Nordic Stocks: Aker Solutions, Carlsberg, Nokia, Subsea 7 Move

01 October 2010

The Stoxx Nordic 30 Index, the benchmark measure for the region, slipped 0.6 percent to 6,893.55 at the 5:30 p.m. close in Stockholm, to end the week 1.1 percent lower.

The OMX Stockholm 30 Index fell 0.5 percent, while the Copenhagen 20 Index decreased 1.2 percent. The OMX Helsinki 25 Index rose 0.2 percent and Norway’s OBX Index gained 0.5 percent.

The following companies’ shares were among the most active in Nordic markets today. Symbols are in parentheses.

Aker Solutions ASA Norway’s biggest maker of oil platforms and equipment, increased 1.2 percent to 86.3 kroner, up 24 percent since August. It was rated a new “buy” at Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc.

Carlsberg A/S slumped 2 percent to 558.5 kroner, set to end the week 3.2 percent lower. The biggest brewer in the Nordic region and in Russia will increase its stake in Vietnam’s Habeco to 28 percent from 16 percent.

Nokia Oyj gained 1 percent to 7.45 euros, extending yesterday’s 2.2 percent rise. The world’s largest maker of mobile phones was raised to “outperform” from “underperform” at Oehman Fondkommission, which said Nokia is the “player most likely to make a smart phone impact in 2011.”

Orkla ASA , the Norwegian company whose products range from frozen pizzas to chemicals, rose 1.5 percent to 55 kroner. Pareto AS, a Norwegian broker and investment bank, agreed to buy Orkla Finans to strengthen asset management and project financing.

Sevan Marine ASA rose 1.3 percent to 6.1 kroner, its third gain this week. The Norwegian maker of equipment for the offshore oil and gas industry agreed with E.ON Ruhrgas UK E&P for the lease of the FPSO Sevan Voyageur for operation on the Huntington field. The charter party has a fixed term of five years with extension options and an estimated contract value of $535 million.

Subsea 7 Inc.rose 3.1 percent to 118.5 kroner, its biggest increase in over two weeks. The U.K. oil-services company that operates in the North Sea was awarded a $250 million engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning contract by Total E&P UK Ltd. for the Laggan Tormore deepwater gas field development.