Europe Movers: Admiral Group, Carrefour, Henkel, Legal & General, Vodafone

Nigel Thomas
06 Mar, 2013
New York City

Admiral Group fiscal profit jumped 17% to

[R]2:00 PM Frankfurt – Admiral Group fiscal profit jumped 17% to £258.4 million and Carrefour net for the year was flat at €404 million. Henkel fiscal year net surged 30.1% to €1.51 billion. Legal & General profit for the year soared 11% to £801 million.[/R]

In London trading, FTSE 100 index gained 0.4% or 24.3 to 6,456 and in Frankfurt, the DAX index jumped 1.1% or 85.3 to 7,956. In Paris, CAC 40 index rose 0.3% or 10.1 to 3,797.

Admiral Group plc climbed 4.1% to 1,318 pence after the UK based auto insurance company said net revenue for the year ending in December soared 13% to £984.3 million from £870.3 million a year ago. Profit for the year jumped 17% to £258.4 million compared to £221.3 million from a year ago. Diluted earnings per share jumped 16% 94.9 pence from 81.7 pence a year earlier.

The insurer reported international car insurance sales surged 33% to £163 million and group profit before tax up 15% at £345 million. Customers in the year soared 42% to 436,000 from a year ago of 306,000.

Carrefour SA gained 1.3% to €21.52 after the France based food and non-food products retailer reported total revenue for the year ending December jumped 7% to €82.76 billion from €77.48 billion a year ago. Net income for the year was flat compared to a year ago at €404 million. Diluted earnings per share jumped 37.5% €1.32 from €0.96 a year ago period.

The retailer said total revenue in the fourth quarter edged up 0.8% to €22.9 billion.

Sales in France rose 0.6% and in Europe slipped 2.4%. Sales in Belgium continue to record “solid growth” and in Asia climbed 5.6%.

Henkel AG & Co jumped 2.4% to €70.34 after the Germany based adhesives maker reported group revenue for the year ending December grew 6% to €16.51 billion from €15.61 billion a year ago. Net income for the year surged 30.1% to €1.51 billion compared to €1.16 billion from a year ago. Earnings per share jumped 29.7% €3.49 from €2.69 a year earlier.

The company said sales at adhesives technology segment soared 50% and beauty care sales jumped 21%. Sales at laundry & homecare segment surged 28%.

Henkel said Western Europe posted sales nearly flat at €5.61 billion from a year ago and sales in Eastern Europe jumped 6.2% to €2.99 billion.

North America sales surged 11.3% to €3.02 billion and sales in Latin America fell by a 0.4% to €1.06 billion.
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Africa/Middle East region, sales climbed 15.3% to €1.08 billion and in the Asia-Pacific region, sales soared 13.1% to €2.60 billion.

For fiscal year 2013, Henkel expects organic sales growth of 3% to 5%.

Legal & General Group Plc increased 2.5% to 166.80 pence after the UK based investment manager stated net revenue for the year ending in December surged 91% to £34.98 billion from £18.32 billion a year ago. Profit for the year soared 11% to £801 million compared to £721 million from a year ago. Diluted earnings per share climbed 12% £13.66 from £12.22 a year earlier.

The company said profit before tax for the year jumped 56% to £1.21 billion from £775 million a year ago.

Vodafone Group Plc climbed 6.8% to 180 pence on media reports that Verizon Communications Inc. ((VZ)) is seeking to look several options including the full merger with the company.