Business as usual

Today#8217;s confirmation of second-half trading resilience should come as no surprise as Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) proved its mettle in the recession thanks to its predominantly managed contract income and strict cost control. However, the news is no less welcome, as is management confidence in sustained margin gain even in an economic slowdown. The company#8217;s financial situation continues to improve.

It didn’t take long for market participants to react to the news — detailed in Friday’s Off The Record column — that California-based Life Technologies Corp. has hired two investment banks to drum up interest in either the potential sale of the company to an industry buyer or to undertake a leverage buy-out with a private equity firm. Here is some of that reaction: THE COMPANY:

Industrial Alliance Insurance & Financial Services Inc.’s decision to issue as much as $250-million in shares to pay down debt caught some on the Street by surprise given the improving earnings and macro environment. IAG will issue 6 million shares at $37.50 for proceeds of $225-million, or 6.67 million shares for $250-million including the over-allotment. The proceeds will bring the life and health insurance company’s leverage ratio down to 29.3% from 35.2%.

By ZetaKap:Are you a dividend investor searching for stocks with solid yields of 3% and greater? One great place to search is among large cap stocks that can reliably sustain their payouts due to their strong sources of profitability, matched with positive analyst ratings. Today we screened for stocks of this nature, and came up with a short but interesting list.

The Q4 update confirmed the portfolio#8217;s operational resilience and its secure income characteristics. The quarter saw four new acquisitions and the outlook remains positive, with access to further cash and debt for investment and proposed NHS reforms that support the case for modern primary care facilities. The group reported a small improvement in the year-end external portfolio appraisal as at end September 2011. The portfolio was valued at £241m, with a net initial yield of 5.84% (5.87% at end June), reflecting the visible, long-term revenue outlook provided by primary care assets.

Whopper Investments submits:Under Armour (UA) reported blockbuster earnings this morning, and the stock price is up over 10% on the news. While the stock is certainly one of the great growth stories in recent memory, at these prices investors pay a hefty price for that growth and may find better value in one of their competitors, Nike (NKE) or Skechers (SKX), both of which trade for much more reasonable valuations.

After the fall in 2008 and strong recovery of 2009, 2010 has provided a period of relative stability for the Fledgling Index. Over the past 12 months Gartmore Fledgling Trust (GMF) has outperformed its benchmark index by 8.5% and 0.2% in terms of share price and NAV total return respectively. Following Gervais Williams' departure in September, Harmesh Suniara, co-manager since July 2008, has been confirmed as lead manager, with Adam McConkey providing support.

Housebuilder boosted by growth in completions, selling prices and operati