European Bank Stocks May Decline, Led by ING, Credit Suisse, IKB Deutsche

(Bloomberg) -- European bank stocks may drop after
IKB Deutsche Industriebank AG, a German lender that invested in
U.S. subprime mortgages, said profit will be ``significantly''
lower than forecast.

``The subprime crisis has reached Germany,'' said Klaus
Stabel, head of research at ICF Kursmakler AG in Frankfurt.
``It's bad for sentiment. We haven't seen the bottom yet.''


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UPDATE 1-Akzo Nobel says ICI rejects new takeover bid

(Reuters) - Akzo Nobel said it had teamed up with Germany's Henkel
for the offer and that ICI had considered that the
offer did not reflect its full value.




In June, Akzo Nobel had make an indicative offer of 600
pence a share, which ICI also rejected as too low. The UK
Takeover Panel had set an Aug. 9 deadline for Akzo to make a
firm bid or walk away.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Germany warn Siemens on Libya atomic deal - paper

(Reuters) - Germany's Environment Ministry and opposition Greens party have warned Siemens not to take part in a planned French nuclear deal with Libya, Handelsblatt reported.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy signed a memorandum of understanding for a nuclear energy deal with Libya during a visit there last week.


Read more at Reuters Africa

German Stocks Decline, Led by Deutsche Bank, Allianz; Volkswagen Rises

(Bloomberg) -- Germany's benchmark DAX Index
dropped for a fourth day, paced by Deutsche Bank AG,
Commerzbank AG and Allianz SE, on mounting concern financing
difficulties may cloud the outlook for mergers and takeovers.

Volkswagen AG advanced after the carmaker's first-half
profit beat analysts' expectations. Siemens AG also climbed.


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European Bond Yields Hold Near Lowest in Two Months as Stocks Decline

(Bloomberg) -- European bond yields held near the
lowest in two months as stock markets across the region fell and
corporate-debt risk surged to a record

Bunds reversed earlier losses on speculation investors
switched to the safety of government securities. Benchmark 10-
year yields rose earlier after data showing consumer-price
inflation accelerated in Germany in July, adding to the case for
the European Central Bank to keep raising interest rates.


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Afrox says set for "real growth" in earnings

(Reuters) - South African gas group African Oxygen posted 9-month headline earnings per share of 117 cents compared with 93.7 cents in the six months to end June 2006, and said on Thursday it was positioned for "real growth" in earnings.

Afrox is changing its financial year to end December from end September to align itself with its holding company, Germany's Linde Group, so was unable to provide comparative figures.


Read more at Reuters Africa

European Bonds Rally, Pushing Benchmark Yield to Its Lowest in Two Months

(Bloomberg) -- European government bonds rallied,
pushing 10-year yields to the lowest in more than two months, as
stocks slumped and the risk of holding corporate debt soared.

Benchmark bunds rose for a third day on rising concern about
loan defaults and as investors balked at funding takeovers.
Traders also scaled back bets that the European Central Bank will
push interest rates higher as a report showed business confidence
in Germany weakened for a second month.


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Germany's DAX Index Advances, Paced by Fresenius Medical; SAP Shares Climb

(Bloomberg) -- Germany's benchmark stock index
climbed, paced by Fresenius Medical Care AG. SAP AG gained after
Barron's reported the company could be a takeover target.

Hypo Real Estate Holding AG retreated after Germany's
second-biggest commercial-property lender said it agreed to buy
Depfa Bank Plc for about 5.7 billion euros ($7.9 billion).


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U.S. Stock-Index Futures Are Little Changed; Merck Advances in Europe

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stock-index futures were little
changed before companies including Merck & Co., the third-largest
U.S. drugmaker, and American Express Co. report earnings.

Shares of Merck rose in Germany, while American Express
didn't trade in Europe. Tellabs Inc. surged after Thestreet.com
said Nokia Siemens Networks may bid for the maker of equipment
for phone and Internet systems. Pharmaceuticals company Schering-
Plough Corp. declined.


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No EADS cap hike needed now-German govt official

(Reuters) - "It has been agreed that Germany and France will discuss the
issue of the shareholer structure in the coming months," Hintze,
who is also a state secretary in the Economy Ministry, told
Reuters.




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U.S. Stock-Index Futures Are Little Changed; Schwab Falls, Motorola Gains

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stock-index futures were
little changed before companies including Charles Schwab Corp.,
the biggest discount brokerage, report earnings today.

