Total profit rises 35% on the high price of oil in the output drop

April 29, 2011, 4: 11 pm EDT by Tara Patel

(Updates with comment from analyst in the third paragraph).

April 29 (Bloomberg) - oil producer Total SA second in Europe, reported first-quarter profit climbed 35 percent as higher crude oil prices offset, a decline partly due to the conflict in Libya.Profit excluding changes in stocks and the value of a stake in Sanofi-Aventis SA increased to 3.1 billion euros (4.6 billion) ($) of 2.3 billion euros a year earlier, the Paris-based company said today. That beat the average of 3 billion euro in a survey of analysts Bloomberg. Net income reached 51 per cent to 3.95 billion euros. "It is a solid set of results, Bertrand Hodee, analyst of capital markets of Kepler that shares to"hold"rate, said in an e-mail. "Total is clearly the right to regain the confidence of investors in medium term but delivery is too far".Total joins other European producers of energy in the reports of the higher earnings on the back of rising oil prices. Royal Dutch Shell Plc said yesterday that profit rose 30 percent, as the price of Brent average of $105.52 US per barrel in the first quarter, 36 per cent more than a year earlier. Total announced yesterday an agreement to buy as much as 60 percent of the second largest manufacturer of solar panel U.S. SunPower Corp. of $ 1.38 billion.Company's production output in the first quarter DropThe fell 2% to 2.37 million barrels oil equivalent per day from a year earlier. Production was interrupted in Libya during the period and has also declined due to price effects.Shares increased by 0.2% to 43.09 euros at 10: 06 pm, in Paris. The stock is up to 8.6% this year.The company said in February that it expected output to be little changed this year due to a lull in the startups and is committed to exploring more aggressively the oil and gas. The company reversed a decline that touched a nine year low in 2009 by launching new fields and liquefied natural gas projects and has forecast growth of the average production of 2% per year until 2015. "The French company expects to start production in the area of the Pazflor in Angola in the fourth quarter".Total is actively managing its portfolio, it mainly moving toward upstream, "Director General Christophe de Margerie said in the statement of income." This includes more emphasis on "new energies" and sales of assets should be approximately $ 10 billion this year.Agreement of the SunPowerTotal to buy a stake in SunPower strengthens its operations in renewable energy. This follows an agreement in February to sell a 49% Spanish refiner Cia involvement. Espanola de Petroleos SA of 3.7 billion euros. Total is in talks to sell its Lindsey refinery to the United Kingdom after the decision of a French refinery last year.The company is working on five projects of exploration and production with Russian partners and holds approximately 12 per cent in OAO Novatek, as energy companies look in Russia to increase reserves. Total has agreed to buy the game for about $ 4 billion at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.In March last month, it purchased a stake in Ugandan exploration blocks with China National Offshore Oil Corp. of Tullow Oil Plcpaving the way for the development of the basin of Lake Albert, after the transaction was accepted by a tax dispute. "European refining margins decreased from the first quarter, mainly reflecting the impact of the strong increase in the price of oil,"said today Total.Total said above, that benefit crude turning into fuels such as gasoline and diesel in the Northwest of Europe dropped 17 percent in the first quarter of the previous year earlier this month. Margins fell as European refiners were unable to compete with cheaper fuels of their American counterparts.

-with the help of Stephen Cunningham in London, editors in Chief: Jonas Bergman, Randall Hackley

To contact the reporter on this story: Tara Patel in Paris at the tpatel2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Will Kennedy to the wkennedy3@bloomberg.net

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Apple Profit nearly doubles on iPhone

April 20, 2011, 7: 43 pm EDT by Adam Satariano

(Updates with comment from analyst, a fourth paragraph).

