Arcontech Share Discussion Threads

[sdavis] 02/6/2005 15:19

Has anyone looked at the web site rcently....I saw RED24GAP: is this new? Looks interesting.

[sdavis] 02/6/2005 15:18

Has anyone looked at the web site rcently....I saw RED24GAP: is this new? Looks interesting.

[waldron] 31/5/2005 10:10

FRANKFURT (AFX) - ThyssenKrupp AG sees steel prices continuing to rise this
year, although at a slower rate than in the past few months, chief financial
officer Stefan Kirsten told an investors' conference.
A spokesman for ThyssenKrupp's Steel unit earlier this month said the
company expects to raise per tonne steel prices as soon as possible, but has not
yet made a decision on whether to hike prices for the third quarter this year.
The steel giant raised prices every quarter last year and again in the first
two quarters of this year.
However, ThyssenKrupp cut production by 10 pct, or 500,000 tonnes, in the
second quarter in response to rising inventories and sluggish demand from the
construction industry.
mur/ms/vs

[sdavis] 23/5/2005 10:28

Agreed! Results could raise the share price dramatically!

[rcktmn] 21/5/2005 12:42

I don't want to put the mockers on this one but I have to say.... it's looking good ! (imho)
I reckon the activity shows that the results will be in line with expectations (no nasty surprises). results should show much reduced loss last yr and maybe currently trading profitably or about to..

[sdavis] 20/5/2005 18:33

Just goes to show what a little interest does to the share price

Bit more buying pre results could see this rise nicely: I always thought the price fall was for no real reason.

[fatgreek] 20/5/2005 16:22

fly bobby fly!

[sdavis] 20/5/2005 11:48

Yet another buy: this is most exciting!

[plast] 17/5/2005 16:51

been waiting it seems for ages, will this rise more lets hope so.

[rcktmn] 17/5/2005 11:26

Beware ! one blue doesn't make a summer !
Hope this is a start of an upward trend if MMs have got wind that the results to end March (due end June) are good.. you never know !

[fatgreek] 16/5/2005 17:29

might be a new trader with little experience pressing the wrong button.

[sdavis] 16/5/2005 17:04

Well, a decent buy at last: who knows.....

[johnwwwilkinson] 04/5/2005 10:21

04 May 05 02:13

Arcelor to cut steel output, eyes prices
Matthew Craze,bloomberg
LONDON – Arcelor, which lost its place as the world’s number one steelmaker to Mittal Steel last month, will reduce production in Europe to protect prices amid slowing demand.
The company will cut European carbon steel output by 1.5 million tons in the first half of 2005, helping to prevent a drop in prices, Luxembourg-based Arcelor said yesterday in a statement.
“There is no scenario where we can increase our prices before the fourth quarter,” chief executive Guy Dolle said yesterday in an interview with Bloomberg. Arcelor will cut production “in order to help all the inventory pipe to be emptied.”
Arcelor, which produced 46.9 million metric tons of steel last year, is cutting output after reporting a record first-quarter profit of 934 million euros, or 1.52 a share, up from 234 million euros, or 47 cents, a year earlier. It joins Mittal Steel, ThyssenKrupp and Salzgitter in announcing cuts to support prices. European consumers accumulated 3 million tons of stockpiles in 2004, leading to a slowdown in orders this year, Dolle said.
“Prices will fall over the course of time,” said Andrew Snowdowne, a UBS Bank analyst in London who rates Arcelor a “buy”.
Arcelor will spend $4 billion in Brazil and Argentina this decade to expand its global production base and lower its shipping and raw material costs. Dolle said the company will also pursue acquisition targets in India, Turkey and former Soviet Union countries.
Shares of Arcelor rose as much as 1.94 percent this morning and were trading up 10 cents, or 0.6 percent, to 15.54 euros early morning in Paris. Demand for steel may be weaker this year as China, the world's largest steel consumer, is consuming stockpiles built up during the second half of 2004, Arcelor said.
Higher raw material and freight costs are expected to remain for the rest of this year, the Luxembourg-based company said. Steel prices may have peaked after more than doubling last year, ABN Amro Holding NV said in an April 29 report.

[ariane] 03/5/2005 07:45

cheers jwww

[johnwwwilkinson] 03/5/2005 07:36

enjoy your savoyards! Cheers!

