The volume of equity investments in Europe rose by 211 percent in the first half of 2010 on an annual basis, according to a new report. According to data from market research company unquote “value of equity investments during the period reached 25.2 billion compared with 8.1 billion for the same period of 2009. The number of transactions has also observed a significant increase of 23 percent, rising to 555 compared to 451 transactions during the first six months of 2009. Only in the second quarter of 2010 were concluded over 300 transactions, an increase of 18% compared with the first. The volume of transactions was also demonstrated these positive developments, the total value of transactions for the second quarter rose to 13.9 billion by the IRO 11.4 billion for the first, or growth of 22 percent on a quarterly basis, the report . In comparison, the volume in the second quarter of 2009 was 4.8 billion. Momentum in the sector is mainly due to purchases in which the activity increased by 56% to 167 transactions compared with 107 deals for the first six months of last year.
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The European stocks rose for the fifth consecutive day thanks to some better-than-expected corporate profits, police Bloomberg. The Shares of Ahold chain stores reported the strongest growth since May – with 5 percent after the company announced an increase its dividend by 28 percent. At the opposite pole were shares of shipping company Maersk, which sank 4 percent after the group announced its first annual loss since World War II. Pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index ended trading with a growth of 0,1 per cent to 252.93 points after a highly volatile session. Growth was limited by the end of the planned report on housing sales in the U.S. unexpectedly fell in January. Major national indexes advanced on 9 of the 18 western European markets. The UK’s FTSE 100 lost 0.1 percent to 5527.16 points while France’s CAC 40 and German DAX retreated with 0.4 per cent respectively to 3828.41 and 5795.32 points.
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The Swiss company Nestle lay a better than expected preliminary report, giving an argument of analysts who firmly pledged the company as a preferred investment in Europe. Revenues from sales of main products of the company rose by 4.1 percent in 2009, indicating stability amid the crisis. This is to bring Nestle revenue of 108 billion Swiss francs (99.91 billion dollars). Preliminary expectations of analysts was for sales growth of 3,9 percent to 105.9 billion francs, transmit CNBC. “The progress over the last year growth of 4,1 per cent against the backdrop of a complex environment shows that we are able to note an increase greater than that of the sector as a whole,” stated the CEO of Nestle Paul Balk. Operating profit of Nestle for the year 2009 amounted to 15.7 billion francs.
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The British bank Barclays lay a pleasant surprise with its report for 2009, which was released today. He showed that the financial institution has made a profit of 11.6 billion liras in the year after the 2008 year was registered a positive result of 6,1 billion pounds. With a major contribution to the strong performance has Investment Banking division where he will be awarded significant bonuses. Employees in this unit will receive an average of 191 thousand pounds last year, transmit CNBC. Nearly half of the profit – 6,3 billion liras – accounted for the sale of the division of asset management Barclays Global Investors (BGI), it is clear from the report. Preliminary expectations of analysts polled by Reuters were for a profit of 11.2 billion pounds. Profit from operating activities, which does not include the sale of BGI, the impressive amount of 5.6 billion pounds. For comparison, in 2008 it amounted to 1,6 billion pounds. In the investment banking division Barclays Capital e achieved profit growth of 89 percent to 2,5 billion pounds. With a strong commitment to it’s acquisition of the investment business of Lehman Brothers in the United States, and the growth of positions in Europe and the United States.
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Disappointing data on the reduction of employment in the U.S. economy in December, however, failed to wipe out the economic optimism of investors. He was a driver of the rally on Wall Street over the past ten months, together with the measures of governments and central banks to combat the effects of financial and economic crisis. The next few weeks, will be much more dynamic with the beginning of the first corporation to the new year season. Three of the largest companies in the index of blue chip Dow Jones IA – Alcoa, Intel and JPMorgan Chase, will publish its financial results for the fourth quarter of last year over the next five days, police CNN. On the economic front, the most important will be data on retail sales in the U.S. in December, and those for consumer confidence, industrial output and trade balance. The indexes reached new 15-month highs earlier this year, their rally would depend largely on the financial performance of the stock companies that would be indicative of the actual state of the economy. For the last quarter of 2009 is expected to increase the profits of companies in the S & P 500 by over 200% yoy. However impressive forecast is due largely to the sharp deterioration in financial results over the last comparable quarter of 2008, when the crisis hit very companies most like those suffered from the automotive and financial sectors. Week, and corporate season will begin with reports of aluminum giant Alcoa, which is expected earnings per share of 6 cents to a loss of 28 cents a year ago. On Tuesday, after the end of the session and the results will come out of the technology company Intel, which is expected to more than seven times greater earnings per share from 30 cents.
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