If Bt has bought back 2million 5 thousand shares to day. How come it shows on trades as a sell?

BT Group Extends Olive Branch To UK Union
BT (LSE:BT.A)
Intraday Stock Chart
Today : Friday 18 June 2010
BT Group PLC (Bt.A.LN) Friday extended an olive branch to its biggest union by calling on the Communication Workers Union, which represents around half of its 128,000 staff, to resume talks after a union official said it may compromise on a pay deal.

The U.K. telecommunications firm said it's surprised to hear through the media that the CWU are willing to compromise on their 5% pay increase demand for this year. At no stage have they formally put forward an alternative proposal.

"Given this, we call on the union to postpone the ballot and return to formal discussions with the company. Industrial action is unnecessary and would only benefit our competitors so we look forward to any new proposal from the union", BT said in a brief statement.

A CWU spokeswoman said it's prepared to meet BT if there's an improved offer on the table.

She confirmed that ballot papers were sent Friday to the 55,000 BT workers it represents as expected, asking them to vote in favor of industrial action over a pay dispute.

If staff vote in favor of a strike, it would be the first at the telecommunications company in 23 years. The ballot, which will be run by Electoral Reform Services, will close July 5.

The CWU is demanding a 5% pay rise this year. BT is offering a 2% pay increase this year followed by a 3% rise in 2011, plus additional one-off payments and guarantees on job security.

Prospect, BT's second-biggest union with 30,000 members, mainly managers, has already agreed to a 2% pay rise.

BSKYB and BT sign contract for Sky Sports 1



TIDMBT.A TIDMBSY

RNS Number : 3044O
Bt Group PLC
28 June 2010

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DC10-150
June 28, 2010
BSKYB AND BT SIGN CONTRACT FOR SKY SPORTS 1 AND SKY SPORTS 2

BT and Sky have signed a contract for the wholesale supply of Sky Sports 1 and
Sky Sports 2 to BT.
The contract means that BT customers will be able to sign up for the
subscription channels from early July. BT Vision customers will be able to view
Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 from August 1, in time for the start of the
Premier League football season on August 14.
BT will be revealing its pricing shortly.
Gavin Patterson, chief executive of BT Retail, said: "We are delighted to
have reached this milestone, which means that we can be certain of offering Sky
Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 to our customers before the football season kicks off.
We know our customers will be keen to sign up for the two channels."
ends

July 1, 2010
BT CUSTOMERS SCORE WITH HUGE SAVINGS ON SKY SPORTS 1 AND SKY SPORTS 2
BT today heralded a new era of competition in pay-TV by launching the UK's best
value deal for Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 for just GBP16.99 a month.
BT Vision customers can add the channels for the simple monthly price on a
month-by-month contract. If they only want to add either one of Sky Sports 1 or
Sky Sports 2 they can do so for only GBP11.99.*
Customers who are happy to commit to a bundle of broadband and calls for 24
months, can get an even better deal with the BT 'total sports package',
starting at just GBP6.99 for Sky Sports 1, ESPN and 'on demand' sport from BT
Vision or GBP11.99 for Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2, ESPN and 'on demand'
sport. The latter bundle works out GBP205 cheaper than Sky's current equivalent
deal and GBP281 cheaper than Virgin Media over a year.**
BT will be able to sign up customers for these packages from today, in
plenty of time for the customer to enjoy the new Premier League football season,
which starts on August 14.
Research by BT indicated that around 4m more people in the UK would like to
sign up for Sky Sports channels, but felt that it was too expensive.
Gavin Patterson, chief executive of BT Retail, said: "Football fans will be
cheering our new prices, which mark an end to paying for basic channels when you
only want the sport.
"We expect that entry prices as low as GBP6.99 will welcome in a huge
number of extra customers who'd love to enjoy these channels, but thought they
were too expensive.
"A more competitive market will ensure that customers continue to get the
best sport for the sharpest prices and this opening of the market will be in the
best interests of customers."
The start of a new more competitive market was sparked by a ruling
from Ofcom, which obliged Sky to wholesale Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 at
regulated prices to rivals such as BT.
As well as Premier League football, Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 2 screen
Champions League football, test cricket and rugby union.

BT AND CWU REACH 39 MONTH PAY AGREEMENT

BT today announced it has reached agreement with the CWU's leadership on a new
pay package for team members. This package, which has been agreed by the union's
executive, will now be recommended to union members in a consultative ballot.
This ballot will take place within the next few weeks.
Having failed to reach agreement on a one or two year deal, the two sides have
instead agreed on an unprecedented thirty nine month deal that will take both
sides through until March 2013. This deal will provide BT with wage stability
for several years.
The agreement will see team members receive pensionable pay rises worth 3 per
cent each financial year from April 2010 to March 2013 with the rise being
backdated to January 2010. The union had previously demanded a 5 per cent rise
for 2010/11 alone.
BT had previously offered a 2 per cent pensionable pay rise from April 2010 and
a 3 per cent rise from January 2011. The company had also offered lump sum
payments worth up to GBP500 for each team member but these have now been removed
given the revised terms over thirty nine months.
Ian Livingston, BT chief executive, said: "This agreement is good for BT, its
employees, shareholders and customers. BT will benefit from a long period of
certainty whilst our employees will have financial stability during uncertain
economic times. I am pleased that we have been able to work with the union's
leadership to resolve this matter as industrial action would have been in
no-one's interest."

Invesco up stake to 11.02%

140(ish) on the chart and BT.A is looking a bit toppy. Can we kick on from here or will we fall back into our established trading range for another cycle?

Looks like we're heading up. Breakout?

