Hyundai sees European car demand shrinking in H2

July 29 (Reuters) – Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS), South Korea’s top automaker, expects car demand in Europe to shrink in the second half as government incentives for new cars are phased out, an executive said on Thursday.

Hyundai executive vice president Lee Won-hee said the world’s No.5 car maker along with its affiliate Kia Motors Corp (000270.KS) saw sales growth in China slowing down slightly in the second half, although it would still be strong.

Hyundai expects to maintain strong growth with new models and is likely to exceed its business targets, Lee told investors. (Reporting by Cheon Jong-woo; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)

Royal Wessanen nv: Wessanen reports improved underlying operating profit and EPS

Q2 2010 highlights

*

Revenue steady at EUR 193.7 million, in line with last year’s second quarter

*

Operating result (EBIT) improved to EUR 9.4 million (Q2 2009: EUR (4.8) million)

*

Net result of EUR 6.6 million; Earnings per share (EPS) of EUR 0.08

*

Wessanen Europe revenue EUR 131.0 million (0.6% autonomous growth)

*

Piet Hein Merckens took over as CEO on 1 June

*

Strategic initiatives (e.g. brand harmonisation and centralised sourcing) are on
schedule

*

For second half 2010, Wessanen expects its operating result to be around break-even

HUG#1434676

Download hier het Nederlandse persbericht (PDF, 200kB)

http://hugin.info/143317/R/1434676/380234.pdf

Download the full press release including the semi-annual financial report (English
version, 197kB) http://hugin.info/143317/R/1434676/380233.pdf

Nutreco: Excellent results for the first half of 2010: Strong increase in operating result (EBITA) to EUR 84 million

EUR 2,250.5 million; an increase of 5.8% compared with the first half of
2009

* Strong increase in volume of Fish feed and Premix and feed specialties

* All business segments report better operating results compared with the first half of
2009

* 2010 interim dividend of EUR 0.50 in cash or shares

* For the full year 2010, Nutreco expects an increase of approximately 25% in EBITA
before exceptional items compared with 2009 (EUR 175.2 million)

Key figures
(EUR x million)
H1 2010 H1 2009 Change
Revenue from ‘continuing operations’ 2,250.5 2,127.7 5.8%
Operating result before exceptional items and amortisation (EBITA) 84.0 41.6 101.9%
Operating result from ‘continuing operations’ before amortisation (EBITA) 74.1 38.5 92.5%
Profit after tax from ‘continuing operations’ 40.4 13.7 194.9%
Basic earnings per share from ‘continuing operations’ (EUR) 1.13 0.36 213.9%
Interim dividend per ordinary share (EUR) 0.50 0.20 150.0%

150.0%

Wout Dekker, CEO Nutreco:

“We have had excellent first six months. The results are better than in the same period
last year for all business segments. These results, the recovery of the markets and our
good financial situation give us confidence for the future. We are also very pleased
with the composition and quality of our results. For the second half of the year, we
expect results in line with the very strong second half of 2009. For the full year this
will lead to an increase of approximately 25% in EBITA before exceptional items.”

All business segments report better operating results
“Our premix and feed specialties operations have very good results, with a growth in
volume and an improved product mix. Fish feed operations show strong growth in Norway
and we experience a recovery in the Chilean aquaculture sector. Our compound feed
operations in Europe reported business results in line with the trend of the last
quarters of 2009. The results in The Netherlands improved substantially compared with
the first half of 2009. In Spain the acquisition of Cargill’s compound feed operations
contributed to revenues. The integration and optimisation of factories is progressing
well. Our meat operations had good results, slightly better than in the first half of
2009.”

