Any thoughts on the company?


Red line 200 MA

24 Mar 2015 "Deutsche Bank cuts Centrica to 'sell' from 'hold', target cut from 280p to 225p"

Half Yearly report

ROBUST FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Adjusted earnings up 2% to £767 million; 14.8 pence adjusted basic earnings per share
Total adjusted tax charge rises 21% to £690 million; effective tax rate of 47%, up from 43%
British Gas Residential operating profit marginally higher than in 2012, with significantly higher environmental and commodity costs offsetting the impact of increased consumption due to prolonged cold weather
Full year British Gas Residential operating profit expected to be broadly in line with 2012
Challenging market conditions in UK business energy; implementing new systems to help improve service and reduce costs
Direct Energy benefiting from enhanced scale downstream, offsetting pressure on margins from rising commodity prices
Higher international upstream gas and oil production and profitability; continued good nuclear performance; UK gas-fired generation loss making in weak market conditions

INVESTING FOR GROWTH, ENERGY SECURITY AND JOBS

Acquisition of Energy Marketing business of Hess Corporation makes Direct Energy the largest B2B gas supplier in the Eastern US
Agreement with Cheniere to export LNG from the US; 20 year £10 billion contract, taking our total supply commitment to around £60 billion
Announced £650 million Canadian gas asset acquisition, in partnership with Qatar Petroleum International
Acquired 25% stake in Bowland shale exploration licence, a potentially important source of gas for the UK
Organic investment of over £700 million in the first six months of 2013
First gas from York development in Southern North Sea and Rhyl project in East Irish Sea
1,000 apprentices currently in training with British Gas; 200 new apprenticeships announced in June

DELIVERING FOR OUR CUSTOMERS

56,000 British Gas residential energy accounts added, reflecting competitive pricing and innovative products
‘Tariff Check’ launched, proactively helping British Gas customers to choose the best deal for them
Over 500,000 vulnerable and elderly customers received £130 Warm Home Discount last winter
Over 1 million smart meters installed in UK homes and businesses
Launching ‘Free Electricity Saturdays’ in Texas; Bounce Energy acquisition enhances online capabilities

DELIVERING FOR OUR SHAREHOLDERS

All cash interim dividend up 6% to 4.92 pence per share, representing 30% of the prior year’s dividend, in line with established practice
Over £240 million of shares bought back to date under £500 million share repurchase programme
“With our customers using more gas to stay warm during the unusually cold winter, we’re doing everything we can to help them keep their energy costs under control and make bills simpler and clearer. We are also delivering for our shareholders, enabling us to continue to grow the business and invest to secure energy supplies for the future.”

Nice one ED!

The heat is on: Miliband's energy price pledge knocks £950m off Centrica shares

Shares in Centrica tumbled nearly 5 per cent today, wiping £950m off the market value of the British Gas-owner, as the market reacted to Labour leader Ed Miliband’s shock announcement yesterday that he would freeze energy prices if elected in 2015.

On hearing the news, the group warned yesterday that it “would simply not be economically viable for Centrica to continue to operate” in the face of such a freeze.

Investors took Centrica’s comment to heart today, sending its shares down by 18.6p to 378.1p. SSE, the utility formerly known as Scottish & Southern Energy, also suffered, as its shares fell by 83p, or 5.3 per cent, to 1,497.0p.

why doesn't Ed take his communist ideas back to Poland where his family come from.

"Nice one ED!" possible profitable recovery play here so I agree on this occasion.. Nice one ED.

Can't see this lot staying down for much longer after today's RNS. can you? http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4688948

Stan, I can't see the reason that it has stayed down here for so long after Milliband's ill conceived statement.
It's beyond reason that an energy companies charges can be capped when its product has to be bought on an open world market...unless of course Milliband has a plan to cap world energy costs...then he must be known as 'wonder boy'!

I've had a dabble today - after the recent fall, it would be rude not to!

I hope you have had a good dabble skinny and the luck is with you.
Good to have you on board...we know now that we will not miss any updates :-)

opto Red ED is following in Gordon's footsteps who famously "saved the world"!

Director/PDMR Shareholding Purchase: Director/PDMR Shareholding Purchase: http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4693532

Some more Director activity http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4694567

U.K. utility Centrica (CNA.LN) is preparing to abandon a GBP2 billion offshore wind farm project because subsidies offered by the U.K. government are too low, The Daily Telegraph reported on its website Monday.

British Gas, which owns Centrica, will not build the Race Bank wind farm, 17 miles off the north Norfolk coast, unless proposed subsidies are significantly increased, three sources told The Telegraph.

Government ministers will not confirm final subsidy levels until December but are thought unlikely to increase draft prices enough for the project, which Centrica said could power 450,000 homes, to go ahead, The Telegraph said.

Full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

A bit surprised that that piece of news didn't push the SP upwards, volume pretty average as well oh well might be early days.

stan don't forget the politics of the moment.

True enough H/F, bit of a tick up today so hope it continues to the Trading Update due on Thursday.

Over double the Ave. volume today so hoping for a decent rise in the near future with these.

Mr Market looking for a good IMS in the morning...hope he's right, we need a bit of a boost after these last few weeks.

Interim Management Statement

Mr Market was wrong this time!

So was I!!