ASML to Buy Back

Sarla Buch
17 Jan, 2018
New York City

ASML beats earnings estimate and forecasted strong growth ahead. Alstom sales and orders jumped. Grupo Carrefour Brasil reported rising sales on strong holiday and e-commerce sales. Zalando forecasted strong growth in revenues and operating profit.

[R]4:00 PM Frankfurt – ASML beats earnings estimate and forecasted strong growth ahead. Alstom sales and orders jumped. Grupo Carrefour Brasil reported rising sales on strong holiday and e-commerce sales. Zalando forecasted strong growth in revenues and operating profit.[/R]

In London trading, FTSE 100 index dropped 36.71 or 0.5% to 7,719.62 and in Frankfurt the DAX index slumped 47.68 or 0.4% to 13,197.13.

In Paris, CAC 40 index decreased 10.76 or 0.2% to 5,503.11.

ASML Holding NV soared 4.1% to €160.10 after the Netherlands-based chip-equipment maker reported revenues in the fourth-quarter ending in December surged 36.8% from a year ago to €2.6 billion.

Net profit in the period soared 22.7% to €643 million from €524.2 million in a year ago period and diluted earnings per share jumped to €1.49 from €1.22.

The chip-equipment maker forecasted revenue growth in the first-quarter of about €2.2 billion and gross margin to increase between 47% and 48%.

ASML said that it will launch share buyback of up to €2.50 billion in the current fiscal year.

Alstom SA increased 1.5% to €36.36 after France-based rail transport services provider said revenues in the nine-month period ending in September jumped 6% from a year ago to €5.5 billion and new orders soared 70% to €1.7 billion from the same period a year ago.

In the third-quarter, Alstom orders rose 6% from a year ago to €1.7 billion, including booking of last 100 trains of PRASA project in South Africa, Pendolino trains with associated maintenance for NTV in Italy and regional trains in France.

Group Carrefour Brasil dropped 1.6% to €17.70 after Brazil-based supermarkets operator said group sales excluding petrol in the fourth-quarter ending in December increased 5.3% from a year ago to R13.6 billion.

Retail increased 1.8% to R$4.3 billion and sales in Atacadão S.A. soared 7% to R$9.3 billion from a year ago period.

Zalando SE jumped 4.4% to €46.53 after Germany-based online shoes and fashion retailer forecasted revenue in the fourth-quarter to soar between 21.2% and 23.2% or €1.32 billion to €1.35 billion and operating profit to jump between 8.1% and 8.9% or in the range of €107 million to €120 million.