LONDON (AFX) - Here are the top stories on AFX News Carnival Q1 earnings increase boosted by rise in cruise capacity
LONDON (AFX) - Carnival, the world's largest operator of cruise ships, reported a year-on-year rise in first-quarter net income driven by an increase in cruise capacity.
First-quarter net income was 283 mln usd, compared with 251 mln usd the previous year. Reliance in talks over acquiring stake in Sainsbury - sources
LONDON (AFX) - Reliance Industries Ltd has held talks over the purchase of a strategic minority stake in J Sainsbury PLC, sources close Reliance told AFX News.
However, the Indian group is not interested in a full-scale bid for the UK supermarkets chain, the source indicated. Interbulk Investments announces 79.5 mln stg reverse takeover of UTI
LONDON (AFX) - InterBulk Investments PLC said it will acquire dry bulk logistics firm UTI, in what constitutes a reverse takeover under AIM rules, for 79.5 mln stg plus 10 mln warrants exercisable at 25 pence.
The logistics company also said it is seeking to raise 28 mln stg through a placing of 140 mln shares at 20 pence each and that an existing shareholder Atorka has agreed to subscribe for 99.99 mln shares lifting its interest in the company to 40.79 pct. Vodafone plans to acquire remaining stakes in German subsidiary Arcor
FRANKFURT (AFX) - Vodafone Group PLC is planning to acquire the remaining stakes in its German fixed-line unit Arcor from shareholders Deutsche Bank AG and Deutsche Bahn, reported dpa-AFX news agency, citing CEO of Vodafone Deutschland Friedrich Joussen.
Joussen declined to offer a time frame, but stated: 'It is important that we find the right time to do this.' AGA FY pretax profit 46.0 mln stg vs 42.7 mln
LONDON (AFX) - AGA Foodservice Group PLC, the producer of premium range cookers and refrigerators, saw its pretax profit for the year to Dec 31 2006 rise 7.7 pct to 46.0 mln stg.
The group's revenue increased by 15.2 pct to 47.7 mln stg, while EPS rose by 8.7 pct to 28.7 pence. Gyrus sees further profit margin improvement as 2006 EPS jumps 20 pct
LONDON (AFX) - Medical devices maker Gyrus Group PLC reported 20 pct growth in underlying earnings for 2006, a touch better than forecast, and predicted further improvement in profit margins this year.
Adjusted earnings per share climbed to 17.1 pence from 14.2 pence the previous year. Analysts were expecting 16.16 pence, according to an average of six forecasts collated by Thomson Financial. Debenhams underlying sales fall worsens
LONDON (AFX) - Debenhams PLC, the UK's second largest department store group, has seen its underlying sales continue to fall, but it expects first half profit in line with internal hopes.
The retailer, which rejoined the stock market last May after two-and-a-half years in private hands, said its total sales over the 26 weeks to March 3 increased 5.8 pct. Von Essen Aviation acquires PremiAir Aviation for an undisclosed sum
LONDON (AFX) - Von Essen Aviation has this morning purchased the PremiAir Aviation Group for an undisclosed sum from the Sir Robert McAlpine Group.
PremiAir's operating bases at Blackbushe Airport, near Farnborough in Surrey, and Denham Aerodrome, between Heathrow and Luton airports, are part of the deal. The purchase includes PremiAir's engineering and maintenance business as well as its Police Air Support business. Balfour Beatty wins 111 mln stg design, build contract in Liverpool
LONDON (AFX) - Construction group Balfour Beatty PLC said it has been awarded design and build contracts worth 111 mln stg by property group Grosvenor for a redevelopment project in Liverpool, England.
The company will act as the main contractor for the eastern part of the Paradise Project, a multi-use development that will form a significant proportion of Grosvenor's 42-acre Liverpool redevelopment programme. BT lining up 2 bln stg share buyback - report
LONDON (AFX) - BT Group will announce a massive return of capital to shareholders alongside full-year results in May, according to an unsourced report in the Daily Mail.
The telecoms giant will channel at least 2 bln stg into a share buyback scheme, which will initially funded by a hike in the group's debt levels, said the paper. Commerzbank sells UK unit Jupiter to TA consortium for 1 bln eur - report
FRANKFURT (AFX) - Commerzbank AG is selling its UK asset management unit Jupiter for around 1 bln eur to a consortium formed out of Jupiter management itself and US financial investor TA Associates, Handelsblatt said, citing sources.
A spokesman for Commerzbank and another for Jupiter declined comment to the newspaper. 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