Travelusacc Discussion Threads

[waldron] 07/1/2004 16:59

LONDON, January 7 (New Ratings) — Analyst Mark Davies Jones of JP Morgan downgrades Alcatel (ALA) to "underweight." The fair value is set to €8.50.

[maywillow] 07/1/2004 11:20

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it has won a "multi-million euro" order from
Royal KPN NV to supply DSL broadband network equipment.
KPN will use Alcatel's 7300 Advanced Services Manager (ASAM) equipment to
offer video-on-demand and internet television services to residential users, and
virtual private network (VPN) and voice over IP services to small and
medium-size companies.
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js/jad

[maywillow] 07/1/2004 11:16

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it still expects to complete the sale of its
Saft industrial batteries division to private equity firm Doughty Hanson,
despite a decision by the Finance Ministry to block the original offer for
strategic reasons.
According to a report in French daily La Tribune, the Finance Ministry
recently asked Doughty Hanson to submit a new security guarantees before
approving the sale.
Saft produces batteries for a large portion of the French defense industry,
as well as military and communications satellites.
"The acquiring party lodged a new offer with the Finance Ministry at the
beginning of this year. Given the quality of the commitments made by Doughty
Hanson, Alcatel is confident in the outcome of this matter," a company spokesman
said.
Alcatel had announced the sale of Saft for 390 mln eur in October. The deal
was approved by the EU Commission in December.
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afp/js/jad

[maywillow] 06/1/2004 09:35

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA chief executive Serge Tchuruk said the company has
largely completed its efforts to restructure operations to reduce its cost base,
meaning no further restructuring charges will be required this year.
"2003 should be the last year where we have to take major exceptional
charges. We therefore count on returning to net profit before capital gains in
2004," Tchuruk said in an interview with financial daily La Tribune.
Alcatel had already made this full year earnings forecast at its release of
third quarter earnings in October.
"Under current market conditions, we know how to generate a positive
operating profit," he said.
Tchuruk added that while he is "convinced" the telecoms equipment market
will recover, he would not say when he thought this might occur, and he did not
provide a more detailed earnings forecast for 2004.
"If you reveal to the markets' positive outlooks over a relatively short
period, and these outlooks don't pan out, you expose yourself to very serious
punishments," Tchuruk said.
For 2004, he said Alcatel's priority will be on winning third-generation
mobile network infrastructure contracts.
"Don't forget that our mobile infrastructure division is our most profitable
activity. While certain others are barely able to generate a margin of 1 or 2
pct, we are posting double-digit profitability," he said.
Concerning the group's fiber optics business, which many investors thought
the company might divest, Tchuruk said he intends to keep the business.
"I am convinced that we are migrating toward a system where fiber optics
will become closer and closer to each subscriber."
"But it is imperative that we quickly stop the losses in this area, and we
will do so," he said.
Alcatel also intends to become one of the world's 3 largest providers of
voiceover IP technology, behind Cisco and Juniper Networks, Tchuruk said.
Alcatel is also open to partnerships with Chinese telecoms equipment makers,
in order to increase exposure to China, while pursuing its policy of outsourcing
telecom equipment production to countries with lower labour costs.
"This will be the case with our French factory at Eu, in the Seine-Maritime
department. On the other hand, there is no question of outsourcing production of
certain sectors like satellites or undersea network equipment," Tchuruk said.
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js/vs

[maywillow] 03/1/2004 17:13

for ariane only

[ariane] 02/1/2004 21:16

Alcatel still hovering below the 11 euros level at 10.50 euros.

seems that puts are of interest.

some say its going down to 6 euros others say up to 14 euros.

[waldron] 31/12/2003 11:29

The French Connection wishes you all a Super 2004.


Meilleurs Voeux et Bonne Anneé

[ariane] 10/12/2003 11:02

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it won an optical fiber contract from China
Mobile in addition to a digital subscriber lines contract through its Shanghai
Bell unit from China Telecom.
Under the first contract, Alcatel will provide around 60,000 km of its
Colorlock optical fiber to link up the cities of Jinan, Qingdao and Yantai in
the Chinese province of Shandong.
No financial terms were disclosed.
Separately, Alcatel said its Shanghai Bell unit won a contract from China
Telecom to supply over 1 mln digital subscriber lines.
Under the second contract, Alcatel will provide its 7300 technology to China
Telecom units in 18 provinces and municipalities in southern China, with
deployment to be completed by mid 2004.
No financial terms were disclosed.
It said the second contract is in addition to China Telecom's order
announced in July for 1 mln lines.
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sr/wf

[maywillow] 09/12/2003 17:20

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said it won a communications network contract
lasting several years from Canada's Telus Mobility to provide services including
microwave radio technology products, network design and installation services in
Canada.
Telus Mobility is a unit of Telus Corp, Canada's second largest telecoms
company.
Alcatel said the contract will allow Telus Mobility to reduce operating
expenses, increase capacity and to provide voice and data services.
Telus Mobility has over 3 mln subscribers in Canada.
No financial terms were disclosed.
[e-mail]
sr/pav/

[maywillow] 09/12/2003 11:33

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel said it has won a series of contracts worth over 40
mln usd from China Unicom to expand the company's mobile telephone network.
The company said the project is due for completion at the end of this year.
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dl/cmr

[waldron] 08/12/2003 20:07

LONDON, December 8 (New Ratings) — Analysts at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein maintain their “sell” rating on Alcatel (ALA). The target price is set to €6.

[waldron] 07/12/2003 16:13

Seems that Alcatel is a difficult one to call.

Some say 6 euros and others say 14 euros

With it around 11 euros, one either gains 27% or losses 45%

decisions, decisions.

[maywillow] 05/12/2003 18:00

PARIS (AFX) - Moody's Investors Service said it has affirmed Alcatel SA's
'B1' credit ratings, while raising its outlook on the group's debt ratings to
stable from negative.
The rating agency said Alcatel's efforts to cut operating costs in light of
declining revenues, and its return to quarterly profits before restructuring
charges, underpinned its decision.
"Moody's acknowledges Alcatel's risk profile has begun to stabilise and
believes the restructuring efforts will underpin the company's future
competitiveness and profitability," it said.
However, the agency does not expect an improvement to Alcatel's credit
quality in the short term, "given the expectations for market development and
the company's weak but improving cash flow metrics before working capital and
after restructuring."
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js/jsa

[maywillow] 05/12/2003 09:26

LONDON, December 4 (New Ratings) – Analysts at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein maintain their "sell" rating on Alcatel (CGEP.PA). The target price is set to €6.

[ariane] 03/12/2003 19:37

11.10 euros

[maywillow] 03/12/2003 15:20

PARIS (AFX) - Alcatel SA said its main French unit CIT will cut 470 of its 7,600 jobs in France next year, as part of a plan to decrease its fixed-line telephony activities while reinforcing its mobile equipment operations.
A further 900 posts will be redistributed among various Alcatel sites in France as part of the restructuring.

The company said the 470 job cuts will be based on voluntary departures, mainly through the use of pre-retirement plans.

Financial charges that may be part of the restructuring were not disclosed. Alcatel CIT had already announced 1,060 job cuts for 2003.

The new job cuts are part of Alcatel's need "to find solutions for the decrease in fixed-line network and optics activities and at the same time to meet the needs of the increase in the mobile communications activity due to new product and applications development, and to the ramp-up of UMTS activity," the group said.

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