WASHINGTON, May 15 (Reuters) - As the U.S. economy slowed in 2007, President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney saw their assets stay stable, according to financial disclosure reports released by the White House on Thursday.
The reports showed little change for Bush and Cheney even as a collapse in the housing market caused a credit crunch and led the Federal Reserve to rapidly cut interest rates.
Bush and his wife Laura reported assets worth between $7.2 million and $20.2 million last year, nearly matching the $7.5 million to $20 million they reported in 2006.
Cheney, who spent years in the corporate board room, reported significantly higher assets for himself and his wife Lynne, ranging from almost $21 million to $99.3 million, according to his financial disclosure.
The Cheneys' assets mirror a range of $21 million to around $100 million reported in 2006. Much of his wealth came from his past role as the head of the oil services firm Halliburton Co.
The disclosures only give the asset values in ranges.
Bush reported gifts worth $15,370. An avid biker after he had to give up running because of knee problems, the president received a $6,160 bike from Trek Bikes and two bike power meters worth almost $3,000.
He also received night vision goggles from Cheney worth $579, a $1,155 self-propelled trimmer/mower and accessories and a $400 custom Hawaiian shirt which were both given to him by the White House staff, according to his disclosure report.
Bush held a wide range of assets, including $2.95 million to $5.75 million in U.S. treasuries, his Texas ranch worth between $1 million to $5 million, a $844,000 stake in a tree farm and $123,715 in the GWB Rangers Corp -- the assets from when he was a co-owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team.
The gifts the vice president reported were more modest than Bush, totaling $5,364. They included two days of accommodations and hunting from the Greenbriar Lodge of Carlisle, Arkansas, valued at $1,600 and a $490 leather duffel bag from the White House senior staff.
Cheney received from Bush a framed 1758 map of the Chesapeake Bay valued at $723, according to his financial disclosure. (Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky, editing by Deborah Charles and David Wiessler) ((jeremy.pelofsky@reuters.com; +1 202 898 8392; jeremy.pelofsky.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: BUSH WEALTH/
AMSTERDAM/BRUSSELS, May 15 (Reuters) - The following Benelux stocks may be affected by newspaper reports and other factors on Thursday:
ASM INTERNATIONAL <ASMI.AS>
A foundation aimed at protecting the independence of Dutch semiconductor equipment maker has bought 29.9 percent of the firm's preference shares, seeking to ward off an investor push to sack ASMI's chief executive.
For more double click on [ASMI.AS]
HEIJMANS <HEIJ.AS>
Dutch construction company reports first-quarter trading update
For more double click on [HEIJ.AS]
EVS BROADCAST EQUIPMENT <EVSB.BR>
Belgian broadcast equipment provider reports first-quarter results
For more double click on [EVSB.BR]
KBC <KBC.BR>
Belgian banking and insurance group reports first-quarter results
For more double click on [KBC.BR]
UCB <UCB.BR>
Belgian pharmaceutical group gives first-quarter trading update
For more double click on [UCB.BR]
COFINIMMO <COFB.BR>
Belgian property investment company reports first-quarter results
For more double click on [COFB.BR]
Shareholder meetings
Boskalis <BOSN.AS>
SBM Offshore <SBMO.AS>
Unilever <UNc.AS>
((Amsterdam and Brussels newsrooms; Tel. +31 20 504 5000; amsterdam.newsroom@news.reuters.com))
** ((Xtra clients: Double click on
http://topnews.session.rservices.com to see Top News Pages in
multimedia Web format.))
