PRESS DIGEST - Financial Times =3

ST IVES SIGNALS POOR FIRST HALF

The printing group St Ives (SIV.L) said it expected its full-year trading to be in line with market expectations despite continued "challenging" conditions and a weaker-than-expected first half, which it blamed on mounting losses at its corporate financial print businesses that were this month sold to the US printer Brown. Miles Emley, the company's chairman, said the anticipated improvement in the second half would come from further focus on specialist printing services sectors, where there is less competition, a sales drive and the first positive contribution from its Service Graphics. St Ives last November rejected an offer of 272 pence per share from Aim-listed Tangent Communications.