Belimo: Gutes Umsatzwachstum in Lokalwährungen. Die im Bereich der Antriebslösungen zur Regelung und Steuerung von Heizungs-, Lüftungs- und Klimaanlagen weltweit führende Belimo-Gruppe blickt auf ein herausforderndes Geschäftsjahr zurück. Die politischen und wirtschaftlichen Rahmenbedingungen waren schwierig. Trotzdem konnte der Umsatz in den einzelnen Märkten gesteigert werden. Link: Hier Klicken

Novartis erzielt 2011 eine starke zugrundeliegende finanzielle Performance und erwartet für 2012 einen Umsatz auf dem Niveau des Jahres 2011. Der Umsatz stieg im vierten Quartal bei konstanten Wechselkursen (kWk) um 5%, während sich das operative Kernergebnis[1] um 17% (kWk) verbesserte; im Gesamtjahr wuchs der Umsatz um 12% (kWk) und das operative Kernergebnis um 16% (kWk). Link: Hier Klicken

BKW: Mit Blick auf die Einführung der Holdingstruktur hat die BKW AG am 3. Oktober 2011 ein öffentliches Umtauschangebot für alle sich im Publikum befindenden Namenaktien der BKW FMB Energie AG unterbreitet. Den Aktionären der BKW FMB Energie AG wurde für jede im Rahmen des Angebots angediente BKW FMB Energie AG-Aktie eine neue Aktie der BKW AG mit gleichem Nennwert angeboten. Link: Hier Klicken

Lonza setzt ihre Transformation zu einem globalen Life-Science-Leader fort. Mit der Akquisition von Arch ist Lonza nun weltweit führend in zwei attraktiven, wachsenden Life-Science-Märkten: Microbial Control und Custom Manufacturing. Umsatz in 2011 vor der Arch-Übernahme bei CHF 2.505 Millionen (+5.6% in konstanten Wechselkursen), EBIT vor der Arch-Übernahme bei CHF 292 Millionen. Link: Hier Klicken
 

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG) announced today that it is proposing to acquire all outstanding shares of Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) for $44.50 per share in cash, or an aggregate of approximately $5.7 billion on a fully diluted basis. This offer represents a 64% premium over Illumina’s  stock price on December 21, 2011 – the day before market rumors about a potential transaction between Roche and Illumina drove Illumina’s stock price significantly higher – a 61% premium over the one-month historical average and a 43% premium over the three-month historical average of Illumina’s share price, both as of December 21. Link: Click Here

The StarragHeckert group achieved an order intake of CHF 347 million in 2011. In local currencies and including Dörries Scharmann, acquired in January 2011, this corresponds to an organic growth rate on a pro-forma basis of 18%. Sales revenue amounted to CHF 354 million. StarragHeckert still expects Q4 results in a similar magnitude as in Q1 to Q3 2011. Link: Click Here
 

Feintool Annual General Meeting 2012: Shareholders approve all proposals - new members appointed to Board of Directors. At the Annual General Meeting of Feintool International Holding AG held on January 24, 2012, the shareholders approved all the Board of Directors' proposals. Thomas A. Erb has been appointed as a new member of the Board and will thus succeed Franz Stampfli. At its meeting, the Board of Directors re-elected current Chairman Alexander von Witzleben for an additional term. Link: Click Here



Economy
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The ECB's bazooka has hit the target. The ECB finally realised it had no choice and fired its bazooka in December.  The impact has been huge.  Two year Italian government bond yields have more than halved from the high of 7.5% seen at the end of November. Many hedge funds who were betting on Italian government bonds selling off have either changed views and taken profits or have been stopped out of their positions as the market has gone against them. Link: Click Here

The recent financial crisis: are central banks the culprits? The recent financial crisis has thrown the positive pre-crisis perceptions of modern monetary policy into question. Indeed, many analysts now attribute a certain degree of responsibility for the financial crisis to central banks, in sharp contrast with the typically benevolent assessment of their contributions to the ‘Great Moderation’. Two main lines of argument support claims that central banks were contributed to the crisis. Link: Click Here

UK BoE Governor King predicts 'arduous, long and uneven' path of recovery. BoE Governor King said in a speech on Tuesday evening that the economy continued to suffer from a debt overhang and that it was the job of monetary policy "to prevent the deleveraging process from tipping the economy into a renewed severe downturn". He said low short- and long-term interest rates had helped to smooth the balance sheet adjustment and that there was scope for further QE if necessary. We expect the MPC to announce an extension of QE when it meets in February. Link: Click Here

Euro area manufacturing new orders fell by 1.3% m/m in November. Prospect of a negative Q4. Euro area new orders declined by 1.3% m/m (-2.7% y/y) in November, less than our (-1.8% m/m) below-consensus (-2.3% m/m) expectations. Today's outturn thus comes after +1.5% m/m (1.5% y/y) in October (revised from 1.8% m/m). Link: Click Here