Reviewing Reactions to Corporate Earnings

A review of the main UK companies making waves in the markets after reporting earnings results that either surprised to the upside or downside

Alanna Petroff 27 April, 2012 | 4:57PM
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A wealth of UK-traded companies reported full-year and quarterly earnings results throughout the week. Some of the results were good, some were not-so-good, and some were downright shocking.

Below is a review of some of the companies who made the biggest waves this week, in chronological order:

Tuesday:

ARM Holdings (ARM): Shares in the technology company ARM Holdings (ARM) sank by just over 6% after reporting first-quarter results that came in slightly below market expectations. “The quarter was mildly disappointing,” said Morningstar analyst Brian Colello. “The numbers show ARM isn’t immune to the general slowdown in semi-conductor sales.” ARM creates the designs for semi-conductors that are used in smartphones and other high-tech devices.
Read Morningstar’s latest research on ARM Holdings

Capita (CPI): The outsourcing firm was the biggest loser on the FTSE 100 for the trading day. Shares dropped by nearly 6.5% after the company announced a new share issue, a move that dilutes the value of current shares on the market. This came as Capita announced its first quarter sales for 2012 increased by 17% compared to the previous year because of new acquisitions.
Read Morningstar’s latest research on Capita 

Reed Elsevier (REL): Shares in the publishing and events company jumped up by 2% in reaction to solid first-quarter results and a positive outlook for the rest of 2012. Investors were especially excited when the company stated in its interim management statement: “2012 is on track to be another year of underlying revenue and profit growth as we further strengthen the business through organic investment and portfolio adjustment.” The Anglo-Dutch group specialises in publishing scientific, business and academic journals. 
Read Morningstar’s latest research on Reed Elsevier

Wednesday:

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK): Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline reported first-quarter profit and sales that missed analyst estimates as revenue declined sharply in Europe. Shares fell by 3% in reaction to the results.
Read Morningstar’s latest research on GlaxoSmithKline

Thursday:

AstraZeneca (AZN): Shares in the healthcare company plunged by just over 6% after the drug maker announced its CEO would be stepping down and the company reported a steep drop in quarterly profits. Earlier in the week, the company announced an agreed offer of nearly $1.3 billion to takeover the Californian biotechnology company, Ardea Biosciences (RDEA).
Read Morningstar’s latest research on AstraZeneca

Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB): The oil and gas giant saw its shares rally by 3.5% after reporting robust first-quarter results. “[The] results came in ahead of our expectations, and at first glance appear to be pretty strong,” said Morningstar analyst Stephen Simko. “The primary reason for the company beating our projections appears to be higher oil price realizations as well as increasing profits from integrated gas projects.”
Read Morningstar’s latest research on Royal Dutch Shell

Unilever (ULVR): Shares in the consumer goods company got a 2.7% boost after it announced better-than-expected quarterly results. Emerging markets sales grew by nearly 12%, while developed markets sales grew by over 4%. The  maker of Dove body wash and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream was also able to pass on price increases to consumers without affecting growth sales. The results were better than the general market had expected.
Read Morningstar’s latest research on Unilever

Whitbread (WTB): Shares in the hotel and coffee chain operator rallied by just over 6% in a single day after the company reported solid full-year earnings results. The company announced it was hiking its dividend by 15% after achieving double-digit sales and profit growth. Standout performance came from Whitbread’s Costa coffee chain, which grew total sales by 27.5%.

Friday:

Pearson (PSON): Shares in the publishing company received a 1.5% boost after releasing first quarter results that showed a healthy rise revenue. However, the company which owns publications such as the Financial Times warned profit will be down in the first half of 2012.
Read Morningstar’s latest research on Pearson

The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

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About Author

Alanna Petroff

Alanna Petroff  is a financial journalist with Morningstar UK.

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