Amlin, AstraZeneca, ENRC, Persimmon: U.K., Irish Equity Preview

By Jonathan Browning and Sarah Jones

Aug. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies whose shares may have unusual price changes in U.K. and Irish markets today. Stock symbols are in parentheses and prices are from the last market close.

The benchmark FTSE 100 Index rose 51.4, or 1 percent, to 5,371.80. The FTSE All-Share Index rose 0.9 percent and Ireland's ISEQ Index dropped 0.8 percent.

U.K. companies:

Amlin Plc (AML LN): The Lloyd's of London insurer said first-half profit slumped to 108.1 million pounds ($201.6 million), hurt by losses on investments. Return on investment fell to 0.7 percent from 2.6 percent in 2007. The shares advanced 4.75 pence, or 1.7 percent, to 282.25.

AstraZeneca Plc (AZN LN): A new report found cholesterol- lowering drugs don't raise the risk of cancer, calming fears raised by an earlier study from the same authors. The findings appear to clear drugs including Pfizer Inc.'s Lipitor and AstraZeneca Plc's Crestor from responsibility for the cancers, said Richard Karas, director of preventive cardiology at Tufts Medical Center and the senior author of the paper. The shares fell 30 pence, or 1.2 percent, to 2,575.

Antofagasta Plc (ANTO LN): The copper producer controlled by Chile's Luksic family may develop solar and wind power projects in Chile after energy prices surged. The shares rose 33.5 pence, or 6.4 percent, to 558.5.

BAE Systems Plc (BA/ LN): Europe's biggest defense company won an initial 2 billion-pound contract from the U.K. Ministry of Defence to supply ammunition for the country's armed forces.

BAE's Land Systems Munitions unit will deliver small-arms and medium-caliber ammunition, such as mortar bombs, over 15 years, with the value of the contract likely to increase to more than 3 billion pounds, the ministry said today in a statement. The shares fell 6.5 pence, or 1.4 percent, to 456.

Eurasian Natural Resources Corp. (ENRC LN): The world's third-largest producer of ferrochrome said first-half profit more than tripled to $1.34 billion. That beat the $1.18 billion median estimate of four analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. Sales increased 85 percent to $3.4 billion. The shares rose 67 pence, or 7 percent, to 1,027.

Imperial Energy Plc (IEC LN): Oil & Natural Gas Corp., India's biggest exploration company, declined to comment on reports that its overseas unit had bid to buy a controlling stake in the U.K. company.

The Hindustan Times reported ONGC Videsh Ltd. made a $2.5 billion, ``non-binding offer'' for a stake in Imperial Energy, citing unidentified officials familiar with the bid. The unit submitted the offer on June 24, it said. Imperial's shares rose 25 pence, or 2.2 percent, to 1,146.

Marks & Spencer Group Plc MKS LN): The retailer has decided to bring forward the date of its next trading statement by a month, the Daily Telegraph reported, citing the company.

Marks & Spencer will now provide second-quarter results on Oct. 2, ahead of half-year results on Nov. 4, the newspaper said. The shares lost 3.75 pence, or 1.5 percent, to 252.

Persimmon Plc (PSN LN): The U.K.'s largest homebuilder by market value said first-half profit fell 87 percent to 26.4 million pounds after banks granted fewer mortgages. Sales dropped 34 percent. The shares dropped 6.5 pence, or 2.1 percent, to 298.5 pence.

Trinity Mirror Plc (TNI LN): The U.K. publisher of the Daily Mirror newspaper told 300 workers in central England to reapply for jobs amid a restructuring, the Guardian reported without saying where it got the information. The shares declined 5.5 pence, or 5.5 percent, to 95.

Irish companies:

Ryanair Holdings Plc (RYA ID): Europe's biggest discount airline is under a European Union investigation. Regulators are probing whether Ryanair is violating an EU rule by refusing to honor tickets bought from travel agencies through the Internet. The shares fell 1.5 cents, or 0.6 percent, to 2.622 euros.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Browning in London jbrowning9@bloomberg.netSarah Jones in London at sjones35@bloomberg.net.