Focus on strengthening global position in Fish feed and Premix and feed specialties
“The recent acquisition of a fish and shrimp feed business in Vietnam is in line with
our strategy to further strengthen our position in feed for amongst others shrimp,
tilapia, barramundi, snapper and grouper, in countries of strategic importance. After
China and India, Vietnam is the world’s largest aquaculture producer. For Nutreco, the
acquisition is a good entry into the Vietnamese market and a basis for further growth.
Next to this acquisition Nutreco is investing in renewing and expanding its production
capacity. In March we announced the investment of EUR 20 million in upgrading and
expanding the fish feed factory in Australia. The investment will enable Skretting to
meet the growing demand for high-quality fish feed for salmon, trout, barramundi and
tuna in both Australia and New Zealand. Since 2001, the volume for fish feed in this
region has grown by 10% annually.
In April, Nutreco announced a EUR 6 million investment in upgrading and expanding the
production capacity of Selko, a producer of additives for animal nutrition. This
investment will enable Selko to meet the globally growing demand for alternatives to
antibiotics and for products that can contribute to controlling the development of
salmonella in animal nutrition, raw materials for animal nutrition and drinking water.

Nutreco remains focused on growth by innovations and we continue to execute our strategy
to further strengthen our global market position in Premix and feed specialties and Fish
feed by means of organic growth and acquisitions.”

Outlook

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Nutreco expects EBITA before exceptional items in the
second half of the year to be in line with the very strong second half of 2009 (EUR
133.6 million). For the full year 2010 this will result in an increase of approximately
25% in EBITA before exceptional items compared with 2009 (EUR 175.2 million).

Strategy

Nutreco will continue to focus on growth in animal nutrition and fish feed by means of:

* Focusing on geographical regions and markets with prospects for structural profitable
growth in countries such as Brazil, China, Russia and Vietnam;
* Participating in consolidation in countries where Nutreco has a leading position in
compound feed, such as Canada/North America, the Netherlands and Spain;
* Further strengthen our global market position in Premix and feed specialties and Fish
feed through independent growth and acquisitions;
* Implementing Nutreco’s innovation strategy.

Nutreco will publish a trading update on the third quarter of 2010 on 28 October 2010.

* * * * *

Nutreco

Nutreco is a global leader in animal nutrition and fish feed. Our advanced feed
solutions are at the origin of food for millions of consumers worldwide. Quality,
innovation and sustainability are guiding principles, embedded in the Nutreco culture
from research and raw material procurement to products and services for agriculture and
aquaculture. Experience across 100 years brings Nutreco a rich heritage of knowledge and
experience for building its future. Nutreco employs approximately 9,700 people in 30
countries, with sales in 80 countries. Nutreco is listed on the NYSE Euronext stock
exchange in Amsterdam and with annual revenues of EUR 4.5 billion in 2009.

www.nutreco.com http://www.nutreco.com/

For more information:

Jurgen Pullens, Director Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, Nutreco
Telephone: +31 (0)33 422 6134
Mobile: +31 (0)6 5159 9483
E-mail: jurgen.pullens@nutreco.com mailto:jurgen.pullens@nutreco.com

The full press release is attached in the pdf below

HUG#1434661

Excellent results for the first half of 2010

http://hugin.info/133565/R/1434661/380210.pdf

Audi CEO says positively surprised by H1

(Reuters) – Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) premium car maker Audi (NSUG.DE) expects sales this year to be significantly above 1 million units, the unit’s head said on Tuesday.

“We are positively surprised by how we’ve started in 2010,” Audi Chief Executive Rupert Stadler said late on Monday in remarks set for release on Tuesday.

“We will also have a good second half of the year,” he said, adding that he would give a more precise sales forecast with Audi’s first-half report on Friday.

Audi CEO says positively surprised by H1

July 27 (Reuters) – Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) premium car maker Audi (NSUG.DE) expects sales this year to be significantly above 1 million units, the unit’s head said on Tuesday.

“We are positively surprised by how we’ve started in 2010,” Audi Chief Executive Rupert Stadler said late on Monday in remarks set for release on Tuesday.

“We will also have a good second half of the year,” he said, adding that he would give a more precise sales forecast with Audi’s first-half report on Friday.

