Russia 110330 Basic Political Developments
Russia May Tighten Rules on Beer Brewing, Sales, Vedomosti Says
Download 155.08 Kb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- Facebook investor joins funding round for 360buy.com – FT
- Russian group joins funding round for 360buy.com
- Acron reduces RAS net profit by 68% to 5.12 bln rubles in 2010 (Part 3)
- Cherkizovo Agrees To Acquire Mosselprom - Quick Facts
- Russias Cherkizovo buys poultry farmer Mosselprom
- Timing Is Key for Russias IPO Hopefuls
- Activity in the Oil and Gas sector (including regulatory)
- China to invest in Pechora LNG
- More Nenets Oil Planned for Barents Shipping
- Gazprom might get 13 mln in Lietuvos Dujos dividends for 2010
Russia May Tighten Rules on Beer Brewing, Sales, Vedomosti Sayshttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-30/russia-may-tighten-rules-on-beer-brewing-sales-vedomosti-says.html By Yuliya Fedorinova - Mar 30, 2011 7:23 AM GMT+0200 Russia may tighten rules on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages, Vedomosti reported, citing draft amendments to the law. Brewing and selling beer may be licensed and regional administrations may have the power to ban beer sales at night, the newspaper said. Some members of the State Duma committee that will discuss the document today suggest that beer should be legally equated with strong alcoholic drinks such as vodka, Vedomosti said. To contact the reporter on this story: Yuliya Fedorinova; at yfedorinova@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this Brad Cook; at bcook7@bloomberg.net Facebook investor joins funding round for 360buy.com – FThttp://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/30/digitalskytechnologies-idUSL3E7EU09V20110330 12:02am EDT March 30 (Reuters) - Russian Internet investment group Digital Sky Technologies, an investor in social network company Facebook, has joined a group of investors funding hundreds of millions of dollars to 360buy.com, China's largest online retailer, the Financial Times reported. The Financial Times said the interest in 360buy underlines the vast opportunity for online commerce in China, one of the largest and fastest-growing internet markets. DST and 360buy could not be reached for comment. 360buy, which was founded in 2004, has been described as the Amazon.com of China, the daily said. DST already owns large stakes in some of the most successful US internet companies, including Facebook, Groupon and Zynga. Wal-Mart Stores Inc , the world's largest retailer, was one of six strategic partners who invested a total of $500 million in 360Buy in December. [ID:nTOE6BN03K] (Reporting by Megha Mandavia; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
By Tim Bradshaw and Mary Watkins in London Published: March 30 2011 00:22 | Last updated: March 30 2011 00:22 DST, the Russian internet investment group that backed Facebook, has joined a group of investors committing hundreds of millions of dollars to 360buy.com, China’s largest online retailer. This latest round of funding, the Chinese company’s third, includes investment from several other companies, such as Walmart. It is likely to pave the way for a stock market listing in the next few years. The interest in 360buy underlines the vast opportunity for online commerce in China, one of the largest and fastest-growing internet markets. DST declined to comment. 360buy was unavailable for comment. 360buy, which has been described as the Amazon.com of China, was founded in 2004 by Qiangdong Liu, who remains its chief executive. Its local rivals include Taobao, the online marketplace owned by Alibaba. DST, led by Russian billionaires Yuri Milner and Alisher Usmanov, already owns large stakes in some of the most successful US internet companies, including Facebook, Groupon and Zynga. 360buy has launched an online group-buying channel, a similar model to that of Chicago’s Groupon, which is also trying to break into China through a partnership with Tencent, the Chinese internet company. The launch of Groupon and Tencent’s site had a rocky start. Last year, DST received a $300m investment from Tencent, which also owns messaging service QQ, and the two companies are involved in a long-term strategic partnership. 360buy built its business by selling consumer electronics online, but has since expanded to sell a large range of products, with warehouses and offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou providing an extensive distribution network. It took its first venture capital investment in 2007. According to its website, its revenues exceeded Rmb1.2bn ($183m) in 2008 after several years of more than doubling in size. The Financial Times reported in December that Walmart was participating in a $500m round of funding. Walmart has been steadily expanding in China and has been rumoured to harbour ambitions to take full control of 360buy. 360buy’s large new funding round follows the successful initial public offering of Youku.com, the Chinese online video site, on the Nasdaq. DST floated its Mail.ru portal in London last year raising more than $900m. DST is also close to investing in Spotify in a large new round of funding that is expected to value the European digital music service at $1bn. Mr Usmanov is a metals magnate and part owner of English Premiership soccer club Arsenal. According to reports on Bloomberg on Tuesday, DST is in the process of closing a new fund itself, to continue its investment in internet companies. 03/30 11:34 POWER MACHINES BOOSTS IFRS NET PROFIT FOR 2010 BY 32% TO $255.6 MLN http://www.interfax.com/news.asp
