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[dasv] 07/10/2008 14:49

German regional train deal:-
Veolia chooses Alstom to supply 36 regional trains in Germany
Saint Ouen Cedex, France - Private German rail operator Veolia Verkehr has awarded Alstom Transport a contract for 36 regional Coradia Continental trains for the Bremen network, to be operated by NordWestBahn. This contract has an order value of about €150 million in total. The trains will comprise three or five coaches, depending on requirements. They will be designed and manufactured at the Alstom facility in Salzgitter, Germany. The first trains will come into commercial service in late 2010.

Coradia Continental trains, which can operate at speeds of up to 160 kph, are characterised by their high degree of modularity. The length of the coaches, number of doors and interior design can be tailored to suit operator requirements and fluctuations in traffic. The Coradia Continental can be used as a regional express or suburban train, giving operators great flexibility of usage.
The continuous low floor, mobile steps into the train and gangways between coaches facilitate access and on- board movement, particularly for people with reduced mobility. Technical equipment is installed on the roof, freeing up more space inside the coaches. The trains are also equipped with tactile pictograms for partially- sighted people and toilets for disabled passengers.
Coradia Continental trains exemplify Alstom's approach to the environment: they are 95% recyclable and their distributed power optimises the braking and acceleration of each coach, decreasing energy consumption. The energy generated during braking is recovered to the national electricity grid, thus resulting in significant savings. Lastly, the train's electronic management systems ensure optimum power usage, hence minimising its energy consumption.

"This order strengthens our position in the private German railway market," declared Roland Kientz, Alstom Transport's Senior Vice President – Northern Europe. "After BeNEX, Veolia is the second private rail operator to have chosen Alstom's Coradia Continental trains." Since the range was launched in 2002, Alstom has sold a total of 269 Coradia Continental and Nordic (winterized) trains in Germany and Sweden to public and private rail operators (including this new order).

The Alstom Transport range of regional trains
With over 30 years' experience in regional transport, Alstom's range of regional and suburban trains provides an answer to the saturation of urban and motorway networks and growing suburban expansion, whilst contributing to regional economic development and protecting the environment. With its Coradia and X'Trapolis ranges, Alstom now offers operators and passengers a range of trains perfectly suited to their needs and demands: high-capacity regional trains that are comfortable, reliable, available, easy to maintain and environment-friendly. Alstom's factories in Salzgitter (Germany), Valenciennes (France) and Savigliano (Italy) have already built over 3 000 regional trains that between them have covered over 4 billion kilometres.

[dasv] 07/10/2008 14:48

double decker carriages JV with Russia:-

• Alstom Transport and Russian firm TMH signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a partnership. The companies will share technical expertise and Alstom - subject to due diligence and a final agreement between the parties - will acquire a 25 percent share in TMH. In addition, Alstom and TMH will create TMH-Alstom DV, a joint venture involved in double-deck coaches. TMH will hold a 51 percent stake and Alstom, a 49 percent interest. The joint venture will respond to the Russian Railways' call for tenders to manufacture 1,210 double-deck passenger cars.

[dasv] 23/9/2008 00:22

£1.5bn pendolino train deal:

[dasv] 08/9/2008 11:20

I normally only have positive news to report here, but there's a class action lawsuit knocking about dating from 2003 accounts where Alstom are alleged to have overstated cruise ship revenues. There was a share price collapse back then.

[dasv] 05/9/2008 11:09

€1.9bn Saudi Powerplant deal signed:-

[dasv] 29/8/2008 12:46

Alstom wins Grand Coulee supply contract

[waldron] 25/6/2008 06:39

Alstom Confirms Profit Forecast During Annual Meeting (Update2)

By Anne-Sylvaine Chassany

June 24 (Bloomberg) -- Alstom SA, the world's third-largest power plant builder, confirmed it targets operating profit equal to about 9 percent of sales in the fiscal year starting next April.

The operating profit margin should widen further beyond March 2010 based on current trends, the company, which is based near Paris, indicated today in a Web site presentation to shareholders.

Increasing orders for power plants and trains drove a 62 percent jump in second-half profit and led Alstom, which held its annual general meeting today in Paris, to boost its margin targets on May 7, when it released its earnings.

Chief Executive Officer Patrick Kron reiterated the company's interest in a combination with French state-owned nuclear reactor maker Areva SA.

``The ball is in the government's camp,'' Kron said today. ``Merging the two would be a more ambitious project.''

Kron has argued repeatedly for a merger with Areva, as the government is weighing options for the nuclear power plant builder, which says it needs funds to expand amid a worldwide nuclear revival. Options considered by the government also include selling Areva shares to the public.

