BASF Beat Expectations, Novartis New Drugs Sales Surge

Sarla Buch
24 Oct, 2017
New York City

Atos said cyber-security division revenues soared. BASF reported better-than-expected earnings growth of 35%. Covestro plans to buy back as much as

[R]4:00 PM Frankfurt – Atos said cyber-security division revenues soared. BASF reported better-than-expected earnings growth of 35%. Covestro plans to buy back as much as €1.5 billion. Logitech net jumped 37%. Novartis said new drugs sales surged and reaffirmed fiscal 2017 outlook.[/R]

In London trading, FTSE 100 index edged down 0.90 to 7,523.55 and in Frankfurt the DAX index increased 13.80 to 13,017.17.

In Paris, CAC 40 index rose 7.73 to 5,394.54.

Atos SE fell 2.6% to €129.35 after France-based tailored information technology provide said total group revenues in the nine-month ending in September rose 2.3% from a year ago to €9.3 billion.

Atos said revenues in the big data and cyber-security division surged 13.8% and revenues in the business and platform solutions segment jumped 2.5% and revenues in the infrastructure and data management increased 0.9%.

BASF SE decreased 1.4% to €89.75 after Germany-based diversified industrial conglomerate reported revenues in the nine-month ending in September soared 13% from a year ago to €48.4 billion.

Net income in the period surged 35% to €4.5 billion from €3.4 billion in a year ago nine-month period and diluted earnings per share advanced to €4.54 from €3.67.

BASF said revenues and profit in the oil and gas segment jumped considerably after higher prices and volumes.

Covestro AG jumped 5.9% to €76.39 after Germany-based plastic materials manufacture said revenues in the nine-month ending in September surged 19.1% from a year ago to €10.6 billion.

Net income in the period more than doubled to €1.4 billion from €671 million in a year ago nine-month period and diluted earnings per share increased to €7.13 from €3.31.

“We are currently enjoying tremendous growth momentum and….therefore we decided for share buyback of up to €1.5 billion or up to 10% of the outstanding stock capital without further delay,” said chief executive officer Patrick Thomas.

Logitech International SA declined 3.5% to 34.98 Swiss francs after the Switzerland-based electronics products maker said sales in the first-half ending in September jumped 11.5% from a year ago to $1.2 billion.

Net income in the period soared 36.8% to $94.4 million from $69 million and in a year ago first-half period and diluted earnings per share rose to 56 cents from 42 cents.

Logitech forecasted fiscal 2018 revenues to increase in the range of 10% to 12% and operating profit between $260 million and $270 million.

Novartis AG slumped 3.4% to 82.25 Swiss francs after the Switzerland-based healthcare services provider reported net sales in the nine-month ending in September were flat from a year ago at $36.2 billion.

Net income in the period slid 0.5% to $5.73 billion from $5.76 billion and in a year ago nine-month period and diluted earnings per share fell to $2.43 from $2.42.

Novartis said sales in Cosentyx segment soared 83% and sales in Entresto business surged 138% and excluding Gleevec/Glivec, sales in Oncology jumped 11%.

The healthcare services provider reaffirmed fiscal 2017 revenues in-line with revenues a year ago and operating profit in-line or likely to drop by low single digit.