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RSA Releases 1Q Management Statement

RSA Insurance Group RSA released its first-quarter interim management statement, which contained a limited amount of information about its progress so far this year. Reported written premium growth was 7% across the group, due to a combination of acquired premiums and the positive impact of rate gains due to the improving insurance pricing market. The strength was driven, in particular, by growth in emerging markets … Continue reading RSA Releases 1Q Management Statement

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BSkyB Reports Solid Fiscal Q3 Results; Maintaining Our Fair Value Estimate

British Sky Broadcasting BSYBY , known as BSkyB, reported solid fiscal third-quarter results. Revenue increased 7.8% year over year, bringing the nine-month result up 6%, spot on with our full-year projection. We are maintaining our fair value estimate and moat rating. The firm’s growth is being driven primarily by subscriber additions, particularly in its communication business where its broadband base improved 13.6% to 4.4 million, … Continue reading BSkyB Reports Solid Fiscal Q3 Results; Maintaining Our Fair Value Estimate

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Weak Discretionary Spending in Europe Keeps Capgemini’s Growth in Check

Capgemini CAP reported first-quarter results that were largely in line with our expectations, and we are maintaining our EUR 39 fair value estimate and narrow moat rating for the company. Capgemini’s first-quarter revenue fell 1.7% to EUR 2.5 billion as the company’s cyclical businesses reported weak numbers amid sluggish economic conditions in Europe. The company’s results would have been worse if not for a stable … Continue reading Weak Discretionary Spending in Europe Keeps Capgemini’s Growth in Check

Sanofi Posts Slightly Weak First Quarter, but Wide-Moat Segments Continue to Perform Well

Sanofi SNY reported first-quarter results that fell short of both our and consensus expectations, but we don’t expect any significant changes to our fair value estimate for the company. Further, Sanofi’s wide moat divisions of diabetes, vaccines, consumer, and rare disease drugs posted solid gains, reaffirming our overall wide moat rating for the firm. Within diabetes (the company’s largest drug franchise), Lantus once again drove … Continue reading Sanofi Posts Slightly Weak First Quarter, but Wide-Moat Segments Continue to Perform Well

Vallourec Feels No Slowdown in Oil & Gas, Maintains Guidance After Strong Start to 2013

Vallourec maintained its guidance for 2013, even after a meaningful margin increase in the first quarter. The company generally reports lower profitability in the first quarter, with meaningful improvement in the second and third quarters. But with a 15.7% EBITDA margin to start the year, the company could be tracking well ahead of our fullyear forecast of 16.5%. Management was mum on whether the typical … Continue reading Vallourec Feels No Slowdown in Oil & Gas, Maintains Guidance After Strong Start to 2013

Banco Popular Reports Profit in 1Q

Spain’s Banco Popular earned EUR 104 million in the first quarter, up 4% from the year-ago quarter (and compared with a loss of EUR 2.5 billion in the trailing quarter on heavy loss provisioning). Net interest income fell 14.5% compared with the year-ago quarter as Popular, like many banks, saw continued low rates squeeze margins. EUR 194 million of gains on asset sales offset the … Continue reading Banco Popular Reports Profit in 1Q