STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-Merck drops on Q4 profit fall, no '09 outlook
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08:40GMT 18Feb2009-Merck slides on liquid crystals slump, lack of outlook
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Shares in Merck KGaA (MRCG.DE) fall as much as 3.5 percent, the biggest losers in Frankfurt's top-30 DAX index .GDAXI, after the chemicals-to-drugs group reports a bigger-than-expected fall in fourth-quarter earnings, partly due to a fall in the operating margin of its liquid crystals business, and gives no outlook for 2009.
"The slump for liquid crystals is a clear negative," says Heino Ruland, analyst at Ruland Research.
"It is somewhat disappointing that Merck does not see itself in a position to give at least a qualitative outlook for 2009," DZ Bank says in a note. For more double click on [ID:nLG661850]
08:21GMT 18Feb2009-Homag plunges on preliminary FY results
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German engineering company Homag (HG1G.DE) drops 10.3 percent, the biggest decliner in Frankfurt's smallcap index .SDAXI, after the company said late on Tuesday its full-year sales came in at 856 million euros ($1.08 billion), up 2.3 percent from last year, but below the company's target of about 6 percent.
"Worse than expected preliminary FY08 numbers should weigh on stock," a local trader says.
The company also says it expects a weak first and second quarter of 2009.
For more double click on [ID:nEQfoulfyu] ($1=.7908 Euro)
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