LONDON (AFX) - Here are the top stories on AFX News German Feb Ifo business climate index falls to 107.0, misses consensus
MUNICH (AFX) - The Ifo research institute said its business climate index for Germany slipped to 107.0 in February from 107.9 in January, falling short of expectations as optimism among firms about their current business conditions faded.
Economists polled by AFX News had expected a smaller drop to 107.6. Ifo polls about 7,000 companies about their assessment of current business and their expectations for the next six months to compile the climate index. DaimlerChrysler in talks with private equity groups over Chrysler sale - report
FRANKFURT (AFX) - DaimlerChrysler AG has held preliminary talks with at least four private equity groups over the sale of its Chrysler unit, The Financial Times reported in its online edition citing sources familiar with the matter.
The newspaper said Apollo Management, Blackstone, Carlyle and Cerberus Capital Management were contacted by the German automaker last week. Italian president to announce decision tomorrow on government crisis
ROME (AFX) - President Giorgio Napolitano said he will make an announcement tomorrow about how to resolve the Italian political crisis sparked by the resignation of Prime Minister Romano Prodi.
'This evening I will try to rethink the arguments and ideas, and tomorrow morning I will communicate the decision it seems I should take,' Napolitano said in brief televised remarks. Merkel, Chirac urge 'fair division' of Airbus restructuring burden
MESEBERG, Germany (AFX) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Jacques Chirac called for a 'fair division' of the burden in restructuring European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co (EADS) unit Airbus.
Chirac said after informal talks here that he and Merkel were confident that the management of Airbus would take equitable decisions on job cuts and plant closures in France and Germany and cushion the blow to affected communities. RWE FY opg rises 13.7 pct on strong power prices; above consensus
ESSEN, Germany - RWE AG said its full year operating profit rose 13.7 pct to 6.106 bln eur from 5.371 bln a year earlier thanks to strong electricity prices in its core German market.
The figure was slightly above the 6.091 bln eur consensus of analysts estimates. Lafarge posts strong FY profit; to exceed EPS, ROCE targets through 2008
PARIS (AFX) - Lafarge reported a jump in full-year profits, within the range of analyst forecasts, citing positive market trends and the impact of restructuring, and said it expects to exceed its own targets for earnings per share and return on capital employed (ROCE) through 2008.
The company posted full-year net profit of 1.372 bln eur, up 25 pct from the 2005 reported figure of 1.096 bln, while earnings per share reached 7.86 eur, a 23 pct rise on the previous year. Eni Q4 adj net slips as oil, gas output falls
MILAN (AFX) - Eni SpA said that its adjusted net profit fell to 2.355 bln eur from 2.396 bln a year earlier, as oil and gas daily production fell to 1.796 mln barrels of oil equivalent (boe) from 1.806 mln.
Production suffered from the nationalisation of the Dacion oilfield in Venezuela, which knocked 61,000 barrels a day off Eni's production. BBVA, Compass agree 385 mln usd compensation if merger fails
MADRID (AFX) - Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA's acquisition of Compass Bancshares Inc includes a clause whereby either company may be required to pay the other a termination fee of 385 mln usd, according to a filing lodged by Compass Banchares with the US Securities and Exchanges Commission.
'The Transaction Agreement... provides that, upon termination of the Transaction Agreement under specified circumstances, Compass or BBVA may be required to pay the other party a termination fee of 385 mln usd,' the filing states. Italy's Omnia Network IPO priced at bottom of pre-set range
MILAN (AFX) - Italy's outsourcing company Omnia Network SpA said shares in its initial public offering are being priced at 5.0 eur, the bottom end of a 5.0-6.5 range, set at the start of the IPO.
The pricing takes account of market conditions and demand from institutional and retail shareholders, it said. VW to up MAN stake to just under 30 pct, request 3 seats on MAN board - report
FRANKFURT (AFX) - Volkswagen AG plans to increase its 20 pct stake in MAN AG to just under 30 pct before the latter's May 10 AGM, when it will then ask for three seats on the company's supervisory board, Handelsblatt reported, quoting industry sources.
Neither MAN nor VW wished to comment on the information, the report said. Alcatel-Lucent to cut 450 jobs in Stuttgart - works council
STUTTGART, Germany (AFX) - Alcatel-Lucent plans to cut 450 jobs in Stuttgart, Germany by the end of 2008, its works council said.
A spokesperson for the German unit of the French-American telecommunications supplier declined to comment. COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. AFX News and AFX Financial News Logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited