PARIS (Thomson Financial) - Shares are headed for a flat opening, with a flood of earnings news from heayweights such as EADS and BNP Paribas.
Yesterday, the CAC-40 index finished up 22.46 points or 0.45 percent at 4,998.67.
On the Matif, May CAC-40 futures were trading at 4,995.00 ahead of the official opening, and the euro was quoted at $1.5458 compared to $1.5501 late Tuesday.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
TODAY
-Sanofi-Aventis AGM
-Bouygues Q1 sales (after market closes)
-TF1 Q1 results
-Vivendi Q1 sales (after market closes)
-President Sarkozy begins two-day visit to Mexico; to announce bilateral aerospace programme
-JCDecaux AGM
TOMORROW
-Q1 GDP (1st estimate) 0650 GMT
-Credit Agricole Q1 results (before market)
-Technip Q1 results
-LVMH AGM
-Ipsos Q1 sales
-Euler Hermes Q1 sales
-Eutelsat Q1 sales
-Poweo Q1 sales
TODAY'S PRESS
-Christian Dior manager Claus-Dietrich Lahrs may be appointed new CEO of Hugo Boss (Handelsblatt cites sources close to company)
-Societe Generale CEO Frederic Oudea says bank has trimmed its limits on arbitrage activities by one-third in reinforcing its internal controls; says no need to change business model radically after the scandal and group is in comfortable position to make acquisitions -- notably in retail banking outside France, specialised financial services and private banking (interview in La Tribune)
ECONOMIC NEWS
-FRENCH APRIL CPI UP 0.3 PCT FROM MARCH, UP 3.0 PCT YEAR-0N-YEAR
COMPANY NEWS
-CGG Veritas Q1 net profit 64.0 mln euros vs 69.0 mln, confirms 2008 targets, based on strengthening H2 activities
-GFI Informatique H1 sales 288.3 mln euros vs 275.5 mln; warns of lower first-half opg profit; says FY growth target 'compromised'
-Nicox Q1 net loss 12.96 mln euros vs profit 1.80 mln, sales 1.404 billion euros vs 8.746 billion
-Dexia SA Q1 net profit 289 million euros, down from 720 million last year, missing the 342-532 million euros forecast by analysts polled by Thomson Financial News.
-Aeroports de Paris Q1 sales 580.4 million euros, up 12.6 percent
-ArcelorMittal Q1 net profit $2.371 billion, up 5 percent from $2.25 billion a year earlier.
-NRJ Group sells further 40 percent stake in mobile unit to CM-CIC
-EADS NV Q1 net profit 285 million euros, up from net loss of 10 million euros a year earlier, beating consensus figure of analyst forecasts compiled by Thomson Financial of 245.57 million euros.
-Renault SA says Nissan Motor Co Q4 earnings, announced Monday, will make contribution of around 395 million euros to Renault's Q1 net profit.
-ArcelorMittal shareholders approve 10 pct share capital rise for acquisitions
-BNP Paribas Q1 net profit 1.981 billion euros, down from 2.507 billion a year earlier. A Thomson Financial consensus of analysts' forecasts had expected net profit of 1.768 billion euros.
-Technip wins North Sea services contract worth up to 190 mln euros from Oilexco
-GFI Informatique Q1 sales 186.5 million euros, 12.2 percent from 166.3 million, or up 1.3 percent rise on organic basis.
-Carrefour Q1 sales 23.375 billion euros, up 10.2 percent from proforma 21.219 billion euros. Group reiterates 2008 guidance for 6 percent to 8 percent sales growth excluding acquisitions on constant exchange rates.
-Thales Q1 sales 2.308 billion euros, up 5.3 percent from 1.193 billion a year earlier, or up 7.3 percent on organic basis
-Vinci Q1 sales 7.2 billion euros, up 17 percent from 6.1 billion a year earlier, up 7.5 percent on organic basis. Analyst polled by Thomson Financial News had seen sales in the period at 7.006-7.194 billion euros.
-Accor chairman says group has no plans to break up its activities and 'has the means' to develop both its hotel and services businesses in the medium term
-CNP Assurances Q1 sales 7.638 billion euros, down 22 percent from 9.81 billion a year earlier. tfn.paris@thomson.com vb/vs COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2008. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.