http://www.rbcnews.com/free/20110330120015.shtml RBC, 30.03.2011, Moscow 12:00:15.Power Machines' IFRS net profit climbed 32.3% year-on-year to $255.66m in 2010, the supplier of power engineering equipment said in a statement today. March 30, 2011 11:24 Acron reduces RAS net profit by 68% to 5.12 bln rubles in 2010 (Part 3)http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?id=232559 ST. PETERSBURG. March 30 (Interfax) - OJSC Acron (RTS: AKRN) reduced its net profit according to Russian accounting standards (RAS) by 68% to 5.123 billion rubles in 2010, the company said in a statement. Acron said that the decrease in net profit for 2010 (in comparison with 2009) was driven by a reduction in the market value of the company's long-term financial investments, as well as the significant profit from securities sold in 2009. The statement said that Acron's net profit for the fourth quarter of 2010 came to 4.693 billion rubles in comparison to 2.502 billion rubles in profit for the same period of 2009. Therefore, this figure went up by 87.5% year-on-year. The company's sales revenue went up by 20% to 22.75 billion rubles and sales profit - 30% to 6.445 billion rubles. Acron's EBITDA increased by 28% to 6.886 billion rubles while the EBITDA margin came to 30% in comparison with 28% in 2009. Acron said that the increase in sales revenue, sales profit and EBITDA for 2010 was driven by rising production shipments (up 5% in comparison with 2009), as well as rising prices on mineral fertilizers in the second half of 2010. "At the start of 2011, prices and demand for the main types of mineral fertilizers have continued to increase, which has provided the company with a solid basis to continue active investments and boost total production," the statement said.
(RTTNews) - OJSC Cherkizovo Group (CHE.L: News ) said it has reached an agreement to acquire 100% of Mosselprom. Cherkizovo stated that the proposed transaction is fully in line with its development strategy. The transaction may be completed following and based upon legal and financial due diligence. Also, the transaction is subject to the mandatory review and approval by the Russian anti-monopoly authorities.
MOSCOW, March 30 (Reuters) - Russia's biggest meat producer Cherkizovo (CHEq.L) (GCHE.MM) said on Wednesday it would buy fellow poultry farmer Mosselprom for an undisclosed sum, strengthening its grip on the Russian food sector. Cherkizovo, which earlier this week posted a 21 percent rise in 2010 profit to $144.4 million, said in a statement Mosselprom had 2 percent of Russia's poultry market, compared to Cherkizovo's 7 percent. [ID:nLDE72R095] (Reporting by John Bowker, Editing by Melissa Akin) MARCH 29, 2011, 4:51 P.M. ET
By NADIA POPOVA And ALEXANDER KOLYANDRMOSCOW—More than a dozen Russian companies seeking to raise $9.7 billion in initial public offering this year, ranging from a toilet-paper maker to a helicopter builder, will need to time their listing carefully so as not to come to market when the Kremlin is overwhelming international investors with state-asset sales. "Russia's privatization plans are apparently influencing the private companies' listing decisions, as no one wants to compete with multi-billion state-organized placements," said Elena Khisamova, head of equity capital markets at VTB Capital in Moscow. In February, the Russian government raised $3.3 billion selling a stake in state-controlled bank VTB Group—on the same day that Nord Gold N.V., the gold-mining unit of Russian steel producer OAO Severstal, said it would postpone its IPO, citing poor market conditions. Chelyabinsk Tube-Rolling Plant and coking coal company Koks Group also pulled their IPO that month, while HMS Hydraulic Machines & Systems Group PLC reduced both the pricing and the volume of its placement. Now, about 16 companies are seeking to list this year, possibly coming to the market before the end of this year and during a period when OAO Sberbank, VTB's bigger state-controlled rival bank, plans to sell an estimated $5.7 billion stake. "The state gobbled up the investors' interest in Russia in February," a senior banker with a major global investment bank said. "If the state goes with the Sberbank sale it will destroy the market for the rest of the Russian companies for the time being." Russia's largest mobile retailer, Euroset Holding N.V., along with sugar, mayonnaise and meat producer Rusagro and the country's eighth-largest