French and Benelux stocks - Factors to watch on Nov 12

PARIS, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Below are company-related news and leading stories from French and Benelux newspapers which could have an impact on the region's markets or individual stocks. PSA PEUGEOT The French carmaker raised its 2009 forecasts upwards due to market improvement and the success of new models, seeing recurring operating income at break-even in the second half and positive free cash flow this year. Seperately, PSA Peugeot expects China sales growth of 35 percent this year, the head of its China operations, Claude Vajsman, said on Thursday. Peugeot operates a car making joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group Co in China. AEGON The Dutch insurer beat third-quarter net profit estimates on Thursday and said it was "encouraged" by improved sales and net inflows into its savings and asset management products. EDF The electricity group trimmed its full-year guidance on Thursday despite delivering a 6.7 percent rise in nine-month sales as the integration of British Energy helped make up for unplanned outages at French nuclear power plants. GDF SUEZ The French power and gas group on Thursday maintained its goal of higher full-year operating profits despite a decline in the nine-month figure on falling gas prices. VOPAK The Dutch oil and chemicals storage company's operating profit rose 29 percent in the third quarter, boosted by expanding capacity and firm oil sector demand, and it raised its outlook for the full year. ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV The world's largest brewer increased third-quarter core profit by more than expected as price rises and cost cuts offset lower beer consumption, and forecast similar expansion in the last three months of the year. ROYAL BOSKALIS WESTMINSTER NV The Dutch dredging group said on Thursday it would acquire maritime services company Smit Internationale NV for more than 800 million euros. EURO DISNEY The leisure park operator reported a net loss of 63 million euros on seven percent lower sales of 1.231 billion euros. REXEL The world's biggest electrical equipment distributor said it was confident profitability would continue to improve against previous quarters thanks to the accelleration of its cost cutting plans, after its third-quarter EBITDA margin widened from the previous two periods to 4.4 percent. POWEO The French electricity and gas group forecast a operating loss of more than 50 million euros this year, blaming a lack of competition in its domestic market. "Persistant anti-competitive regulation prevents the group from winning a return on its heavy investments in energy," it said in its quarterly statement. SANOFI-AVENTIS German generic drugmaker Ratiopharm has attracted at least 10 first-round bids, several people familiar with the procedure told Reuters on Wednesday, indicating a competitive auction was underway. Bidders include Israel's Teva, Mylan of the United States, Sanofi-Aventis of France, China's Sinopharm and Actavis of Iceland, the sources said. THROMBOGENICS The Belgian biotech plans to raise 40 million euros ($60 million) in new shares to fund further growth, newspaper De Standaard said on Thursday. ________________________________________________________ For a diary of top European results and forecasts For the Itraxx Europe CDS index see For blue-chip stocks news see For small- and mid-cap stocks news see For research on FTSEurofirst 300 companies _______________________________________________________ To view related displays double click on the following codes: Main stock markets: Dow Jones............... Wall Street report ..... Nikkei 225............. Tokyo report............ FTSE 100............... London report........... Xetra DAX............. European stocks stories. CAC-40................. AEX index............. World Indices....... Bel-20 index........... Bel-20 futures...... AEX futures......... French mid-smallcap .. Dutch midcap index.. AEX options......... Luxx index......... Dutch earnings poll.. French diary... Belgian/Luxembourg diary Dutch diary... European equity diary... ______________________________________________________ Reuters survey of world bourse outlook.......... Western European IPO diary........................... European Asset Allocation......................... Reuters News at a Glance: Equities............... Main currency report:............................... FTSE Eurotop 300 index............................ DJ STOXX index.................................... Eurotop 300 sector gainers/losers............. Top 25 European pct gainers..................... Top 25 European pct losers...................... European Equities speed guide.................. Pan European indices........................... (Paris newsroom [phone], [e-mail] Amsterdam [phone], [e-mail] Brussels ++32 2 287 6810, [e-mail]) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved.

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