[ariane] 03/5/2005 07:28

enjoy your week

nearer Lac Leman between Geneva and Evian

[johnwwwilkinson] 03/5/2005 07:16

Arcelor Posts Record Profit, Says Demand to Weaken (Update1)
May 3 (Bloomberg) -- Arcelor SA, which lost its place as the No. 1 steelmaker to Mittal Steel Co. NV last month, reported a record first-quarter profit and predicted steel demand will decline for the rest of the year.

Net income rose to 934 million euros, or 1.52 a share, a fourfold increase on 234 million euros, or 47 cents a share, in the year-ago period, the Luxembourg-based company said today in an e- mailed statement. That beat the 823 million euro profit forecast by six analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News.

Demand for steel may be weaker this year as China, the world's largest steel consumer, is consuming stockpiles built up during the second half of 2004, Arcelor said. Higher raw material and freight costs are expected to remain for the rest of this year, the Luxembourg-based company said.

``There is no scenario where we can increase our prices before the fourth quarter,'' Chief Executive Guy Dolle said today in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

The company's sales were 8.14 billion euros, up from 6.90 billion euros a year ago. Benchmark steel prices have fallen 9 percent this year to $535 a metric ton. They are trading 37 percent higher than the average since 2000.

``Our goal is to do better this year than last year, even though the economic environment isn't as good,'' Chief Financial Officer Michel Wurth said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

Arcelor was relegated to the world's second-largest steelmaker on April 12, when Mittal Steel Co. announced the completion of its $4.5 billion purchase of Richfield, Ohio-based International Steel Group. Mittal now owns 60 million tons of steelmaking capacity in 14 countries, compared with Arcelor's 40 million tons.

European steel demand will rise between 1 and 1.5 percent this year, Dolle said today.

Arcelor and German rivals ThyssenKrupp AG and Salzgitter AG have cut production as European demand weakens. Steel prices may have peaked after more than doubling last year, ABN Amro Holding NV said in an April 29 report.

Cutbacks by European producers will bring the market back into balance by the third quarter, Arcelor said in the statement.

Arcelor announced it will sell three Spanish steel units which account for 1.7 million tons of production a year. The sale is subject to antitrust approval and due diligence, the company said.

The company reduced its net debt by 241 million euros to 2.27 billion euros as of March 31, compared with Dec. 31.

Last Updated: May 3, 2005 01:45 EDT

[johnwwwilkinson] 02/5/2005 11:03

Cheers Ariane. Have a nice day down there in the French Alps

[ariane] 02/5/2005 10:52

cheers jwww

[johnwwwilkinson] 02/5/2005 10:43

ARCELOR'S SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE 2004 ACCOUNTS AND DIVIDEND
(The following is a press release issued by Arcelor and received via electronic mail. The release has not been confirmed by the sender.)

April 29 -- The Ordinary General Meeting of the shareholders of Arcelor, which took place on April 29, 2005 under the chairmanship of Joseph Kinsch, approved all of the proposed resolutions.

In particular, it approved the accounts for the 2004 financial year and the payment of a gross dividend of 0.65 euro per share, payable on May 2, 2005.

The meeting voted on the following agenda items: - Report of the Board of Directors and opinions of the independent auditors on the annual accounts and the consolidated accounts for the 2004 financial year - Approval of the annual accounts for the 2004 financial year - Approval of the consolidated accounts for the 2004 financial year - Allocation of results and determination of directors' emoluments and of the dividend - Discharge of the directors - Ratification of appointment of replacement director - Renewal of the authorization of the Board of Directors of the Company and of the corporate bodies of other companies in the Group to purchase shares in the Company.

Reviewing the past year, Joseph Kinsch said ``2004 remains a memorable year for the steel industry in general, and for our company in particular. Global steel output reached the historic milestone of 1 billion tonnes, and sale prices rose significantly. The extraordinary increase in global steel production led to bottlenecks in the supply of coking coal and iron ore, causing logistical problems in certain parts of the world.'' Raw material prices and freight rates surged in response to these factors.

The Chairman noted further that ``We have made no secret of our ambition to rank among the steelmakers that will leave their mark on the organization and structure of the industry. And we plan to pursue this ambition in the future, reconciling as fully as possible the interests of our clients with those of our employees, our shareholders, and our stakeholders in the public and private spheres.''