banking group by assets, Nomos Bank, have in recent weeks announced plans to list, while state-run Russian Helicopters has been reported to plan a listing. OAO Syktyvkar Tissue Group, a toilet-paper producer, plans to float up to 30% of its shares on Micex, Russia's major stock exchange, in April or May. Bankers said a few more IPOs are in the pipeline for the spring, including one from an oil producer. Besides Sberbank, the Russian government wants to sell stakes in hydroelectric producer OAO RusHydro and fertilizer producer OAO Apatit this year, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch, one of the investment banks picked by the Russian government for its privatization deals. The country aims to raise $35 billion through the sale of its stakes in companies over the next three years. Bank of America Merrill Lynch also estimates that 16 Russian companies may raise up to $9.7 billion from IPOs by the end of the year, according to a document. But the appetite for new Russian stock is nowhere near as large as in 2007, then the country raised a record $47 billion through IPOs and other stock issues just before the financial crisis reached Moscow and oil prices slumped, according to data from Troika Dialog. "Even as Russia's equity markets are outperforming most global peers in 2011, the new issuance market remains very difficult," UralSib chief strategist Chris Weafer wrote in a recent research note. "Current market performance is being driven by the oil and gas sector, while investors remain wary of domestic themes and of locking into illiquid names." Many companies are planning to list shares to repay their debt taken out to fund rapid growth before the financial crisis, Mr. Weafer said. Studies have shown that Russian IPOs, with shares often sold at high valuations, tend to underperform existing shares on the stock market. Still, shares in Russian Internet company Mail.RU Group Ltd. have risen 18% from their November 2010 IPO price. Bankers said another factor listing companies are wary about is the presidential election due March 2012, which might make Russia look less politically stable for investors. "There's a window of opportunity now for the companies to hold their IPOs ahead of the presidential elections," a senior banker at a Russian investment bank said. Activity in the Oil and Gas sector (including regulatory)Kazakh official: Gas prices comparable to figures in Russiahttp://en.trend.az/capital/energy/1852607.html 30.03.2011 12:42
Kazakhstan, Astana, March 30 / Trend A.Maratov / Kazakh Oil and Gas Minister Sauat Mynbayev said gas prices in Kazakhstan will be comparable to the prices in Russia. "The gas prices will be comparable in Russia and Kazakhstan," he told journalists today. "Russia is a big country, where 60 price zones exist. Thus, the gas price is $59 per 1,000 cubic meters in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, while the figure is $150 per 1,000 cubic meters and above in other regions" He said Kazakhstan will focus on the minimum price in Russia. "However, the economy of the future Beyneu-Bozoy-Samsonovka pipeline must be taken into account in terms of the gas supply to the south, as the pipeline can not operate at a loss," he said. Volga Gas reports strong FY10 results, provides more clarity on future prospects http://www.bne.eu/dispatch_text14591 Renaissance Capital March 30, 2011 Volga Gas (VGAS) released FY10 results yesterday (29 March), which we found to be quite positive. Annual revenue increased 13% YoY to $15.6mn, driven by a higher oil price (up 24% YoY, with an average selling price of $32.1/bbl during FY10), which was partially offset by a decline in crude output from the Uzenskoye field (down 12% to 1.1kbpd). FY10 EBITDA fell 13% YoY to $2.6mn, as a result of rising taxation (up 18%), production costs (up 33%, but still at just $1.1/bbl) and SG&A expenses (up 27%, mainly due to higher legal and consulting fees, at $1.2mn). VGAS reported a loss of $24.5mn before profit tax as a result of an impairment charge related to unsuccessful deep exploration drilling at the Grafovskaya #1 well in the Karpensky sub-salt structure. We found cash generation at the company to be quite strong, with a $7.4mn operating cash flow and net cash of $26.6mn as of YE10. The company announced positive developments with regard to Trans Nafta litigation, and plans to bring the Vostochny Makarovskoye (VM) field into production during 2011. The launch of production at VM would be a major catalyst for the stock, in our view. In our most recent update (click here to read Volga Gas: Investment case simplified, dated 24 December 2010), we assumed that VM would be brought on line only in 2012. The launch of VM could increase total output to about 5kbpd, on our estimates, and raise EBITDA to $31.7mn in 2012 (bringing EV/EBITDA to just 3.9x). An attractive valuation and improving growth prospects make VGAS one of the most interesting investment opportunities in the Russian exploration and production space, in our view.
