Europe Factors-Shares to fall as Greece faces more conditions

Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:55am EST

LONDON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - European shares were set to open lower on
Friday as concerns of a messy Greek debt default persisted after the euro zone
finance ministers set more conditions for Greece to secure a second bailout
following a deal by Greek leaders on reforms.	
    The Eurogroup Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker said the Greek parliament must
ratify the package when it meets on Sunday and a further 325 million euros of
spending reductions needed to be identified by next Wednesday, after which euro
zone finance ministers would meet again. 	
    "Despite yesterday's agreement between party leaders over the austerity
measures, traders still remain sceptical over whether they (Greece) can avoid a
default," Jonathan Sudaria, dealer at Capital Spreads, said.	
    "Concerns were raised that Greece still hasn't done enough to satisfy the
criteria to receive a bailout."	
    Greece has fallen deeper into recession since it received a first bailout in
May 2010. The EU and the International Monetary Fund are exasperated by a string
of broken promises by Athens and weeks of disagreement over the terms of a 130
billion euro ($172 billion) bailout, with time running out to avoid a chaotic
default.	
    "The Greek saga continues and EU leaders are clearly making the point that
there is no more room for any 'free ride'," Newedge Strategy said in a note.	
    Futures for Euro STOXX 50, Germany's DAX and France's CAC
 were 0.9 to 1.2 percent lower. 	
    Investors will keep a close eye on banking shares after Barclays 
said its key investment bank arm ended last year with its worst quarter for
three years as the euro zone debt crisis hit bond trading activity, dragging the
British bank's annual profit down on the year before. 	
    Mining shares could come under pressure as prices of key base metals fell on
concerns about demand for raw materials. Copper prices fell more than 1
percent, while zinc was down 1.2 percent.	
    Asian shares fell on Friday, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific
shares outside Japan down 1.5 percent. On Thursday, the
FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares finished 0.3 percent
higher at 1,073.53 points.	
    On the macreconomic front, U.S. international trade data for December is due
at 1330 GMT, while preliminary figures from the Thomson Reuters/University of
Michigan Surveys of Consumers will be released at 1455 GMT.	
    China's trade in January fell the most since the depths of the financial
crisis, raising concerns Lunar New Year factory shutdowns do not fully explain a
slump in imports and may instead be evidence of a further faltering in demand.
 	
 	
 MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 0754 GMT                                 
                                          LAST      PCT CHG     NET CHG
 S&P 500                              1,351.95       0.15 %        1.99
 NIKKEI                               8,947.17      -0.61 %      -55.07
 MSCI ASIA EX-JP                                    -1.64 %       -8.63
 EUR/USD                                1.3248      -0.26 %     -0.0034
 USD/JPY                                 77.69       0.03 %      0.0200
 10-YR US TSY YLD                        2.002           --       -0.04
 10-YR BUND YLD                          1.997           --       -0.02
 SPOT GOLD                           $1,720.40      -0.61 %     -$10.60
 US CRUDE                               $99.28      -0.56 %       -0.58
 	
    * Investors cautious as Greece's lenders seek more steps  
    * Greek deal leads to modest gains on Wall St             
    * Nikkei slips below 9,000; Softbank, shippers rise       
    * Euro near 2-mth highs after Greece; outlook uncertain   
    * Brent drops toward $118, China data stokes demand fears 
    * Gold in tight range after Greece deal, CME cut          
    * Copper sags as caution prevails, China imports fall     	
	
    COMPANY NEWS	
    BARCLAYS 
    Barclays said its key investment bank arm ended last year with its worst
quarter for three years as the euro zone debt crisis hit bond trading activity,
dragging the British bank's annual profit down on the year before.	
    	
    TOTAL 	
    The company posted a 7 percent rise in fourth-quarter adjusted net profit
thanks to higher oil prices, helping drive a more daring exploration and
production strategy that has added to discoveries, and said it would raise
exploration spending. 	
    	
    ALCATEL-LUCENT 	
    Telecom gear maker Alcatel-Lucent was hit by slower spending by U.S.
operators in the fourth quarter, causing its revenue and margins to slip and
delaying a long-awaited turnaround. 	
	
    SSAB 	
    The Swedish specialty steel maker posted a worse-than-expected operating
profit in the fourth quarter and said it had initiated a cost savings programme
in Europe in the face of weak demand. 	
     	
    MICHELIN 	
    The world's second-largest tyremaker said profit rose in 2011 on surging
demand from European and U.S. truckmakers. 	
  	
    ASSA ABLOY 	
    The world's biggest lock maker posted a marginally bigger-than-expected rise
in fourth-quarter core earnings on Friday and said it expected stable
development in mature markets this year despite the euro zone debt crisis.
 	
	
    FRAPORT  	
    The company said the number of passengers passing through Frankfurt airport
operator rose by 5.5 percent in January, while cargo volumes fell 16.8 percent.
  	
    Separately, workers in charge of marshalling planes in an out of parking
positions at Frankfurt airport have threatened to strike next week, which would
paralyse Germany's largest hub.  	
     	
    RHOEN KLINIKUM  	
    The company said it now expects to post 2012 revenue of 2.85 billion euros
after buying a 49 percent stake in Dr.-Horst-Schmidt-Kliniken. It sees net
profit of 145 million euros.  	
     	
    UNICREDIT  	
    UniCredit has turned the corner after its 7.5-billion-euro cash call and now
has a comfortable liquidity situation, according to a top executive of its
Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) division.  	
	
    SKY DEUTSCHLAND  	
    The pay-TV broadcaster said it raised 155.8 million euros ($207.28 million)
in gross proceeds in a capital increase, the first step in a programme aimed at
raising 300 million euros this year.  Related news 	
	
    CASINO, MERCIALYS  	
    The French retail chain aims to cut its 50.1 percent stake in real-estate
unit Mercialys to between 30 and 40 percent by the end of 2012, part of a plan
to cut debt and improve financial flexibility.  	
     	
    RENAULT  	
    The French carmaker is still open to building a factory in Algeria and talks
are ongoing, Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn told a press conference in Morocco.
  	
    Meanwhile, French newspaper La Tribune reported on its website that Renault
is preparing to launch an ultra-low-cost car worth around 3,000 euros before
2016, citing several unnamed sources.

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