RBS profits up 11 percent

(Reuters) - The bank said income grew 8 percent to 14.7 billion pounds and costs as a percentage of revenue improved to 41.4 percent from 41.9 percent.




Profits in its U.S. banking arm Citizens fell 7 percent in sterling terms to 752 million pounds, but operating profit was up 2 percent before the impact of the weak dollar.


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UPDATE 1-Anadarko Petroleum 2nd-qtr profit down, revenue up

(Reuters) - Profit in the second quarter was $652 million, or $1.39
cents a share, compared with $814 million, or $1.76 a share, in
the same quarter a year earlier.




Total revenue in the quarter surged to $3.31 billion, up
from $1.81 billion in the year-ago quarter, as gas sales nearly
doubled.


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UPDATE 1-Albemarle second-quarter profit rises

(Reuters) - Profit increased to $53.9 million, or 55 cents a share,
from $43.3 million, or 45 cents a share, in the year-ago
period.




Excluding a $3.1 million aftertax charge related to the
closure of a facility, the company posted net income of $57
million, or 59 cents per share, in the latest quarter.


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Citigroup, Foreign Banks Triple China Profit Growth Through Yuan Services

(Bloomberg) -- Profit growth at Citigroup Inc., ABN
Amro Holding NV and other foreign banks in China tripled this
year after they were allowed to offer local-currency services, a
central bank report said.

Overseas banks earned a combined 3.05 billion yuan ($401
million) in the first five months, up 43 percent from a year
earlier, the People's Bank of China said in a research report
published by China Securities Journal. Profit growth accelerated
from an average 14 percent over the past five years.


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Walgreen quarterly profit rises

(Reuters) - Walgreen is on track to surpass its goal of having 7,000 stores in 2010, Chief Executive Jeffrey Rein said in a statement.




Profit was $561.2 million, or 56 cents per share, in the fiscal third quarter, compared with $469.2 million, or 46 cents, a year earlier.


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Expedia, Lexmark, Power Integrations, Silverleaf: U.S. Equity Movers

(Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies
whose shares are having unusual price changes in U.S. exchanges
today. Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names.
Share prices are as of 11:40 a.m. New York time.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. (BBW US) fell $5.75, or 19
percent, to $23.86. The maker of customized stuffed animals cut
its second-quarter profit forecast in half because of slumping
sales. Profit for the quarter ending June 30 will be 7 cents to
10 cents a share, down from a previous forecast of 15 cents to 19
cents, the company said.


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Blockbuster, Lawson, Sapient, United Community Banks: U.S. Equity Movers

(Bloomberg) -- The following is a list of companies
whose shares are having unusual price changes in U.S. exchanges
today. Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names.
Share prices are as of 9:30 a.m. New York time.

A. Schulman Inc. (SHLM US) fell $2.60, or 11 percent, to
$21.36. The maker of plastics used in steering wheels cut its
2007 forecast, citing unexpected weakness in Europe and North
America. Profit this year will be $17 million to $23 million,
lower than an earlier estimate of as much as $30 million.


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Subprime loan market may retrench in '08-WaMu exec

(Reuters) - But the market, stabilizing somewhat today, will likely be
"very strong" again by 2010 as a result of improvements made
across the industry, he said. Total subprime loan volume will
probably drop to about $350 billion this year from $640 billion
last year due to improved underwriting and other changes, he
said.




Profit at WaMu and other lenders who make subprime
loans, which are extended to borrowers with poor credit
histories, has been hit in recent quarters as surging
delinquencies and foreclosures on bad loans cause losses.


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TD Bank profit quarterly profit up 19 pct

(Reuters) - TORONTO, May 24 - Profits from its Canadian retail-banking unit and wealth management business helped drive Toronto-Dominion Bank's , or C$1.20 a share, in the quarter ended April 30, up from C$738 million, or C$1.01 a share, in the year-earlier period.


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