Daily Mail, Royal Mail Net Climb; National Grid, Suedzucker Net Decline

Nigel Thomas
21 May, 2015
New York City

Daily Mail net surged 82%. National Grid profit tumbled 19% to

[R]4:00 PM Frankfurt – Daily Mail net surged 82%. National Grid profit tumbled 19% to £2 billion. Royal Mail profit climbed 39% to £428 million. Raiffeisen Bank net plunged 48% to €83 million. Suedzucker net tumbled 93%. United Utilities net plunged 63%.[/R]

In London trading, FTSE 100 index slipped 7.40 to 6,999.96 and in Frankfurt the DAX index fell 0.2% or 26.13 to 11,822.34.

In Paris, CAC 40 index slid 0.2% or 10.55 to 5,122.75.

Daily Mail and General Trust Plc jumped 2.7% to 944.50 pence after the U.K.-based publishing company said revenues in the first-half ending in March slipped 1% to £922 million from £931 million in a year ago period.

Net profit in the period surged 82% from a year ago to £146.9 million compared to £80.7 million and diluted earnings per share increased to 39.5 pence from 21.3 pence.

National Grid Plc gained 0.6% to 909 pence after the U.K.-based electricity and gas transmission company reported revenues in the year ending in March jumped 2.6% to £15.2 billion from £14.8 billion in a year ago period.

Net profit in the year tumbled 18.5% from a year ago to £2 billion compared to £2.5 billion and diluted earnings per share dropped to 53.4 pence from 65.4 pence.

Royal Mail Plc slid 0.4% to 499.70 pence after the U.K.-based postal and delivery services provider said revenues in the year ending in March rose 1% to £9.33 billion from £9.36 billion in a year ago period.

Net profit in the year climbed 38.9% from a year ago to £428 million compared to £308 million and diluted earnings per share jumped to 42.8 pence from 30.8 pence.

The postal and delivery services provider reduced its net debt in the year by more than 50% to £275 million.

Raiffeisen Bank International AG dropped 1.9% to €15.02 after the Austria-based retail bank said revenues in the first-quarter ending in March declined 16.2% to €820 million from €979 million in a year ago period.

Net profit in the period plunged 48.1% from a year ago to €83 million compared to €161 million and earnings per share slipped to €0.29 from €0.60.

Suedzucker AG increased 0.4% to €14.49 after the Germany-based sugar and agricultural products producer estimated revenues in the year ending in February plummeted 10% to €6.8 billion from €7.5 billion in a year ago period.

Net profit in the period tumbled 92.7% from a year ago to €20.1 million compared to €280.3 million and earnings per share dropped to €0.10 from €1.37.

For the first-quarter, the company forecasted operating profit of about €550 million a significantly lower than a year ago period.

The company forecasted revenues for the fiscal 2015 to decline between €6 billion and €6.3 billion and operating profit to drop in the range of €50 million to €150 million.

United Utilities Group Plc fell 0.2% to 1,007 pence after the U.K.-based publishing company said revenues in the year ending in March increased 1.8% to £1.72 billion from £1.69 million in a year ago period.

Net profit in the year plunged 63.3% from a year ago to £271.2 million compared to £739.4 million and diluted earnings per share slumped to 39.7 pence from 108.1 pence.