RETAIL/CONSUMER

Shares in Games Workshop were down on the FTSE after the fantasy game maker and retailer said it expected pre-tax profit in the full year to 29 May 2011to be below current market expectations.

Shares in HMV were down on the FTSE All Share in afternoon trading after the retailer reported falling sales over Christmas and said that it may breach its April covenant test under its banking facility.

Shares in Domino's Pizza were up on the FTSE 250 in morning trading after the group reported double digit sales growth in the fourth quarter ended 26 December 2010.

Shares in Next were up on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after the retailer predicted a rise in pre-tax profit for the year ending January 2011 of seven to ten per cent.

Shares in Next were up on the FTSE 100 in afternoon trading ahead of the retailer's fourth quarter statement, due tomorrow.

Shares in Blacks Leisure were up on the FTSE Fledgling in afternoon trading after the company issued a trading statement for the half year ended 30 December 2010.

Shares in Northern Foods were up on the FTSE All Share in morning trading after the company confirmed that Boparan Holdings Limited is considering taking it over.

The Coalition's Business Secretary, Vincent Cable, has come under serious criticism after it emerged that he told undercover reporters that he had "declared war" on Rupert Murdoch.

Shares in Alexon plunged on the FTSE Fledgling in morning trading after the womenswear retailer said that its sales had been severely hit by the recent heavy snowfall.

Shares in Goals Soccer Centres were up on the FTSE AIM All Share after the company yesterday said its trading had been good until the recent outbreak of snow across the country.

Shares in Laura Ashley were flat on the FTSE All Share in morning trading after the retailer said yesterday that it was confident of its full year trading, despite poor weather and continued economic uncertainty.

Shares in Young & Co were flat on the FTSE AIM 100 after the brewery said it had acquired Geronimo Inns for £60 million.

Shares in Carpetright were down on the FTSE 250 in morning trading after the retailer reported a fall in revenue and profits in the half year ended 30 October.

Shares in Whitbread were down on the FTSE 100 in morning trading despite the company reporting "impressive growth" in the third quarter ended 2 December.

Royal Mail has said that it has invested £20 million to deal with what it called "the most severe weather in 30 years", with extra resources being diverted to the North East, the Midlands and Scotland.

Shares in Mulberry were up on the FTSE AIM 100 after the luxury fashion retailer more than tripled its profits in the half year ended 30 September.

Shares in HMV dived over 20 per cent on the FTSE All Share in morning trading after the retailer said it had nearly doubled its losses and net debt in the half year ended 23 October.

Last Christmas Britain's retailers experienced a minor phenomenon known as the "James May effect", in which Christmas shoppers appeared to be turning away from buying computer games for their relatives, and returned to the old favourites of previous decades such as Airfix and Scalextric.

Shares in Game Group were down on the FTSE All Share in morning trading after the computer games retailer reported a fall in sales in the 44 weeks to 4 December, despite new releases like "Call of Duty: Black Ops" and "FIFA 11".

Shares in Kesa Electricals were down on the FTSE 250 in morning trading despite the Comet owner reporting a rise in revenue and profit in the half year ended 31 October.

Shares in Kesa Electricals were up on the FTSE 250 in afternoon trading ahead of the retailer's half year results, due out tomorrow.

Shares in Tesco were up on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after the supermarket giant reported a rise in sales in its third quarter ended 27 November.

Shares in JJB Sports were down on the FTSE All share in morning trading, following a statement yesterday in which the sports retailer said it expected to breach its £25 million banking facility.

Shares in Premier Foods were down slightly on the FTSE 250 in morning trading after the group said that it was in "advanced" talks for the takeover of its meat-free business, including Quorn.

Shares in Greene King were up on the FTSE 250 ahead of the pub owners half year results, expected tomorrow.

Shares in Britvic tumbled on the FTSE 250 after the soft drinks group swung sharply into losses in the full year ended 26 September.

Shares in Kingfisher were up on the FTSE 100 in morning trading after the group reported a rise in retail profits, despite a slight drop in sales in the third quarter ended 30 October 2010.

Shares in Kingfisher were up on the FTSE 100 in afternoon trading ahead of a statement on the retailer's third quarter, due out tomorrow.

Shares in Walker Greenbank were soaring on the FTSE AIM All Share after the owner of wallpaper brands Harlequin and Sanderson, said it expected pre-tax profit for the full year ended 31 January 2011 to be "materially ahead of consensus analyst forecasts".