Kron said that while he's in favor of an Areva merger, he would make sure conditions on valuation and management are met. Areva's non-voting listed investment certificates, which represent less than 5 percent of the company's capital, don't reflect Areva's true value, he said.

T&D Unit

Kron said one of the advantages of an Areva tie-up would be to get the Transmission and Distribution unit back in the group. Alstom was forced to sell power grid equipment maker T&D to Areva when it neared bankruptcy in 2004.

Execution of a record backlog of orders is Alstom's top priority, Kron said. There may be bottlenecks in parts of the supply chain such as in forging components, he said.

Alstom's 25 percent stake in cruise shipbuilding yards Aker Yards France is ``temporary,'' Kron said. Alstom has an option to sell it to Aker Yards France's Norwegian parent company Aker Yards ASA in March 2010.

Alstom shareholders today approved a 2-for-1 stock split.

To contact the reporter on this story: Anne-Sylvaine Chassany in Paris [e-mail]

Last Updated: June 24, 2008 12:59 EDT

[waldron] 24/6/2008 20:02

Alstom's Kron says difficult to value Areva in event of merger




PARIS (Thomson Financial) - The listing of a small part of Areva's capital
makes it difficult to value the state-owned nuclear group in the event of a
merger with Alstom, said Alstom CEO Patrick Kron.
"There's the question of the valuation of Areva. There is 3-4 percent of the
company's capital which is listed on the bourse with a rather particular
instrument, that doesn't appear to me to be sufficient to give it a value", Kron
told shareholders at Alstom's annual general meeting.
Only 4 percent of Areva's capital is listed on the Paris stock exchange,
under the form of an investment certificate, where the shares do not have voting
rights.
This problem of valuing Areva is one of the "two fundamental problems" with
a potential merger between the two groups, with "the privatisation of the
nuclear fuel cycle".
"It's not an easy decision to take. As far as we are concerned, if there
were a privatisation, we have to make sure it doesn't turn the machine into a
sort of five-legged sheep which would be unmanageable", Kron said.
"The conditions to be set for a potential merger will have to allow the
combined company to be managed like a normal company", the Alstom CEO said.
Kron also reiterated that a merger with Areva was a "good idea", but that
his group could develop without it.
Anne Lauvergeon, CEO of Areva, is opposed to a merger, and would prefer to
have a capital increase.
Kron said: "If the government says, 'The Alstom-Areva merger file is not
open', that means it is closed and we will do something else".
"If it says, 'The file is open', we will look at the conditions under which
such a deal can create value for shareholders."
"We will look at the business plan, we will look at the risks ... and then
we will take a decision", said Kron. "I think it's a good idea; but if it turns
out not to be a good idea, we'll do something else."
[e-mail]
afp/ejp/lam

[grupo guitarlumber] 05/3/2008 13:11

Alstom "neutral," target price reduced
7:33a.m. - Dexia Securities
LONDON, March 5 (newratings.com) - Analyst Dieter Furniere of Dexia Securities maintains his "neutral" rating on Alstom SA (AOMD). The target price has been reduced from €148 to €142.

In a research note published this morning, the analyst mentions that the company's restructuring process is yielding results, with more than 5% EBIT margins. Although Alstom has robust backlogs, more than 50% of its power equipment orders are expected to be from its turnkey solutions business, where risk has risen, Dexia Securities adds. Alstom would face several challenges, including the proper execution of the company in the near future, the analyst says.

[waldron] 20/2/2008 07:38

cheers das, seen and noted

[waldron] 20/2/2008 07:37

Areva-Alstom merger losing political supporters




PARIS (Thomson Financial) - The idea of merging state-controlled nuclear
energy giant Areva with engineering group Alstom seems to be losing political
supporters, Les Echos reported, without naming its sources.
Officially, the government has made no choice and the merger is still one of
two options on the table for Areva, the other one being an opening up of Areva's
capital to provide the company with greater resources of its own, the preference
of CEO Anne Lauvergeon, the business daily said.
However, there are some signs that the merger has fewer supporters within
the public authorities, as the deal would be "very complicated to implement",
the report cited a source as saying.
People in power fear that a merger would be seen as privatising a national
champion to the benefit of a friend of the president, Les Echos said. Martin
Bouygues, a friend of Nicolas Sarkozy, is chairman of the Bouygues construction
group which is the leading shareholder in Alstom.
Another hindrance would be the need to untie the alliance with Siemens AG,
which has a 34 pct stake in Areva's nuclear reactor division, and there is
debate about what parts of Areva's operations should remain under state control
for national security reasons, the report said.
No decision on Areva's future is likely to be announced until after the
French municipal elections in the second quarter, the newspaper said.



