STOCKHOLM, May 5 (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund
said on Thursday Iceland’s economic recovery remained on track
despite uncertainty due to its rejection of a deal on repaying
debt, but that a loosening of capital controls could be delayed.

Mission Chief Julie Kozack said that conditions for
gradually removing the capital controls, introduced during
Iceland’s financial meltdown to shelter the battered currency,
were largely in place, but noted delays might still occur.

STOCKHOLM, May 3 (Reuters) – Tool and machinery maker
Sandvik’s (SAND.ST: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) first-quarter operating margin was blown
south of analysts’ forecasts by currency headwinds, sending its
shares down more than 4 percent.

The weaker-than-expected profitability at Sandvik, in its
first year under new Chief Executive Olof Faxander, breaks the
mould after sector peers such as Atlas Copco (ATCOa.ST: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and SKF
(SKFb.ST: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) posted margins well above forecast in recent weeks.

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Volvo (VOLVb.ST: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Scania (SCVb.ST: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), two of Europe’s biggest truck makers, underscored the sharp rebound in the global truck market on Wednesday and reassured investors worried over cost pressures with forecast-beating margins.

The highly cyclical heavy-duty truck market has picked up strongly in recent quarters, with growth spreading out of emerging markets in Asia and Latin America to more mature markets on both sides of the North Atlantic.

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – World number two truck maker Volvo AB (VOLVb.ST: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) rolled out proof of surging market demand on Wednesday and reassured investors worried about cost pressures with forecast-beating profit margins.

The highly cyclical heavy-duty truck market has picked up strongly in recent quarters, with growth spreading out of emerging markets in Asia and Latin America to more mature markets on both sides of the North Atlantic.

STOCKHOLM, April 20 (Reuters) – Compressor and machinery
maker Atlas Copco (ATCOa.ST: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) hit a record operating margin in
the first quarter, driven by a booming mining industry where it
expects demand to stay strong.

Atlas Copco, which makes a wide range of compressors and
mining and construction equipment, said orders shot up 33
percent organically to 21.7 billion crowns ($3.50 billion) as
demand bounces back from the depths of the global financial
crisis.

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – SKF AB, the world’s top bearings maker, allayed fears that rising raw materials prices were set to hit profitability, posting a first-quarter operating margin that blew past market forecasts.

The Swedish manufacturing bellwether also forecast already strong market demand was set for a further slight improvement, as surging sales volumes lifted first-quarter pretax earnings more than expected, sending its shares up nearly 7 percent.

STOCKHOLM, April 19 (Reuters) – SKF AB (SKFb.ST: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), the
world’s top bearings maker, allayed fears that rising raw
materials prices were set to hit profitability, posting a
first-quarter operating margin that blew past market forecasts.

The Swedish manufacturing bellwether also on Tuesday
forecast already strong market demand was set for a further
slight improvement, as surging sales volumes lifted
first-quarter pretax earnings more than expected, sending its
shares up nearly 6 percent.

STOCKHOLM, April 18 (Reuters) – Russian businessman Vladimir
Antonov has lined up an independent European bank to handle
payments in a planned deal to buy property from Spyker-owned
(SPYKR.AS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Saab and provide the carmaker with much-needed cash.

Sweden last week gave its conditional backing for a deal to
free up cash for Saab whereby Antonov would buy real estate from
the struggling carmaker, but demanded that any payments take
place through a European bank without links to the buyer.

STOCKHOLM, April 8 (Reuters) – Talks to find ways to end a
cash crunch at carmaker Saab have been unsuccessful so far, the
Swedish Debt Office said on Friday of efforts to find funds to
meet unpaid supplier bills and get output going again.

A Swedish business daily reported that Dutch owner Spyker
(SPYKR.AS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) was trying to release some of the collateral pledged
against state-guaranteed loans to raise funds to meet the unpaid
bills.

STOCKHOLM, March 25 (Reuters) – Sweden’s opposition Social
Democrats elected a new leader on Friday to try to revitalise
the party after two straight election defeats, but the little
known party insider warned members that there was no quick fix.

Hakan Juholt, 48, was elected at an extraordinary congress
of the Social Democrats, who dominated Swedish politics for most
of the post-war era. The party is the largest in parliament but
only by a thin margin after losing to a resurgent centre-right.