EUROPE MARKETS: Maersk Lifts Stoxx 600 With 4.9% Leap

By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Here are some companies whose shares made notable moves in European trade on Tuesday.

Advancers:

A.P. Møller-Maersk AS: The Danish shipping and oil conglomerate was among biggest advancers in the Stoxx Europe 600 index with a 4.9% advance after raising raised its full-year underlying profit outlook to $4.5 billion from $4 billion. It plans to kick off a $1 billion share buyback program over the next 12 months. Also read: Solid Maersk outlook bodes well for U.S., global growth

John Wood Group PLC: The energy-services company rallied 4.9% after backing its full-year guidance for earnings before interest, taxes and amortization.

Shares of Imperial Tobacco Group PLC (ITYBY) gained 2.3%. The U.K. company said it is on course to complete its acquisition of a pack of U.S. cigarette brands from Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) and Lorillard Inc. (LO).

AstraZeneca PLC (AZN): Shares of the U.K. drug maker climbed 0.9% after the U.S. Department of Justice dropped an investigation into Plato, a clinical trial with heart drug Brilinta.

Bayer AG shares added 1.9% after UBS lifted the German chemicals and pharmaceutical maker to buy from neutral.

Balfour Beatty PLC climbed 3.2% after Carillion PLC sweetened its merger offer for the U.K. construction firm.

U.K. house builder Persimmon PLC rose 1.1% after posting a 57% increase in first-half pretax profit as it sold 28% more homes at higher prices, and reported "encouraging" summer business. The earnings report comes a day after Rightmove, a company tracking real-estate prices in the U.K, said asking prices fell by 2.9% in August.

Decliners

Shares of BHP Billiton PLC (BHP) slid 4.9% after the mining firm said it will spin off several assets, including its nickel mines and aluminum smelters, which will be listed on Australia's stock exchange. The company also reported a 23% rise in annual profit.

Fiat SpA shares fell 2.9% after Credit Suisse initiated coverage of the Italian car maker with an underperform rating.

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