AGM Statement



TIDMBT.A

RNS Number : 7643P
Bt Group PLC
22 July 2010

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July 22, 2010
BT CHAIRMAN - 2009/10 WAS A "YEAR OF DELIVERY"
BT chairman Sir Michael Rake today highlighted the company's return to profit in
the 2009/10 financial year, describing the period as a "year of delivery".
He said "A lot has changed since last year's annual general meeting and I'm
pleased to say that, from BT's perspective, a lot of that change has been for
the better".
Rake was speaking at the BT Annual General Meeting in Liverpool. In his speech
he cited how BT had cut its cost base - by GBP1.8 billion in the 09/10 financial
year - and increased its cash flow by more than a billion pounds to GBP1.9
billion in the same period.
Rake said both achievements enabled BT to invest for the future, reduce its
debt, support its pension scheme and reward its shareholders with a progressive
dividend.
The turnaround at BT Global Services was singled out by Rake who highlighted how
costs had been reduced and EBITDA progressively improved at the division
throughout the year.
He said, "We have seen cost transformation at Global Services, leading to a
marked improvement in profitability. I am now in the happy position where I can
stand before you and say that we have a very solid performance across all of our
main operating divisions".
Rake finished his speech by saying that whilst BT was a "much better company
than a few years ago" it could not afford any complacency.
Enquiries about this news release should be made to the BT Group Newsroom on its
24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK dial + 44 20 7356 5369. All
news releases can be accessed at our web site: http://www.bt.com/newscentre

Blackrock above 5%

1st Quarter results.

BT Group plc (BT.L) today announces its results for the first quarter to 30 June 2010. Unless otherwise stated, the changes in results are year on year against the first quarter to 30 June 2009.



Key points:



Revenue of 5,006m, down 4%

Operating costs1 reduced by 291m

Adjusted EBITDA2 of 1,399m, up 6%

Adjusted profit before tax2 of 446m, up 17%

Adjusted earnings per share2 of 4.4p, up 16%, reported earnings per share of 3.7p, up 32%

Free cash flow of 415m, up 537m

Net debt of 8.9bn, down by more than 1.6bn

Fibre roll out passes over 1.5m UK premises in July

Full year outlook remains unchanged

UPDATE: BT Talking To UK Government About Cuts; Confirms Outlook

Today : Thursday 29 July 2010
Telecommunications firm Bt Group PLC (BT.A.LN) Thursday reiterated that it is in talks with the U.K. government over plans to slash public spending as it kept its full-year outlook and posted solid first-quarter results underpinned by contracts wins and further cost cutting.

BT, whose exposure to U.K. government spending cuts has got investors jittery, said it is "actively engaged with the U.K. government" about spending cuts, which it said present both opportunities and challenges.

Less than 10% of BT's business comes from the U.K. government, which has flagged that some departmental budgets will fall by 25% in real terms over the next four years, Chief Executive Ian Livingston said.

"Like any customer, we're going to try help them meet their costs, their challenges. We're comfortable with our numbers," he said.

The U.K. government's cost cutting plan has already resulted in Cable & Wireless Worldwide PLC (CW.LN) issuing a profit warning last week that knocked its shares, although a greater percentage of its sales derive from government contracts compared with BT. Cable & Wireless competes with BT's global services division.

Livingston said the company has made an "acceptable start" to the new financial year, which ends March 31 2011, delivering improved financial results while investing in the future.

"Despite the challenging environment, these financial results underpin our outlook for the full year," said Livingston.

Stripping out redundancy costs, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization--one of the main figures U.K. telecom analysts track--rose 6% to GBP1.4 billion in the first quarter ended June 30, beating market expectations of GBP1.37 billion.

The performance was driven by the group's global services division and a GBP291 million reduction in operating costs excluding depreciation and amortization in the first quarter, largely due to reductions in labour costs and cost savings across the board.

Underlying Ebitda at global services, which provides outsourcing work as well as phone and Internet services to businesses, doubled in the first quarter to GBP130 million from GBP62 million a year ago.

First quarter net profit rose 33% to GBP284 million from GBP214 million, driven by the cost savings and higher finance income.

First-quarter revenue fell 4% to GBP5.01 billion from GBP5.24 billion, ahead of expectations of GBP4.95 billion, as customers made fewer landline calls.

Free cash flow, another closely watched figure, rose GBP537 million in the first quarter, while net debt fell sharply by GBP1.6 billion to GBP8.9 billion.

For the current financial year, BT expects revenue of about GBP20 billion, underlying operating cost savings of around GBP900 million and debt of less than GBP9 billion. BT said it expects free cash flow to be around GBP1.8 billion.

However, the company expects a slowdown in underlying Ebitda growth in the second quarter due to the timing of the additional investments announced at the time of its fiscal 2010 results in May.

Court judgment on the Crown Guarantee

Judgment has today been given in the Royal Courts of Justice on the scope and extent of the Government's obligations in respect of the Crown Guarantee.


The key point in the judgment is confirmation that, in the unlikely event of BT becoming insolvent, the Crown Guarantee can cover members who joined the BT Pension Scheme both before and after privatisation. A further hearing is expected to resolve some outstanding points of detail1.

It holds above 160p then 200p on the cards skinny.

I'm hoping for 500p next year.

One can always hope, Mitzy, but have you anything in the fundamentals pointing that way?

No nothing Kevin just based on hope.

OK then. Let's all keep hoping!

lol.

good news regarding the almost 3billion reduction in pension fund liabilities, interim results to be announced next thursday 11th november, could this be the beginning of their renaissance?

Yes - good gap up today and fairly good volume.