Europe Earnings: Dart Group, Reckitt Benckiser, Telekom Austria, Whitbread

Nigel Thomas
22 Oct, 2013
New York City

Dart Group expects profit-before-tax to jump 37%. KPN third-quarter net swung to a loss

[R]4:25 PM Frankfurt – Dart Group expects profit-before-tax to jump 37%. KPN third-quarter net swung to a loss €243 million. Reckitt Benckiser revenue jumped 5%. Telekom Austria acquired spectrums in 28 blocks for €1 billion in Austria. Whitbread profit climbed 5% to £176 million.[/R]

In London trading, FTSE 100 index increased 0.4% or 25.26 to 6,679 and in Frankfurt the DAX index rose 0.2% or 16.17 to 8,883.

In Paris, CAC 40 index gained 0.3% or 11.75 to 4,289.

Dart Group Plc tumbled 11.6% to 221 pence after the U.K.-based leisure airline company said passengers in the first-half ending in September increase 13% to 634,866, an increase of 103% from the same period of a year ago.

The company expects group profit-before-tax for the first-half to jump 37% from a year earlier.

Koninklijke KPN NV rose 2% to €2.28 after the Netherlands-based phone company reported revenue in the third-quarter net in the third-quarter swung to a loss €243 million compared to a profit of €267 million a year ago.

Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc surged 5.8% to 4,763 pence after the U.K.-based household, health and personal care products maker reported revenue in the third-quarter jumped 5% to £2.55 billion and comparable sales in the quarter climbed 5%.

The company said net revenue from health segment surged 27% to £707 million and from hygiene segment revenue increased 5% to £948 million but net revenue from portfolio brands declined 19% to £128 million.

The company expects revenue growth of 6% in the year and full year margins are expected to remain as estimated.

Telekom Austria AG declined 5.3% to €5.95 after the Austria-based communication services provider with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. and Deutsche Telekom AG acquire new spectrums of 28 blocks for €1.03 billion in Austria.

Whitbread Plc rose 0.3% to 3,381 pence after the U.K.-based restaurant & bar operator said total revenue in the period ending on August 29 climbed 12.4% to £1.14 billion from £1.02 billion and comparable sales for the period grew 2.8%.

Profit for the first-half increased 4.5% to £175.9 million compared to £168.3 million and basic earnings per share rose 4.2% to 99.33 pence from 95.32 pence a year ago period.

Whitbread said underlying profit-before-tax jumped 12.6% to £216.1 million and underlying profit from hotels and restaurants business soared 7.9% to £195.7 million.