Weston: best bid for Bestfoods

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Websites: room for improvement

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Vopak: splitting operations

The new company will take the chemical distribution operations, leaving Vopak free to concentrate on its logistics and storage operations. Splitting its distribution and logistics activities into different companies should improve the potential for growth in each individual area.

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Vopak: giving up chemicals

Following an unsuccessful effort to achieve synergies between the two operations, Vopak will remain as a tank storage and logistics operator, while chemicals distribution will be operated by a new company named Univar. Other over-acquisitive logistics players should take note: sometimes diversification just doesn't work out.

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Vattenfall: going Dutch for 'super league' dreams

In line with its European expansion plans, Sweden's Vattenfall looks set to add the Netherlands to its growing presence outside its core Nordic market and to beef up its existing assets in Germany and Poland, according to Platts Commodity News. However, the company needs to remember that different markets require different entry strategies.

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Unilever: still on the right path

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Unilever: so far so good

The group says it will achieve double-digit earnings per share growth. Much of its 2001 success has been driven by continued growth for its leading brands. Especially encouraging was the strong performance of brands gained through the takeover of Bestfoods, which as time goes on is looking like a better and better acquisition.

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Unilever: path to growth still clear

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UK joins non-binding EU agreement to support nuclear

The UK and 11 other EU countries have signaled their support for nuclear generation. Datamonitor expects benefits from such "soft" agreements to be long-term and to include easier access to funding and R&D sharing. In the short term, the UK government's new carbon price floor will make low-carbon generation, including nuclear, more attractive.

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TPG: resilient in adversity

TPG [TPG.AS] remains optimistic about its 2003 financial results and maintains that the transformation plan it recently set up to restructure its problematic logistics division is proceeding according to expectations. Strong figures at the mail and express divisions give grounds for optimism but what the company really needs is a European recovery.

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