LONDON (AFX) - Here are the top stories on AFX News Italy's Prodi wins second confidence vote
ROME (AFX) - Italy's centre-left government easily won a vote of confidence today in the lower house of parliament, formally ending a political crisis sparked by last week's resignation of Prime Minister Romano Prodi.
The centre-left prevailed in the Chamber of Deputies by 342 to 253, with two abstentions by far-left members. Bayer to cut 6,100 jobs worldwide including 1,500 in Germany
FRANKFURT (AFX) - BAYER AG said its Bayer HealthCare AG business is to cut 6,100 jobs worldwide, including 1,500 in Germany, as part of a plan to generate synergies from the integration of Schering AG.
The company said 3,150 jobs are to be shed in Europe; 1,000 in the US; 750 in the Asia, Pacific and Japan region; and 1,200 in Latin America and Canada. Cegedim to buy Dendrite for $751 million
NEW YORK (AP) - Cegedim SA, a French maker of software for pharmaceutical companies, said Friday it is buying Dendrite International Inc., which provides sales and marketing services for pharmaceutical companies, for about $751 million in cash.
The $16 per share offer represents a 40 percent premium over Bedminster, N.J.-based Dendrite's average closing share price from Feb. 1 to March 1 and a a 25 percent premium over Thursday's closing price of $12.79. Aker Kvaerner to restructure operations into five global businesses
OSLO (AFX) - Aker Kvaerner ASA said it is to restructure its business by transforming its existing six divisions into 'five global business areas', in a bid to both increase transparency and optimise the efficiency of its overall operations.
The Norwegian engineering firm said that by combining specialised units which work within the same market segments, the company will be able to increase overall capacity and improve its product offering. EADS unit Airbus could get cash injection from French regional authorities
PARIS (AFX) - The presidents of eight French socialist regional councils yesterday signalled their intention of investing in Airbus' parent company EADS following the announcement of the Power8 restructuring plan for the ailing aircraft unit.
In a letter addressed to French prime minister Dominique de Villepin, the presidents of eight councils including Midi-Pyrenees, Ile-de-France, and Provence-Cote d'Azur, all of which have a socialist majority, criticised the planned 4,300 French job cuts, and asked for details on how they could take a stake in EADS' capital. Lenovo recalls 205,000 laptop batteries
RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) - Chinese PC maker Lenovo Inc. recalled about 205,000 laptop computer batteries made by Japan's Sanyo Electric Co., warning that they could overheat and cause a fire.
The worldwide battery recall announced Thursday was the second for the company in the past six months and comes as Lenovo, the world's No. 3 computer maker, tries to gain ground on its better-known competitors. Adecco CFO says 1.5 bln eur earmarked for potential acquisitions
ZURICH (AFX) - Temporary employment group Adecco SA said it has a war chest of 1.5 bln eur for potential acquisitions for the coming years, CFO Dominik de Daniel said at the company's presentation of fourth-quarter and full-year results.
De Daniel emphatically ruled out the possibility of a capital increase to finance acquisitions. Bodycote rejects Sulzer's 325 pence a share offer, says it undervalues co
LONDON (AFX) - The board of UK group Bodycote International PLC has rejected a cash offer of 325 pence per share from Swiss engineering firm Sulzer AG.
Bodycote, which is being advised by Lehman Brothers and Credit Suisse, said it considered Sulzer's proposal but rejected it because it undervalued the company. Linde 2006 net income up to $2.4 billion
WIESBADEN, Germany (AP) - Linde AG, the world's largest maker of industrial gases, said Friday that 2006 net income more than tripled after restructuring the business.
Net income rose to euro1.8 billion (US$2.4 billion) in fiscal 2006 from 515 million in the previous year, the company said in a statement. Sales gained 31 percent to euro30.8 billion (US$40.7 billion). United Business Media FY pretax pre-ex up 5.5 pct, will pay special div of 72p
LONDON (AFX) - United Business Media PLC, the UK publishing and exhibition group, posted a 5.5 pct rise in pretax pre-exceptional profit for 2006 and announced it will pay a special dividend of 72 pence a share this month.
Pretax profit before amortisation and exceptional items increased to 160.5 mln stg from 152.1 mln stg in 2005. Deutsche Bank had forecast pretax profit of 157 mln stg. Continuing revenue grew 16.6 pct to 739.1 mln stg. Tognum IPO to raise more than 1.4 bln eur - report
FRANKFURT (AFX) - The planned IPO of German engine manufacturer Tognum could raise more than 1.4 bln eur, Financial Times Deutschland reported, citing people familiar with the situation.
Swedish private equity firm and majority stakeholder EQT said on Monday that a final decision about the public listing is to be made in the course of this year, the report added. 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