(CHTR.L) Charter International PLC Buy/Sell

RNS Number : 0550C Charter International PLC 05 November 2009

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights

are attached:

Charter International plc

2. Reason for the notification

Disclosure of holdings follows the sale of Insight Investment Management Limited on 2 November 2009. This notification supersedes any notifications previously issued by Lloyds Banking Group plc

3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation:

Lloyds Banking Group plc

4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.):

See Section 9 5. Date of the transaction (and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached if

different):

2 November 2009

6. Date on which issuer notified:

5 November 2009

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:

N/A - Direct/Indirect remains below 6%

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares

Class/type of shares if possible using the ISIN Situation previous to the Triggering transaction

Number of shares Number of voting Rights
Ord 2p shares 9,893,122 9,893,122

Class/type of shares if Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

possible using the ISIN CODE
Number of Number of voting rights % of voting rights
shares
Direct Direct Indirect Direct Indirect
Ord 2p shares 1,868,623 1,868,623 8,020,015 1.119% 4.804%

B: Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument Expiration Date Exercise/Conversion Number of voting % of voting rights
Period/ Date rights that may be
acquired if the
instrument is
exercised/
converted.

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument Exercise price Expiration date Exercise/ Conversion Number of voting % of voting rights
period rights instrument
refers to
Nominal Delta

Total (A+B+C) Number of voting rights % of voting rights

9,888,638 5.923%

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable:

9,742,352 Shares (5.835%) are under the control of Scottish Widows Investment Partnership Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Scottish Widows Group Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lloyds TSB Bank plc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group plc (Direct/Indirect Interests)

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder:

N/A

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

N/A

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

N/A

13. Additional information:

Notification using the total voting rights figure of 166,955,167

14. Contact name:

Matthew Wilson, tel 0113 235 7729

Michael Hampson, Company Secretary, Charter International plc, tel + 353 1 842 7190

This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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LONDON, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Charter International Plc:

RNS Number : 9953B
  Charter International PLC
  05 November 2009
   

Embargoed for release at 07.00 hours, Thursday 5 November 2009

Charter International plc

Interim management statement for the period from 1 July to 4 November 2009

Charter International plc ("Charter"), the international engineering group which comprises ESAB, one of the world's leading welding companies, and Howden, a world leader in air movement equipment, is today issuing its interim management statement for the period from 1 July to 4 November 2009. 

During the period under review, Charter's trading performance has been satisfactory. 

Providing current trading conditions continue, the Board envisages an outcome for the full year which would be somewhat ahead of their expectations at the time of reporting the first half results.

ESAB

Overall, trading conditions remained generally stable around the levels experienced in June. Throughout the period, ESAB has maintained its policy of price discipline. Summer shutdowns were less severe than we expected and the automotive industry has shown some improvement. Shipbuilding has, as anticipated, slowed down, particularly in Europe.

Turning to our regional markets, ESAB's business in Europe appears to have levelled out and we are returning our plant at Terni in Italy to production to meet current demand levels for solid wire. Russia and the CIS have shown recovery, as have exports to Africa.

ESAB's business in South America has stabilised and we are seeing improved performances in Brazil and Argentina. ESAB India continues to perform well and its results are in line with last year.

The market in North America remains weak although ESAB's consumables sales have remained stable. The market in China, which accounts for only a modest proportion of ESAB's revenue, is showing recovery. In the Middle East and South East Asia, there is a good level of enquiries from customers in the energy sector but bigger projects are still slow to proceed.

During the period, Standard Equipment sales were flat although they continue to be well down in Europe and North America compared with the same period of last year. However, there are some signs of improvement in South America. Engineered Automation continued to perform well, with good prospects driven by ESAB's unique competencies and position in the energy industry. The performance of the cutting business remains weak and, given current levels of industrial capacity utilisation, is expected to remain so throughout 2010.

ESAB's restructuring plans are delivering in accordance with our expectations and we are on course to achieve cost savings of £50 million this year. The plans previously outlined have all been completed with the exception of restructuring of the equipment and cutting activities in the USA, which we announced in June and which will be completed in the first half of next year. The low activity levels currently being experienced across the cutting business and which we expect to continue for the time being have resulted in the need for us to take further action to reduce headcount and other costs in the business.

In terms of the outlook for ESAB, we believe that the low point in the cycle is probably behind us. However, the recovery looks as though it will be slow and uneven, with some regions and industries faring better than others.

Providing current trading conditions continue, we now expect that ESAB's adjusted operating margin in the second half of the year will be ahead of the margin achieved in the second quarter of the year and broadly in line with the level of 6.6 per cent achieved in the first half. 

For 2010, the World Steel Association is forecasting growth of 13.1 per cent in the consumption of steel for the world excluding China, which, if fulfilled, will benefit ESAB's consumables business. On this basis, we would also expect ESAB's Standard Equipment to see some recovery later that year but we do not expect Cutting to recover until 2011.

By the middle of next year, we will have reinstated the physical manufacturing capacity from closed factories into existing factories in lower cost locations. This, together with the operating improvements being implemented across the business, the new products being introduced and the strength of ESAB's technology and brand, position ESAB to benefit strongly from the recovery as it develops.

Howden

Howden has continued to trade in line with the trends reported for the first half of 2009. Sales to the oil and gas sector have remained strong and the good progress shown in the aftermarket in the first half of the year is being sustained, whilst sales of new equipment to the power sector, especially in China, have continued to be relatively weak.

Enquiry levels generally have remained at reasonable levels but these are taking longer to convert into orders. It is therefore expected that the year-end order book will be in the range £425 - 450 million, that is, about 10 - 15 per cent below the level at the beginning of the year.

The Board's expectations for revenues and margin in the second half of the year remain unchanged but, as a result of the reduced order in-take for new build power customers, particularly in North America and China, Howden is taking steps to ensure that headcount is in line with future activity levels. Whilst the impact of lower new equipment sales on Howden's workforce will be reduced by an increased proportion of work being retained in-house, it is expected that headcount will be reduced by around 270 people during 2009, representing approximately 7 per cent of Howden's workforce as at 1 January 2009, at an exceptional cost of £2 million. 

In relation to 2010, given the current delays in converting enquiries into orders, we expect a reduction in sales of new equipment, although the impact of these on Howden's profitability should be partially offset by continued progress in the aftermarket. We expect bookings to strengthen during 2010, which will have the effect of returning new equipment sales to growth in 2011.  

Financial position

Charter's financial position remains strong, and the group's healthy net cash position reflects the trading developments during the period outlined above, continued capital expenditure and also the payment of the interim dividend of £11.7 million. 

Change in Head Office and Company Secretary

On 21 October 2009, Michael Hampson joined Charter as Company Secretary and General Counsel. He has previously worked with a number of other companies listed on the London Stock Exchange including Anglian Water Group plc and Whitbread plc. 

Also on that day, the Company's head office was re-located to 27 Northwood House, Northwood, Santry, Dublin 9, Ireland.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain sections of this statement may include forward looking statements that are subject to risk factors associated with, amongst other things, economic and business circumstances occurring from time to time in the countries in which the Company and its subsidiaries operate. It is believed that the expectations reflected in the statement are reasonable but they may be affected by a wide range of variables which are outside the control of the Company and could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. 

ENDS

IMS Investor call

Charter will be hosting a conference call for investors at 3.00 p.m. GMT this afternoon. This may be accessed by dialling +44 (0) 20 7108 6369; participant pass code: 7772121. Replays of this call will be available by dialling +44 (0) 20 7970 8431; participant pass code: 6199 until 19 November 2009.

Capital Markets event

An investor event is being held on Monday 9 November in London. It is not intended that any new information on the Company's trading or prospects will be made available at this event. Materials to be presented at the investor event will be available on the Company's website from approximately 2 p.m. GMT that day, and a webcast of the event will be available from Tuesday 10 November. 

Financial Calendar

Charter does not intend to issue any further trading updates during 2009. The next scheduled release will be the Company's results for its financial year ending 31 December 2009; the date of this announcement will be published on the Company's website (www.Charter.ie). 

 Enquiries
 Charter International plc                                +44 (0) 20 7404 5959
 Michael Foster, Chief Executive
 Robert Careless, Finance Director
 Aidan Wallis, Head of Corporate Finance and Investor
 Relations 

 Brunswick Group LLP
 Andrew Fenwick; 
 Nina Coad                                                +44 (0) 20 7404 5959

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
  END 
 
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RNS Number : 4730B Charter International PLC 27 October 2009

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached:

Charter International plc

2. Reason for the notification

Acquisition or disposal of voting rights

3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation:

Lloyds Banking Group plc

4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.):

See Section 9

5. Date of the transaction (and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached if different):

23 October 2009

6. Date on which issuer notified:

26 October 2009

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:

Direct/Indirect decrease to below 6%

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares

Class/type of shares if possible using the ISIN Situation previous to the Triggering transaction

Number of shares Number of voting Rights
Ord 2p shares 10,044,766 10,044,766

Class/type of shares if Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

possible using the ISIN CODE
Number of Number of voting rights % of voting rights
shares
Direct Direct Indirect Direct Indirect
Ord 2p shares 1,878,242 1,878,242 8,014,880 1.125% 4.801%

B: Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument Expiration Date Exercise/Conversion Number of voting % of voting rights
Period/ Date rights that may be
acquired if the
instrument is
exercised/
converted.

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument Exercise price Expiration date Exercise/ Conversion Number of voting % of voting rights
period rights instrument
refers to
Nominal Delta

Total (A+B+C) Number of voting rights % of voting rights

9,893,122 5.926%

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable:

5,745,857 Shares (3.441%) are held by State Street Nominees Ltd. Shares are under the control of Scottish Widows Investment Partnership Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Scottish Widows Group Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lloyds TSB Bank plc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group plc (Indirect Interests).

4,000,961 shares (2.396%) are under the control of Insight Investment Management (Global) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Insight Investment Management Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of HBOS Insurance & Investment Group Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of HBOS plc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group plc (Indirect Interests)

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder:

N/A

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

N/A

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

N/A

13. Additional information:

Notification using the total voting rights figure of 166,955,167

14. Contact name:

Matthew Wilson, tel 0113 235 7729

Michael Hampson, Company Secretary, Charter International plc, tel + 353 1 842 7190

This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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