April 20 (Bloomberg)--Apple Inc. said profit almost doubled in the demand for Macs and iPhone, newly available from Verizon Wireless, outweighed lower forecast of sales of the iPad.Revenu Tablet net exercise, second quarter increased to 5.99 billion dollars, or $6.40 as one hand, Apple 3.07 billion, or $3.33, a year earlier, based in Cupertino, California, said today. Sales jumped 83 cent to 24.7 billion dollars. Analysts predicted profit of $5.39 a share on sales of $ 23.4 billion, is the average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg.Verizon Wireless has started to sell the iPhone in February, helping Apple to sell 18.7 million unitsthus exceeding the average of 16.3 million of 13 predictions in a Bloomberg survey. Apple said last month's earthquake in the Japan is not an effect of "material" on the results, allay concerns that the catastrophe would worsen an iPad supply shortage. "This will restore in the minds of investors that Apple is the story of magic tech growth", said Mark Moskowitz, JPMorgan Chase & Co. analyst ""They are really incredible."Apple increased by 3.2% in extended trade to go up to $353.39 after the publication of the results. The shares had earned $4.55 to $342.41 at 16 hours in the trade of the Nasdaq Stock Market. "We will continue to innovate on all fronts during the rest of the year,"Chief Executive Steve Jobs said in the statement. Jobs, who has been sick leave since January, is seen regularly at Apple and involved in decision making, said Tim Cook, who took leadership on a daily basis.IPad sales Miss PredictionsWhile sales more than doubled iPhone, passing to the fastest pace in two years, Apple has sold 4.69 million iPads, provided for less than $ 6.1 million units. Cook said that the company strives to overcome the difficulties of supply. "The iPad has the mother of all arrears,"Cook said on a conference call with analysts. Many stores exhausted after the device is on sale on March 11 Cook, said access to the components of Apple was not injured by the earthquake to the Japan and that it is not expected any physical effect of the disaster in the current quarter. Still, sales of products in the country may be lower as consumers, to face the temblor and resulting tsunami buy less gadgets, he said that $ 200 million.In the quarter underway, Apple forecast profit and sales below analysts forecasts. Profit this quarter will be $5.03 per share on sales of $ 23 billion, says Apple. Analysts predicted that Apple would profit of $5.25 per share on sales of $ 23.8 billion.Profit ForecastsApple reports generally profit which exceeds the forecasts of analysts and its forecasts are often conservative. Apple beat the average estimate for earnings per action of at least 28 quarters straight, according to data compiled by the margin of Bloomberg.Gross, the percentage of sales left after deduction of the costs of production, will be approximately 38% this quarterApple said at the Conference call. The gross margin was 41.4% last quarter, compared to 41.7% a year earlier, said Apple.Au second quarter, Apple sold computers Mac 3.76 million and 9.02 million iPod media players. Analysts had predicted sales of 3.6 million Macs and 9.8 million iPods.Apple is rid of increased competition for iPhone, best selling of the company product.Rivals including Samsung Electronics Co., Motorola mobility Holdings Inc. and HTC Corp. use operating system Android from Google Inc. in their devices. Will Android represent 39.5% of the global smartphone shipments this year, compared to 15.7% for Apple, according to IDC market research firm.Last week, Apple filed a lawsuit against Samsung IP, accusing the company of the copy of the iPhone and iPad. Samsung denied the charges.Apple is also largest customer of Samsung for components, a relationship which should not be disturbed by the prosecution against Samsung mobile unit, Cook said.

-With the help of Cory Johnson and Peter Burrows in San Francisco. Editors: Tom Giles, Jillian Ward.

To contact the reporter on this story: Adam Satariano in San Francisco at asatariano1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net.

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IBM Boosts Profit forecast; Contract signing fail

April 19, 2011, 7: 15 pm EDT by Katie Hoffmann

(Updates with comment from analyst in the third paragraph).

April 19 (Bloomberg) - International Business Machines Corp., biggest supplier of computer services in the world, boosted its profit for the year of the forecast as companies buy more hardware and software.Earnings this operating will be at least $13.15 part this year, higher than an earlier projection of at least $13 and the estimated average $13.08 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Signatures of services in the first quarter fell by 14% from previous year, Armonk, New York - based IBM, said today, erasing a gain in the stock of the scopes.The signature of the contract was "a smear", although they are not a good indicator of future income, said Chris Whitmore, an analyst with Deutsche Bank AG, in San Francisco which recommends buying the stock. For the first quarter, IBM reported "income solid beat, led by the improvement of services and the resistance in the material."The last quarter sales rose 7.7% from $ 24.6 billion, topping of projections, as software, hardware and services revenue jumped. The equipment sales rose quarter fifth straight as customers continued to upgrade after IBM released a new mainframe and its computer server Power7 system last year.IBM slid $4 to $161.40 to 6 h 17 after rising to $170 in extended trade. Before the release of earnings, the stock fell 54 cents to $165.40 at the New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares rose to 13 percent this year. ' Volatile' SigningsSignings - the value of new contracts signed during a specific quarter - decreased to $ 10.5 billion. It is the fourth time in five quarters a decline of the new signing of contract in the shadow profit improved forecasts.Signatures figure is "volatile" and not as accurate a predictor of sales as the backlog, which includes the contracts have accumulated over time, Chief Financial Officer Mark Loughridge said on a conference call today. Backlog climbed 5.6% in the last quarter of $ 142 billion.Net profit for the first quarter increased 10% to 2.86 billion, or $2.31 per share, of 2.6 billion dollars, or $1.97, a year earlier.Profit on a base of operations was $2.41 per share, compared with the average estimate of analysts of $2.30. This is the first year, IBM is reported on a format of exploitation, which excludes acquisition and some costs of retirement.Sales rose to 19 per cent to 4.02 billion, is the largest jumping any segment. Software revenue increased 5.8% to 5.31 billion. Sales in emerging markets, which IBM is expected to represent almost 30 per cent of income in 2015, advanced 18 percent.Margin extended gross profit to 44.1% in the last quarter, 43.6% a year earlier. The company had about 220 million dollars in costs for the restructuring of the workforce, Loughridge said. ' Limited ' EffectIBM to the Japan, which gets about 11% of its turnover from the Japan, saw a limited effect of last month's earthquake, Loughridge said on the call. Infrastructure of the company in the country, which is "very good shape", had about 20 million dollars in damages. The company does expect "significant impact" on its supply chain, he said.Earnings this operating will be at least $20 a share by 2015, IBM, said last month, reiterating a forecast of a year ago.Society invests in companies-computing in the clouds and analytical software, the company predicted to raise $ 7 billion and $ 16 billion, respectively, by 2015. These initiatives, with investments in emerging markets and the smarter planet - IBM to digitize physical infrastructure - plan will help add on about 20 billion dollars in sales until 2015, the company said last month.Director General Sam Palmisano also plans to make about 20 billion dollars in acquisitions, in the same period a projection, he has first given last year.

