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PARIS, July 15 (Reuters) – The stocks to follow on Friday on the Paris Stock Exchange and in Europe:
*AXA AXAF.PA announced on Thursday that it had concluded the sale for 660 million euros of a portfolio of 16 billion euros of life insurance and pension contracts in Germany, a transaction which will allow the French insurer to reduce to its exposure to financial market risks again.
* The automobile sector could react to the ACEA’s announcement on Friday of a further 16.8% year-on-year drop in new car sales in Europe in June, their twelfth consecutive month of decline. Over the first six months of the year, the market fell by 13.7%.
* ATOS ATOS.PA said on Thursday that it was not planning a capital increase after S&P downgraded its credit rating to “BB”, with a negative outlook.
* RIO TINTO RIO.L RIO.AX warned on Friday that labor shortages in Australia linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation would weigh on its current results in the second half. The title listed in Sydney lost nearly 2%.
* RICHEMONT CFR.S – The Swiss luxury group reported on Friday sales growth of 12% at constant exchange rates over the April-June period, the first quarter of its 2022-2023 financial year. The title is indicated up 3%.
*BURBERRY BRBY.L published quarterly sales up only 1% like-for-like, as a result of lockdowns in China, its largest market.
* AIR FRANCE-KLM AIRF.PA – KLM, the Dutch branch of the group, announced on Thursday evening that it had reached an agreement with the unions representing its employees, which could put an end to the social movement which has been disrupting its activities for several weeks. On the French side, Transavia, a subsidiary of the group affected since Wednesday by a strike by cabin crew, has announced plans to operate 70% of its capacity on Friday and Saturday and 75% on Sunday.
➦ France-Transavia still affected by a strike action
* ERICSSON announced on Friday that it had received the green light from the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS) for the takeover of Vonage VG.O, a 6.2 billion dollar (as many euros) operation whose closing had been postponed pending the completion of the investigation by US authorities into its national security implications.
* ASTON MARTIN AML.L has announced its intention to raise 653 million pounds (approximately 770 million euros) via a capital increase by issuing warrants in which the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, called to become its second shareholder, will participate.
*TOMTOM TOM2.AS – The Dutch navigation and digital mapping specialist published an even heavier than expected quarterly loss on Friday, which it explains by inflation and tensions in supply chains.
* HANDELSBANKEN – The Swedish bank published a quarterly profit significantly below market expectations.
(Written by Claude Chendjou and Marc Angrand, edited by Sophie Louet and Matthieu Protard)