The Chairman of the Board also reminded shareholders of key figures for 2004: ``Consolidated revenues for 2004 totaled 30.2 billion euros, versus 25.9 billion in 2003, an increase of 16.4 percent (or 17.7 percent on a comparable basis). Average sale prices rose steeply in the second half of the year, as did those of raw materials. The European Union accounted for 77.5 percent of sales, North America for 7.6 percent, South America 7.1 percent, and the rest of the world 7.8 percent. The increased South American contribution and the resulting decline in EuropeÆs relative share stemmed mainly from the consolidation of Acindar in Argentina for eight months and of CST in Brazil for three months.''

Arcelor honors its promises and exceeds its targets Joseph Kinsch also stressed that ``thanks to reduced costs through synergies achieved and a tight grip on inventories, Arcelor reduced its net financial debt by 2 billion euros in 2004.'' It totaled 2.5 billion euros at 31 December 2004, versus 4.5 billion at the end of 2003.

Finally, he pointed out that ``the success of the 1,136 million euro capital increase carried out in July 2004 accelerated the consolidation of Arcelor's Brazilian assets, for which we wish to thank our shareholders.''

Guy Dolle, Chairman of Arcelor's Management Board, discussed steel market trends before describing the short term outlook: ``Fears of a steel shortage in spring 2004 and the prospect of rising prices drove customers to increase their purchases beyond their real needs. At the same time, imports rose substantially towards the end of the year, after decreasing in the first half of 2004.'' As a result, 2004 ended with higher than normal inventories. He added: ``Customers then began running down their inventories in February 2005, in order to bring them back to the year-end 2003 level, which accounts for the reduction in orders in the early part of this year. The situation should stabilize this summer, even though demand remains very robust in the Chinese market. Consequently, we do not expect our sale prices to weaken sharply, with second quarter prices very close to first quarter levels.'' In these conditions, the Chairman of the Management Board considered that, after an outstanding year 2004, 2005 should be another good year for Arcelor, albeit against a background of slower growth for the steel industry.

Guy Dolle confirmed the Group's growth strategy, emphasizing that one of the aims behind the creation of Arcelor in 2002 had been ``to help change the global steel industryÆs business model.'' He pointed out that ``the rationalization of the steel industry and the consolidations initiated with the creation of Arcelor are set to continue.'' For Arcelor, the priority in terms of external growth lies outside Europe because, ``looking to 2010-2015, 80 percent of the growth in steel consumption will take place in emerging countries.''

Arcelor is a leading player of the global steel industry. With a turnover of 30 billion euros in 2004, the company holds leading positions in its main markets: automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging as well as general industry. The company - number one steel producer in Europe and Latin America - ambitions to further expand internationally in order to capture the growth potential of developing economies and offer technologically advanced steel solutions to its global customers. Arcelor employs 95,000 associates in over 60 countries. The company places its commitment to sustainable development at the heart of its strategy and ambitions to be a benchmark for economic performance, labor relations and social responsibility.

Contact: Arcelor Corporate Communications Tel: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail] Web site:

me(Lo)

-END-

##

Last Updated: April 29, 2005 07:59 EDT

[waldron] 30/4/2005 08:42

EARNINGS PREVIEW: Arcelor 1Q Net Pft Seen At EUR794M

Friday, April 29, 2005 1:25:15 PM ET
Dow Jones Newswires



1639 GMT [Dow Jones] Arcelor (5786.FR) seen posting a 1Q net profit of EUR794M, more than three times last year's EUR234M, according to a poll of 4 analysts. Sales expected to come in at EUR8.4B, 22% from EUR6.8B. Analysts to focus on outlook, raw materials costs, possible production cutbacks, China and future investments. Results due out at 0500 GMT Tuesday. Stock closes +2.1% to EUR15.85. (VEK)

[waldron] 29/4/2005 15:44

Arcelor Up 2.4%, But Prices Going Dn-Analyst

Friday, April 29, 2005 9:54:12 AM ET
Dow Jones Newswires



1342 GMT [Dow Jones] Arcelor (5786.FR) +2.4% to EUR15.80 after CEO says he doesn't expect steel prices to weaken sharply, and 2Q steel prices should remain close to 1Q levels. "It shows Arcelor has some confidence," says Luis de Toledo, an analyst at Ibersecurities, "But the trend in prices is going down." Maintains buy rating and EUR20 target price. Arcelor is due to report 1Q results ahead of the market open Tuesday. (VEK)

[sdavis] 29/4/2005 14:18

enew

What do you reckon will happen: new equity issue massively diluting current s/holders?