German industrial gas maker Linde’s 1st-half profit down 34 percent

September 15th, 2009 Bayer names Dekkers as next CEOBERLIN — German chemical and pharmaceutical company Bayer AG announced Tuesday that it has tapped Marijn Dekkers to take over as its chief executive in October 2010. Dekkers, who has both Dutch and U.S.

August 28th, 2009 Hermes profit down 7 percent in 1st halfPARIS — Luxury goods maker Hermes International on Friday reported a 7 percent drop in net profit in the first half of the year but said it still plans to open or renovate several stores in the second half. In a statement, the maker of high-end scarves and Birkin handbags blamed the drop on currency fluctuations and a lower rate of return on financial investments.

August 5th, 2009 Henkel 2Q net profit up sharply to euro143 millionFRANKFURT — German consumer goods company Henkel AG, maker of Persil detergent and Loctite adhesive, said Wednesday its net profit in the second quarter rose sharply from the year ago quarter, when it took significant restructuring charges. The Duesseldorf-based company said net profit for the April-June period rose 276 percent to euro143 million ($206 million) from euro38 million in the second quarter of 2008.

August 4th, 2009 BMW's 2Q profit slides 76 percentBERLIN — Luxury automaker BMW AG says its second-quarter profit skidded 76 percent lower as consumers put off buying its pricey vehicles. It said a "lasting" economic recovery was not yet in sight.

August 3rd, 2009 Linde's Q2 net down 38 percentFRANKFURT — German industrial gas company Linde AG said Monday its net profit for the second quarter fell 38 percent, blaming one-time charges, a difficult market environment, and falling business volumes in the recession. The Munich-based company said its net profit in the April-June period fell to euro133 million ($189 million) from euro215 million in the second quarter 2008.

July 31st, 2009 Audi profit falls 25 pct during first halfBERLIN — German luxury automaker Audi AG said Friday its earnings for the first six months of the year fell 25 percent as sales slipped nearly 10 percent but, unlike most of its peers, it remained profitable. The unit of Volkswagen AG said its first-half net profit was "in the region" of €697 million ($979.5 million) compared with €930 million in the first six months of 2008.

July 31st, 2009 Anglo American H1 profit down 31 percentLONDON — Mining company Anglo American PLC said Friday that net profit in the first half of the year fell by 31 percent as both the prices and volumes of its sales slumped amid the global recession. The company said net profit for the period was $2.97 billion, compared to $4.28 billion a year earlier.

July 30th, 2009 Rolls-Royce posts 16.5 pct rise in 1H profitLONDON — Aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce PLC on Thursday reported a 16.5 percent rise in first-half results as delays to the new Airbus A380 and forthcoming Boeing 787 boosted demand for existing widebody airplanes already using the company's products. It also confirmed its guidance for the year.

July 30th, 2009 Siemens 3Q net profit euro1.3 billion, down 7 percentFRANKFURT — German industrial conglomerate Siemens AG said Thursday its net profit for its fiscal third quarter fell 7 percent as the global recession curbed demand for its products which range from light bulbs to high-speed trains. The Munich-based company said net profit in the April-June period fell to euro1.3 billion ($1.8 billion) from euro1.4 billion in the year-ago quarter.

July 28th, 2009 Earnings roundup: US Steel, SupervaluAmong the earnings stories for Tuesday, July 28, from AP Financial News: PITTSBURGH (AP) — United States Steel Corp., the largest U.S.-based steel maker, said Tuesday it lost $392 million during its second quarter as the global recession hurt orders for the metal. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Grocery chain Supervalu Inc.

July 24th, 2009 Merck Q2 net profit falls 48 percent to euro109 MFRANKFURT — German drug and chemical maker Merck KGaA said Friday its second quarter net profit fell 48 percent as higher research costs and one-time effects from the acquisition of Serono weighed on the bottom line. The Darmstadt-based company reported a net profit of euro108 million ($153 million) in the April-June period compared with euro207 million a year earlier.

July 20th, 2009 Continental says 2Q pretax slips 91 pctFRANKFURT — German tire and car parts maker Continental AG said Monday that its pretax profit slid 91 percent during the second quarter as sales slowed on weaker demand from auto makers. In a preliminary estimate, the Hannover-based maker of tires, brakes, electronics and other auto components said earnings before interest and taxes in the April-June period fell to euro39 million ($54 million) compared with euro456 million during the same period a year earlier.

May 8th, 2009 Unilever first-quarter net profit falls 45 percentAMSTERDAM — Unilever NV, the maker of consumer products such as Dove soaps and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, has reported a 45 percent fall in net profit for the first quarter, as sales dipped and restructuring costs increased. The company says net profit was euro731 million, down from euro1.34 billion.

April 28th, 2009 Chemicals maker DSM profit falls 92 percent in 1QAMSTERDAM — Chemicals maker DSM NV reported a 92 percent decline in net profit for the first quarter on Tuesday, as demand for its industrial products evaporated amid the global economic downturn, although its nutrition business proved more recession-resistant. Net profit was euro13 million, down from euro162 million in the first quarter of 2008, which were boom times for commodities.

April 27th, 2009 Sweden's Scania 1Q profit falls 93 percentSTOCKHOLM — Swedish truck and bus maker Scania AB on Monday reported a 93 percent drop in first-quarter net profit, as the global financial crisis continued to weigh on demand and capacity utilization. Net profit for the first quarter was 179 million kronor ($22.1 million), down from 2.5 billion kronor in the same period last year, Scania said.