Total, InterOil in $3.6 B Deal; Nestle Sold Givaudan Stake

Nigel Thomas
06 Dec, 2013
New York City

Berkeley profit climbed 22% to

[R]3:40 PM Frankfurt – Berkeley profit climbed 22% to £131 million. Domino''s Pizza chief executive officer resigned. Lloyds sold loans portfolio for £257 million. Nestle sold its stake in Givaudan for 1.2 billion francs. Total SA agreed to acquire stake in InterOil controlled oil field for $3.6 billion.[/R]

In London trading, FTSE 100 index gained 0.7% or 42.44 to 6,541 and in Frankfurt the DAX index jumped 0.9% or 80.70 to 9,166.

In Paris, CAC 40 index increased 0.6% or 25.15 to 4,125.

Associated British Foods Plc rose 0.7% to 2,269 pence after the U.K.-based food processing company reiterated its guidance for adjusted earnings per share in the fiscal 2014 to match the previous year.

The Berkeley Group Holdings Plc surged 8.1% to 2,466.15 pence after the U.K.-based property developer reported revenue in the first-half ending in October soared 19.7% to £821 million from £686 million a year ago.

Profit for the period climbed 21.9% to £131 million compared to £107.5 million and diluted earnings per share jumped to 84.7 pence from 73.9 pence a year earlier.

The company said gross margin for the period increased 16% to £169.6 million and profit-before-tax surged 19.2% to £169.5 million.

Domino''s Pizza Group Plc declined 4.8% to 503.55 pence after the pizza delivery company said its chief executive officer Lance Batchelor resigned to join private equity-backed company from 2014.

Lloyds Banking Group Plc gained 1.6% to 78.41 pence after the U.K.-based financial service provider sold non-performing loans portfolio of Irish mortgages for £257 million in cash to private equity group Apollo Global Management LLC.

Nestle SA increased 1.2% to 65.25 francs after the Switzerland-based food and beverage group sold its entire 10% stake in Givaudan S.A., flavors and fragrances maker for about 1.2 billion francs or $1.3 billion.

SThree Plc jumped 3.4% to 326.75 pence after the U.K.-based contract staffing provider expects gross profit for the year to drop 5% to £200 million and profit-before-tax in the range of £21 million to £22 million.

Total SA rose 1% to €42.99 after the France-based oil and gas explorer agreed to acquire a stake in InterOil controlled a field in Papua New Guinea in a deal valued $3.6 billion to build liquefied natural gas project.