Fraport, Next, Rational Profit Climb; HeidelbergCement Net Plunges

Nigel Thomas
19 Mar, 2015
New York City

Fraport Services net jumped 6% to

[R]4:00 PM Frankfurt – Fraport Services net jumped 6% to €235 million as traffic in the year jumped 3%. HeidelbergCement profit plunged 26% to €687 million and plans to invest €1.2 billion. Lanxess net swung to profit €47 million. Next net soared 15% to £635 million. Rational net surged 13%.[/R]

In London trading, FTSE 100 index rose 0.1% or 8.58 to 6,953.78 and in Frankfurt the DAX index slipped 0.7% or 78.77 to 11,844.

In Paris, CAC 40 index fell 0.4% or 17.95 to 5,015.47.

Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide gained 0.8% to €56.20 after the Germany-based airport services provider said revenues in the year ending in December rose 0.8% to €2.39 billion from €2.38 billion a year ago period.

Net profit in the year jumped 6.2% from a year ago to €234.7 million compared to €221 million and diluted earnings per share climbed to a €2.54 from €2.40.

The airport services provider added Frankfurt airport passenger traffic in the year increased 2.6% to about 60 million passengers and forecasted passenger traffic in fiscal 2015 at Frankfurt airport to grow between 2% and 3%.

Fraport said group revenue for the current year forecasted in the range of €2.55 billion and €2.6 billion and profit of between €265 million and €285 million and EBITDA to range between €820 million and €840 million.

HeidelbergCement AG increased 0.7% to €72.55 after the Germany-based building materials and cement producer reported revenues in the year ending in December jumped 4% to €12.61 billion from €12.13 billion a year ago period.

Net profit in the year plunged 26.4% from a year ago to €687 million compared to €933 million and diluted earnings per share increased to €2.59 from €2.40.

Cement sales in the year jumped 5% to 81.85 million tons from a year ago period and ready-mix concrete sales climbed 5%. Sales of Asphalt soared 11%.

The company plans to investment about €1.2 billion to upgrade and expand capacities in 2015, primarily in Indonesia and other location in the Southern hemisphere.

Lanxess AG rose 0.2% to €48.42 after the Germany-based chemicals rubber and plastics maker said sales in the year ending in December dropped 3.5% to €8 billion from €8.30 billion a year ago period.

Net in the year swung to profit from a year ago to €47 million compared to a loss of €159 million and diluted earnings per share swung to €0.53 from a diluted loss per share of €1.91.

Next Plc declined 3.8% to 7,330 pence after the U.K.-based clothing, footwear and accessories retailer reported revenues in the year ending in January climbed 6.9% to £4 billion from £3.74 billion a year ago period.

Net profit in the year soared 14.8% from a year ago to £634.9 million compared to £553.2 million and diluted earnings per share climbed to 417.9 pence from 355.6 pence.

The retailer forecasted group pretax profit for the fiscal 2015 between £785 million and £835 million.

Rational AG increased 0.6% to €72.55 after the Germany-based kitchen-ware maker reported sales in the year ending in December advanced 8% to €496.7 million from €461.1 million a year ago period.

Net profit in the year surged 13% from a year ago to €110.1 million compared to €97.2 million and diluted earnings per share jumped to €9.68 from €8.55.