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☆ Volkswagen's Europe and US sales offset China weakness in Q3
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Christoph Steitz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Volkswagen group delivered 2.34 million vehicles in total in July-September. In China, deliveries fell 5.8% to 837,200, the company said, joining rival German carmakers in reporting a quarterly decline there. Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) and BMW (BMWG.DE) earlier this week said their third-quarter sales in China fell, with the former hit by supply chain issues and model changes. Still, car sales in China continued a recovery in September, rising for the second consecutive month, benefiting from stronger demand and new models ahead of key holidays. Volkswagen recorded a 40.5% increase in deliveries of all-electric vehicles to 209,900 in the third quarter, accounting for 9% of group deliveries.

Persons: Fabrizio Bensch, carmaker, Ola Kaellenius, Hildegard Wortmann, Christoph Steitz, Tristan Chabba, Rachel More, Mark Potter Organizations: Volkswagen, REUTERS, German, Mercedes, Benz, BMW, Thomson Locations: Salzgitter, Germany, China, FRANKFURT, Europe, North America, Zwickau

☆ Volkswagen's Europe, U.S. vehicle deliveries offset China weakness in Q3
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Volkswagen employees stand next to Volkswagen electric cars during a ceremony at German carmaker Volkswagen's first battery cell production plant 'SalzGiga' in Salzgitter, Germany, July 7, 2022. Overall, Volkswagen recorded group deliveries of 2.34 million vehicles in the July-September period. In China, deliveries fell 5.8% to 837,200 in the period, Volkswagen said, joining rival German carmakers in unveiling a quarterly drop. Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) and BMW (BMWG.DE) earlier this week saw their third-quarter sales in China fall, with the former being hit by supply chain issues and model changes. Car sales in China still continued their recovery in September, rising for the second consecutive month, benefiting from stronger demand and new models ahead of key holidays.

Persons: Fabrizio Bensch, Ola Kaellenius, Christoph Steitz, Tristan Chabba, Rachel More Organizations: Volkswagen, REUTERS, Rights, German, Benz, BMW, carmakers, Thomson Locations: Salzgitter, Germany, Europe, North America, China

☆ Governments repatriate citizens from Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

REUTERS/Pilar Olivares Acquire Licensing RightsOct 12 (Reuters) - Governments around the world have arranged repatriation flights from Tel Aviv in reaction to the conflict in Israel. AUSTRALIAAustralia organised two special flights on Friday and Sunday to bring back citizens from Israel, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday. CANADACanada plans to operate evacuation flights for Canadians stranded in Israel, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Tuesday. ITALYItaly arranged for seven flights between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Italian foreign ministry said late on Tuesday, as part of efforts to repatriate about 900 Italian citizens from Israel. On Wednesday, Portugal had repatriated 152 Portuguese citizens directly from Israel, plus 14 citizens from other European countries.

Persons: Roseli Pereira, Pilar Olivares, Anthony Albanese, Alexander De Croo, Melanie Joly, Jan Lipavsky, Lipavsky, Elina Valtonen, Catherine Colonna, Annalena Baerbock, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Andrzej Duda, Mariusz Blaszczak, Margarita Robles, Tobias Billstrom, Srettha Thavisin, Oleg Nikolenko, Nikolenko, Alessandro Parodi, Tristan Chabba, Joao Manuel Mauricio, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Rio de, REUTERS, Argentinian, AUSTRALIA Australia, Spanish Air Force, Foreign, CANADA Canada, Centre for Israel, Jewish Affairs, Boeing, Foreign Ministry, European Union, Aviation, CZECH REPUBLIC Czech, Wednesday, Reuters, French Foreign, France, Condor, German Foreign Ministry, Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel . KAZAKHSTAN Air Astana, Astana Times, Norwegian Air, Sunday . Defence, Ben Gurion, SOUTH, Incheon Airport, Korean, Acting, Airbus, SWISS, THAILAND, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Airline KLM, Facebook, Romania, UNITED, UNITED STATES, U.S . State Department, . Delta Air Lines, U.S, Thomson Locations: Israel, Brazil, Tel Aviv, ARGENTINA, Rome, Argentina, AUSTRALIA, AUSTRIA Austria, Hörsching, Upper Austria, Cyprus, BELGIUM Belgium, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, Brasilia, Embassy of Brazil, CHILE, Athens, Madrid, COLOMBIA, CYPRUS, Cypriot, CZECH REPUBLIC, Czech, Oman, Prague, DENMARK, Danish, FINLAND Finland, FRANCE France, Israel's Tel Aviv, Paris, GERMANY German, Jordanian, Aqaba, ICELAND, Germany, Keflavík, Iceland, Icelandic, ITALY Italy, Almaty, MEXICO, Oslo, POLAND Poland, Polish, Poland, Ben, Ben Gurion Airport, PORTUGAL, Portuguese, Lisbon, Portugal, SOUTH KOREA, Seoul, KS, SPAIN Spain, Spain, Torrejon, SWEDEN, Swedish, SWITZERLAND Swiss, Zurich, Bern, NETHERLANDS, Netherlands, UKRAINE Ukrainian, Gaza, Europe, U.S, Gdansk

