National Express (NEX) continues to progress following what was a very difficult turnaround over the last few years. The company is now generating plenty of cash and debt levels are coming down. More significantly, its recent acquisition of Petermann in the US seems to be paying off. Revenue derived from the business' US operations increased by 10 per cent in the latest period. It also contributed 43 per cent to the company's total operating profit. In parallel, good growth is expected in revenues from its Morroccan operations and sales in Spain appear to have stabilised. Furthermore, Tuesday's announcement of rail franchise bids worth about £10bn suggests there are still better times ahead, The Daily Telegraph's Questor team wrote. However, winning rail franchise bids does not automatically translate into profits and the firm is vulnerable to budget cuts in southern Europe and the UK. Hence, Questor's recommendation to readers is 'Hold' (Last IC rating: Hold, 24 Jul).
Satellite operator Inmarsat's (ISAT) share price has had a great run this year as it continues to advance with its long-term plans. The company yesterday announced the acquisition of Global Wireless of Palm Bay, Florida, for $45m. That will allow it to progress on the roll-out of its Global Xpress (GX) maritime satellite network. By the end of this year GX should have achieved global coverage, culminating a five year undertaking, no mean feat. However, the company's shares trade at 30 times' next year's earnings and then there is the imponderable regarding the result of the auction of LightSquared, the firm's wireless broadband network in the US. "I have said before they are a good long-term bet, but perhaps not worth chasing today," The Times' Tempus said (Last IC rating: Buy, 2 Aug).
Business press headlines:
George Osborne will today receive a veiled rebuke from the National Audit Office for claiming that he sold a substantial stake in Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) at a profit for taxpayers when the transaction crystallised a loss of at least £230m. The September sale of a £3.2bn stake was managed effectively and provided value for money, the NAO says in a report published today, but it nevertheless came at a loss for taxpayers - not the "profit" hailed by the Chancellor at the time - The Times.
Oil major BP (BP.) has pulled off its second mega-deal in as many days after its consortium partners yesterday gave the green light to a $45bn (£28bn) plan to pump gas from the Caspian Sea into Europe. The European Union said that the deal to go ahead with stage two of the Shah Deniz project could provide up to 20 per cent of the continent's energy needs. Commentators suggested that the project would help to wean Europe off its dependence on Russian gas - Scotsman.
Debenhams (DEB) has imposed a 2.5 per cent discount on goods from many of its suppliers, giving companies who produce own-label brands for the department store one day's notice of the changes. In a letter dated December 16th, Simon Herrick, the Chief Financial Officer, said that the company would pay 2.5 per cent less than agreed into the accounts of suppliers on all outstanding payments. He said that the group would also appropriate a 2.5 per cent contribution on orders that were placed but not yet delivered - The Times.
You win some, you lose some in the oil exploration business. BP (BP.) said today its 2010 acquisition of Devon Energy's interests in the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and Azerbaijan has led to both a significant find and a billion-dollar write-off. The write-off relates to the Pitanga exploration well in the Camamu-Almada basin of offshore Brazil, where no commercial quantities of oil or gas have been found. BP is writing off $230m for the cost of drilling the well and $850m - as a non-operating item - associated with the value allocated to the block it acquired from Devon and is now relinquishing - Financial Times.
House of Fraser, one of Britain's oldest retail chains, is in late-stage talks with a view to being bought by the family owned French department store Galeries Lafayette, it emerged last night. The retailer's board is understood to be keeping its options open. It may still proceed with a planned flotation on the London stock market early next year, with an expected value of £350m, if the French talks fail - The Times.
For the second time in three months, world markets are braced for the beginning of the end of history's greatest monetary experiment. The Federal Reserve's open market committee meets on Wednesday to decide whether to start to taper the $85bn it is spending each month on buying US bonds. The Fed sparked a day of global volatility in September when it decided against much expectation not to taper - billed in advance as "Septaper". Now, share prices are falling amid speculation the Fed will launch a "Dectaper" instead - Financial Times.
