IN BRIEF (Page 17)

China Daily | Updated: 2008-01-23 07:21

Profit boost

DuPont Co, the third-biggest US chemical maker, said fourth-quarter profit rose as increased sales of seeds and chemicals in Latin America more than made up for weak demand from domestic housing and auto markets.

Profit excluding some items rose to 57 cents a share from 45 cents a year earlier, Wilmington, Delaware-based DuPont said yesterday. Revenue rose 11 percent to $6.98 billion as demand for corn and soybean seeds in Brazil increased revenue from the agriculture unit.

Airline slides

Alitalia SpA tumbled in Milan trading on concern that Italy's government may be about to collapse, derailing plans to sell the unprofitable state-owned carrier to Air France-KLM Group SA.

The stock fell as much as 9.7 percent to 63.25 cents, the sharpest drop since Dec 14, and was trading at 66 cents as of 9:57 am. That would be the Rome-based company's lowest close ever.

Possible purchase

Lone Star Funds, a Dallas-based buyout firm, may buy parts of the distressed German banks WestLB AG and IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG.

"We're always open for such situations and things," Lone Star Germany chief Karsten von Koeller said in an interview yesterday.

Agencies

(China Daily 01/23/2008 page17)