Lloyds, Old Mutual, Standard Life: U.K., Irish Equity Preview

By Tommy Stubbington and Sarah Jones

Aug. 5 (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 fell 11.09, or 0.2 percent, to 4,671.37. The FTSE All-Share Index dropped less than 0.1 percent and Ireland’s ISEQ Index rose 0.5 percent.

Allied Irish Banks Plc (ALBK ID): Ireland’s second- biggest lender by market value reported a half-year loss of 829 million euros ($1.19 billion) compared with a year- earlier profit after a surge in bad debt provisions. The stock declined 6.6 cents, or 3.7 percent, to 1.716 euros.

British Airways Plc (BAY LN): Europe’s third-largest airline releases monthly traffic statistics. The shares climbed 4.7 pence, or 3.2 percent, to 150.2.

F&C Asset Management Plc (FCAM LN): The company which oversees the oldest U.K. investment fund said it posted a first-half loss of 9.8 million pounds ($17 million). The shares fell 1.5 pence, or 2 percent, to 72.5.

Ferrexpo Plc (FXPO LN): The producer of iron ore in Ukraine said first-half net income dropped to $28.5 million from $141.4 million a year earlier. The shares declined 1.5 pence, or 0.9 percent, to 158.5.

Lloyds Banking Group Plc (LLOY LN): Britain’s biggest mortgage lender posted a first-half loss of 3.1 billion pounds because of writedowns on corporate and real-estate loans.

Separately, Bank of New York Mellon Corp. is in advanced talks to buy most of Lloyds’s Insight Investment Management unit, in a deal that could be valued at as much as 250 million pounds ($423 million), the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the situation. The shares fell 0.98 pence, or 1.2 percent, to 84.27.

Old Mutual Plc (OML LN): The U.K.’s third largest insurance company by market value posted a net loss of 70 million pounds in the first half after consumers bought fewer insurance policies. The compares to a profit of 549 million pounds in the same period a year earlier. The shares fell 2.2 pence, or 2.3 percent, to 95.

Premier Foods Plc (PFD LN): The U.K. maker of Hovis bread said first-half operating profit dropped to 26.8 million pounds from 46.2 million pounds a year earlier. The shares gained 0.25 pence, or 0.6 percent, to 40 pence.

Shire Plc (SHP LN): The U.K.’s third-largest drugmaker is scheduled to report earnings. The stock fell 0.5 pence, or 0.1 percent, to 882.

Standard Life Plc (SL/ LN): The U.K.’s third-biggest insurer swung to a net loss in the first half of 20 million pounds from a profit of 161 million pounds a year earlier, on declining returns from investments. The shares dropped 3.9 pence, or 2 percent, to 195.8.

Taylor Wimpey Plc (TW/ LN): The U.K.’s largest homebuilder, which today reported its first-half net loss narrowed to 681.9 million pounds, said it wrote down the value of its land and work-in-progress by 604 million pounds as house prices fell in Britain and the U.S. The shares gained 0.5 pence, or 1.3 percent, to 40.01.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tommy Stubbington in London tstubbington@bloomberg.net; Sarah Jones in London at sjones35@bloomberg.net.