LONDON -- The FTSE 100
So there's some good news for markets overall. But there was even better news for certain individual members of the various FTSE indexes. Here are three shares that look set to outpace the market on Friday:
Oxford Catalysts
Oxford Catalysts Group soared 15.2% to 66.8 pence in morning trading as the synthetic-fuel specialist announced it had been selected as a supplier to Calumet Speciality Product Partners.
The deal should see Oxford Catalysts supplying Calumet's new gas-to-liquids plant in Pennsylvania, with the final "decision to proceed" due in early 2013. The agreement should net Oxford $10 million during 2013 and 2014, with a further $30 million or more to come over the first 20 years of commercial operation.
SThree
Recruitment specialist SThree saw its shares climb by 3.8% to 282 pence. At a time when the sector is struggling under ongoing economic weakness, SThree's third-quarter management statement today told of a 6% rise in gross profit, with the firm's pipeline looking strong. The bulk of that profit rise came from outside the U.K. and Ireland.
Full-year forecasts suggest a dividend of 14 pence per share and a 5% yield, though that income might be barely covered by predicted earnings.
Xcite
Xcite Energy enjoyed a nice 3.1% boost to 118 pence after the company sold more than 135,000 barrels of crude oil from its Bentley field in the North Sea. The group also said its preproduction flow tests were "continuing in line with expectations" and are expected to complete within the next two weeks.
Chief executive Rupert Cole said, "We are extremely pleased with the progress of the flow test and the substantial amounts of data and information that is being gathered." Xcite shares are now more than 50% up since the start of July.
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