-Editors: Ville Heiskanen, Cecile Daurat

To contact the reporter on this story: Katie Hoffmann in New York at the khoffmann4@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Elstrom to pelstrom@bloomberg.net

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Wynn Macau jumps to record after the waves of Profit in the first quarter

April 20, 2011, 5: 34 pm EDT by Wendy Leung

(Updates closing stock in the second paragraph).

April 20 (Bloomberg) - Wynn Macau Ltd., a unit of the casino operator, founded by billionaire Steven Wynn, pink in the trade of Hong Kong as the high stakes players Chinese stimulated the profit in the first quarter of 66%.The owner of Wynn Macau and even casinos won 1.1% to HK$ 27.35 at the end in the trade of Hong Kong after having climbed as much as 4.8 percent of HK$ 28.35, the highest intraday since the beginning of the negotiation in October 2009. The benchmark Hang Seng index has increased by 1.6%.The opening of a second station in the largest in the world of game hub and better than expected earnings to Las Vegas leads parent Wynn Resorts Ltd. to show growth six-fold in favour of the first quarter, beating analysts estimates. The company expects the Government permission to start building a third Macau resort centre "any day now", Wynn said yesterday. "" Wynn Macau is the best proxy of Macau ", Karen Tang, an analyst based in Hong Kong for Deutsche Bank AG, wrote in a note to clients today. Its casinos offer "customer experience superior, which extend the game," she said.Wynn Macau open Macau again in April 2010 in the former Portuguese colony, game hub largest in the world and the only place in China where casinos are legal.Net result for the first quarter to the Wynn Resorts expanded 173.8 million to 27 million a year earlier, said yesterday the company based in Las Vegas.Profit de Macau slots RevenueWynn grew up in 189.7 million of $ 114.3 millionHe said today. VIP sales increased by 45% to $ 29.3 billion, and produced slot machine has increased from 59% to $ 1.5 billion, the company said. "" This quarter, the most impressive segment was slots ", said Tang. "Wynn Macau earned a nice niche in the high-end slot in Macao segment."Games of chance in the Chinese city has soared since the Government ended the monopoly of 40 years of billionaire Stanley Ho and helped companies including Wynn, Las Vegas Sands Corp. and MGM Resorts International to build stations.Income in Macau casino game rose 43% to 58.5 billion patacas ($7.3 billion) in the three months ended March as players of Paris placed over mainland China. Total income casino expanded 58 percent year last patacas billion 188.3 or $ 23.5 billion, about four times the $ 5.8 billion for the high RollersRevenue of Las Vegas VIP Strip.Chinese or high stakes players, which build as much as 2 million patacas a hand was 42.6 patacas billion, 73% of total Q1 Macau casino, game of revenue, government data show. Which is an increase of 70 per cent during the same period in the VIP 2010.Most, players are brought into the city by the operators of curd from mainland China, which includes not Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.Wynn is the founder and Executive Director of Wynn Resorts, which owns approximately 72 percent of the unit of Macau listed in Hong Kong. separately, Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. posted a 71 percent increase to benefit before interests, taxes and amortization to 712 million HK ($92 million) today and predicted record first-half earnings on revenue from high stakes players.Galaxy, owned in part by Permira advisers LLP, climbed 6 per cent to HK$ 13.82 in Hong Kong of negotiation, the highest level since its commercial launch in October 1991.

-Editors: Frank ID Longid, Chua Kong Ho

To contact the reporter on this story: Wendy Leung in Hong Kong to the wleung12@bloomberg.net

To contact the responsible editor of the story: Frank ID Longid in the flongid@bloomberg.net

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