[e-mail]
an/jfr

[dasv] 12/2/2008 12:43

I started a new Alstom thread using the symbol ALO because the charts stopped working here and it seems the ALS symbol is no more?

[ariane] 11/2/2008 19:20

Investors Events
Financial Calendar


08/11/2007 Half-Year Results
17/01/2008 First Nine Months Orders & Sales
07/05/2008 Annual Results FY2007/08
24/06/2008 -Annual General Meeting 2008
16/07/2008 First Quarter Orders & Sales FY 2008/09

[ariane] 11/2/2008 12:13

source:FT


Optimistic engineers
Published: February 11 2008 09:40 | Last updated: February 11 2008 09:40

Why is ABB special? The European capital goods sector has had a poor few months in share price terms as the sector as a whole has de-rated. But while ABB shares have lost a quarter of their value in three months, they remain highly prized, trading on 19 times this year's earnings to the broader sector's sub-12 multiple.

The attraction is power. Around 45 per cent of ABB's sales are in power transmission, with another fifth related to the mining and energy sector. Structural underspending on power networks over the last 30 years, particularly in the US, should mean many years of work ahead. The recent approval of transmission corridors – areas where individual states cannot object to the laying of new power lines – should also speed the process.

Across the Atlantic the European Commission's desire for more energy trading between countries is likely to see spending on inter-country connections increase. And the renewable power sources into which so much is being invested need connecting to transmission grids. In Asia, meanwhile, rising demand for reliable power supplies continues apace: China's investment in its power grid should rise from $34bn last year to $48bn in 2010.

However, unlike Alstom, which is exposed purely to power generation and rail infrastructure, the remaining quarter of ABB's business is automation technology for industry. This is just as vulnerable as making ball bearings or machine tools if industrial capital spending falls.

But while a slowdown is much anticipated by ABB's and other share prices, it has yet to show up in reported numbers from Swedish bellwethers Sandvik and SKF. Similarly Schneider Electric's main American competitor Eaton forecasts sales to be up 5-6 per cent this year, and underlined its confidence with a dividend hike. Schneider itself is exposed to the ongoing, and likely long-lasting drive by governments and companies to improve energy efficiency, and survived the last recession relatively unscathed. If the reporting season continues to pass without unpleasant surprises, some of the pessimism may have to be reassessed.

[ariane] 10/2/2008 15:51

Alstom says demand sustained despite economy woes; sees 8 pct opg margin in 2010




PARIS (Thomson Financial) - Demand in Alstom's markets remains good despite
worsening world economic conditions, CEO Patrick Kron said in an interview with
the financial weekly Investir.
The power generating plant business is benefiting from electricity
shortfalls in many countries and environmental regulations that are forcing
utilities to replace or modernize existing plants, while the trains business is
also well positioned for meeting environmental and energy needs, he said.
Kron said Alstom aims to increase its operating margin to more than 8 pct by
the end of March 2010, when its financial year ends. Alstom recently reiterated
its guidance for the year ending March 2008, saying organic sales should grow
about 15 pct and operating margin will be 7.5 pct.
[e-mail]
mjs/jlw

[waldron] 06/2/2008 11:09

Alstom unveils new high-speed train
By Robert Wright, Transport Correspondent, in La Rochelle

Published: February 5 2008 11:08 | Last updated: February 5 2008 11:08

The company behind France's flagship TGV train has taken its biggest technological leap forward in 30 years by unveiling on Tuesday a radical new design of high-speed train designed to cruise at 360kph (224mph).

The AGV – Automotrice Grand Vitesse (high-speed rail car) – will be the first French-built high-speed train to break with the train á grand vitesse (high-speed train) design pioneered on France's first dedicated high-speed route, from Paris to Lyons, opened in 1981.

EDITOR'S CHOICE
Unified system slows high-speed railways - Jan-04Showcase train project 'too complex' - Jan-03Cross-Channel freight trains set to double - Nov-27Eurotunnel cuts rail freight charges - Oct-24Railroads' US revival entices investors - Nov-12US rail chiefs say new laws will halt investment - Nov-12The new train, which is built by Alstom, has motors distributed on passenger coaches, rather than concentrated in power cars full of equipment at either end of the train. This system, known as distributed power, reduces the weight of the train's heaviest vehicles and increases the space available for passengers.

The new design should enable Alstom to compete better in export markets against Siemens' Velaro design, based on Germany's ICE3 high-speed train, which already uses distributed power and has won recent orders in Spain and Russia.

