BEFORE THE BELL - Top stories before the open Monday
By Emily Church, CBS.MarketWatch.com Last Update: 8:42 AM ET Feb. 24, 2003
Bulls were largely sidelined in early trading with market tracker stocks unchanged as implosion in Royal Ahold (AHO: news, chart, profile) on earnings overstatement brought down European stocks. Against the grain, General Electric (GE: news, chart, profile) rose on positive mention in Barron's over the weekend and home retailer Lowe's Companies (LOW: news, chart, profile) rose on a bullish outlook for growth. The dollar held the euro below $1.08. Market expectations are growing for an interest rate cut in Europe in March to prompt flagging growth in the eurozone following comments from the European Central Bank chief in an otherwise disappointing meeting of the G7 nations in Paris. Brent crude rose 20 cents to $32.54 in London.
European markets were lower after the Ahold warning. U.K. stocks were flat as advertising giant WPP (WPPGY: news, chart, profile) stuck to its cautious outlook for 2003 and buyout firm KKR pulled out of the running for supermarket Safeway (UK:SFW: news, chart, profile). Tokyo stocks rose on expectations for a new head of the Bank of Japan.
SG Cowen raised Finnish handset maker Nokia (NOK: news, chart, profile) to outperform from market perform. Bear Stearns downgraded the truckload sector to "market weight" from "market overweight," citing short-term fuel, war and weather concerns.
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- AOL Time Warner (AOL: news, chart, profile) is in preliminary talks to sell a majority stake in its Warner Music unit to Britain's EMI (UK:EMI: news, chart, profile) Group in a deal that could bring in $3-$4 billion to the media and entertainment giant, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
- Devon Energy (DVN: news, chart, profile) announced an agreement to buy Ocean Energy (OEI: news, chart, profile) for $3.5 billion in stock, or $5.3 billion including assumed debt and other obligations. Under terms of the agreement, each Ocean Energy share will be exchanged for 0.414 shares of Devon. Based on Friday's closing prices, the deal values Ocean shares at $19.97 each, representing a 3.6 percent premium. Devon's stock closed Friday up $1.75 at $48.23
- Lowe's Companies reported fiscal fourth-quarter net earnings of $319.4 million, or 40 cents a share, up from 28 cents a share in the year-earlier period, and well-above the average analyst estimate compiled by Multex of 33 cents a share. Revenue increased 17 percent to $6.1 billion, in line with analyst expectations. "In 2002, amidst a backdrop of economic uncertainty, Americans continued to invest in their largest asset, their homes," said Robert Tillman, the home improvement retailer's chairman. Looking ahead, the company expects to report earnings of $2.16 to $2.20 for the current fiscal year, above analyst projections of $2.11.
- Global semiconductor sales are expected to grow 8.9 percent in 2003 to $167 billion, estimates Gartner Dataquest, as a return of information technology spending in the second half of the year is expected to offset the slowdown that began at the end of 2002. The market research firm said the cell phone handset segment will continue to be the major driver for chip sales, but added that a healthier PC market was needed to ensure growth.
- U.K.-listed metals-mining group Bhp Billiton (BHP: news, chart, profile) said that prices continued to show some improvement in the opening weeks of calendar 2003. "Prices for oil have risen as a result of the ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East and Venezuela, while steel making raw materials are well positioned to benefit from strong North East Asian and, in particular, Chinese demand."
- American Tower (AMT: news, chart, profile) reported a fourth quarter net loss of $52.4 million, or 27 cents a share, less than the 77 cents a share it lost in the year-earlier period. Excluding non-recurring items and the effect of a change in accounting, losses were 24 cents a share.
- United Rentals (URI: news, chart, profile) reported fourth-quarter net income of $8.2 million, or 9 cents per share, compared to $32.2 million, or 34 cents per share, in the year-ago period. The latest EPS figure fell short of the forecast of 11 cents per share in a survey of analysts by Thomson First Call. The company cited a 2.7 percent drop in same-store rental revenue.
- U.K. Internet online bank Egg (UK:EGG: news, chart, profile) posted a 16.6 million pound loss before tax in 2002, driven by a loss in France, but results show that its U.K. operations swung to profits for the year. It said it added 610,000 net new customers in the year. Looking ahead, it said: "We have been exploring potential entry strategies for the U.S. market and have embarked on some qualitative and quantitative consumer research in the first quarter of 2003 to establish the scale of the opportunity available."
- Buyout firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co has withdrawn from the race to buy U.K. grocer Safeway. "KKR has decided for the time being not to progress its potential offer for Safeway any further, but will continue to monitor the situation and keep its position under review," KKR said in a statement. Safeway shares fell 1.9 percent, and rival suitors Wm Morrison, Tesco and Sainsbury were also trading lower
Before the Bell is a daily e-mailed newsletter. You can subscribe to this free email service here. Emily Church is London bureau chief of CBS.MarketWatch.com.