(AFX UK Focus) 2008-04-30 09:35 TFN NEWS BRIEFING: Mergers and acquisitions highlights to 09:20 BST

2008-04-30 09:10:26 India's Strides Arcolab says value of Australian, Asian ops cut to A$61 mln

MUMBAI (Thomson Financial) - India-based Strides Arcolab Ltd. said the purchase price of its Australian and Asian operations has been cut to A$61.0 million from A$65 million, with Genepharm Australasia Ltd. proposing to assume about A$4.1 million of debt.

2008-04-30 09:01:27 BSkyB CEO says to look at Tiscali

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC. will look at Tiscali SpA., the Milan-listed company with broadband operations in the UK, but have not yet started talks with the company.

2008-04-30 09:00:35 Skanska sells Malmoe retail park to German investment fund

STOCKHOLM (Thomson Financial) - Skanska AB said it has sold a retail park in Burloev, near Malmoe to an unnamed German investment fund.


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Introduction to Debt Management

(ARA) - If you are among the nearly seven million Americans whose short-term debt exceeds 20 percent of their annual net income, a debt management program may be able to help you.An effective debt management program consolidates your bills into one payment with several benefits:1. Lower payments by up to 50 percent.2. Pay off debt in 36 to 60 months. .


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Which is Best?

You've seen the ads: credit counseling companies say they can help with debt by getting your payments and interest rates lowered.

Others claim they can get your debts wiped out entirely by settling them for pennies on the dollar.

So which is better for your situation?

If you're in debt trouble, you've got plenty of company.

And you've got lots of people willing to help you too. For example, credit counselors:

"A credit counselor with work with the client and reduce the debt over time, and you will pay...in many cases...a lower interest rate or no interest rate at all," said Jessican Cecere from Consumer Credit Counseling.

So a credit counselor gets between you and a creditor, tries to negotiate better terms and sets up a plan to repay all your debts over time: generally 3 or 4 years.


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Air Industries Group Reports Record Financial Results for Fiscal Year 2007

Air Industries Group, Inc. (OTCBB: AIRI) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2007.

Financial Performance Highlights for Fiscal Year 2007:

-- Net Sales Increased to Record $46.1 Million, Up 40% from 2006

-- Gross Profit Margin Increased to Record 27.6%, Up from 15.2% in 2006

-- Gross Profit Increased to Record $12.7 Million, Up 152% from Prior Year

-- EBITDA to Record $4.4 Million, an Increase of 110% from $2.1 Million in 2006

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Repositories for Rich Returns

Why is self-storage suddenly in favor?

Some investors believe that these dividend-paying companies will benefit from the housing crisis. They expect that the ranks of renters will swell as more people leave foreclosed homes or postpone buying their first homes because of tighter credit and falling values, and that those people will need repositories for their excess bric-a-brac.

Industry analysts agree that the sector is likely to hold up well through these economic woes. "It is recession resistant," said Michael Knott, a senior analyst at Green Street Advisors, the investment research firm. "More economic distress causes people to rent more, and, in fact, one of the storage companies said recently that Detroit was one of the best markets."

Indeed, Detroit had the highest foreclosure rate among the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas last year, with nearly 5 percent of its households in some stage of foreclosure, according to RealtyTrac.com, the online foreclosure listing service.


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Bulgaria Consolidates Five Energy Companies into Holding

Bulgaria's government decided to set up an energy holding that will be composed of gas company Bulgargaz, power grid operator NEK, Kozloduy nuclear power plant, Maritza-Iztok II thermal power plant, and the Mini Maritza Iztok (Maritza Iztok mines). The consolidation of the five companies into the Bulgarian energy holding, one of the biggest energy companies in the region, is expected to be completed by the end of 2008. The assets of the holding will amount to EUR 4 B, its forecast annual profit is set at EUR 1,8 B. The state will hold a 100% stake in the energy holding. The Energy and Economy Ministry will hold up to 75% stake in each of the five energy companies, while the minority shares, varying from 25% to 49% will be transferred to the newly established company. The consolidation of the energy sector aims to restructure the corportate management and supervision of the companies included in the holding, prepare them for listing on local and international stock exchanges, boost their investment potential and improve their credit ratings.


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SEGi sharply reduces bank debts

PETALING JAYA: SEG International Bhd (SEGi), which sold its flagship campus in Kota Damansara to AmanahRaya Real Estate Investment Trust last year, has reduced its bank borrowings to 20% of equity from 100% previously.

It sold the college for RM145mil with an agreement to lease back the property for 15 years.

SEGi is the owner of SEGi College Malaysia, which itself is a consolidation of the Systematic and Prime education groups.

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