☆ BMW lifts outlook, warns inflation and supply issues not over
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Aug 1 (Reuters) - BMW (BMWG.DE) lifted its annual outlook for its margin on earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) in the automotive segment on Tuesday but said it foresaw ongoing challenges from supply chain issues and inflation in the second half of the year. The carmaker's forecast mirrored that of competitors such as Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) which also raised their earnings outlook but warned the macroeconomic environment would continue to weigh on output. The preliminary results and outlook adjustment failed to impress markets, with shares down 4.5% at 0908 GMT, underperforming Germany's DAX and Europe's autos index. BMW sales rose 4.7% in the first half of the year compared to last year, when supply chain issues caused by factors including the war in Ukraine and lockdowns in China dented output. ($1 = 0.9114 euros)Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, additional reporting by Tristan Chabba; editing by Matthias Williams, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Germany's DAX, Victoria Waldersee, Tristan Chabba, Matthias Williams, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: BMW, Mercedes, Benz, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, lockdowns, China

☆ Rheinmetall receives order to co-produce three-cylinder engines
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 9 (Reuters) - Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE) is to partner with a company from Uzbekistan to co-manufacture three-cylinder engine blocks, the German arms maker said on Thursday. The production of the first 100,000 units of the three-cylinder engines, to be delivered to an original equipment manufacturer from the United States, would take place in Germany, then be shipped in Uzbekistan, the company said. "Once the phase of providing initial support is complete, serial production of the engine blocks will start in Uzbekistan" it added. The order is worth a figure in the lower two-digit million euros, Rheinmetall said. Reporting by Tristan Chabba in Gdansk, Editing by Rachel MoreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Qiagen partners with Sophia Genetics on next-generation sequencing kits
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 1 (Reuters) - Qiagen (QIA.DE) is to collaborate with Sophia Genetics (SOPH.O) on its next-generation sequencing (NGS) kits, the US-German pharmaceutical company said on Wednesday. The alliance, part of Qiagen's Qiqseq platform partnership program, aims to increase the compatibility of its NGS kits with third-party digital data-sharing and analytics companies. "The partnership with Sophia Genetics is planned to be expanded to other areas of analysis," it added. Reporting by Tristan Chabba in Gdansk Editing by Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Siltronic expects lower 2023 earnings, shares on track for worst day in almost 3 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Siltronic (WAFGn.DE) sees a more difficult 2023 as lower volumes as well as exchange rate effects and inflation are set to impact the German chip equipment supplier, it said on Friday. Siltronic is assuming sales, its earnings before interests, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) margin and earnings before interests and taxes (EBIT) will be significantly lower in 2023. The Bavarian company cited expected inventory adjustments as well as short-term postponement of delivery volumes of some customers in the first half of 2023 as impacting the first quarter. Siltronic shares slumped 10% following the announcement and are on track for their worst day in almost three years. Reporting by Tristan Chabba in Gdansk Editing by Paul Carrel and Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Europe's biggest hotel group Accor (ACCP.PA) on Thursday forecast higher revenue per available room (RevPAR) for 2023 as Chinese travelers are expected to return, after its annual core profit beat expectations on strong December activity. Hotel chains were hit hard by China's strict pandemic restrictions and are now hoping for a recovery in the Asia-Pacific region, Accor's second biggest market pre-pandemic. Boosted by demand for shorter trips, European hotel chains have seen bookings recover to levels comparable to those in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic grounded international flights. Accor's RevPAR, a key gauge of performance for the hotel industry, last year exceeded the 2019 pre-pandemic level by 2%. It posted core profit of 675 million euros ($716.72 million) for 2022, while analysts in a Refinitiv poll had expected 640.3 million euros.

