News Parkiet

Information Technology

Optimus to outsource PC assembly

Personal computer manufacturer Optimus SA may switch to hardware and portable electronics distribution, outsourcing its core PC assembly unit, sources close to the company told PARKIET this week. The oldest and once the biggest PC manufacturer in Poland, Optimus will focus on marketing, cutting fixed expenses related to manufacturing and reducing exposure to foreign currency movements. Chief executive Małgorzata Walczak, who said the company is ?thinking very seriously about outsourcing production?, says she expects much higher margins after the makeover is finalized sometime next year. She says Optimus may report extra gains on the sale of manufacturing-related assets and real estate.

Banking

UniCredito may raise cash bids for BPH,

Bank Austria

UniCredito Italiano, the Italian bank that?s buying HVB group and its subsidiaries said it may raise its cash bids for Bank Austria Creditanstalt and Poland?s Bank BPH. Shares of both lenders are listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. UniCredito said it may change its offer price for BPH depending on when the purchase is cleared by Polish regulatory authorities. It said earlier it would pay 123.58 euros per each share of BPH to minority shareholders who don?t want to participate in a stock swap.

Health care

EMC Instytut Medyczny starts trading

at 7.8 zloty

Shares of EMC Instytut Medyczny, a private hospital operator from south-western Poland begun trading at 7.8 zloty yesterday after an IPO that was nearly three times oversubscribed by retail investors. EMC IM raised 11.4 million zloty selling 1.5 million shares at 7.6 zloty each. Chief executive Piotr Gerber says the company may buy another hospital using IPO proceeds as early as next month.

Banking

Poles saving more money

Net savings of the Polish households rose to the highest level in three years this year, although they are still negative, Poland?s central bank said in a recent report. Since March, bank deposits rose at an annualized rate of some 5 billion zloty more than bank loans by individual investors.

Information technology

Prokom to pay first-ever dividend

Prokom Software information technology group announced its first ever dividend since it went public in late 1990?s. Poland?s biggest domestic IT company said it would pay 0.25 zloty a share. Based on Friday?s closing price of 110 zloty, Prokom has a dividend yield of 0.2 percent.

Information technology

Comp reports 2Q earnings

Warsaw-based encryption device maker Comp SA reported second-quarter earnings that were 17 percent higher than last year. Profits of Prokom Software subsidiary totaled PLN 3.06 million zloty. Sales were up 61 pct. to PLN 17.9 million.