Boston, MA 01/29/2014 (wallstreetpr) – VimpelCom Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:VIP) sank its lowest since 2012 in Tuesday trading after the multinational company withheld final dividend for 2013 and declared that future dividend payouts will be lower. What the company is trying to do is fixing its problems, and more so, preparing for the hard times when tapering begins to bite. VimpelCom Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:VIP) has had decline in earnings and sales in markets such as Africa, Asia and Russia which is one of its largest markets among the 15 countries it operates in. The company’s move to omit dividend for the final part of 2013 and announcement of upcoming lower payouts suggest that the management is not willing to bet with the future and they are doing all that is possible to save money, boost profitability and most of all, eliminate the more than $27 billion in gross debt that came about due to the ambitious telecoms acquisitions.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) booked fiscal 2013 and more so Q4 as one of its best in recent years. The company posted profit of $558 million in Q4 as more passengers used the airline and even paid more to fly. The quarter was also helped by the company’s recent facility improvements. Excluding special charges, Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) realized $2.7 billion in overall profit, or $0.65 per share. Compared to performance in 2012 over the same period, the latest profit jumped 74 percent. Increasing passengers and cutting on expenses remains core to DAL’s retooling efforts which should result in even more gains going forward. The company’s recent deal with Virgin Atlantic also gives to the much needed leverage into the Europe’s air business.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has turned an important corner in getting its allergy treatment Ragwitek to the market after FDA advisory panel backed the drug based on the available data. The panel voted 6-2 in favor of the drug’s efficacy and safety, with one panel member abstaining from the decision. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is fronting Ragwitek as oral allergy treatment to counter the standard injection medications. Analysts hope that the drug could fetch up to $1 billion in sales per year if it wins the favor of allergy patients.
