Merck Sold

Nigel Thomas
28 Aug, 2015
New York City

Merck raised

[R]4:00 PM Frankfurt – Merck raised €2.1 billion through a bond offering of three tranches. Kier secured contract worth £1.5 billion from Scape Group. Volkswagen said it plans to invest $340 million to increase production capacity in South Africa. RWE, Siemens and Green Bank to build an offshore wind farm in the U.K.[/R]

In London trading, FTSE 100 index rose 55.91 or 0.9% to 6,247.94 and in Frankfurt the DAX index slid 17.09 or 0.2% to 10,298.53.

In Paris, CAC 40 index added 16.95 or 0.4% to 4,675.13.

For the week, FTSE 100 index gained 0.6% and the DAX index jumped 1.7% and the CAC 40 index increased 0.9%.

Computacenter Plc increased 4.3% to 772 pence after the U.K.-based information technology provider reported revenues in the first-half ending in June edged up 0.2% from a year ago to £1.44 billion from £1.46 billion.

Net profit in the period surged from a year ago to £61.7 million compared to £10.1 million and diluted earnings per share jumped to 48.8 pence form 7.4 pence.

Kier Group Plc jumped 3% to 1,499 pence after the U.K.-based residential construction services provider secured contracts worth about £1.5 billion from Scape Group for construction and maintenance work over the next four years.

Merck KGaA slipped 0.5% to €13.96 after the Germany-based pharmaceutical company raised €2.1 billion or $2.36 billion through a bond offering for the proposed acquisition of the U.S.-based life science company Sigma-Aldrich for about $17 billion.

The three-tranche of the bond issue include €700 million 2-year bonds, €800 million 4-year bonds and €550 million of 7-year bonds.

Rotork Plc soared 4.3% to 209.10 pence after the U.K.-based flow control equipment maker agreed to acquire Manchester-based pneumatic and hydraulic instrument valves maker Bifold Group Limited for up to £125 million on a cash-free and debt-free basis.

RWE AG fell 0.6% to €13.96 after the Germany-based energy company formed a consortium with Siemens and the U.K-based Green Investment Bank to invest about $2 billion in Galloper wind farm off the Suffolk coast of England.

Volkswagen AG decreased 1.1% to €170.15 after the Germany-based auto maker confirmed to invest $340 million or 4.5 billion rand in its auto plant at Uitenhage, near Port Elizabeth, South Africa to increase production capacity.