Anybody trading in these shares? I just bought some @ 204.72

UBS comment on possible approach and takeover:
"It is unclear how credible the sources are and if a bid would actually be forthcoming. We note that this is the latest in a string of potential M&A scenarios involving Balfour Beatty over the past year, following the failed merger discussions with Carillion and the JLIF bid for the investment portfolio. The premium implied by a 290p bid looks on the low side and we would expect it to be rebuffed.

We suspect the motivation for a bid would be to gain access to the UK and US markets. We suspect this is particularly the case in the UK, where the government is aiming to attract foreign investment to fund infrastructure. In general, Government-backed Chinese contractors seem to be looking to diversify abroad and have recently acquired John Holland in Australia in a carve-out for A$1.15bn in December 2014. In the case of Balfour Beatty, the £1.3bn investment portfolio could be used to part-fund a deal.

Balfour Beatty itself is in the early stages of a turnaround after a very challenging 2014, which saw heavy losses, particularly in the UK. We note that new CEO Leo Quinn's LTIP vests at a maximum 380p Jan-17/Jan-18. We think a large-premium cash bid is still unlikely at this stage."

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Done and post above removed.

StockMarketWire.com
Balfour Beatty reports encouraging progress on the group's transformation programme but warns that results will be hit by an additional shortfall of £120m-£150m.

It says the on-going, in-depth review of group businesses has continued to identify legacy issues in the UK, US and Middle East which will result in an additional shortfall to 2015 pre-tax profit of £120m-£150m. The UK accounts for approximately two-thirds of this amount.

The group says the Build to Last transformation programme is already gaining traction. New project disciplines and financial controls are being embedded, the new senior leadership team is substantially in place and good progress is being made against the £100 million permanent cost reduction programme.

And it says that as a result of the actions taken under the Build to Last programme, net cash is expected to exceed £200 million at the half year end - substantially better than H1 2014, demonstrating the Group's ability to maintain balance sheet strength through self-help.

Group chief executive Leo Quinn said: "The issues we are working through are as I set out in March and legacy challenges remain. However, we are making encouraging progress on the Group's transformation. The positive response of our people to change, the continuing confidence of our customers in Balfour Beatty's expertise and the first signs of improving cash performance reinforce my conviction in the Group's long-term success."

I still hold only the prefs - I wonder if these (and others) will benefit from the new 'roads fund' announced yesterday.

StockMarketWire.com
Balfour Beatty, in joint venture with VINCI, has been selected to deliver a smart motorway package worth up to £607.4m, the largest of Highways England's three packages within its £1.5bn Smart Motorway Programme.

Balfour Beatty VINCI, a 60:40 joint venture, will deliver smart motorway upgrades to a 10 mile stretch of the M5 Junctions 4a to 6 in Worcestershire; a 12 mile section of the M6 Junctions 2 to 4 in the Midlands, and a 32 mile stretch of the M4 Junctions 3 to 12 in London and Berkshire.

BALFOUR BEATTY JOINT VENTURE APPOINTED AS PREFERRED BIDDER


Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, today announces that its joint venture with NG Bailey, the UK's largest independent services and engineering company, has been appointed as preferred bidder for the £460m Hinkley Point C power station electrical package, for EDF Energy.

The 50:50 Balfour Beatty and NG Bailey joint venture - Balfour Beatty Bailey - will work across both proposed Hinkley Point C units to deliver the critical infrastructure that will power the station and its operations, creating 1,000 jobs including many specialist engineers.

Works will include design and installation of circa 76,000 cables totalling over 3,000km in length; over 180km of cable containment support systems; fire and environmental sealing; design and installation of earthing systems, and specialist packages associated with data acquisition and plant control.

Balfour Beatty Bailey will deliver a lasting local legacy with a significant proportion of the new workforce recruited locally, 60 local apprenticeships and training commitments and partnerships with local colleges.

Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive said:

"This project enables Balfour Beatty to deploy its extensive experience and knowledge of the nuclear sector as the UK takes its next significant step forward in low-carbon energy.

"The new nuclear programme demands a scale of resources and expertise that only the most capable and trusted partners can deliver. Equally significant, the project requires us to draw on the local community and its people in building what will be a highly specialist workforce.

"I am particularly pleased to see Balfour Beatty combining its tradition of delivering essential infrastructure with the creation of new skills and employment in this country."

Balfour Beatty Bailey's six year project is expected to commence in 2016 with design work and the construction phase in 2017. The joint venture's full contract award is scheduled for 2016, subject to the Hinkley Point C final investment decision.

Hinkley Point C, which will be located on the North Somerset coast, will be the first nuclear power station to be built in the UK for 20 years. The two new nuclear reactors that form the proposed Hinkley Point C will provide reliable, low carbon electricity to meet 7% of UK demand.

ENDS

Half Year Results

Financial Summary
· Order book1,2 stable at £11.3 billion (FY 2014: £11.4 billion).
· Underlying revenue1,2,3 stable at £4,085 million (2014: £4,072 million).
· Total underlying loss3 in the first half of £135 million (2014: profit £37 million). Total loss in the first half of £150 million (2014: £43 million).
· First half included £152 million shortfall, in line with indicated range of July trading update, reflecting historic issues in construction.
· >90% of historic UK problem contracts expected to be at practical or financial completion by end of 2016.
· Strong performance from Infrastructure Investments - Directors' valuation £1,252 million (FY 2014: £1,300 million) after realising £112 million of disposal proceeds and £37 million in distributions, with £64 million of cash invested.

