S.Africa's Eskom says after-tax profit down at R3.4 bln

(Reuters) - South African state-owned power utility Eskom Holdings posted a yearly after-tax profit of 3.4 billion rand for 2006/07, the company said Thursday.

Eskom, the world's lowest-cost electricity producer, said profit, excluding embedded derivatives, for the year to end-March was down slightly on the 3.7 billion rand recorded in the previous year.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Kazakhstan Kagazy Raises $240 Million in IPO After Cutting Price and Size

(Bloomberg) -- Kazakhstan Kagazy Plc, a cardboard
maker with real-estate assets, raised $240 million in an initial
public offering of stock after cutting the deal's price and size.

The company, with customers including PepsiCo Inc. and
Gallaher Group Plc, sold global depositary receipts at $5 apiece,
Kazakhstan Kagazy said today in a statement. The price is lower
than the original range of $7.50 to $9.50 per receipt that it was
seeking. Existing investors that planned to sell stock in the IPO
didn't dispose of their shares.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News

Standard Bank S Africa sets dlr bond guidance - lead

(Reuters) - The Standard Bank of South Africa Ltd has set price guidance on a five-year benchmark-sized dollar floating-rate note (FRN) it plans to sell, one of the lead managers said on Thursday.

Guidance for the senior FRN has been set at Libor plus 50 basis points area, the lead said.


Read more at Reuters Africa

European Stocks Advance; SAP, Roche, Vodafone, BHP Billtion Pace the Gains

(Bloomberg) -- European stocks rose for the first
time in three days after profit from SAP AG and Roche Holding AG
beat analysts' estimates, boosting prospects for earnings growth.

Vodafone Group Plc gained after the world's largest mobile-
phone company said it added more subscribers than analysts
anticipated. BHP Billiton Ltd. and Anglo American Plc led mining
stocks higher as copper rallied for a second day in Asia.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Ford to receive bids for Jaguar, Rover: reports

(Reuters) - Others that may bid for Jaguar and Land Rover include Ripplewood Holdings, a group headed by Thomas Stallkamp, former president of Chrysler, according to the report.




One Equity Partners, whose senior partners include Jacques A. Nasser, the former chief executive of Ford, may also take part in the opening round of bids.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

India's Tata, Mahindra eyeing Jaguar, Rover: report

(Reuters) - A Tata Motors spokesman declined comment on the report.




A spokesman for Mahindra said the report was speculative.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

Roche says to pursue hostile bid for Ventana -CNBC

(Reuters) - Chief Executive Franz Humer made the comments to CNBC in an
interview after the group posted results.




Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News