Europe Earnings: BPost, FirstGroup, HSBC, Mediolanum, RBS, Stagecoach

Nigel Thomas
11 Dec, 2013
New York City

BPost fell as CVC Capital sold its remaining 19.7% stake in Belgium postal service. FirstGroup rejected spin-off pressure for U.S. unit from Sandell. HSBC sold its stake in Bank of Shanghai to Santander. Mediolanum dropped after Fininvest sold its 5.61% stake.

[R]3:40 PM Frankfurt – BPost fell as CVC Capital sold its remaining 19.7% stake in Belgium postal service. FirstGroup rejected spin-off pressure for U.S. unit from Sandell. HSBC sold its stake in Bank of Shanghai to Santander. Mediolanum dropped after Fininvest sold its 5.61% stake.[/R]

In London trading, FTSE 100 index gained 0.4% or 28.48 to 6,552 and in Frankfurt the DAX index rose 0.2% or 29.04 to 9,143.

In Paris, CAC 40 index increased 0.8% or 34.95 to 4,126.

BPost S.A dropped 5.9% to €14.36 after the U.K.-based private equity group CVC Capital Partners sold its remaining stake of 19.7% in Belgium''s state-controlled postal service for €580 million or $798 million.

FirstGroup Plc climbed 5% to 121.80 pence after the U.K.-based transportation services provider rejected pressure from the U.S.-based investor Sandell Asset Management to spin-off and float the U.S. unit to boost shareholder value. Sandell Asset owns stake of about 3% in FirstGroup.

HSBC Holdings Plc gained 0.7% to 656.36 pence and the U.K.-based financial service provider sold its entire 8% stake in Bank of Shanghai Co., Ltd. to Banco Santander, S.A.

Imagination Technologies Group Plc tumbled 19.8% to 199.81 pence after the U.K.-based multimedia and communication technology said revenue in the first-half ending in October climbed 19% to £85.2 million from £71.4 million a year ago.

Net for the period swung to a loss £1.15 million compared to a profit of £8.03 million and diluted loss per share swung to 0.4 pence from an earnings of 2.9 pence a year earlier.

The company added royalty revenues in the period surged 44% to £56.2 million and Licensing revenues of £14.4 million.

Mediolanum SpA declined 5.5% to €6.07 after the Fininvest SpA, the investment company controlled by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s family sold its 5.61% stake to raise €253 million from the in the insurance company.

Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc dropped 2.1% to 329.70 pence after the U.K.-based bank confirmed its Finance Director Nathan Bostock will resign in less than 10 weeks after joining the board, to join Spanish bank Santander SA.

Stagecoach Group Plc jumped 2.8% to 371.80 pence and the U.K.-based international public transport company reported revenue in the first-half ending in October grew 5% to £1.47 billion from £1.40 billion a year ago period.

Net profit for the period jumped 5% to £78.9 million compared to £75.1 million and diluted earnings per share jumped to 13.6 pence from 12.8 pence a year earlier.

The transport company said pre-tax profits for the period rose 2% to £98.5 million.