British Airways, Woolworths, Regal: U.K., Irish Equity Preview

By Lenka Ponikelska and Alexis Xydias

Oct. 3 (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 declined 89.25, or 1.8 percent, to 4,870.34. The FTSE All-Share Index fell 1.5 percent, and Ireland's ISEQ Index climbed 5 percent.

U.K. companies:

Blacks Leisure Group Plc (BSLA LN): The U.K.'s largest retailer of outdoor gear said its first-half loss will widen after ``difficult'' trading in August. The shares declined 1.75 pence, or 1.9 percent, to 89.5.

British Airways Plc (BAY LN): Europe's third-largest carrier is publishing traffic data. The stock added 4.6 pence, or 2.7 percent, to 178.1.

DTZ Holdings Plc (DTZ LN): The U.K. real-estate broker asked JPMorgan Cazenove Ltd. to work on an equity fundraising that may involve either a placing or a rights offering, the Daily Telegraph reported, saying the idea is still in the very early stages of planning. The shares fell 2.25 pence, or 1.7 percent, to 127 pence.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA LN): Europe's largest oil company has proposed a $1.2 billion takeover of oil-and-gas explorer Regal Petroleum Plc (RPT LN), the Daily Telegraph reported. Shell, which faced rejection when it tried to reach a deal with Regal last year, has written to the company's chairman, Keith Henry, in the last few days with a proposal at 300 pence a share, the newspaper said, without saying where it got the information. Shell shares fell 47 pence, or 2.9 percent, to 1,583 pence. Regal shares fell 4 pence, or 4.6 percent, to 83 pence.

Taylor Wimpey Plc (TW/ LN): The U.K.'s largest homebuilder said talks aimed at easing loan conditions to avoid a breach of its banking covenants have been extended and will ``likely'' conclude early next year as the company tackles the biggest housing slump in 25 years. The shares fell 1.25 pence, or 3.5 percent, to 34.5.

Unilever Plc (ULVR LN): Investors are set to urge a change in the way the world's second-largest consumer-products maker operates under incoming Chief Executive Officer Paul Polman, the Financial Times reported, citing the investors. The shares fell 34 pence, or 2.2 percent, to 1,529 pence.

Woolworths Group Plc (WLW LN): Woolworths' unit Bertrams and its parent company EUK are in discussions with some distributors and publishers over reduced credit terms, the Bookseller said on its Web site, citing unidentified publishers. Woolworths shares fell 0.05 pence, or 1.2 percent, to 4.2 pence.

Irish companies:

United Drug Plc (UDG ID): Ireland's biggest medicines supplier met its targets of a double-digit increase in operating profit and earnings for the year ending Sept. 30. The shares added 16 cents, or 4.3 percent, to 3.89 euros.

To contact the reporter on this story: Lenka Ponikelska in London lponikelska1@bloomberg.net