Europe Earnings: Ashtead, CGG, Vopak, Lloyds, TUI Travel, Whitbread

Nigel Thomas
10 Dec, 2013
New York City

Ashtead net surged 85% and sales climbed 23%. CGG signed a seismic survey contract with the Norwegian Petroleum for the next seven years. Vopak lowered its operating earnings outlook. Lloyds plans to sell its remaining stake in St. James''s Place. TUI Travel profit tumbled 54%.

[R]3:40 PM Frankfurt – Ashtead net surged 85% and sales climbed 23%. CGG signed a seismic survey contract with the Norwegian Petroleum for the next seven years. Vopak lowered its operating earnings outlook. Lloyds plans to sell its remaining stake in St. James''s Place. TUI Travel profit tumbled 54%.[/R]

In London trading, FTSE 100 index fell 0.4% or 26.98 to 6,533 and in Frankfurt the DAX index decreased 0.9% or 88.33 to 9,105.

In Paris, CAC 40 index slipped 0.8% or 32.46 to 4,102.

Ashtead Group Plc fell 0.9% to 707 pence after the U.K.-based said revenue in the first-half ending in October climbed 23% to £849.7 million from £680.4 million a year ago.

Profit for the year surged 85.1% to £130.7 million compared to £70.6 million and diluted earnings per share plunged to 5.4 pence from 12.3 pence a year earlier.

CGG SA climbed 4.4% to €14.97 after the France-based seismic surveyor signed an agreement with the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate for seismic, well and production modules in the Diskos database, the National Data Repository of Norway.

The contract ends in year 2020.

Koninklijke Vopak N.V slipped 1.8% to €41.85 after the Netherlands-based oil products storage and handler lowered its expectation for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to €1 billion in 2016.

Lloyds Banking Group Plc rose 0.2% to 78.34 pence after the U.K.-based financial service provider said it plans to sell its remaining 21% stake in wealth manager St. James''s Place Plc and expects the deal should boost its capital position by £685 million.

TUI Travel Plc dropped 2.5% to 374.60 pence after the U.K.-based travel company reported revenue in the year grew 4% to £15.05 billion from £14.46 billion a year ago.

Profit for the year tumbled 54% to £63 million compared to £137 million and diluted earnings per share plunged to 5.4 pence from 12.3 pence a year earlier.

TUI Travel said underlying operating profit for the year climbed 20% to £589 million and underlying operating profit from U.K. soared 27% to £251 million and underlying German operating profit surged 30% to £113 million.

The traveler added statutory operating profit for the year fell to £297 million from £301 million.

Telekom Austria AG slid 1% to €5.80 after the J.P. Morgan Cazenove cut outlook for Austria-based telecommunications service provider to “underweight” from “neutral.”

Whitbread Plc slipped 1.2% to 3,483.24 pence after the U.K.-based hotels and restaurants operator said total sales in the third-quarter ending on November 28 jumped 13.8% and comparable sales increased 4.3%.

Costa''s total sales soared 20.4% and Premier Inn’s total sales climbed 13.7%. Hotels & restaurants sales advanced 10.5%.

Whitbread said UK retail system sales grew 17.2% to £473.5 million and Costa’s total system sales in the nine-months surged 19.4% to £882 million and franchise sales climbed 17.3% to £347 million.