SLOVENIA
Krka Group sales up 6% in H1, profit up 15% to EUR 160.3m
Ljubljana, 9 July - Krka Group sales revenue grew by 6% year on year to EUR 803.8 million in the first half of the year, according to preliminary estimates. Net profit of the pharmaceutical group grew by 15% to EUR 160.3 million, Krka said on Thursday.
(STA)
State loan guarantee scheme to be fully operational in autumn
Ljubljana, 9 July - SID Bank, the state-run export and development bank, will provide for efficient implementation of the government loan guarantee scheme to allow commercial banks to provide much needed liquidity to businesses. It expects the scheme to be up and running efficiently in the autumn.
(STA)
Hisense Gorenje setting up global R&D centre in Velenje
Velenje, 8 July - Home appliances maker Hisense Gorenje has decided to set up a global R&D centre for cooking appliances and dishwashers for the entire Hisense group in Velenje. "This means the in-house development team will be in charge of the entire development of the technology and appliances," the company said.
(STA)
INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
Tech shares led gains on Wall Street again; European stocks close lower as coronavirus cases temper recovery hopes; BELEX15 ends flat; Zelezara Smederevo shuts down one blast furnace
The Dow rallied as late-buying swept through Wall Street Wednesday, led by tech as investors continue to shrug off rising Covid-19 cases.
The S&P 500 gained 0.79%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.44% to close at a record high, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.69%.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) closed at all-time highs as Wall Street continued to back the stock on signs of a strong rebound in sales. Twitter (NYSE:TWTR), surged 7% as investors cheered signs that the company is taking steps to boost sales.
In earnings news, Levi Strauss (NYSE:LEVI) swung to a loss and reported that sales slumped 62% in the second quarter, as store closures weighed on growth, sending its shares down more than 8.3%.
European markets closed lower Wednesday as surging coronavirus cases in parts of the world continue to cast doubt over the prospect of a global economic recovery. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed down by 0.7%, with autos shedding 2% to lead losses as almost all sectors and major bourses slid into negative territory.
German logistics group Deutsche Post on Tuesday reported a 16% rise in second-quarter operating profit, exceeding analyst expectations, and vowed to grant bonuses to 500,000 workers for their efforts during the crisis.
Serbian BELEX15 was almost flat as major names were stagnant as well. The most active was NIS as it generated RSD 1.6m in volume.
The Chinese company HBIS, the owner of the steel mill in Smederevo, has stopped production at one of the two blast furnaces, the company confirmed for Tanjug. The decision, as HBIS said, was reached due to the crisis in the market, caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Tehnogas may be affected by this move, as it generates around 40% of sales from long term contract with HBIS. The stock was flat yesterday, with no activity. (CNBC, ILIRIKA)
