese investors including CITIC Construction Co. Ltd. At 1100 GMT shares flat at 7 pence. HAMPSON INDUSTRIES PLC (HAMP.LN), an aerospace engineering company, said it is cautious about its prospects for the fiscal year as a recovery in demand for its tooling systems and composites is proving to be slower than it anticipated. The company Wednesday reported a swing back to profit for fiscal 2010 despite a 31% sales drop because of heavy charges taken a year earlier. At 1100 GMT shares -4 pence, or 7.6%, at 49 pence. FOCUS SOLUTIONS GROUP PLC (FSG.LN), a financial services software company, said it plans to step up its push in to new markets this year by increasing tie-ups with partners that can re-sell its platform in new geographies. It earlier Wednesday posted a 15% rise in fiscal 2010 pretax profit and said it is witnessing strong improvements in key markets. At 1100 GMT shares -2 pence, or 4.9%, at 39 pence. DJ UK Smaller Cos +0.1% AIM +0.2% -By Hannah Benjamin, Jason Douglas and Rachael Gormley, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0) 20 7842 9298; uksmallcaps@dowjones.com Order free Annual Report for Rio Tinto PLC Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=GB0007188757 or call +44 (0)208 391 6028 Order free Annual Report for OxusGold plc Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=GB0030632714 or call +44 (0)208 391 6028 Order free Annual Report for IG Group Holdings PLC Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=GB00B06QFB75 or call +44 (0)208 391 6028 Order free Annual Report for UK Commercial Property Trust Ltd Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=GB00B19Z2J52 or call +44 (0)208 391 6028 Order free Annual Report for First Property Group plc Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=GB0004109889 or call +44 (0)208 391 6028 Order free Annual Report for OxusGold plc Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=GB0030632714 or call +44 (0)208 391 6028 Order free Annual Report for IG Group Holdings PLC Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=GB00B06QFB75 or call +44 (0)208 391 6028 Order free Annual Report for UK Commercial Property Trust Ltd Visit http://djnweurope.ar.wilink.com/?ticker=GB00B19Z2J52 or call +44 (0)208 391 6028 (END) Dow Jones Newswires June 09, 2010 07:30 ET (11:30 GMT)