To view related displays double click on the following codes:
All Belgian/Luxembourg/Dutch news [BE OR LU OR NL]
Bel-20 constituents <0#.BFX1> Belgian statistics <BE/STATS1>
Bel-20 index <.BFX> Bel-20 futures <0#BFX:>
AEX constituents <0#.AEX> Dutch midcap stocks <0#.AMX>
AEX index <.AEX> Dutch midcap index <.AMX>
AEX futures <0#AEX:> AEX options <0#AEX*.E>
Latest Dutch market news [.BNL] Dutch earnings poll [NL/RESF]
Luxx constituents <0#.LUXX> Luxx index <.LUXX>
European stocks report [.EU]
Major world stock market performance [.STX]
FTSE Eurotop 300 index...................<.FTEU3>
DJ STOXX index...........................<.STOXX>
Eurotop 300 sector gainers/losers...<.PGL.FTEU3S>
Top 25 European pct gainers............<.PG.PEUR>
Top 25 European pct losers.............<.PL.PEUR>
Belgian/Luxembourg diary [BE/DIARY]
Dutch diary [NL/DIARY]
European equity diary [WEU/EQUITY]
Equity news [E]
Speed guides <REUTERS> <BELGIUM> <BE/EQUITY> <NETHERLANDS>
<NL/EQUITY> <LUXEMBOURG> <LU/EQUITY> <EQUITY> <EQUITY/NEWS1>
European Equities speed guide.............<EUR/EQUITY>
Pan European indices.....................<EUR/INDICES1>
Pan European analysis.....................<EUR/STATS1>
(Recasts, adds details of civil and criminal cases)
WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) - Energy contractor Willbros Group Inc <WG.N> agreed to pay $32.3 million to settle investigations into undisclosed bribes to officials in Nigeria and Ecuador, U.S. law enforcement authorities said on Wednesday.
Willbros, which is based in Houston, settled cases with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department involving violations of the U.S. anti-bribery law called the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
The SEC alleged that the company and four former employees paid more than $6 million in bribes to obtain significant contracts. In settling with the Justice Department, Willbros entered into an agreement to avoid prosecution.
Willbros agreed to pay $22 million to settle the Justice Department's criminal case and $10.3 million to close the SEC's civil lawsuit, which also included allegations employees schemed to pay $300,000 to officials of an Ecuadorean state-owned oil and gas company and to avoid paying taxes in Bolivia.
The SEC alleged that the Nigerian payments resulted in net profits of nearly $9 million for the company, the agency said. Houston-based Willbros provides engineering, maintenance and other services to the oil, gas and refining industries.
The SEC's complaint named Jason Steph, a former supervisory employee in Nigeria; Gerald Jansen, a former administrative supervisor in Nigeria; Lloyd Biggers, a former employee in Nigeria; and Carlos Galvez, a former accounting employee in Bolivia.
The company and the four men settled the SEC case without admitting or denying any wrongdoing.
Steph's attorney, Matt Hennessy, said his client pleaded guilty in November in a federal court in Houston to related criminal charges and is awaiting sentencing. "Jason looks forward to putting this matter behind him," Hennessy said.
Attorneys for Willbros, Biggers and Galvez could not be reached for comment. Jansen's attorney did not have an immediate comment.
Under the deferred prosecution agreement, Willbros and a subsidiary, Willbros International Inc, will have three years to fix their overseas business practices with an independent compliance monitor. (Reporting by John Poirier and Julie Vorman; Editing by Gary Hill) ((john.poirier@thomsonreuters.com; +1 202 898 8399; Reuters Messaging: john.poirier.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: WILLBROS/SETTLEMENT
MADRID, May 13 (Reuters) - The following Spanish stocks may be affected by newspaper reports and other factors on Tuesday.
Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot vouch for their accuracy:
SANTANDER <SAN.MC>
Various nwspapers says the Spanish bank will take part in Sovereign Bancorp's capital raising by investing a further 165 million euros and maintaining its stake at 24.3 percent..
REPSOL <REP.MC>
The oil company is forecast to post a decline in first-quarter adjusted net profit of 15.9 percent to 705 million euros ($1.1 billion), according to a Reuters poll of 13 analysts.
For a poll, click on [ID:nL12612060]
FERROVIAL <FER.MC>
The construction-to-services firm is set to report an 82 percent fall in first quarter profit after battling high financing costs, slower construction growth and picking up the bill for Heathrow airport's new Terminal 5, a poll showed.
For a poll, click on [ID:nL1213523]
SACYR VALLEHERMOSO <SVO.MC>, ITINERE <ITIE.MC>
The construction group is expected to post a 15.5 percent fall in first-quarter earnings as costs rise on its heavy debt burden and housing and construction slowdowns bite.
For a poll, click on [ID:nL12295225]
On Monday evening, Sacyr subsidiary Itinere <ITIE.MC>, the road toll firm, posted a 21.6 percent rise in first-quarter core earnings, thanks to higher tariffs and traffic and the opening of six new roads.