Schwab fell in Germany, while toymaker Mattel shares
didn't trade in Europe after the company posted earnings that
met analysts' estimates. Motorola Inc. gained after Deutsche
Bank AG recommended buying shares of the world's No. 2 maker of
mobile phones. Ford Motor Co. also climbed. Newspapers
including the Sunday Times reported that the second-biggest
U.S. automaker may sell its profitable Volvo Car Corp.
business.


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Asia shares ease, oil eyes record high

(Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 Index and Germany's DAX rose about 0.2 percent in early trade while France's CAC 40 edged up nearly 0.1 percent.




Data on Friday showing improved U.S. consumer sentiment sparked optimism that shipments to Asia's top export market would stay strong, helping to limit regional stock losses and lending support to the dollar.


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France, Germany seek to resolve splits over EADS

(Reuters) - Rivalry between French and German camps inside Europe's
biggest aerospace and defense group is widely blamed for delays
to the world's largest airliner, the Airbus A380 superjumbo,
and has strained the two nations' political and economic
relations.




Despite the pressing problems facing the group, Germany
appeared to be resisting French attempts to push through a
speedy management shake-up.


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Russia's Mordashov eyes Power Machines buy -media

(Reuters) - Germany's Siemens holds 25 percent plus one share
in Power Machines and had sought to buy control in the firm, but
Russian authorities blocked the deal citing national security
reasons.




Russia's former power monopoly UES also holds 25
percent in Power Machines, which has market value of $1.2
billion.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Trichet Says European States Must Implement Agreement to Balance Budgets

(Bloomberg) -- European Central Bank President Jean-
Claude Trichet said a three-month old European Union balanced-
budget agreement ``must be implemented,'' dismissing French
President Nicolas Sarkozy's call to loosen deficit controls.

Trichet's comments in an interview today in Aix-en-Provence,
southern France, marked the second time in four days he has
indirectly criticized Sarkozy, who has proposed 11 billion euros
($15 billion) of tax cuts to spur economic growth. Sarkozy wants
defense spending excluded from deficit calculations for France,
Germany, Italy and the U.K.


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Sugar Falls in New York on Speculation India May Export More Raw Supplies

(Bloomberg) -- Sugar in New York fell on speculation
India, the world's second-biggest producer, may boost exports of
the sweetener.

India's sugar output will rise to 30.4 million metric tons
this year from 20.9 million last year, Ratzeburg, Germany-based
F.O. Licht said in a report this week. India plans to export at
least 500,000 tons of raw sugar between December and March,
Jayanthilal B. Patel, chairman of industry-funded trading firm
Indian Sugar Exim Corp., said last month.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News

European Government Bonds Post Weekly Decline on Outlook for ECB Rates

(Bloomberg) -- European government bonds fell this
week, extending the worst quarterly slide in almost eight years,
after European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet
signaled policy makers may need to lift interest rates further by
year-end.

Benchmark debt dropped today, sending 10-year bund yields to
near a five-year high, after a report showed manufacturing orders
in Germany rose more than expected in May. Bonds fell yesterday
after Trichet said inflation in the region needs ``careful
monitoring,'' as the ECB kept its key rate at 4 percent.


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German Stocks Increase, Led by ThyssenKrupp on Upgrade; BMW, Daimler Climb

(Bloomberg) -- Germany's benchmark DAX Index rose,
recovering some of yesterday's decline. ThyssenKrupp AG paced
gains after Goldman, Sachs & Co. recommended buying the stock.

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG climbed after the world's
largest maker of luxury cars said sales increased to a record
last month. Shares of DaimlerChrysler AG also increased.


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Treasuries Are Little Changed as Stocks Rally in Europe, U.K. and Japan

(Bloomberg) -- Treasuries were little changed as
stock markets in the U.K., Germany and Japan rallied.

Benchmark 10-year U.S. note yields fell yesterday below 5
percent for the first time in more than three weeks on concern
over weakness in the subprime mortgage sector and terror
threats. Deutsche Bank AG said in a research note that U.S. and
European bonds are expensive relative to share prices.


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White Sugar Falls for 2nd Day After F.O. Licht Raises Production Forecast

(Bloomberg) -- White sugar fell for a second
straight trading session in London after German commodity
research company F.O. Licht lifted its production forecast.

Global sugar-cane output, led by an increase from India,
will be 4.6 percent higher than previously forecast, bolstering
a surplus, F.O. Licht said in an e-mailed report today. Output
will be 130 million tons in the 2006-2007 season, up 19 percent
from last year, the Ratzeburg, Germany-based group said. India
is the world's second-biggest producer, after Brazil.


Read more at Bloomberg Commodities News