Naryan-Mar, capital of Nenets Autonomous Okrug Photo: Christina Henriksen Pechora LNG project owner Alltech is planning to pick partners to the project this year. China National Offshore Oil Company Limited (CNOOC) may invest in Pechora LNG, a new LNG production project in the Nenets Autonomous region, said Vladimir Mikulik, CEO of SN-Neftegaz that manages oil and gas assets of Pechora LNG project owner Alltek, Marchmont News reports. How much the Chinese partner might consider putting up has yet to be specified; it is known that the project with a USD 4 billion price tag will include construction of an LNG plant and the development of a natural gas field. According to Mr. Mikulik, the project owner is also currently in talks with Vietnam’s PetroVietnam, Korea’s KOGAS and a number of Russian companies, including NOVATEK. Leader of Alltech Dmitry Bosov earlier said that a final investment decision is planned made in late 2011. Tenders will be held in 2012, and the LNG plant could be up running in year 2015, as BarentsObserver reported. The plant will serve the Korovinskoe and Kumzhinskoe fields which together have estimated reserves of almost 150 billion cubic meters of gas. Production capacity will be an annual of 2.6 billion tons of LNG over a 25 year period, all of which is to be exported to Southeast Asia. The natural gas is to be pipelined 350 km to Indiga on the Pechora Sea coast where the LNG plant and a terminal are to be built. Text: Trude Pettersen 30.03.2011 More Nenets Oil Planned for Barents Shippinghttp://www.oilandgaseurasia.com/news/p/0/news/10972 Several Russian oil companies operating in the Nenets Autonomous District are considering building a new pipeline to Lukoil’s Varandey oil terminal on the coast of the Pechora Sea. With operating licences for the fields Trebs, Titov, Naulskoye and Labaganskoye, the companies Bashneft, Rosneft and Zarubezhneft are looking for effective ways to transport the oil to the markets. Lukoil’s Varandey terminal on the coast is an interesting option since it has free capacity, reports RBCnews. Varandey has reportedly a capacity of 12 million tons oil annually. If the companies agree to build the pipeline to Varandey, the amount of crude-oil to be shipped through the Barents Sea will rise sharply.
Gazprom09:56
Gazprom sees RAS net profit go down by 42% in 364.6 bln rubles in 2010 http://www.interfax.com/news.asp Gazprom's net profit dips in FY10 http://www.rbcnews.com/free/20110330105643.shtml RBC, 30.03.2011, Moscow 10:56:43.Gazprom's RAS net profit dropped 41.6% year-on-year to RUB 364.6bn (approx. USD 12.87bn) in 2010, the natural gas monopoly said in a statement today. Lower net profit is attributable to a decline in the market value of the company's securities as of December 31, 2010 compared to the year-earlier period. Gazprom's net profit fell 25.9% on the quarter to RUB 42.07bn (approx. USD 1.48bn) in Q4.
The recommendation is that dividends be paid at a rate of 25.6 cents per share, informs LETA/ELTA. Aside from Gazprom, E.ON Ruhrgas International owns 38.9% of Lietuvos Dujos and the Lithuanian government 17.7%. If shareholders take the recommendation the former would receive 46.8 million litas in dividends and the latter 21.2 million litas.
http://www.russia-media.ru/mainmore.php?tpl=Gazprom&iditem=227 [30.03.11] The Gazprom Arbitration Court continues developing the electronic arbitration system. Today the Arbitration Court considered several cases using secure electronic document exchange at all stages of arbitration proceedings. The Court also applied the electronic and digital signature software. During the meeting held in the videoconference format representatives of both parties and the Arbitrators were also offered the opportunity to produce the documents via a digital visualizer enabling the trial participants to get acquainted with these documents from the screens of the monitors. “Evolvement of the electronic arbitration system makes it possible to apply the latest telecommunications and information solutions thus considerably raising the Gazprom Arbitration Court performance,” said Nikolai Dubik, Member of the Management Committee, Head of the Legal Department of Gazprom. The Arbitration Court of Gazprom was set up in 1993 pursuant to the Gazprom Charter for the purpose of settling economic disputes among the Company subsidiaries. The main objective behind creating the Arbitration Court was to assure prompt and uniform consideration of economic disputes taking into account the gas industry specifics. The Gazprom Arbitrators are well-known lawyers and reputed legislators Directory: gifiles -> attach attach -> British Forces – Akrioti, Greece Griffin Fighter Squadron (84 Squadron raf) MoD announced possible Typhoon and Tornado arrivals to the base France attach -> Russia 110204 Basic Political Developments attach -> Unclassified//for official use only attach -> Adaptability Sustainment attach -> Pop-up 1 ("C" Chechnya) Header Text: Emir of the Caucasus Emirate Doku Umarov Image attach -> Russia and Islam are not Separate attach -> Chapter 13: The Northern Caucasus attach -> Russia 100209 Basic Political Developments attach -> The evolution attach -> The devolution Download 155.08 Kb. Share with your friends:
|