Obic Business Consultants <4733.T>-1qtr parent

July 27 (Reuters) -

OBIC BUSINESS CONSULTANTS LTD

PARENT-ONLY FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(in billions of yen unless specified)

3 months ended 3 months ended 6 months to Year to

Jun 30, 2010 Jun 30, 2009 Sep 30, 2010 Mar 31, 2011

LATEST YEAR-AGO H1 LATEST

RESULTS RESULTS FORECAST FORECAST
Sales 3.75 3.79 7.80 16.50

(-1.3 pct) (+0.4 pct)
Operating 1.44 1.35 3.07 6.70

(+6.8 pct) (+74.4 pct)
Recurring 1.52 1.51 3.77 8.05

(+0.6 pct) (-35.7 pct)
Net 923 mln 897 mln 2.21 4.70

(+2.9 pct) (-35.8 pct)
EPS Y49.02 Y47.62 Y117.31 Y249.49

NOTE – Obic Business Consultants Ltd sells computer software mainly for small businesses.

If there is no Q1 or Q3 dividend, Q2 will in most cases
correspond to the first-half dividend and Q4 to the second-half
dividend announced before a new corporate law in 2006 allowed
companies to pay and report dividends on a quarterly basis.

For latest earnings estimates made by Toyo Keizai, please
double click on 4733.TK1.

Thai export growth seen slower in H2 than H1-c.bank

July 22 (Reuters) – Thailand’s export growth is expected to slow in the second half from the first due to global economic uncertainty, a deputy governor said on Thursday.

Bandid Nijathaworn told reporters exports were likely to continue growing in the second half from a year earlier but the growth rate would probably be lower than in the first half.

Exports, which account for over 60 percent of GDP, rose 36.6 percent in the first half of this year from a year before, according to Commerce Ministry data. [ID:nTST000029] ($1=32.30 baht) (Reporting by Boontiwa Wichakul; Writing by Orathai Sriring; Editing by Alan Raybould)

Thai c.bank says tourism recovered fast from unrest

July 20 (Reuters) – Thailand’s central bank governor said on Tuesday that tourism had recovered faster than expected after being hit hard by political unrest in Bangkok in April and May.

Tarisa Watanagase also told the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand that consumption and investment had also recovered and she was therefore positive on the economy in the second half. (Reporting by Orathai Sriring; Editing by Alan Raybould)

UPDATE 1-SThree profit falls; makes strong start to H2

July 19 (Reuters) – British recruiter SThree Plc (STHR.L) posted a 35 percent drop in first-half adjusted pretax profit, due to a reduction in permanent placements, but said it made a strong start to the second half as some of its markets started improving.

The staffing company, which counts finance, oil and gas, and pharma recruitment among its niche areas, said although some markets staged a robust recovery, others were still subdued by normal standards.

“Having a strong sense of where the market is heading remains difficult, but on the basis of the currently available data we remain cautiously optimistic,” Chief Executive Russell Clements said in a statement.

For the six months ended May 30, the company said its pretax profit before exceptional items fell to 7.3 million pounds ($11.2 million) from 11.2 million pounds last year.

Revenue fell 21 percent to 221.7 million pounds, while permanent placements fell 14 percent to 2,842.

The company maintained its interim dividend at 4 pence.

SThree shares closed at 293 pence on Friday on the London Stock Exchange. ($1=.6541 POUND) (Reporting by Tresa Sherin Morera in Bangalore; Editing by Unnikrishnan Nair)

Abu Dhabi Islamic sees double-digit growth in H2 – CEO

July 18 (Reuters) – UAE lender Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank ADIB.AD expects to report “double digit” profit growth in the second half of the year, its chief executive said on Sunday.

“Our plan is to continue to show double digit growth for the rest of the year,” Chief Executive Tirad Mahmoud told Reuters.

The bank, the second largest Islamic lender in the UAE, posted a 56 percent rise in second-quarter profit earlier in the day as provisions fell. [ID:nLDE6650AH] (Reporting by Stanley Carvalho, Editing by Andrew Callus)

UPDATE 1-Interquest sees H1 fee income up

July 14 (Reuters) – British IT staffing company Interquest Group Plc (ITQ.L) forecast first-half net fee income rising by 14 percent, helped by growth in the private sector that offset relatively weaker demand from the public sector.

The company said it had seen strong trading in the first six months to end-June, with increased demand in both permanent and contract recruitment.

“We believe that with activity levels returning and the enlargement of the group, we are in a strong position as we head into the second half of the year,” Executive Chairman Gary Ashworth said in a statement.