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Europe's biggest hotel group Accor (ACCP.PA) on Thursday forecast higher revenue per available room (RevPAR) for 2023 as Chinese travelers are expected to return, after its annual core profit beat expectations on strong December activity. Hotel chains were hit hard by China's strict pandemic restrictions and are now hoping for a recovery in the Asia-Pacific region, Accor's second biggest market pre-pandemic. The group, which runs chains such as Sofitel, Pullman and Ibis, said it expected 2023 RevPAR to increase by between 5% and 9% from the previous year. Boosted by demand for shorter trips, European hotel chains have seen bookings recover to levels comparable to those in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic grounded international flights. It posted core profit of 675 million euros ($716.72 million) for 2022, while analysts in a Refinitiv poll had expected 640.3 million euros.

☆ Hotel group Accor beats profit estimates on strong December activity
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Europe's biggest hotel group Accor (ACCP.PA) on Thursday reported annual core profit ahead of market expectations and its own guidance, citing "very good" activity in December. Boosted by demand for shorter trips, European hotel chains have seen bookings recover to levels comparable to those in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic grounded international flights. The group, which runs chains such as Sofitel, Pullman and Ibis, posted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of 675 million euros ($716.72 million) for 2022, above its outlook range of 610 million to 640 million euros. Analysts on average had forecast EBITDA of 640.3 million euros in a Refinitiv poll. Accor's revenue per available room (RevPAR), a key gauge of performance for the hotel industry, came 2% above the 2019 pre-pandemic level.

☆ Online fashion retailer Zalando to cut hundreds of jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 21 (Reuters) - German online fashion retailer Zalando (ZALG.DE) is to cut hundreds of jobs across the company, citing over-expansion in some areas and a more difficult economic environment since the coronavirus pandemic. Zalando said the pandemic had boosted business in 2020 and 2021, but these tailwinds had faded since 2022 and the macroeconomic environment had become more challenging. Zalando, which has a workforce of some 17,000, did not give precise details on which areas would be affected by the cuts. The planned job cuts were first reported by the Financial Times, which said the online retailer's workforce would shrink by up to 5%. The company is due to report full-year earnings next month.

☆ Moody's cuts Adidas credit rating to A3 after profit warning
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 17 (Reuters) - Moody's on Friday dowgraded Adidas' (ADSGn.DE) long-term issuer rating one notch to A3 from A2, citing the sportswear maker's recent profit warning, and left the door open to a further cut as it maintained a negative outlook on the company. Adidas warned on Feb. 9 that it could plunge to a loss this year for the first time in three decades, in the latest downgrade triggered by its split from Kanye West, as it raised the possibility of entirely writing off the inventory of the rapper and fashion designer's Yeezy brand. Moody's said that even though it had expected a weak operating performance from Adidas in the next 12 to 18 months, its actual guidance was "well below Moody's expectations." While it described the company's new outlook as conservative and noted its leading position in the global sportswear industry and strong brand, Moody's said its negative outlook reflected "the substantial uncertainty around the near-term improvements of adidas' credit metrics and liquidity profile following the release of a very weak earnings guidance for 2023." ($1 = 0.9373 euros)Reporting by Tristan Chabba in Gdansk Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ IFM increases stake in Flughafen Wien to 43%
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Feb 10 (Reuters) - IFM, through its subsidiary Airports Group Europe, acquired an additional 3.77% of Flughafen Wien (VIEV.VI), as part of its attempt to take over the Austrian airport operator, it said on Friday. This pushes IFM Global Infrastructure Fund's stake in Flughafen Wien to 43.44%. It is already the single largest shareholder of the Vienna-based firm. Flughafen Wien had reiterated last January its call not to accept IFM's offer of 34 euros per share, deeming the valuation too low and the potential delisting of the Vienna Stock Exchange contrary to its interests. Reporting by Tristan Chabba in Gdansk; editing by Matthias WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] A logo is pictured on the Ibex building of Lonza, where the Moderna mRNA coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine will be produced, in Visp, Switzerland, September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File PhotoJan 25 (Reuters) - Lonza (LONN.S) on Wednesday said it will buy back shares worth 2 billion Swiss francs ($2.17 billion), despite an expected drop in annual margins, as the Swiss drug contract manufacturer backed its growth prospects for the near future. Lonza expects its 2023 core earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA margin, to slip between 30% and 31%, down from 32.1% in 2022, as last year's boost from COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing services waned. The Basel-based company, however, reiterated a target of 33%-35% for 2024 marginsand announced a 17% rise in its annual dividend. The Swiss group forecast sales growth in the "high single-digit" adjusted for currency swings, a slow-down from the 15.1% rise it saw last year.

