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SGS: improved on all fronts in the first half of the year

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The SGS group closed the first half of the year with sharply higher results, in line with the expectations of the financial community.

“The gradual recovery of the market, the evolution of ICT opportunities and customer demand confirm our strategic evolutions”, welcomed the general manager of the inspection and certification giant, Frankie Ng, quoted Monday in a press release.

Revenue since the start of the year stood at 3.1 billion francs, up 16.8% year on year. In organic terms, growth was 12.4% year-on-year.

Adjusted operating profit (EBIT) jumped 38.5% to 457 million francs and the corresponding margin improved 230 basis points to 14.8%. Net profit attributable to shareholders has meanwhile soared by nearly two-thirds (+ 59.1%) to 272 million.

The copy made by the Geneva group is more or less consistent with the projections of analysts polled by AWP.

For the full year, SGS management expects solid organic growth and an improvement in the EBIT margin. The remuneration of the shareholders should in any case be equal to that of the previous year.

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Neuchâtel Xamax ends with a victory

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Neuchâtel Xamax concludes its preparation matches in style. On Saturday afternoon, Andrea Binotto’s team won 4-1 against Zurich, a club playing in the Super League. At the edge of the Limmat, the footballers of La Maladière opened the scoring on a penalty from Karim Gazzetta (16 ‘). The Zurichers equalized ten minutes later to neutralize the two teams before half-time.

As soon as the game resumed, Max Velsoso gave the Neuchâtelois the advantage again by scoring the 2-1 (46e). Raphaël Nuzzolo and Mike Gomes then drove home the point by scoring the last two goals of the meeting (55e) and (88e).

Conclusive preparation

After their 1-0 victory last week against Thun, the Xamaxiens therefore have two consecutive victories. This bodes well for the start of the Challenge League championship next weekend. The Neuchâtelois will play their first meeting of the 2021/2022 season next Friday at home against Aarau. / mad

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Alex de Minaur positive for Covid-19 and deprived of the Olympics

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Australian Alex de Minaur (ATP 17) will miss the Tokyo Olympics. He has indeed tested positive for Covid-19, Australian Olympic officials announced.

De Minaur, Australia’s top-ranked men’s player, tested positive for the virus earlier this week in Spain, where he lives. ‘We are very disappointed for Alex; he said he was broken, ‘said Australian Olympic Committee vice-chairman Ian Chesterman. “It was a dream since he was a child to represent Australia at the Olympics,” he said.

The 22-year-old had to line up in singles and doubles at the Olympics. Organizers have yet to confirm whether Alex de Minaur’s doubles partner John Peers will still be able to participate.

Other Australians tested negative

Despite the disappointment, this package linked to the result of a test is a sign that the anti-Covid health bubble protection system for athletes in Tokyo is working, Chesterman assured. All other Australian players tested negative, and De Minaur had not been in physical contact with other tennis players since testing negative after his elimination at Wimbledon in the first round, he added.

The Australian delegation for the tennis events is therefore reduced to five men and five women, including world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and Sam Stosur, crowned at the US Open in 2011 and who will participate in his fifth Olympic Games.

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Strong increase in half-year sales and results for Ems-Chemie

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Ems-Chemie benefited in the first half from the recovery of the global economy after the Covid-19 pandemic, but also from positive currency effects.

Between January and June, the turnover amounted to 1.17 billion francs, which represents a jump of 38% over one year, indicates Friday the company directed by the national councilor UDC Magdalena Martullo-Blocher. Ems-Chemie has seen sustained demand after the difficult months of the health crisis, especially in China. Government support measures for the economy have produced positive effects in the United States.

The manufacturer of polymers and other chemical specialties has observed an increase in the prices of raw materials caused by bottlenecks in the supply chain, a phenomenon that particularly affects the automotive industry, the main outlet of the group which achieves 60% there. of its turnover.

Gross operating income (EBITDA) increased by 37.5% to 349 million francs, while profit before interest and taxes (EBIT) increased by 41.6% to 321 million, for related margins. respective 29.9% and 27.5%.

