Google’s share price soared late on Thursday, rallying 25 per cent from its low point of the day, as the internet search company’s latest quarterly earnings proved resistant to the wider downturn in advertising markets.

Google’s pro forma earnings, excluding stock compensation costs – the basis on which most analysts assess the company – rose to $4.92 per share, ahead of Wall Street’s consensus forecast $4.81. Revenues net of traffic acquisition costs rose to $4.04bn, broadly in line with most forecasts.
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The following is a list of companies whose shares may have unusual price changes in South Africa. Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names and prices are from the last close.

South Africa’s FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index lost 230.45, or 1 percent, to 24,092.74, bringing its decline in the last four days to 7.9 percent.

AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (ANG SJ): Gold declined in Asia on speculation the metal’s rally this week had been excessive after governments took steps to support financial companies to prevent the global financial crisis from spreading. The metal fell as much as 6.5 percent today to $840.25 an ounce. The world’s third-biggest gold producer gained 7 rand, or 3.5 percent, to 210 rand. Gold Fields Ltd., South Africa’s second-largest gold producer, rose 4.25 rand, or 6.2 percent, to 73 rand.

BHP Billiton Ltd. (BIL SJ): The world’s largest mining company’s Chief Executive Officer Marius Kloppers said his hostile $111 billion bid for rival Rio Tinto Group was more attractive amid the current “uncertainty” in global financial markets. The shares gained 1.14 rand, or 0.6 percent, to 195.114 rand.

ELB Group Ltd. (ELR SJ): The investment trust reports annual earnings. ELB gained 70 cents, or 5.3 percent, to 13.80 rand.
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3i Leads Round with $97 Million; VantagePoint Venture Partners Adds to Existing Investment

Bedminster, New Jersey - January 22, 2008 — GAIN Capital Group, LLC, a market leader in the rapidly growing online foreign exchange (FX) industry, today announced the successful completion of an investment round from two leading private equity firms with a specialty focus in finance and technology. 3i led the round with a $97 million investment, while existing investor VantagePoint Venture Partners participated with a $20 million investment. In connection with the investment, 3i US Growth Capital Partner Whitney Bower will join GAIN’s Board of Directors.

3i and VantagePoint purchased a minority stake from existing shareholders of the privately-held GAIN Capital, with a portion of the proceeds going to the company’s balance sheet to facilitate larger trading relationships with leveraged funds and institutions globally, as well as to support GAIN’s growing white label business.

“We are pleased to welcome 3i to our investor group,” stated Glenn Stevens, GAIN’s chief executive officer. “We will undoubtedly look to leverage 3i’s financial expertise, strong global network and recognized ability to add value to help us achieve our long term business goals.”

“We are excited to partner with GAIN Capital,” commented Whitney Bower, Partner at 3i US Growth Capital. “GAIN has a strong reputation and an impressive track record from a financial perspective, achieving no less than 65% annual growth for the past six consecutive years,” continued Bower. “We look forward to helping GAIN accelerate the success of its business development initiatives and further strengthen its operations in key international markets.”

Forex is the most traded market in the world, with a daily volume that exceeds $3.2 trillion, according to the Bank of International Settlements (BIS). Among retail investors, forex trading has gained widespread acceptance over the past several years. According to U.S. research firm Aite Group, average daily trade volume in the retail forex market increased 500% from 2001 to 2006, reaching an estimated $77 billion per day in 2007.*

“VantagePoint’s decision to make the follow-on investment is a testament to GAIN’s management team and the company’s prospects,” commented Jim Mills, a managing director at VantagePoint Venture Partners and a member of GAIN’s Board of Directors. “We are confident that GAIN is well positioned to take full advantage of the significant market opportunities within this space.” VantagePoint was the sole investor in the company’s previous investment round completed in April, 2006.

In addition to 3i and VantagePoint, GAIN’s investor group also includes private equity firms Tudor Ventures, Edison Venture Fund, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, and Blue Rock Capital.

(*) Source: Aite Group, Retail FX: Taking Center in Overall Market Growth

About GAIN Capital Group

GAIN Capital Group is a market leader in the rapidly growing online forex industry. Founded in 1999 by Wall Street veterans, GAIN now services clients from more than 140 countries and supports average trade volume in excess of $100 billion per month. Headquartered in Bedminster, New Jersey, the company operates sales and support offices in New York and Shanghai.

The company operates two full service web portals. The company’s flagship service, GAIN Capital (www.gaincapital.com) focuses on the needs of professional forex traders, including hedge funds and money managers. FOREX.com (www.forex.com) services individual investors of all experience levels with a full-service trading platform, lower account minimums and extensive education and training. In addition to its direct marketing efforts, GAIN currently supports over 40 white label relationships with broker/dealers, Futures FCMs and other financial services firms in North America, Europe and Asia.

GAIN Capital Group, LLC and FOREX.com are registered with the National Futures Association (NFA) as a Futures Commission Merchant (NFA ID #0339826).

For more information, visit www.gaincapital.com or www.forex.com
About 3i
3i is a world leader in private equity and venture capital. Today, 3i operates in 14 countries across US, Europe, and Asia, managing over $13 billion. In the past five years alone, 3i has backed more than 40 companies that have gone public on the world’s leading exchanges and has executed over 450 M&A transactions.

3i Growth Capital is the world’s largest growth capital fund investing over $1.4bn every year in businesses across Europe, Asia and the US. 3i’s strong financial services expertise has proven successful in growing many companies worldwide, including Travelex, RoyalBlue / Fidessa, Asia Capital Re and Interhyp.

For more information, go to: www.3i.com

About VantagePoint Venture Partners
VantagePoint Venture Partners provides creative growth strategies and capital to companies transforming global markets. With more than $4.0 billion of capital under management, the Firm invests in entrepreneurial companies at all stages of development in the CleanTech, Healthcare, and Information Technology sectors. VantagePoint partners with talented entrepreneurs who are seeking to build companies that are world-scale in both size and substance. The Firm has created a network of thought leaders and strategic partners with some of the world’s leading corporations to provide portfolio companies with a unique advantage to accelerate growth.

For more information, visit www.vpvp.com
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