☆ Online pharmacy Zur Rose improves 2022 core loss target
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 19 (Reuters) - Zur Rose (ROSEG.S) expects a smaller full-year core loss than previously guided, the Swiss online drug retailer said on Thursday, citing a faster-than-planned progress in its break-even programme for 2023. It forecast adjusted core loss (EBITDA) of between 70 million and 75 million Swiss francs ($76.39 million and $81.84 million) in 2022, compared with its previous range of 75 million to 85 million francs. Zur Rose said it should be possible to redeem e-prescriptions in pharmacies using the electronic health card from mid-2023, with a nationwide introduction expected from the summer of 2023. Germany, which made up two thirds of the company's external revenue in 2021, accounted for 59% of Zur Rose's revenue in 2022. Zur Rose said it would provide an outlook for 2023 along with its full annual results on March 23.

☆ Factbox: How governments are trying to ease impact of inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

* Ecuador's president decreed a 6% minimum wage hike for next year. * Hungary's government and private-sector employers have agreed on a 16% minimum wage increase for next year. * Poland will cap electricity prices for small businesses, hospitals and households in 2023, and raise the minimum wage twice. * Tunisia's government in September signed a deal with a major labour union to raise public-sector pay and the minimum wage. * Turkey in July raised the minimum wage by about 30%, adding to the 50% rise seen at the end of last year.

☆ Mercedes-Benz Vans plans first electric-only plant in Jawor
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) Vans will invest more than 1 billion euros ($1.05 billion) to build its first electric-only vans plant in Jawor, Poland, pending approval of conditions such as the sign-off of subsidies for its investment, the company said on Monday. The van maker, a division of Mercedes-Benz, has signed a declaration of intent with the Polish government and other partners to add the van factory to its Jawor site where it makes combustion engines and batteries for Mercedes-Benz Cars. The plant will be the fourth in Mercedes-Benz´s European van production network, which it is reorganising towards producing only fully-electric vans built on the VAN.EA platform. A possible expansion of the plant through a joint venture with U.S. electric van maker Rivian (RIVN.O) would no longer take place because the U.S. firm had reprioritised its planned projects, the statement said, confirming a statement by Rivian. ($1 = 0.9482 euros)Reporting by Tristan Chabba in Gdansk and Pawel Florkiewicz in Warsaw, Victoria Waldersee in Berlin, editing by Rachel More and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The rise and fall of Wirecard
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

July 2: The head of Germany's financial watchdog calls the accounting scandal at Wirecard "a massive criminal act". July 6: German prosecutors arrest the head of a Dubai-based subsidiary of Wirecard. 2021Jan. 29: Felix Hufeld, president of German financial watchdog BaFin, steps down. 2022Jan. 14: German prosecutors file first charges in Wirecard fraud, the Financial Times reports. Sept. 21: A Munich district court said it had admitted charges against former Wirecard executives, paving way for a trial.

☆ Factbox: Companies count the cost of ditching Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

INDITEX (ITX.MC)Zara owner will book a provision of 216 million euros after agreeing to sell its Russia stores to UAE-based Daher Group. TRATON (8TRA.DE)Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) truck division Traton in September said disposing of some assets in Russia would cause a 550 million euro loss. CREDIT AGRICOLE (CAGR.PA)Credit Agricole provisioned more than 500 million euros related to its Russian exposure in Q1. LINDEThe world's largest industrial gases company's exit from Russia recorded impairments of $993 million from its Russia exit. SIEMENS (SIEGn.DE)The Munich-based engineering and tech firm said in May it would take a 600 million euro hit in Q2 for exiting Russia.