Build to Last
· Build to Last already delivering: £260 million net cash as at 26 June 2015 (FY 2014: £219 million) - £362 million cash flow improvement half on half (2015: £41 million inflow; 2014: £321 million outflow)
· Actions underway to achieve £100 million of cost out by end of 2016 - annualised savings of £25 million executed in the first half.
· Favourable market trends - strong pipeline of opportunity, embedding 'Gated Business Lifecycle' approach to drive governance and control for project bidding and delivery.

Leo Quinn, Group Chief Executive commented: "Six months in, our Build to Last transformation programme is gaining traction throughout the business. We have a new senior leadership team and an organisation re-aligned with key customer sectors. We are on course to meet our 24-month targets for £200 million cash in and £100 million cost out.

"In rising core markets, the Group is continuing to win business on better terms across our operations. In the last few months the awards of contracts or preferred bidder status for three landmark projects - Bergstrom Expressway in Austin Texas, nuclear new build Hinkley Point C power station electrical package and a UK smart motorway package - is a further endorsement of Balfour Beatty's leading capabilities.
"Inevitably the headline numbers set out the consequences of the historic issues that are now being tackled. However the continuing confidence of our customers in Balfour Beatty's expertise, the positive response of our people to change, demonstrated by our excellent net cash performance, and the underlying strength of our balance sheet, supported by the Investments portfolio, all reinforce my conviction that over the medium term we can provide our customers, employees and shareholders with superior returns."

Numis Add 259.70 290.00 290.00 Reiterates

Westhouse Securities Sell 259.70 - - Reiterates

Liberum Capital Buy 259.70 285.00 285.00 Reiterates

Liberum Capital Buy 261.40 285.00 320.00 Reiterates

Jefferies International Buy 261.40 270.00 300.00 Reiterates

JP Morgan Cazenove Neutral 261.40 240.00 240.00 Retains

StockMarketWire.com
Balfour Beatty's joint venture with Morgan Sindall and BAM Nuttall has been awarded a £416m contract to construct part of London's new 'super sewer', the Thames Tideway Tunnel, for Bazalgette Tunnel.

The Thames Tideway Tunnel will ensure the capital's sewerage system is fit to support its projected population for at least the next 100 years, and will tackle the issue of discharges of untreated sewage that currently enter the River Thames on a regular basis.

Balfour Beatty's three-way equal joint venture, which is known as BMB and was appointed as preferred bidder for the scheme in February 2015, will create the six kilometre 'West' section of the 25km Thames Tideway Tunnel. BMB's 'West' section will run from Acton in West London to Wandsworth in South West London and will incorporate seven separate work sites along the route. Works will include design, construction, commissioning and maintenance for a two to five year period following construction completion.

A digital construction approach utilising Building Information Modelling (BIM) will allow full testing and simulation of construction activity before works start on site for safe and efficient delivery.

Project materials will be transported down the River Thames to ease road congestion, emissions and disruption throughout the duration of the project.

StockMarketWire.com
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has been awarded a £104m road scheme by Norfolk County Council to complete works on the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NNDR).

The new road will serve Broadland, Norfolk, and improve access to North Norfolk and Norwich International Airport, with better links to Great Yarmouth and the south of the region.

It will also bring relief on congested and unsuitable roads around the north and east of Norwich and improve capacity for future growth in jobs and housing.

The company will construct the new 19.6km dual carriageway, including nine new roundabouts, seven new bridges, an underpass and a more complex two level junction. The new dual carriageway will run from the A1067 Fakenham Road, crossing the A140 at Norwich International Airport and joining the A47 at Postwick, at the eastern end of Norwich Southern Bypass.

Construction work will begin this winter and is scheduled for completion in late 2017. A workforce of over 500 will be employed on the project at construction peak.

Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty's group chief executive, said: "This project draws on Balfour Beatty's expertise in successfully partnering with local authorities to deliver large, complex infrastructure projects."

BBY sells stake http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=5166408

Another one to watch over the next 3 weeks.

Balfour Beatty wins GBP245m highways contract http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=5206122

StockMarketWire.com
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has been awarded a GBP170 million two-year extension to its Track Partnership contract for London Underground.

Track Partnership, an alliance between Balfour Beatty Rail and London Underground, is responsible for delivering essential track renewal work across the London Underground network. Balfour Beatty Rail was appointed to the initial contract in 2010, which included an option to extend for a further two years. The company will continue to provide design, labour, plant, and materials, as well as surveying, supervision and management of the works.

The scope of works includes points & crossings and ballasted track renewal installation together with associated drainage, signalling, traction power and conductor rail works.

May interest some!

Director Deals - Balfour Beatty PLC (BBY)

BFN

Leo Quinn, Chief Executive Officer, bought 218,500 shares in the company on the 22nd April 2016 at a price of 226.87p. The Director now holds 381,420 shares.

Story provided by StockMarketWire.com
Director deals data provided by www.directorsholdings.com

Yes very interesting, 218,500 shares quite a wadge that.

StockMarketWire.com
Balfour Beatty's overall trading is in line with forecasts, shareholders at the annual general meeting today will be told.

A statement which will be read at the meeting says: "Balfour Beatty continues to make good progress on the Build to Last transformation programme, with overall trading remaining in line with expectations. The Group order book is expected to show some growth in the first half due to good order intake in the US, whilst the UK construction order book is expected to be broadly stable."