American company Universal Computer Systems Inc buys American Reynolds and Reynolds for 2.5 billion dollars.

August 9th, 2006

Universal Computer Systems Inc buys American company Reynolds and Reynolds Co. which is engaged in development of computer maintenance for the companies, selling cars, for 2.5 billion dollars. Such data contain in press release of Reynolds and Reynolds published today.
According to the signed agreement, Universal Computer Systems which also is engaged in development of computer maintenance will pay on 40 dollars for each stock of Reynolds and Reynolds, that on 14 % above cost of securities Reynolds and Reynolds on results of closing of the New York stock exchange on the eve. Besides it, Universal Computer Systems will incur obligations on repayment of duty of Reynolds and Reynolds for the sum of 300 million dollars the Transaction will be carried out in securities.
For financing purchase Universal Computer Systems will apply for the credit in banks Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse. After end of the transaction the company will continue to conduct the activity under trademark Reynolds and Reynolds. Voting of shareholders under the transaction will pass in 4th quarter of this year. The transaction still should be considered by adjusting bodies of the USA. The termination of transaction is expected in the beginning of 2007.

The group of investors buys the company on delivery of food stuffs Aramark for 6.3 billion dollars.

August 9th, 2006

Group of investors buys the company on delivery of food stuffs Aramark Corp. for 6.3 billion dollars. There is a chairman of board of directors and executive director of Aramark Joseph Njubauer in charge of group of investors that buy Aramark. The group includes also private investment companies GS Capital Partners, CCMP Capital Advisors, JPMorgan Partners, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Warburg Pincus LLC. Investors will incur also obligations on payment of duty Aramark for the sum 2 billion dollars.
On conditions of the transaction, shareholders of Aramark will receive 33.80 dollars for each stock Aramark that on 2.3 % exceeds cost of stocks of the company on results of closing of the New York stock exchange on the eve. The transaction will be carried out in carry-over funds.
For financing purchase investors will apply for reception of the loan. Board of directors of Aramark has approved the transaction and is ready to recommend accepting to shareholders Aramark conditions of the agreement. In case of approval of the transaction by shareholders and adjusting bodies of the USA, the transaction will come to the end in the end of 2006, or in the beginning of 2007.
Aramark conducts the activity in 20 countries of the world. In the company work 240 thousand persons. Aramark carries out deliveries of food stuffs in hospitals, schools and on stadiums, informs Associated Press.

Microsoft and Nortel have entered into the agreement on an alliance for 4 years.

July 19th, 2006

The largest world manufacturer of software Microsoft Corp. and the manufacturer of telecommunication equipment Nortel Networks Corp. (largest in Northern America) have entered into the agreement on an alliance for 4 years. As informs Associated Press, the companies plan to share already developed technologies, in common to sell a number of new products, and the obtained money to direct on cooperation in creation of new decisions. Under forecasts of Nortel, the agreement will allow to add nearby 1 billion dollars to annual proceeds.

Finance news.

July 18th, 2006

Yesterday when I read the news-block I thought why I couldn’t discuss the current news in my blog. So I’ve tried to find the most interesting news for investors.
Wienerberger Brick
The European Reconstruction and Development Bank have allocated Austrian Wienerberger 13.3 million euros for building and construction of brick-making plant in the Russian Federation.
 About it is spoken in the message of bank. The European Reconstruction and Development Bank has purchased 18.1 % of stocks of limited liability company “Wienerberger Brick” (Russia) for 2.5 million euros and has granted a loan in 10,8 million euros on payment of debts. The rest of means in construction (which total cost is estimated in 38 million euros) will put Wienerberger AG.
The factory will make nearby 120 million facing bricks per year or 220 million hollow bricks. The given project - a part of the joint program of the European Reconstruction and Development Bank and Wienerberger under investments into manufacture of building materials into the countries where the bank works.
The Austrian group company Wienerberger was based in the Vein in 1819. And now it is the world leader on manufacture of a hollow and facing ceramic bricks. The group company has more than 230 factories in 24 countries of the world.