For a full story, click on [ID:nL12206952]
ACCIONA <ANA.MC>
The building-to-energy firm is expected to post a 2.5 percent rise in first quarter net profit, with the effects of a property slowdown partly offset by the incorporation of new purchase Endesa <ELE.MC>.
For a poll, click on [ID:nL12152559]
REALIA <RLIA.MC>
The builder posted a 36 percent fall in net profit for the first quarter on Monday evening, reflecting a sharp downturn in the country's property market.
For a full story, click on [ID:nL12219215]
OHL <OHL.MC>
The infrastructure firm reported a forecast-beating 71.6 percent rise in first-quarter net profit on Monday, thanks in large part to capital gains from the sale of a unit.
For a full story, click on [ID:nL12422634]
ECONOMY
Spain's National Statistics Institute publishes inflation data for March.
For today's European market outlook double click on [.EU].
For real-time moves on the Spanish blue-chip index IBEX please double click on <.IBEX>
For IBEX constituent stocks highlight .IBEX in the command box and press the F3 button on your keyboard
For latest news on Spanish stock moves double click [HOT-ES]
For Spanish language market report double click on [.MES]
For latest Eurostocks report please double click on [.EU]
((madrid.newsroom@reuters.com; +34 91 585 2160)) ($1=.6523 Euro)
Keywords: MARKETS SPAIN FACTORS/ 2
Keywords: MARKETS SPAIN FACTORS/
MADRID, May 13 (Reuters) - The following Spanish stocks may be affected by newspaper reports and other factors on Tuesday.
Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot vouch for their accuracy:
SANTANDER <SAN.MC>
Newspaper ABC says the Spanish bank will take part in Sovereign Bancorp's capital raising by investing a further 165 million euros.
REPSOL <REP.MC>
The oil company is forecast to post a decline in first-quarter adjusted net profit of 15.9 percent to 705 million euros ($1.1 billion), according to a Reuters poll of 13 analysts.
For a poll, click on [ID:nL12612060]
FERROVIAL <FER.MC>
The construction-to-services firm is set to report an 82 percent fall in first quarter profit after battling high financing costs, slower construction growth and picking up the bill for Heathrow airport's new Terminal 5, a poll showed.
For a poll, click on [ID:nL1213523]
SACYR VALLEHERMOSO <SVO.MC>, ITINERE <ITIE.MC>
The construction group is expected to post a 15.5 percent fall in first-quarter earnings as costs rise on its heavy debt burden and housing and construction slowdowns bite.
For a poll, click on [ID:nL12295225]
On Monday evening, Sacyr subsidiary Itinere <ITIE.MC>, the road toll firm, posted a 21.6 percent rise in first-quarter core earnings, thanks to higher tariffs and traffic and the opening of six new roads.
For a full story, click on [ID:nL12206952]
ACCIONA <ANA.MC>
The building-to-energy firm is expected to post a 2.5 percent rise in first quarter net profit, with the effects of a property slowdown partly offset by the incorporation of new purchase Endesa <ELE.MC>.
For a poll, click on [ID:nL12152559]
REALIA <RLIA.MC>
The builder posted a 36 percent fall in net profit for the first quarter on Monday evening, reflecting a sharp downturn in the country's property market.
For a full story, click on [ID:nL12219215]
OHL <OHL.MC>
The infrastructure firm reported a forecast-beating 71.6 percent rise in first-quarter net profit on Monday, thanks in large part to capital gains from the sale of a unit.
For a full story, click on [ID:nL12422634]
ECONOMY
Spain's National Statistics Institute publishes inflation data for March.
For today's European market outlook double click on [.EU].
For real-time moves on the Spanish blue-chip index IBEX please double click on <.IBEX>
For IBEX constituent stocks highlight .IBEX in the command box and press the F3 button on your keyboard
For latest news on Spanish stock moves double click [HOT-ES]
For Spanish language market report double click on [.MES]
For latest Eurostocks report please double click on [.EU]
((madrid.newsroom@reuters.com; +34 91 585 2160)) ($1=.6523 Euro)
Keywords: MARKETS SPAIN FACTORS/
Keywords: MARKETS SPAIN FACTORS/
Next: Malaysian shares seen higher, RHB Capital in focus