These figures exceed the most optimistic forecasts of analysts solicited by AWP.

The group has also confirmed the amount of the dividend, at 17 francs per share, which will be offered to shareholders at the general meeting on August 7.

For 2021, management is still counting on growth in revenue and EBIT.

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Lugano keeps Troy Josephs – RJB your regional radio

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HC Lugano have decided to keep their Canadian striker Troy Josephs for the 2021-2022 season. He arrived from Visp at the end of the last Championship to compete in the play-offs with the Ticinese.

Josephs (27) had managed three goals and three assists during his short stay – 7 matches – at La Resega. He thus completes the offensive triplet of foreign players made up of Canadians Mark Arcobello and Daniel Carr as well as Danish Mikkel Boedker.

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Finma hires successor to Mark Branson at Zurich Insurance

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The Federal Financial Market Supervisory Authority (Finma) found in the person of Urban Angehrn a successor to Mark Branson, who had let go of the reins of the institution at the end of May.

Pending the entry into office at the beginning of November of the current investment manager (CIO) of Zurich Insurance, Jan Blöchliger, will continue to act as interim, said a statement released on Monday.

The Federal Council has already validated this choice by Finma’s board of directors.

Zurich Insurance for its part takes note of the choice of Mr. Angehrn to leave the company for the policeman of the financial markets. Risk manager (CRO) Peter Giger will assume his duties immediately and temporarily, until a permanent successor can be identified, the insurer said in a separate statement.

In July 2015, Mr. Angehrn was appointed CIO of Zurich and the general management of the group he had joined fourteen years ago. He is also chairman of the board of directors of Zurich Life Insurance and of the board of trustees of the pension fund of the insurance group.

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China: surprise rebound in exports in June

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China experienced a surprise rebound in its exports in June (+ 32.2% over one year), galvanized in particular by its sales of electronic and pharmaceutical products, the Customs Administration announced on Tuesday.

This is the fastest growing pace of the Asian giant’s sales since April.

And the performance is much better than expected: economists expected a slowdown (+ 23.1%), after an increase of 27.9% over one year the previous month.

The situation is in stark contrast to last year when activity in China was just recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

In June 2020, Chinese exports had thus returned for the very first time to positive territory (+ 0.5%) after a paralysis of the economy.

Now almost free of the disease, China was the first country to return to a pre-pandemic level of activity by the end of 2020.

‘China’s economy stabilizes and improves […] and it provides strong support for foreign trade, ‘Customs spokesperson Li Kuiwen told reporters.

The activity was also driven by an improvement in supply chains after shortages, especially in semiconductors, believes analyst Julian Evans-Pritchard, of the firm Capital Economics.

But improving sanitary conditions abroad and the resumption of activity risk being a double-edged sword for China, warns analyst Betty Wang of ANZ Bank.

Indeed, the strong demand so far for Chinese electronic products, due to the generalization of teleworking, is now likely to diminish, Ms. Wang said.

In the other direction, imports from China experienced a decline last month: Chinese purchases abroad rose in June by 36.7% over one year, according to Customs.

This pace is much slower than that of May (+ 51.1%). But the performance is nevertheless better than analysts’ forecasts (+ 30%).

As for the Asian giant’s trade surplus, in June it reached 51.3 billion dollars (43.2 billion euros).

The Chinese surplus was the previous month of 45.53 billion dollars (37.42 billion euros).

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China: surprise rebound in exports in June

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China experienced a surprise rebound in its exports in June (+ 32.2% over one year), galvanized in particular by its sales of electronic and pharmaceutical products, the Customs Administration announced on Tuesday.

This is the fastest growing pace of the Asian giant’s sales since April.

And the performance is much better than expected: economists expected a slowdown (+ 23.1%), after an increase of 27.9% over one year the previous month.

The situation is in stark contrast to last year when activity in China was just recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

In June 2020, Chinese exports had thus returned for the very first time to positive territory (+ 0.5%) after a paralysis of the economy.

