Shares in UK financial services group Capita plunge

LONDON, Jan 31 (AFP): Shares in troubled British financial services group Capita plunged more than 40 per cent in value on Wednesday after the indebted outsourcing firm warned over future profits.

Analysts said the group risked ending up the same way as construction company Carillion, which shut earlier this month with a mountain of debts. Like Capita, Carillion did much of its outsourcing for the UK government.

"Today, Capita is too complex, it is driven by a short-term focus and lacks operational discipline and financial flexibility," chief executive Jonathan Lewis, who started in the role just two months ago, said in a statement Wednesday.

"Cost savings and non-core disposals alone will not be enough. We have also taken the significant decision to suspend the dividend and seek equity," he added.

Around 1050 GMT in London, Capita shares traded down 41.35 per cent at 204 pence, compared with the closing value on Tuesday.

The group does not feature on London's benchmark FTSE 100 after exiting the top index in early 2017.

Capita, which employs 70,000 people worldwide, said Wednesday that it needed to raise £700 million ($990 million, 796 million euros) after losing contracts and despite deep cost cutting at the company.

"This morning's announcement by government outsourcer Capita of a potential £700-million rights issue, a suspension of the dividend and a profits warning had the entirely predictable response of seeing the share price nosedive by over 40 per cent to their lowest levels since 2003," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.