COMPANY NEWS IN BRIEF
European leaders chase Tesla investmentBillionaire Elon Musk swept into Paris for his second meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in recent weeks, as European capitals jostle for investment from his electric car firm Tesla.
The maverick tech titan, who also owns SpaceX and Twitter, met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and she later tweeted that they had a "fruitful meeting" discussing "innovation and opportunities".
He arrived at the presidential palace in Paris in a Tesla for his meeting with Macron, who had earlier said he would "tout the attractiveness of France and Europe" as an investment destination.
Musk will head to France's biggest technology trade fair VivaTech later, appearing before an audience of thousands for what is billed as an hour-long "conversation" with the event's French founder Maurice Levy.
Musk and Macron held talks in May and afterwards he said he was considering big investments in France.
The country's technology minister Jean-Noel Barrot fuelled speculation earlier this week by telling US broadcaster CNBC that "a lot of effort and energy" had been expended to secure a Tesla factory for France.-Fin24
Omnia hikes dividend by 36%
Fertiliser and explosives group Omnia Holdings has hiked its dividend by more than a third after strong growth from most of its divisions in the year to end-March.
The 70-year-old JSE-listed company benefited from strong demand and higher commodity prices, although it said that operating conditions and prices came under pressure in the second half of the year. In reaction, it adjusted production rates and improve efficiencies.
The company reported a 24% increase in revenue to R26.5 billion, while operating profit rose nearly a fifth to R1.899 billion and headline earnings per share increased 10% to 742c. It declared an ordinary dividend of 375c, up 36% on the 275c declared in the previous financial year.
Its agricultural division saw revenue increase by nearly a third to R14.6 billion, while operating profit increased 2% to R1.24 billion in a "highly challenging environment", the company said.
"Initial favourable agronomic conditions in most key regions allowed us to capitalise on opportunities, thereafter adverse weather conditions in Australia, Zambia and South Africa had a negative impact on volumes."-Fin24