The TGV previously won a number of export orders, with trains going to Spain for its first high-speed lines and Korea, where the train is known as KTX. Orders are pending from Morocco and Argentina.

The AGV is the world's first train to combine distributed power with articulated carriages, where each vehicle shares a set of wheels – known as bogies – with the next. All TGVs use articulated bogies, which Alstom believes have made the trains safer and substantially reduced wear on track.

The new train's significance for France was illustrated by the attendance of Nicolas Sarkozy, French president, at a ceremony to unveil the prototype on Tuesday at Alstom's Bellvue test site in La Rochelle .

However, Alstom has so far won only one order for the new train – a batch of 25 units from NTV, a private Italian operator hoping to start competing against state-owned Trenitalia. There is no immediate prospect of orders from SNCF, the French state-owned train operator that developed the TGV alongside Alstom. SNCF wishes to continue ordering double-deck TGV Duplex trains based on existing technology. Because of the space needed under floors for equipment, it would be impossible to design a double-deck AGV at present.

Philippe Mellier, president of Alstom's transport division, said Alstom would rapidly be able to demonstrate the performance, convenience, comfort and environmental and cost advantages of the AGV with the trains destined for NTV.

Building of the NTV trains will start in the middle of this year, with delivery planned for 2010 onwards.
source:FT

[dasv] 06/10/2007 17:23

Beijing announces larges metro project in the world - according to FT Weekend edition today. Speculation is companies like Siemens, Alstom and Bombardier will gain contracts from this.

[ariane] 24/9/2007 07:51

EDF, Total stake in Areva fuel division among French govt scenarios


PARIS (Thomson Financial) - The French government is considering the entry
of EDF and Total into the fuel division of Areva as one of the scenarios for the
reorganisation of the state-owned nuclear power group, La Tribune reported,
without indicating its sources.
The daily also cited EDF CEO Pierre Gadonneix as saying that, "like in the
gas sector, we want to strengthen our position upstream by acquiring stakes in
new mines alongside major groups like Areva or BHP Billiton."
"We will need to secure (fuel) contracts to cover our needs until 2050-60,"
he said, noting that EDF's current contracts have secured its fuel supply for a
little under 20 years.
Total, meanwhile, is preparing to seriously study the question of nuclear
fuel, La Tribune said, without giving any details.
The oil company has previously said it is exploring other energy sources,
including renewable and nuclear sources.
The French government confirmed earlier this month that it is conducting a
review of the energy sector following press reports it is looking at options for
reorganising Areva, notably a three-way tie-up between Areva, Alstom and
Bouygues.
Les Echos also reported at the time that the government review could provide
a role for EDF and Total.
[e-mail]
gt/rfw

[ariane] 11/9/2007 12:22

French govt confirms studying energy sector; 'all options' on table for Areva


PARIS (Thomson Financial) - The French presidency said it is conducting a
"strategic study" on the future of France's energy sector.
"It's a long-term strategic study but there is no urgency," Elysee spokesman
David Martinon said.
A spokesman for the French finance ministry, meanwhile, told Agence
France-Presse that "all options" are on the table regarding state-owned nuclear
power group Areva.
The comments followed a report in business daily Les Echos claiming that the
French presidency has asked investment bank HSBC and consultants McKinsey to
study restructuring options for French nuclear engineering firm Areva.
According to the paper, the most likely scenario being considered is a
merger with French engineering firm Alstom, as proposed by French state-owned
nuclear research organisation CEA.
Shares in Areva, Alstom and Bouygues -- which is a leading shareholder in
Alstom -- all rose sharply in early trading.
By midday, Areva shares had pared their gains to trade up 2.28 pct at 699.60
eur, after climbing as high as 718.00 earlier.
Alstom shares were leading CAC-40 gains, up 5.16 pct at 134.38.
[e-mail]
gt/dca

[waldron] 31/8/2007 09:15

Areva says capital increase would be best way of financing its investments


PARIS (Thomson Financial) - A capital increase would be the best way for
Areva to finance the heavy investment which its projects require, Anne
Lauvergeon, the CEO, said in a conference call on first half results.
Asked about a report in Les Echos that the government is studying a
restructuring of the group, possibly also involving Alstom and Eramet,
Lauvergeon said the first she knew of the story was from the newspaper.
Areva is in an industry which "requires heavy investment" and Lauvergeon
still considers that "an increase in group capital is the best solution", she
said, adding that the timing and any other arrangements are a matter for the
government, which holds a 90 pct stake.
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an/vlb