Jobs in Britain’s public sector are set to contract following the government’s budget which announced spending cuts of 6.2 billion pounds ($9.41 billion) in the 2010-2011 financial year. [ID:nLDE65M0VY]

Shares in Interquest closed at 58.5 pence on Tuesday on the London Stock Exchange. ($1=.6588 Pound) (Reporting by Aditi Samajpati in Bangalore; Editing by Roshni Menon)

UPDATE 1-Spirax-Sarco sees higher H1 sales, margins

July 6 (Reuters) – Britain’s Spirax-Sarco Engineering Plc (SPX.L) said first-half sales were up 8 percent at constant currency on the strength of its order book and recent acquisitions.

The Cheltenham-based company, which makes products such as pumps and boilers for processes using steam, expects adjusted operating profit margin to be above 19 percent, compared with 15 percent a year ago.

Spirax-Sarco said the Watson-Marlow pumps business was leading its growth.

The company, which sees high capital investment for the year, said rising material costs would impact the second half.

Spirax-Sarco said it had net cash balances of 18 million pounds ($27.2 million) and a strong balance sheet at end-June.

Shares of the company closed at 1,358 pence on Monday on the London Stock Exchange. ($1=.6608 Pound) (Reporting by Aditi Samajpati in Bangalore; Editing by Vinu Pilakkott)

RoodMicrotec N.V.: RoodMicrotec achieves strong sales growth in first half 2010

The provisional sales for the first half of 2010 of € 7.328 million grew strongly by
32.1% compared to the first half of 2009 (HY1 2009: € 5.547 million).
We realised growth rates of 42% and 176% respectively in the business units Test and
Supply Chain Management. The Qualification & Reliability Investigation business unit
showed limited growth (+1%), while Failure & Technology Analysis and Test Engineering
fell by -11% and -42% respectively.
The first months of 2010, the market recovery was largely limited to existing services.
New developments of our customers continue to be postponed; resulting in Test
Engineering especially lagged behind budget in the first months of the past half year.
We expect that under normal conditions these services will show growth in the second
half of 2010. However, as stated earlier, this sales growth will not be as significant
as in Test and Supply Chain Management.

Sales by business unit in the first half of 2010 vs. first half of 2009

(x EUR 1000) HY1 2010 HY1 2009
Change
Test 3,319 2,337
+42%
Supply Chain Management 1,791 0,650
+176%
Failure & Technology Analysis 0,753 0,845
-11%
Test Engineering 0,349 0,606
-42%
Qualification & Reliability Investigation 1,116 1,109
+1%
Total 7,328 5,547
+32%

‘I am pleased to find that we have achieved strong growth (see table) in line with
market developments. Admittedly, we are not yet growing in all sectors, but the total
number of order applications and the total order intake are encouraging. I expect our
engineering capacity to be fully in use in the near future,’ Philip Nijenhuis, CEO of
RoodMicrotec, commented.

Measures taken
We have extended capacity in Test and will extend it further by means of
rationalisation. In Test Engineering, we have reduced working time. This has enabled us
to partially relieve undercapacity resulting from postponement of engineering contracts.

Outlook
Based on the developments in the first half of 2010 we expect sales to increase further,
barring unforeseen circumstances. The sales growth in the full year 2010 will lead to an
improvement of the result and the cash position in the second half of 2010.
In the long term, we consider an average annual sales increase of between 5% and 15% to
be realistic.

Financial agenda 2010/2011
31 August 2010 Publication interim report 2010
31 August 2010 Conference call for press and analysts
11 November 2010 Publication trading update
11 January 2011 Publication sales figures full year 2010
24 February 2011 Publication annual figures 2010
24 February 2011 Conference call for press and analysts
10 March 2011 Publication annual report 2010
24 March 2011 Annual general meeting of shareholders

Forward-looking statements
This press release contains a number of forward-looking statements. These statements are
based on current expectations, estimates and prognoses of the board of management and on
the information currently available to the company. The statements are subject to
certain risks and uncertainties which are hard to evaluate, such as the general economic
conditions, interest rates, exchange rates and amendments to statutory laws and
regulations. The board of management of RoodMicrotec cannot guarantee that its
expectations will materialise. Furthermore, RoodMicrotec does not accept any obligation
to update the statements made in this press release.