Now almost free of the disease, China was the first country to return to a pre-pandemic level of activity by the end of 2020.

‘China’s economy stabilizes and improves […] and it provides strong support for foreign trade, ‘Customs spokesperson Li Kuiwen told reporters.

The activity was also driven by an improvement in supply chains after shortages, especially in semiconductors, believes analyst Julian Evans-Pritchard, of the firm Capital Economics.

But improving sanitary conditions abroad and the resumption of activity risk being a double-edged sword for China, warns analyst Betty Wang of ANZ Bank.

Indeed, the strong demand so far for Chinese electronic products, due to the generalization of teleworking, is now likely to diminish, Ms. Wang said.

In the other direction, imports from China experienced a decline last month: Chinese purchases abroad rose in June by 36.7% over one year, according to Customs.

This pace is much slower than that of May (+ 51.1%). But the performance is nevertheless better than analysts’ forecasts (+ 30%).

As for the Asian giant’s trade surplus, in June it reached 51.3 billion dollars (43.2 billion euros).

The Chinese surplus was the previous month of 45.53 billion dollars (37.42 billion euros).

/ ATS

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China: surprise rebound in exports in June

by

China experienced a surprise rebound in its exports in June (+ 32.2% over one year), galvanized in particular by its sales of electronic and pharmaceutical products, the Customs Administration announced on Tuesday.

This is the fastest growing pace of the Asian giant’s sales since April.

And the performance is much better than expected: economists expected a slowdown (+ 23.1%), after an increase of 27.9% over one year the previous month.

The situation is in stark contrast to last year when activity in China was just recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

In June 2020, Chinese exports had thus returned for the very first time to positive territory (+ 0.5%) after a paralysis of the economy.

Now almost free of the disease, China was the first country to return to a pre-pandemic level of activity by the end of 2020.

‘China’s economy stabilizes and improves […] and it provides strong support for foreign trade, ‘Customs spokesperson Li Kuiwen told reporters.

The activity was also driven by an improvement in supply chains after shortages, especially in semiconductors, believes analyst Julian Evans-Pritchard, of the firm Capital Economics.

But improving sanitary conditions abroad and the resumption of activity risk being a double-edged sword for China, warns analyst Betty Wang of ANZ Bank.

Indeed, the strong demand so far for Chinese electronic products, due to the generalization of teleworking, is now likely to diminish, Ms. Wang said.

In the other direction, imports from China experienced a decline last month: Chinese purchases abroad rose in June by 36.7% over one year, according to Customs.

This pace is much slower than that of May (+ 51.1%). But the performance is nevertheless better than analysts’ forecasts (+ 30%).

As for the Asian giant’s trade surplus, in June it reached 51.3 billion dollars (43.2 billion euros).

The Chinese surplus was the previous month of 45.53 billion dollars (37.42 billion euros).

/ ATS

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Mixed results for Emmi’s sustainability goals

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Dairy processor Emmi has a mixed record four years after setting its sustainability targets to be achieved by 2020. In some areas, ‘greater efforts are needed,’ she wrote in a report released on Monday.

The company’s ambition is to source only sustainably produced milk and it has almost reached its target: 93% of the milk processed by Emmi in Switzerland thus meets the criteria of the ‘swissmilk green’ label. By 2027, the company should extend this objective to its international subsidiaries.

Regarding CO2 emissions, Emmi is close to meeting its target of 25% reduction in emissions compared to 2014, with a reduction of 24% in 2020. By 2027, the target is a 60% reduction for its own emissions and 25% throughout the value chain.

Waste is a more difficult issue and the company has not met its waste reduction target, which was -20% compared to 2017. Progress is slow in recycling and packaging, as in food waste . Despite a drop of 11% worldwide, the volume of wasted food remains higher than the objectives set by the Lucerne company. By 2027, the objective is a 50% reduction in waste compared to 2017 and to have only recyclable packaging.

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