Sadia
Company Sadia S.A., one of leading manufacturers of meat products and semi-prepared foods in Brazil, has proposed purchase of 50 % of stocks of Perdigao S.A for 1,7 billion dollars. Such data are resulted in the press release of the company published today. Cost of the transaction is estimated in 3.7 billion real (1.7 billion dollars). According to conditions of the offer, Sadia it is ready to pay 27.88 real (12.58 dollars) for each current stock Perdigao. Offered to Sadia price exceeds on 35 % cost of stock Perdigao on results of closing of the share trades in the San Paulo Stock Exchange. Term of the offer expires on October, 24th 2006. As it is marked in press release of Sadia, as a result of merge in the international market of meat products and semi-prepared foods there will be a new leader. Net profit Sadia on results of 2005 has been 656.12 million Brazilian real (307.88 million dollars).

Wimm–Bill–Dann
Shareholders of public corporation “Wimm–Bill–Dann Food stuffs” (WBD) at extraordinary meeting will consider the problem on expulsion of Jamshid Jadegardzham from structure of board. As they say in message WBD, it is offered to shareholders to consider the given question under the recommendation of chairman of board of the company of Toni Mahera. Only those shareholders have the right to take part in assembly, who was registered artificially of July, 2006. The Date of ending of reception of bulletins for voting is September, 1st 2006. Also it is offered to shareholders to approve creation of branches “Wimm–Bill–Dann” in Samara, Tuimazy, Novosibirsk, Rubtsovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk.
Ownership capital of WBD is 880 millions of rubles. In circulation there is 44 million ordinary stocks (face value 20 rubles). The principle shareholders of the company as of end of 1st quarter of 2006 are Gabriel Jushvaev - 17,13 %, Sergey Plastinin - 9,30 %, David Jakobashvili - 8,33 %, Michael Dubinin - 5,71 %, in nominal holding of shares at Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas is 39,99 % of stocks of the company.
Public corporation “Wimm–Bill–Dann Food stuffs” was created in 1992. And now it is engaged in manufacture of juices and dairy products in Russia. Into the company enter 30 industrial enterprises which are being 21 regions of Russian Federation and the CIS. “Wimm–Bill–Dann” owns the portfolio of trade marks covering from above 1 thousand of 100 types of dairy products (”Domic v derevne”, “Milaya Mila”, Neo, Bio-max, etc.) and more than 150 types of juices, nectars and soft drinks under marks “J7″, “100 % Gold”, etc. Net profit of public corporation “Wimm–Bill–Dann” on US GAAP in 2005 has increased for 31.7 % - up to 30.3 million dollars.

GoAir
Indian airline GoAir and planemaker Airbus have signed the agreement on purchase of 10 planes A320, press-service Airbus informs. Moreover the contract gives GoAir an opportunity of purchase in the future ten similar planes. The financial component of the transaction and terms of deliveries of planes are not informed.

Maybe it would be better to invest in stock index futures?

July 5th, 2006

Yesterday, when I wrote my last article I had a brain-wave. Perhaps common stocks aren’t the best asset to invest money. And I decided to investigate a question about investments in such securities as stock index futures…
As far as I understand investments in stock index futures are similar to investments in weather futures. You should forecast. And your profits or losses depend on your ability to make good prognoses.
It is necessary to remember that the subject of an agreement of stock index futures is purchase and sale of portfolio of stocks; stocks that go to make up this stock index.
Stock index futures show the dynamics of the stock market or its part (for example, S&P and Dow Jones Transportation Average).
As with ordinary future contracts stock index futures can be used as instruments of speculation or hedge buying.
The example of speculative operation with stock index futures can be:
You have $100000 and the forecast is that the index S&P will grow. Let us suppose that the margin requirement is 5%. Dynamics of index (during the position is open) is: 1230
1245
1240
1256
1270
1263
1275
Price of future contract (when we open position) is: 1230*$500=$615000, margin requirement is $30750, so we buy 3 future contracts. The results of this operation per day are:
1st day: (1245-1230)*500*3=$7500 (profit)
2nd day: (1240-1245)*500*3=$7500 (loss)
3rd day: (1256-1240)*500*3=$24000 (profit)
4th day: (1270-1256)*500*3=$21000 (profit)
5th day: (1263-1270)*500*3=$10500 (loss)
6th day: (1275-1263)*500*3=$12000 (profit)
The payments under the stock index futures clear each day the position is open. And if you bear losses you should insert money on your margin account.
The result of our operation is: (1275-1230)*500*3=$52500!!!
So, to my mind it’s very profitable activity to invest your money in stock index futures:).

