UK house builder Bovis Homes Group (LON:BVS) saw its shares jump 2.1% to 411.6p this morning on news that it was seeing some improvements in the market. Since the start of 2010, sales for legal completion have reached 1,208, against 1,092 in the same period last year. A slight rise in house prices combined with build cost reductions means that profit margins should be maintained. Elsewhere, the company has added 811 plots to its consented land bank across seven sites and agreed terms in principle on a further 18 sites, which will provide around 2,500 plots. Looking ahead, Bovis said it expected trading to continue to be stable and to meet its volume expectations for the year if the current weekly sales rates continued.

International media group United Business Media (LON:UBM) said it was paying up to £0.6m for selected assets from import/export market intelligence company CenTradeX Inc. The move is part of an effort by UBM to bolster its own PIERS Global Trade Intelligence business, which already feeds into CenTradeX’s sophisticated market intelligence tools. As a result of the deal, UBM Global Trade will be able to enhance the user interface and analytical tools for PIERS Global Intelligence product portfolio.

Online gaming group Partygaming Plc (LON:PRTY) reported a rise in first quarter revenues of 27% to $127.1m, although the average daily revenue was down 2% versus the previous quarter because of an exceptional casino performance in Q4 and foreign exchange movements. The group said it had seen strong increases in all product verticals except poker which fell due to competition from US-facing sites. It said it was maintaining its previous full year guidance for 2010 Clean EBITDA margins of approximately 28%. Separately, PartyGaming announced a new B2B deal in France with the addition of Aviation Club de France, which is set to join its French poker network as soon as new regulations allow. Shares in PartyGaming fell just over 1% to 281.8p.

Restaurant Group Plc (LON:RTN) , the operator behind the likes of Chiquito and Frankie & Benny’s, said it had continued its positive start to 2010 with total sales 6% ahead of 2009 and like-for-like sales 0.5% ahead for the 18 weeks to May 2. However, the group blamed disruption to air travel caused by the volcanic ash from the…

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