| The Markets There were a mixed set of figures from the UK jobs market, with employment numbers rising by 236,000 in the three month to July but the unemployment rate rising by 10 basis points to 8.1%. The results have led many to wonder how GDP figures are so weak when the number of people in employment is climbing. In Germany, the constitutional court has rejected a petition, signed by over 37,000 people, to block the Eurozone rescue fund. However, it has imposed certain constrains, such as placing a cap on the amount Germany can contribute to it. Meanwhile, the president of the EU Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, outlined new plans that will give the European Central Bank greater authority to regulate some 6,000 European banks. He called for greater co-operation between countries with the goal of creating a "federation of nation-states" which could result in the need for a new treaty. At the London close the Dow Jones was up by 40.41 points at 13,363.77 and the Nasdaq was up by 2.86 points at 2,787.75. In London the FTSE 100 fell by 10.11 points to 5,782.08; the FTSE 250 finished 30.63 points ahead at 11,811.05; the FTSE All-Share lost 3.96 points to 3,017.76; and the FTSE AIM Index declined by 4.38 points to 694.84. 
Broker Notes N+1 Brewin changed its stance on May Gurney Integrated Services (MAYG) from "sell" to "buy" with a target price of 155p. The broker noted that the shares have fallen off rapidly, following a negative update that included the departure of the construction and maintenance firm's chief executive, net debt forecast increases and write-offs. However, Brewin believes that the shares now look attractive, trading on a prospective earnings multiple of 4.7 times for the 2013 financial year and offering a dividend yield of 6.8%. The broker added that the group has a stable order book of 1.5 billion pounds, but admitted that it may take some time for the group's credibility to be restored. The shares tumbled by 18.5p to 99p.  WH Ireland maintained its "buy" rating for Kentz Corporation (KENZ) with a 398.2p target price. The engineering company achieved first half pre-tax profit growth of 35.8% to 51.2 million dollars (31.8 million pounds) with the broker noting that the group has diversified into mineral resource projects. WH Ireland pointed to a strong order book of 2.5 billion dollars (1.6 billion pounds), with order intake of 1 billion dollars (0.6 billion pounds) of which half was recurring revenue. Kentz shares slipped by 2.4p to 397.5p. Canaccord Genuity reiterated its "buy" recommendation for Supergroup (SGP) with an increased target price of 850p, from 500p. The fashion retailer reported UK sales growth of 19.7% to 40.2 million pounds for its first quarter, with the broker noting that the company did not offer any discounts, which should strengthen margins. Canaccord added that the firm's wholesale division was performing ahead of expectations, with the order book for the Autumn/Winter range already 7% greater than all the sales made in the first half of the previous financial year. The shares surged by 63p to 630p. Blue-Chips Kingfisher (KGF) reported a 3.3% fall in revenues for the 26 weeks ended 28th July, to 5.5 billion pounds, with adjusted pre-tax profits sinking by 15.5% to 371 million pounds. The DIY specialist said that the performance was impacted by poor summer weather in the UK, with sales of outdoor seasonal products down 11% year-on-year. However, the group noted that it had a net cash position of 29 million pounds as at 28th July, up from a net debt position of 186 million pounds at the same time last year, and increased its interim dividend by 25.1% to 3.09p. The shares inched up by 2.7p to 275p. 
In order to increase is presence in the shale gas market, Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) has purchased a 618,000 acre property in Texas, for 1.935 billion dollars (1.201 billion pounds). The acreage is already proven to contain oil and natural gas liquids and is producing around 26,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, which the hydrocarbons giant believes can be significantly increased in the near term. Royal Dutch shares slipped by 7.5p to 2,292p. BT (BT.A) has signed a 152 million pound contract with Premiership Rugby for exclusive live broadcasting rights for the next four years. The telecommunications and home entertainment company added that it will also have the rights to show all European competition matches featuring Premiership clubs for three years, starting from 2014. The shares gained 8.7p to 235.2p. Mid-Caps Housebuilder Barratt Developments (BDEV) announced adjusted pre-tax profits of 110.7 million pounds for the year ended 30th June 2012, up 159.3% on 2011's performance, with net debt nearly halved to 167.7 million pounds. The firm benefited from higher average selling prices, of 180,500 pounds, and a greater number of completions on newer, higher margin land. The group said that it will not issue a dividend for the year, but plans to introduce one in 2013. Shares in Barratt lost 10.9p to 158.8p. 
