Equity Snapshot - 16 May 2013

Wayne Hook - CEO, Spar: Tops liquor stores star performer for Spar. “I think everyone is scrapping for market share, stores are opening all over the show and so ja, I think it’s all round tough trading at the moment. But for us we still believe in our independent retail model, the guys [are] out there with their livelihoods on the line and really doing a good job for us despite the tough times.”

PPC revenue up 8%: Interim dividend of 38 cents per share declared.

• Improvement in South African and Zimbabwean cement sales 
• Cash generated from operations up 20% 
• Normalised earnings per share increased by 4% 
• Tangible progress with our rest of Africa expansion strategy 
• Technical issues at Dwaalboom resolved
• Interim dividend of 38 cents per share (2012: 38 cents per share)

Richemont FY HEPS up 30%: The Board has proposed a dividend of CHF 1.00 per share.

• Sales increased by 14 % to Euro 10 150 million and by 9 % on a constant currency basis
• Solid growth across segments, regions and channels
• Operating profit increased by 18 % to Euro 2 426 million
• Operating margin gained 80 basis points to reach 23.9 %
• Profit for the year rose by 30 % to Euro 2 005 million
• Cash flow from operations of Euro 1 944 million
• Proposed dividend of CHF 1.00 per share

Sovereign Food FY HEPS up 10%: Dividend per share of 19 cents declared.

• Headline earnings per share up 10% to 74,5 cents
• EBITDA margin of 9,2%
• Dividend per share of 19,0 cents declared
• Net asset value per share up 10% to 808 cents

Lonmin workers return to work: There are channels to be followed - Mathunjwa. Striking workers at the Lonmin platinum mine in Marikana in the North West resolved to return to work immediately on Wednesday. Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) president Joseph Mathunjwa held a meeting with the workers and told them to return to work. "There are channels to be followed... go back to work so that your enemies will not take advantage of this situation," Mathunjwa told the workers gathered at nearby Wonderkop stadium. Miners would start reporting for work for the 6pm shift on Wenesday night, he said.

Great Basin's Dippenaar reunites with Village's Swanepoel: JOHANNESBURG (MINEWEB) - Bernard Swanepoel and Ferdi Dippenaar, the pair behind the creation and growth of Harmony Gold as a major gold miner during the late 1990’s, have joined up again with Dippenaar’s appointment as the managing director of Village Main Reef’s gold assets, a company where Swanepoel is the current CEO. The reunification would see Swanepoel and Dippenaar working side-by-side in executive capacities for the first time since the latter left Harmony in 2005 to pursue his own interests and listed Great Basin Gold – one of SA mining’s biggest failures in recent times – the year thereafter.

Source: 28E Capital (Pty) Ltd