ROUNDUP: UBS returns government guarantees on Credit Suisse takeover

ZURICH - Switzerland and its taxpayers can breathe a sigh of relief: they will not have to bear any losses from the state-backed takeover of major bank Credit Suisse by larger UBS. UBS has returned all guarantees from the Swiss government and the central bank, which together amounted to more than 100 billion Swiss francs (around 104 billion euros).

ROUNDUP: Varta expects noticeable growth again next year

ELLWANGEN - After recent weak business, struggling battery manufacturer Varta is again planning for noticeable sales growth in the coming year. The company is hopeful thanks to a pick-up in demand for battery storage, but the recently very disappointing lithium-ion button batteries are also expected to pick up. Meanwhile, the savings program is making progress, and Varta also expects more momentum in the second half of the year due to seasonal effects and customer projects starting up. "Behind us lies a challenging period and we still have a lot of work ahead of us," chief executive Markus Hackstein said. The share price rose on Friday.

ROUNDUP 2: IT service provider Bechtle expects business to pick up - MDax leader

NECKARSULM - IT service provider Bechtle expects business to pick up in the rest of the year after a less buoyant second quarter. In the months from April to June, the MDax group felt the weakness in PC demand, especially in its online electronics business, while IT projects continued to do well. Now, CEO Thomas Olemotz is assuming a better mood in the SME sector and is therefore expecting more opportunities again. For experts, Bechtle recorded surprisingly high profitability in the past quarter; at the beginning of the year, this had still suffered from stronger growth. The share price rose significantly on Friday.

Salzgitter expects weaker second half of the year - share falls

SALZGITTER - Following a subdued first half-year, the Salzgitter steel group expects its performance to remain gloomy in the coming months. A weaker second half of the year is to be expected, the company announced in Salzgitter on Friday when presenting final figures. The political and economic environment remains volatile. Nevertheless, thyssenkrupp's competitor is sticking to its forecast for 2023.

ROUNDUP: Traditionally weak quarter brings Cewe more loss despite growth

OLDENBURG - Photo services provider Cewe further increased its sales in the past quarter. Above all, photofinishing and commercial online printing for corporate customers drove business. However, in the second quarter of the year, which is regularly weak due to seasonal factors, the company from Lower Saxony slipped even deeper into the red this time. This was due to special effects, as the company announced in Oldenburg on Friday. Nevertheless, the management is sticking to its annual targets.

ROUNDUP: Metro falls short of expectations - share price drops

DÜSSELDORF - The wholesaler Metro has performed weaker than expected in the third fiscal quarter. Sales and operating earnings declined. The German business showed a restrained development. For example, many people refrained from visiting restaurants because of the cool and wet weather. Nevertheless, the management led by Group CEO Steffen Greubel believes the wholesaler is on track to achieve its targets for fiscal 2022/23 (as of the end of September).

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Further reports

-Huawei defies U.S. sanctions with slight growth

-Property group Patrizia in the red below the line in the second quarter

-ROUNDUP 2: Green light for robot cab services throughout San Francisco

-Brake marks at Dax companies - growth below inflation

-Biden again wants billions from Congress for Ukraine

-Energiekontor earns significantly more and sees itself on course for annual targets

-Smokers in Japan continue to retreat

-Holiday season boosts passenger traffic at Frankfurt Airport

-Shareholding in biogas trader burdens EnBW balance sheet with 251 million

-ROUNDUP: Already 55 dead after fires in Hawaii - Thousands without electricity

-ROUNDUP 2/'Bureaucracy burnout': Bushman announces substantial relief

-Arcelormittal begins plant planning for low-CO2 steel production

-Shareholding in biogas trader burdens EnBW balance sheet with 251 million

-After major fire on car freighter: Salvage of cargo difficult

-ROUNDUP 2: Russia's 'Luna-25' launched - First moon mission in almost 50 years

-Climate activists to pay for police action after BER blockade

-Hackers encrypt data from Munich publishing group

-Consumer center: Check solar rental offers carefully

-ROUNDUP: Pilot plant for the production of 'green iron' goes into operation

-Hollywood strike: Emmy television prize will not be awarded until the new year

-Christian Kunsch takes over as CEO of Hamburg Airport

-Fukushima cooling water: Japan to test fish after dumping begins

-Marco Reus on new signing Nmecha: Will be very important for us

-Media: Leverkusen about to sign goalkeeper Kovar°.

Customer note:

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

/jha