News & Financial Advice

Arkema plans to double its EBITDA this year after a second quarter marked by record sales amid robust demand in Asia and recovery in North America.

The chemist has done on the previous quarter sales of 1.6 billion euros, up 38%.At constant perimeter, sales rose 27%.

It's his best performance since its IPO in May 2006.

"The level of first half performance allows us to review our annual target of strong EBITDA to rise, which should exceed 600 million euros (…) approximately double the EBITDA reached in 2009," said the CEO of Arkema, Thierry Le Henaff, in a statement.

In the second quarter, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) came out to 241 million euros, more than tripling the profit for the period of 2009 and similar growth of 76% over the first three months year.

Arkema has posted a net profit group share of 119 million euros in the quarter, while it had a loss of 114 million a year earlier.

The Arkema share closed Monday at 34.985 euros, giving a market capitalization of around two billion euros. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has taken more than 30% after more than doubled in value over the whole of 2009.

Nippon Steel, the fourth largest producer of steel, has experienced an improvement in its results for the fifth consecutive quarter, but reported lower than expected given the market slowdown in growth in China.

The Japanese group has announced a recurring earnings, before taxes and exceptional items, of 61.9 billion yen (541 million euros) for the period April to June, against a loss of 56.7 billion yen a year earlier .

Its sales jumped 30% to 970.6 billion yen.

The steelmaker Nippon nevertheless intends to realize an annual profit of 250 billion yen, while the Thomson Reuters consensus I / B / E / S expects 316 billion yen.

Nippon Steel and ArcelorMittal joins said he expects a sharp drop in its third quarter results, in the grip of a slowdown in economic growth in China, a seasonal decline in activity and an increase prices of raw materials.

The sharp drop in prices in China have led steelmakers to cut production and the market could find itself in a situation of excess supply even while Beijing hardened its policy and reduced exports.

The Japanese group also announced Wednesday it would form a technical alliance with Australian BlueScope Steel for reinforced steel products for construction markets to boost sales abroad.

After the results, the title of Nippon Steel closed up 3.73%, to 306 yen.

Luxottica, the world leader in eyewear, has announced a 30% increase in net income and an increase of 13.8% of its turnover in the second quarter and said it was confident for the second half.

The Milanese group, which owns brands including Ray Ban and Oakley, said in a statement that its wholesale division has achieved the best performance in its history, its operating margin reaching 24.1% against 22.5% a a year ago.

"These results provide an excellent base to look with confidence towards the second half of the year," said in a statement the CEO Andrea Guerra.

Luxottica has made the quarter April-June net profit of 150.1 million euros, exceeding the consensus estimate of analysts Thomson Reuters I / B / E / S, which gave 145.3 million.

He said that sales were particularly strong in emerging markets and the U.S., its largest market.

In a presentation accompanying the results, Luxottica said track to achieve its annual targets. In April, he had said it expects growth of about 5% of its annual turnover.

Laurent-Perrier announces increase of 17.3% of its turnover in the first quarter of fiscal 2010-2011, the group enjoying champagne strong exports to the United Kingdom, the United States, the Germany and Asia.

The turnover in Q1 (April 1-June 30) reached 36.8 million euros against 31.4 million a year earlier.

The export sales have reached 69.5% of sales of the brand, a gain of 6.7 points compared to first quarter of last year.

"If it confirms the recovery in demand, growth in volumes in the first quarter should not be extrapolated over the whole year," the company said in a statement, adding nevertheless that the price / mix should gradually recover in coming quarters.

The group generates a significant portion of its revenues in the third quarter (October-December), corresponding to the festive season to season.

The results of the first half ended September 30, 2010 will be published on 1 December 2010.

The stock has increased by 24.4% since the beginning of the year, after declining 8.5% in 2009. It has a market capitalization of 400 million euros.

Sales at department stores conducted between last Wednesday, the first day of sales, and next Saturday are up 10-17% in Paris and about 6% in the province over the same period of 2009, told Reuters Claude Boulle, Chairman of the Union of the great trade center (UCV).

This period, during which traders are allowed to sell at a loss, will end Aug. 3.

"We are surprised by such enthusiasm," said Claude Boulle, who gives the rain, precipitation related to the timing of sales compared with the academic pace and demands of tourists, especially from emerging countries like Asians or Brazilians.

Claude Boulle, however, refuses "to be triumphalist" for now because, he says, should not at this very good start followed by a drop in purchases after July 15.

"The balances are played on a shorter and shorter," he observes.

As every year, the discounts offered in the department stores were included in 30 and 50% and new markdowns could be proposed "if there are still things to sell," added Claude Boulle.

The TCU brings together nearly nine billion euros in turnover with 600 stores in 300 cities in France, such as Galeries Lafayette, Printemps or C & A.

Japanese stocks ended down Tuesday on profit-taking, the euphoria at the European level stabilization dissipating rapidly.

The Nikkei lost 1.14% or 119.60 points to 10,411.10 points and the broader TOPIX, yielded 1.33% or 12.54 points to 932.10 points.

Mizuho Financial has finished in fall of 4.68% to 163 yen on expectations of capital increase.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group lost 3.63% to 2,815 yen, its affiliate that specializes in consumer credit Promise tumbled 17.38% to 713 yen after providing it might be lost.

Toyota Motor ended down 0.7% to 3495 yen, before the publication of its results just after the closing.

The food group Ajinomoto forsaken 3.65% to 818 yen.The company said its operating profit to 57 billion yen this year, down 11% from the previous year and below the consensus of 66.4 billion yen Thomson Reuters I / B / IO