About RoodMicrotec
With 40 years’ experience as an independent value-added microelectronics and
optoelectronics service provider, RoodMicrotec offers a one-stop shopping proposition to
fabless companies, OEMs and other business partners.

RoodMicrotec has built up a strong position in Europe with its powerful solutions. Its
services comply with the highest industrial and quality requirements as demanded by the
high-reliability/aerospace, automotive, telecommunications, medical, IT and electronics
sectors.

‘Certified by RoodMicrotec’ concerns certification of products inter alia to the
stringent ISO/TS 16949 standard for suppliers to the automotive industry. The company
has an accredited laboratory for testing and calibration activities in accordance with
the ISO/IEC 17025 standard.

The value-added services include failure & technology analysis, qualification &
monitoring burn-in, test- & product engineering, production test (including device
programming and end-of-line service), ESD/ESDFOS assessment & training, quality &
reliability consulting, supply chain management and total manufacturing solutions with
partners.

RoodMicrotec has facilities in Germany (Dresden, Nördlingen, Stuttgart) and in the
Netherlands (Zwolle).

For further information:
Philip Nijenhuis, CEO Phone: +31 38 4215216 Fax: +31 38
4216410
Correspondence address:
RoodMicrotec N.V., P.O. box 1042, 8001 BA Zwolle, The Netherlands
E-mail: info@roodtechnology.com Web-site: www.roodmicrotec.com

http://www.roodmicrotec.com/

HUG#1429738

PDF-Version of graphic “Sales Revenue Index”

http://hugin.info/130789/R/1429738/376760.pdf

Complete Press Release as PDF http://hugin.info/130789/R/1429738/376761.pdf

UPDATE 1-Porvair swings to profit; raises FY profit view

(Reuters) – British filtration specialist Porvair (PORV.L) posted a first-half pretax profit and raised its profit expectations for the full year, citing steady demand.

The company, which makes filtration and separation equipment for the aviation, energy, industrial process and environmental laboratories businesses, said on Tuesday it saw healthy order books for the second half.

For the six months ended May 31, pretax profit was 1.3 million pounds, compared with a loss of 0.6 million pounds last year. Revenue grew 10 percent to 29.7 million pounds.

The company maintained its interim dividend at 1.0 pence.

On June 2, the company said it expected first-half results to be well ahead of 2009 and saw revenue growth for the period exceeding 10 percent at constant currency rates. [ID:nSGE65109G]

Porvair shares closed at 63.5 pence on Monday on the London Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Tresa Sherin Morera in Bangalore; Editing by Vinu Pilakkott)

SpareBank 1 SR-Bank : SpareBank 1 SR-Bank exploring possible conversion to limited savings bank

In view of developments in national and international financial markets, at a meeting on
28 June 2010, the Supervisory Board of SpareBank 1 SR-Bank discussed the bank’s
long-term challenges and opportunities, including competitive access to equity and
funding.

The bank’s strong performance over many years has been key to supplying this part of the
country with the capital it needed. A continued profitable and solid bank, with an ample
access to equity and funding, will be crucial to sustained growth and development in the
region.

“During the past fifteen years SpareBank 1 SR-Bank has been one of Norway’s most
profitable banks. For this excellent performance to continue, it is important that it is
attractive for investors to lend us money as well as participate in the bank as owners.
We have now reached a size, with regard to future funding and equity needs, that could
make equity certificates a less suitable equity instrument,” says Terje Vareberg, CEO of
SpareBank 1 SR-Bank.

In view of this, the Supervisory Board has asked the Board of Directors to study the
benefits and drawbacks of a possible conversion of SpareBank 1 SR-Bank to a limited
savings bank. The report will be presented to the Supervisory Board during the second
half of 2010.

Stavanger, 28 June 2010

Contact persons:
Terje Vareberg, CEO, tel. +47 911 00 448
Vidar Torsøe, Deputy CFO, tel. + 47 970 80656
Thor-Christian Haugland, Executive Vice President Communications, tel. +47 480 31 633

Italian Stocks – Factors to watch on June 29

June 29 (Reuters) – The following factors could affect Italian markets on Tuesday.