What are derivative instruments?

July 4th, 2006

It may sound like a house of cards, but many financial instruments in the global economy are based on nothing more than value of other financial instruments. Today it would be impossible to responsibly manage any significant international investment without an understanding of financial derivatives like options, financial futures, and interest rate swaps. A stock option, which allows an investor to purchase or sell a given stock at fixed price sometime in the future, is called a derivative because its value is determined by the value of underlying stock.
A financial future is an agreement to buy a financial instrument – such as a stock or bond – sometime in the future at a fixed price. A stock index future, for example, allows investors to benefit from the rise in a stock index by buying, in a sense, all the shares in the index. Just as a gold future goes up in value when gold’s price rises, a future on the Standard & Poor’s 500 will increase in value when the stock index rises.
The basic idea of a swap is to trade something you have for something you want. A swap is a trade agreement between two or more counterparties, usually banks, to exchange different assets or liabilities such as interest payments. Essentially, it allows both parties to obtain the right assets and cash flows for their own particular needs. In the case of banks, this most often means trading two loans with different interest rates or different foreign currencies. For example, a bank landing money to consumers at a fixed interest rate may be borrowing money at floating or periodically changing interest rates. In order to eliminate the risk of having borrowed and lent money at two different interest rates, the bank enters into an interest rate swap agreement with another institution to exchange one flow of interest rates for another.

Where do companies obtain its capital to exist?

July 3rd, 2006

The capital of a business consists of the funds used to start and run the business. The funds can be either the owner’s (equity capital) or creditor’s (debt capital). Equity capital consists of those funds provided to the business by the owner’s. These funds come from the personal savings of the owner. Debt capital consists of borrowed funds that the business owner owes to the lender. With debt capital the entrepreneur doesn’t have to share ownership, but has a legal obligation to repay the borrowed money (principal) plus interest at a future date even if the business does not make profit.
Equity financing (obtaining owner funds) can be exemplified by the sale of corporate stock. In this type of transaction, the corporation sells units of ownership known as shares of stock. Each share entitles purchaser to a certain amount of ownership. For example, if someone buys 100 shares of stock from Ford Motor Company, that person has purchased 100 shares worth of Ford resources, materials, plants, production and profits. The person purchases shares of stock is known as stockholder or shareholder.
All corporations, regardless of their size, receive their starting capital from issuing and selling shares of stock. The initial sales involve some risk on the part of the buyers because corporation has no record of performance. If the corporation is successful, the stockholder may profit through increased valuation of the shares of stock, as well as by receiving dividends. Dividends are proportional amounts of profit usually paid quarterly to stockholders. However, if the corporation is not successful, the stockholder may take losses on the initial stock investment.
Often equity financing does not provide the corporation with enough capital and it must turn to debt financing, or borrowing funds. One example of debts financing is the sale of corporate bonds. In this type of agreement, the corporation borrows money from investor in return for bond. The bond has maturity date, a deadline when the corporation must repay all of the money it has borrowed. The corporation must also make periodic interest payment to the bondholder during the time the money is borrowed. If these obligations are not met, the corporation can be forced to sell its assets in order to make payments to the bondholders.
So the investments in bonds are less profitable, but at the same time less risky for investor. Although for issuer is more preferably to obtain capital through issuing shares of stock.
All businesses need financial support. Equity financing (as in the sale of stock) and debt financing (as in the sale of bonds) provide important means by which a corporation may obtain its capital.

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