BNP Paribas profit up; concerns over French retail
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French bank BNP Paribas  beat  forecasts with a 28.8 percent rise in fourth-quarter net profit  on Thursday, but some analysts expressed concerns over the  performance of its French retail banking division.
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Bank&#39;s 3Q profit dips, but it says &#39;04 will be better than &#39;03; wealth management stays strong. ZURICH  - Banking heavyweight UBS remained cautious about prospects for the rest of the year after a
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Switzerland's struggling national airline reported a second-quarter profit of 45 million Swiss francs (&#36;35.6 million) Tuesday, although its figures were boosted by a legal settlement in France.
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Goldman Sachs Group Inc.  reported higher quarterly profit on Thursday, beating estimates, on record investment banking fees and strong stock trading.
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ST. LOUIS  - Investment bank Bear Stearns & Co.   BSC.N on Thursday said third-quarter net income rose nearly   16 percent, easily beating Wall Street expectations, on strong   fixed-income trading.
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British supermarket Tesco, the country's biggest retailer, said that its net profit rose by almost a quarter during the first half of its financial year as it attracted more customers.
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The Bank of Montreal said second-quarter profit rose 3 percent as higher fees from mutual funds and stock sales offset a big loss in commodities trading. Net income climbed to 671 million Canadian dollars ($618 million) from 651 million Canadian dollars a year earlier, the bank said. Record mutual fund sales and rising demand for loans contributed to a 24 percent increase in consumer banking profit, countering the commodities losses, which were related to natural gas trading. The bank said on May 17 that it would report a pretax trading loss of 680 million Canadian dollars. Bank of Montreal said profit was 1.31 Canadian dollars a share excluding the trading loss and other one-time items, an increase of 3.1 percent from a year ago. Revenue in the quarter, which ended April 30, rose 2.7 percent, to 2.57 billion Canadian dollars from 2.5 billion Canadian dollars.
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BNP Paribas confirmed on Thursday that it  was studying a possible bid for Societe Generale, as its fellow  French bank reeled from rogue trading losses and France warned  off would-be foreign bidders.
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PARIS  - French bank Credit Agricole posted a better-than-expected 70.9 percent surge in third-quarter net profit thanks to lower provisions and despite an overall decline in revenues.
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BNP Paribas , France's biggest  listed bank, said on Wednesday it expected fourth quarter  profits to be lower than a year earlier as rumors swirled that  it may pounce on weakened rival Societe Generale .
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French bank Societe Generale is mulling a combination with bigger domestic rival BNP Paribas, a French newspaper said on Friday, in a deal which could create a French national champion in banking.
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Europe's largest fashion retailer, Hennes &amp; Mauritz AB, on Thursday posted better than expected third-quarter profits and said sales were up despite lowered prices and competition from rival companies, thanks in part to sales in the United States.
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Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers yesterday posted higher-than-expected quarterly profits, fuelled by surprising strength in bond trading and investment banking growth.
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France Telecom reported on Wednesday a bigger-than-expected profits leap in 2007 and looked forward to steady growth as it held up well in European markets and newer ventures overseas.
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Goldman Sachs Group Inc.   reported higher quarterly profit on Thursday, beating  estimates, on record investment banking fees and strong stock  trading.
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Shares in the French oil major Total gained in early trading after the company revealed stronger-than-expected growth at its refining and chemical operations, pushing third quarter net profit above consensus forecasts.
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Goldman Sachs Group Inc.  on Thursday said fourth-quarter profit rose as its fixed-income, currency and commodities business soared while a rebounding stock market boosted investment banking.