ALCATEL PROFITS IN LINE WITH FORECASTS.

• Position: Company Financial Information - Brief Article

On February 3, the French telecommunications giant Alcatel announced a net profit of Euro 644 million for 1999, in line with forecasts. 1998 had seen a Euro 2 billion capital gain from transfers, swelling group profits to Euro 2.340 billion. The figure of Euro 644 million includes a Euro 329 million charge for research and development projects stemming from group acquisitions. Alcatel's annual turnover is up 8.3% on 1998 to Euro 23.023 billion, with operating profits up 27.8% to Euro 1.275 billion. This figure is again consistent with market forecasts (Euro 1.2 billion).Over the fourth...