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

12+ month high today.

Hoping for mid 230's ?

Goldman Sachs retains its Buy TP upped from 248.00 to 300.00

BT and Talk Talk lose file-sharing appeal

BT and Talk Talk have lost an appeal over controversial measures to tackle copyright infringement online.

The internet service providers (ISPs) had argued the UK's Digital Economy Act was incompatible with EU law.

The Act will mean ISPs will have to send warning letters to alleged illegal file downloaders, as well as potentially cutting users off.

The creative industry argues that piracy costs £400m a year in lost revenue.

March 23, 2012

BT GROUP PLC

BT AND TRUSTEE OF BT PENSION SCHEME ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT ON THE 2011 TRIENNIAL FUNDING VALUATION AT 30 JUNE 2011

BT and the Trustee of the BT Pension Scheme (BTPS, or the 'Scheme') have reached agreement on the approach to the 2011 triennial funding valuation (the '2011 valuation') and recovery plan. The funding deficit has provisionally been agreed by BT and the Trustee to be GBP4.1bn at 30 June 2011. This is based on the same methodology as the previous valuation at 31 December 2008, when the deficit was GBP9.0bn. The final certification of the 2011 valuation is expected in May when the Scheme Actuary completes his procedures.

Under the recovery plan BT will make a lump sum payment of GBP2.0bn into the Scheme before the end of March 2012, from existing cash resources of GBP1.5bn supplemented by recent borrowings, followed by nine deficit payments of GBP325m in March of each year from 2013 to 2021.

The 2011 valuation has been carried out at 30 June 2011 rather than 31 December 2011, the latest allowable date. This has enabled the valuation to be largely completed to allow a lump sum payment to be made prior to the end of BT's 2012 financial year. Undertaking the valuation at 30 June 2011 has also reduced the uncertainty arising from trying to assess long-term pension liabilities given the current dislocation in the gilts market as a result of quantitative easing and issues in the Euro zone. Future triennial valuations will also be based on a June valuation date as this will enable the Trustee and BT to complete the valuation within BT's financial year.

BT has also agreed with the Trustee other protections as detailed in the notes to this release. In addition, in order to provide greater certainty, a schedule of future potential payments which will depend on the outcomes of the next triennial valuations in 2014 and 2017, has been agreed by BT.

The valuation documentation will be submitted to the Pensions Regulator within ten working days of its completion. The final Court decision in the Crown Guarantee case, after any appeals, will give greater clarity as to the extent to which the liabilities of the BTPS are covered by a Crown Guarantee. This will inform the Pensions Regulator's next steps with regards to the valuation of the Scheme. The Trustee has taken no account of the Crown Guarantee in completing the valuation, which has been prepared on a basis consistent with the 2008 valuation as required by the Pensions Act, notwithstanding its uncertainty regarding the applicability of the Pensions Act to the funding valuation of the Scheme.

Ian Livingston, BT Chief Executive, said: "I am pleased that we have been able to reach an agreement with the Trustee. This agreement under which the company makes an immediate contribution to the Scheme of almost half of the deficit reflects BT's financial strength and re-affirms our commitment to the Scheme. BT's long-term sustainable cash generation has improved significantly since the 2008 valuation and we remain focussed on improving BT's financial strength, investing in our future and enhancing shareholder returns."

Paul Spencer CBE, Chairman of the BTPS Trustee, said: "The Trustee is very pleased to have reached agreement with BT on the 2011 valuation. Since the last valuation, BT has had a successful period, enabling it to pay a GBP2.0bn upfront payment, and eliminate the deficit within ten years. The Trustee looks forward to working with BT to further enhance the security of our members' benefits."

300p here we come.

Dil - the weekend press should be interesting.

am waiting to hear regulators view of events

Daily Mail comment.

Daily Telegraph comment.

Camelot ... what events ?

Skinny ... they are sorting the wheat from the chaff internally , if management don't shape up they are being shipped out. This is happening at all levels top to bottom.

U.K. Telecoms firm BT Group PLC (BT) said Wednesday it has signed a global managed networked IT services contract with Anglo American PLC (AAL.LN), a diversified mining company, worth $220 million over the next five years.

MAIN FACTS:

-Contract covers all Anglo American's networking requirements at several hundred locations around the world.

-Under the new contract BT also becomes Anglo American's global supplier of choice for network hardware equipment.

Skinny I've emailed you .... and applied for the job of CEO !

:-)

:-)

lol , thick tw*ts :-)

Goldman Sachs Upgrades to Conviction Buy Tp 309p

Had a dabble here - interims tomorrow.

Final Results.


Key points:

· Underlying revenue excluding transit down 1.9% for the year, within our target range

· EBITDA1 target of above £6bn delivered a year early

· Free cash flow2 of £2.5bn, up 13% and well above expectations

· Net debt up £266m after £2.0bn pension deficit payment

· Proposed final dividend of 5.7p, up 14%, giving a full year dividend of 8.3p, up 12%

· 10m homes and businesses passed with fibre, many months ahead of schedule

Outlook:

We expect

· Underlying revenue excluding transit to show an improving trend in 2013 and 2014

· Growth in EBITDA1 in 2013 and 2014

· Normalised free cash flow (which excludes pension deficit payments and related tax credits) of £2,307m in 2012 to be broadly level in 2013 and above £2.4bn in 2014

· BT Global Services to deliver solid EBITDA growth in 2013

· BT Global Services operating cash flow to be lower in 2013 before returning to growth in 2014

· Dividends to grow by 10%-15% per year for the next three years

· Share buyback programme of around £300m in 2013

BT.A Morgan Stanley reiterates it's Overweight Tp 280p

BT.A Deutsche Bank reiterates it's Hold Tp 220p

BT.A Goldman Sachs Retains it's Conviction Buy

BT.A Exane BNP Paribas reiterates it's Outperform Tp 270p

BT.A HB Markets reiterates it's Buy

BT.A Oriel Securities reiterates it's Buy Tp 275p

BT.A JP Morgan Cazenove retains it's neutral Tp 240p

BT SELLS FRENCH APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS

BT Group plc today announces the sale by BT Global Services of its French application development services business to the publicly listed French IT services company Osiatis. The sale will be effective as of 1 June 2012.

The sale allows BT Global Services in France to focus further on its core strategy, which is to offer networked IT services and communications solutions to corporate customers and the government sector.

The unaudited gross assets of the business being sold were €1.84 million as at 31 March 2012.



-ends-