Afren (AFR) reported that it has begun drilling the Simrit-3 exploration well on the Ain Sifni PSC, in which it has a 20% holding, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The well is located 10 kilometres east of the Simrit-2 well, which encountered 460 metres of net oil pay, having drilled to a depth of 3,800 metres. The purpose of the new well will be to determine how far the already discovered reservoir extends. The shares crept up by 1.1p to 137.4p. Online gambling company Bwin.party Digital (BPTY) has signed a partnership agreement, through its newly launched Win division, with social gaming company Nordeus for the development of a social sports betting application. Nordeus was founded in March 2010 and its flagship product is the Top Eleven football manager game which has over six million active users and is one of the most played games on Facebook. Bwin shares rose by 1.7p to 103.2p. Small Caps, AIM and PLUS Camco International (CAO) reported earned revenue growth of 71.4% to 12.2 million euros (9.8 million pounds) for the six months ended 30th June. During the period, the clean energy company completed the development of a 4.5 megawatt biogas plant in Idaho, USA, ahead of budget and acquired a 2 megawatt biogas plant in South East Asia. The group added that it has restructured its China carbon portfolio to provide discounted future gross cash flows of 39.4 million euros (31.5 million pounds). The shares jumped by 1p to 5.25p. Fellow green technology company Ultima Networks (UTN) reported an operating loss of 29,000 pounds for the six months ended 30th June, down from a profit of 195,000 pounds in the first half of 2011, as revenues declined by 7.8% to 1.42 million pounds. The firm saw lower sales of its electric bicycles in mainland Europe, which lead it to restructure the distribution network. The group noted that its new bike range have been well received and expects this to drive volumes in the second half. Meanwhile, the company said that it has received interest in its solar power technology from the Mexican government and will install a pilot scheme at a university in the last quarter of 2012. Ultima shares lost 0.075p to 1.075p. Botswana Diamonds (BOD) announced that it has recovered two additional diamonds, of 0.25 and 1.3 carats, during its sampling programme at the Libongo project in Cameroon. The exploration consists of examining 100 tonne samples from three areas in order to determine if the region is similar to the adjacent proven Mobilong deposit and is expected to be completed within the next few weeks. The shares leapt by 0.375p to 2.75p. 
African Eagle Resources (AFE) achieved positive results from its metallurgical test work at the Dutwa nickel project in Tanzania, which it believes will help reduce operating expenses. The group said that its new low energy scrubbing and water screening system will increase rejection of low grade materials, with Nickel head grades improving from 1% to 2%. The company added that it will now undertake a review of the transport infrastructure with the aim of improving the rail systems. Shares in African Eagle climbed by 0.375p to 3.25p. PLUS-quoted Morano Resources (MRLP) reported that Zarmadan Resources Corporation, for which it has an option to purchase 100% of the capital, has uncovered new veins at the Rumri gold project in Tajikistan, with widths of up to 10 metres. The firm added that tests on rock sample revealed promising results, including finding of 7.92, 16.1 and 17.4 grams per tonne of gold. Morano shares were unchanged at 1.5p. Environmental Recycling Technologies (ENRT) said that its strategy of focusing on new technical and commercial markets has already paid off, having already secured licensing agreements in the US with Brownwater Plastics and NBF Plastics. Meanwhile, the plastic waste recycling company noted that its 2K Manufacturing division has significantly improved production of its flagship product the Eco Sheet plywood substitute. The shares leaked by 0.175p to 2.3p. | 
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