IN BRIEF (Page 16)
Registrations slip
French new car registrations slipped 2.4 percent in August on a year ago, after a surprise 21 percent jump in July, while new passenger car sales during the first eight months of the year were flat, data showed yesterday.
The CCFA car industry body said that new car sales at Renault Group were up 2 percent in August and down 8.1 percent over the first eight months. At PSA Peugeot Citroen the August car registrations fell 13.4 percent and the year-to-date figure was plus 0.5 percent.
Slowing growth
Germany's manufacturing sector expanded at its slowest rate in 18 months in August, as demand growth from foreign clients eased, the NTC/BME survey of purchasing managers showed yesterday.
The headline purchasing managers' index fell to a seasonally-adjusted 56 from 56.8 in July, the survey showed. A reading above 50 indicates growth, one below contraction.
Good result
British engineer IMI Plc beat its own outlook with an 8 percent rise in underlying first-half profit and said yesterday it expected further progress in the rest of 2007.
IMI, which manufactures drink dispensers, pipes and display units for retailers, also estimated costs for investigating possible irregular payments at its Severe Service unit at 5 million pounds, which it will take as a second-half charge.
Nintendo beats Sony
Nintendo Co's Wii game console outsold Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 by three-to-one in August in Japan, according to a Tokyo-based research firm.
Nintendo, the world's biggest maker of handheld games, sold 245,653 Wii machines, compared with Sony's 81,541 PlayStation consoles in the four weeks to last Sunday, researcher Enterbrain Inc said yesterday.
Bond sales increase
Global bond sales increased 31 percent in the second quarter to a record $1.09 trillion, driven by private-equity firms financing leveraged buyouts, according to the Bank for International Settlements.
The amount of debt outstanding rose to $19.8 trillion in June from $18.5 trillion in March, the BIS said in its quarterly review of financial markets which was published yesterday.
Les Echos takeover
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA plans to complete its 240 million-euro takeover of French financial daily newspaper Les Echos by mid-September, La Tribune said, citing unidentified sources.
LVMH and Pearson Plc, which is selling the newspaper, plan to complete negotiations with employees by then, La Tribune reported. Les Echos journalists are opposing LVMH's bid, La Tribune said.
Newron loss narrows
Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA, an Italian biotechnology company whose shares trade in Switzerland, said its first-half loss narrowed, helped by lower drug development costs and licensing income.
The net loss was 3.98 million euros during the first six months from 9.92 million euros a year earlier, the Milan, Italy-based company said yesterday. Income from licensing amounted to 2.15 million euros.
Taylor Nelson rises
Taylor Nelson Sofres Plc, the world's second-biggest market research company, said first-half profit rose on cost cuts and higher sales following the revamp of the division that provides customized research.
Net income rose to 22.2 million pounds from 17.4 million pounds a year earlier, the London-based company said yesterday in a Regulatory News Service statement. Earnings per share climbed to 5.2 pence from 3.9 pence a year earlier. Revenue rose 3.5 percent to 497.4 million pounds.
Agencies-Bloomberg News
(China Daily 09/04/2007 page16)