Cyclical Consumer Goods | Energy

Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot vouch for their accuracy. New items are marked with (*).

SAIPEM (SPMI.MI)

The oilfield services company said a fire had been reported at the Scarabeo 8 rig under construction with no injuries. [ID:nWEA7746]

SMALL AND MID CAPS

I GRANDI VIAGGI (IGV.MI)

The tour operator posted a first-half loss of 5.2 million euros, deeper than the 4.4 million euro loss in the same period of the year before. It cited a “crisis of consumption” for the deeper loss and said a turnaround in the second half was unlikely.

Italian Stocks – Factors to watch on June 29

June 29 (Reuters) – The following factors could affect Italian markets on Tuesday.

Cyclical Consumer Goods | Energy

Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot vouch for their accuracy. New items are marked with (*).

SAIPEM (SPMI.MI)

The oilfield services company said a fire had been reported at the Scarabeo 8 rig under construction with no injuries. [ID:nWEA7746]

SMALL AND MID CAPS

I GRANDI VIAGGI (IGV.MI)

The tour operator posted a first-half loss of 5.2 million euros, deeper than the 4.4 million euro loss in the same period of the year before. It cited a “crisis of consumption” for the deeper loss and said a turnaround in the second half was unlikely.

Cyclical Consumer Goods
Energy

Thai exports seen on bullish track in H2 – cenbank

June 25 (Reuters) – Thailand’s bullish export growth during the first half of 2010 is expected to be sustained in the second half despite possible economic slowdown in key euro zone markets, Bank of Thailand Deputy Governor Bandid Nijathaworn said on Friday.

“Exports in May still showed encouraging growth even when we faced an uncertain domestic situation. The good trend should continue in the second half but to what extent will depend mainly on the global economy,” he said.

“Exports to economies in the EU may slow down, but they would be offset by our shipments to Asian markets,” the deputy governor told reporters. (Reporting by Boontiwa Wichakul; Writing by Vithoon Amorn; Editing by Robert Birsel

UPDATE 1-Yule Catto sees H1 pretax profit up substantially

June 24 (Reuters) – British chemicals maker Yule Catto & Co Plc (YULC.L) said it expected first-half underlying pretax profit to be substantially ahead of a year ago, helped by its main polymer business, sending its shares up nearly 6 percent.

The company, which sees first-half operating profit in the polymers division well above year-ago levels, said the business enjoyed good volumes through the second quarter.

Yule Catto said its impact chemicals business William Blythe also saw better volumes and was trading strongly.

While the company’s pharma chemicals was expected to report a lower operating profit for the period, Yule Catto said the unit currently had a strong order book and was likely to see an improved product mix in the second half of the year.

The company also expects to lower net debt from 88 million pounds ($131.7 million) following the 11 million pounds sale of its downstream adhesives business in June.

Shares of the company were up 5.9 percent at 188 pence at 0708 GMT on Thursday on the London Stock Exchange. ($1=.6683 Pound) (Reporting by Aditi Samajpati in Bangalore; Editing by Aradhana Aravindan)

Quadra FNX lowers 2010 copper production outlook

June 20 (Reuters) – Canadian miner Quadra FNX Mining Ltd (QUX.TO) has lowered its 2010 copper production outlook by about 12 percent, due to slowdowns in production from its Franke mine in Chile and its Carlota mine in Arizona.

Vancouver-based Quadra, which recently closed its C$1.6 billion takeover of FNX Mining, said it now expects 2010 copper production of 265 million pounds, down from a prior estimate of 300 million pounds.

Gold and precious metal production guidance remains unchanged at 155,000 ounces, the company said in a statement late on Saturday.

The company said it expects operations at the Franke mine to be back at optimum levels by the first half of 2011, while ore grades and volumes at Carlota are expected to improve in the second half of this year.

Last week, Quadra FNX announced that its proposed joint venture in Chile with China’s State Grid International Development Ltd had fallen apart, after the two sides were unable to conclude a definitive agreement. [ID:nN16163689] (Reporting by Euan Rocha; Editing by Marguerita Choy)