☆ Duty-free retailer Dufry expects jump in 2022 turnover on strong demand
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 2 (Reuters) - Swiss duty-free retailer Dufry (DUFN.S) said on Wednesday it expects a sharp rise in 2022 turnover, citing strong demand across its markets as it reported a nearly 57% jump in third quarter sales. The company, which operates in over 60 countries with around 2,200 shops globally, forecast full-year turnover of 6.6 billion to 6.7 billion Swiss francs ($6.6 billion-$6.7 billion) and core earnings of 560 million-580 million francs. The retailer - which introduced the new metric of core earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation in August - posted turnover of 3.915 billion Swiss francs in 2021. "We continue to see strong demand during the third quarter 2022 at attractive margins," Chief Executive Officer Xavier Rossinyol, who took over the role in June, said in a statement. The group reported a turnover of 2.12 billion Swiss francs for the third quarter, up 56.7% in reported growth from a year earlier but 15% below 2019 pre-pandemic level.

☆ Covestro cuts profit outlook again on rising energy, raw material costs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Bartosz Dabrowski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The company's shares were down around 2% by 0810 GMT after it said it was only able to offset the sharp rise in raw material and energy prices to a small extent by higher prices. The group, whose main products include foam chemicals used in mattresses, car seats and insulation for buildings, sees full-year earnings before interests, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in a range of 1.7 billion euros and 1.8 billion euros ($1.7 billion-$1.8 billion), compared with a previous forecast of 1.7 billions euros-2.2 billion euros. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterIt lowered its free operating cash flow (FOCF) forecast to a range of 0 and 100 million euros from a previous range of 0 to 500 million euros. Covestro said third-quarter EBITDA fell 65% to 302 million euros, below the analysts' average estimate of 320 million euros in a company-provided poll. Chemical companies are among the hardest hit by the energy crisis because they use gas both as a raw material for production and as an energy source.

Oct 18 (Reuters) - Austria raised 1 billion euros ($983.20 million) on Tuesday from the auction of the first ever green T-bill, a move aimed at attracting shorter-term investors to buy environmentally friendly assets. But with central banks and a wider group of investors interested in green investments to bolster their sustainability credentials, interest in shorter-term green debt is growing. Austria, rated AA, is the first government to issue a green T-bill - short-term government debt which usually matures in less than a year. Markus Stix, director of the Austrian Treasury, called short-term green securities the "missing link" in the green market. It was easier for Austria to shift expenditure for funding through green T-Bills, given its overall T-Bill programme was only launched in 2021 and it just started issuing green debt, the banker said.

☆ Factbox: Automakers accelerate drive to secure battery raw materials
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

read more08-Dec-2021 - Belgium's Umicore (UMI.BR) will supply cathode materials for Volkswagen's European battery cell factories under a joint venture. MERCEDES BENZ (MBGn.DE):23-Aug-2022 - Mercedes-Benz strikes cooperation agreement with Canada to secure access to lithium, nickel and cobalt. read more04-Oct-2021 - BHP Group (BHP.AX) will supply nickel sulphate from Western Australia to Toyota and Panasonic's joint venture. read moreFORD (F.N)22-July-2022 - Ioneer Ltd signs binding offtake agreement with Ford to supply lithium from Rhyolite Ridge in Nevada. read more22-Sept-2021 - Ford partners with startup Redwood Materials to form a "closed loop" or circular supply chain for electric vehicle batteries, from raw materials to recycling.

☆ Factbox: How governments are trying to ease inflation pain
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

* Mexico will raise the minimum wage by 20% next year after an agreement was reached between employers, labour representatives and the government. EUROPE:* European Union countries are racing to reach a deal on a gas price cap by Dec. 13. The bloc's members are considering a slightly lower gas price cap than the one proposed by the European Commission, documents seen by Reuters showed. * Slovakia will spend 6 billion euros to cap energy prices for households next year. * Tunisia's government in September signed a deal with a major labour union to raise public sector pay and the minimum wage.

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