ROUNDUP 2: BASF comes under greater pressure - investors with dividend hopes

LUDWIGSHAFEN - The chemical company BASF is coming under increasing pressure due to weak demand and high costs. In the past year, sales and profits fell well short of its own and experts' expectations, as the company surprisingly had to admit on Friday with preliminary figures. The Ludwigshafen-based company made a profit again after a loss a year earlier. In 2022, the company had to write down oil and gas operations of its subsidiary Wintershall Dea by billions due to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. However, BASF investors were no longer shocked by the weak figures and the share price rose.

ROUNDUP 2: Deutsche Bahn presents new wage offer - GDL leaves reaction open

BERLIN - Deutsche Bahn has submitted a new wage offer to the train drivers' union GDL in order to prevent further strikes on the railways in the coming weeks. Among other things, the company is offering the union a further choice of working hours for train drivers and train attendants. The GDL initially left its further course of action open and announced on Friday that it would examine the offer.

Travelers increases annual profit despite catastrophe losses - share price rises

NEW YORK - The US insurer Travelers has surprisingly increased its profit in the past year despite catastrophe losses running into the billions. Thanks to significantly higher premium income, the surplus rose by five percent to just under three billion US dollars (2.7 billion euros), as the company announced in New York on Friday. After high losses from storms and hail had weighed heavily on the insurer in the second and third quarters, the fourth quarter brought in more than half of the annual profit. Analysts had expected significantly less. The news was well received on the financial market.

ROUNDUP: Deutz sells boat engine subsidiary to Yamaha Motor - share price rises

COLOGNE - As announced, engine manufacturer Deutz has sold its boat engine subsidiary Torqeedo. The division will be sold to the Japanese supplier Yamaha Motor Co. for an expected price in the high double-digit million euro range, the Cologne-based company announced on Friday. Deutz had already announced the move in order to concentrate more on classic engines and the existing service business. The sale is expected to be completed towards the end of the first quarter and should result in a book profit in the lower double-digit million euro range. The company Torqeedo, which specializes in electric boat engines, recently weighed on Deutz's figures. The Deutz share rose significantly.

DAVOS: Deutsche Bank boss does not see takeovers as a priority

DAVOS - Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing does not want to consider a merger with another major financial institution for the time being. "I wouldn't say it's at the top of my priority list, to be honest," the manager told CNBC on Thursday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. He has been saying for years that mergers and acquisitions in the banking sector would have to happen at some point - especially in Europe. However, certain conditions would have to be met for this to happen - including the completion of the (European) banking union.

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Further news

-ROUNDUP: ABB confirms requests from US Congress on China relations

-Climate activists successful with lawsuit against oil permits in Norway

-Qiagen announces details of synthetic share buyback

-Stalled wage round: trade association examines new wage structure

-Apple releases pre-orders for its computer glasses

-ROUNDUP 2: Green Week has started - Farmers' anger over agricultural diesel continues

-Association: Highest level of new offshore wind power in Europe

-France supplies Ukraine with more missiles and howitzers

-Offshore pipeline for Rügen LNG terminal completely laid

-First municipality clears the way for battery factory near Heide

-Demand for multi-million euro e-fuels project in Leuna secured

-Coastal states demand more help from federal government with energy transition

-Third private mission to the International Space Station launched

-TV ratings for handball just behind crime thriller

-Intel wants to build chips with a size of 1.5 nm in Magdeburg

-Bundestag extends gas storage law

-DAVOS: Interpol warns of new forms of crime online

-Fewer complaints about unauthorized telephone advertising - Higher fines

-More electric boats on German waters - but share still low

-Anger with energy suppliers brings record number of arbitration requests

-Federal Office approves construction of offshore grid connection projects

-Media: New natural gas field discovered south of Cyprus

-Rostock overseas port sets handling record

-Daimler Truck builds battery cell plant in the US state of Mississippi

-Chancellor Scholz emphasizes the importance of the German defence industry

-ROUNDUP 2: Owner of the Elbtower site insolvent - Will the city buy it back?

-ROUNDUP 3: Lila Bäcker turns off the ovens for good - 900 redundancies

-Survey: Majority against relaxation of Sunday opening hours

-Operations at Frankfurt Airport are back to normal

-Minister President Wüst calls for long-term prospects for farmers

-Consequence of the flood: inland waterway vessels jammed in Emsland

-Huthi: Chinese and Russian ships allowed to pass through the Red Sea

-ROUNDUP: Federal Office decides to build offshore grid connection projects°

Customer note:

ROUNDUP: You can read a summary in the company overview. There are several reports on this topic on the dpa-AFX news service.

/jha