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The Big Story
Four of the FTSE big beasts reveal their results
Rio's got the minerals
Rio Tinto reported a strong first half, with higher earnings and cash generation. The results also tell an interesting story about the current state of commodity markets.
Earnings rose 28% to $14.8bn, while cash generated after investment increased 75% to $3.8bn, allowing the miner to increase its interim dividend by 43%.
The company produces copper, aluminium and iron ore. Breaking the results down:
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Copper performed particularly well, driven by higher copper prices, continued ramp-up at the Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia and productivity improvements.
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Aluminium earnings rose 31% to $3.1bn, supported by a 39% increase in the average price Rio received for its aluminium.
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Iron ore earnings were broadly flat, despite remaining the company's largest single source of profit.
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For context, copper is used extensively in electrical wiring, electric vehicles and data centres. Aluminium is widely used in transport and construction, while iron ore remains the key ingredient in steel production.
Overall, the results tell the story of a company benefiting from higher commodity prices, continued development at key sites and productivity improvements.
Charting a course
Standard Chartered reported a strong quarter, supported by growth across its international banking businesses.
The firm reported record second-quarter income and pre-tax profit. First-half earnings per share rose 17%.
Both Wealth Management and Corporate and Investment Banking performed well. Net interest income, the money the bank earns from lending, also increased over the period.
Standard Chartered has significant exposure to Asia, Africa and the Middle East, helping to drive its recent growth.
II's the one
Aberdeen, the wealth management and investment company reported a strong first half, largely buoyed by the performance of Interactive Investor, the online investment platform.
Profits were up by 22%, with assets under management increasing by 4%.
Interactive Investor was the headline performer, with profits rising 18% and customer numbers increasing by 14%. The adviser and investment businesses were also profitable, but the platform remained the group's main growth engine.
Seeking advice
St James's Place's results suggest people are still looking for investment advice despite turbulent economic times.
SJP reported steady first-half results as demand for financial advice helped grow its client base and assets under management.
The company ended the period with a record £240.8bn under management, supported by positive investment returns and £2.7bn of net new client money.
Overall, the results show demand for financial advice remains resilient despite economic uncertainty, helping St. James's Place continue growing its business.
It's the Sage choice
Sage reported stronger revenue growth in the first nine months of its financial year as more businesses subscribed to its cloud-based accounting software.
Revenue increased 11% to £2.06bn, with particularly strong growth in North America and continued growth in Sage's cloud business.
Subscription revenue, which provides predictable recurring income, rose 13%, while cloud revenue increased 15% as more customers moved to online software.
The Reckitt machine lives on without Calgon
They may have sold the Essential Home business last year (apparently washing machines really do live longer with Calgon), but Reckitt's remaining business is still growing.
Reckitt said sales growth accelerated in the second quarter as demand improved across its health and hygiene brands.
Like-for-like sales rose 2.7% in the first half, with growth strengthening during the second quarter across all major regions and product types.
Reported sales and profits were lower than a year ago, largely reflecting the sale of its Essential Home business (that's the last Calgon reference, we promise) rather than weaker underlying numbers.
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