London pre-open: Flat start expected

10th Dec 2009 07:39

Little movement is expected from Footsie in early dealings despite progress from US blue chips last night.Tim Weller, chief financial officer (CFO) of United Utilities, is to jump ship to take over the CFO role at the Cable & Wireless division, Cable & Wireless Worldwide. Weller will join the Cable & Wireless Worldwide board of directors in May 2010.Higher sales from its shops helped sports retailer Sports Direct shrug of a decline in its wholesale business to post a rise in sales and underlying pre-tax profits. In the half year to October 25, revenues climbed to £756.9m from £687.7m over the same period the previous year. Underlying pre-tax profits climbed to £71.9m from £51.8m.Electronic components distributor Premier Farnell reported a 37% fall in third quarter profits but said the period has seen further improvement as the rate of year on year sales decline in its business continued to ease.Carillion, the support services and construction firm, has won preferred bidder status for the Southmead Hospital public/private partnership development project in Bristol.Copper miner Kazakhmys has increased the stake it will sell in its Ekibastuz GRES -1 power plant from 25% to 50%. The consideration will increase from $339m to $681m and will primarily be used by Kazakhmys to repay debt.Energy efficiency company Eaga expects to notch up double digit percentage growth in profits in the first half of its financial year. The company said that revenues across all of the group's core segments have continued to grow year on year since its mid-October trading update.