Other week 49 2011 news from Nordic companies

Here are some additional newsworthy events in brief:

Financial Times is reporting that Nokia is coaxing interest of potential buyers to divest its luxury phone brand Vertu. Some private equity firms seem interested and the sales price should be several hundred million Euros.

Eu/Norway fish talks for 2012 North Sea fisheries resulted in increases for herring, haddock and whiting quotas (with North Sea herring quota more than doubled to 405,000 tons), with cod and saithe quotas down a notch. Further talks will be made for mackerel total allowed catch as a solution in the mackerel war with Faroe Islands and Iceland is sought after.

Christmas demand has raised Norwegian salmon spot prices some 20% within a few weeks. While still far away from 45 NOK per kilo levels of this summer, this breaks a lengthy trend straight down and farmed salmon companies have responded positively.

Vestas turbine in Ayrshire wind farm, Scotland caught fire in hurricane Bawbag.

Maersk Drilling received LOA from Det Norske Oljeselskab (OSE: DETNOR) to Draupne license in the North Sea for newbuild jack-up rig, XL Enhanced 2, which is designed for use in ultra harsh environment and is currently under construction in Singapore scheduled to be delivered in 2014. The total value of the three year contract is over 400 million USD.

Outotec has acquires furnace refractory demolition business Kiln Services Australia. The company envisions doubling Kiln’s annual sales over the next three years.

Højgaard Industri, a part of Højgaard Holding (CPH: HOEJ B) won a new management contract‏ with Banedanmark for the production of concrete sleepers at the Fredericia facility. The previous contract with between the companies was coming to a close and Højgaard Industri won out in the contract award procedure.

There have been wild swings in Frontline (OSE: FRO) stock after its creative restructuring plan was made public this week.

Kone Corporation will supply elevators and escalators to Lishui Wandi Plaza. The large eight building complex in the city of Lishui in Zhejiang province should be completed in 2013.

Clas Ohlson (STO: CLAS B) missed expectations for 1.5.2011-31.10.2011 period.

TTS Group ASA won two contracts from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard co. Ltd worth around 117,5 million NOK in total.

Purchase-to-pay and Financial Management solutions software provider. Basware Corporation lowers 2011 estimates.

Cevian keeps buying into Tieto ((OMXH: TIE1V, OMXS: TIEN).

Neste Oil is selling its 50% portion of iso-octane, a gasoline component produced from Butane, plant in Edmonton, Canada to Keyera Corp for 99 million USD.

Contracts piling in for TTS Group

TTS Group ASA (OSE:TTS) has announced plenty of smaller orders as of late. Today the company announced two contracts to Marine division company TTS Marine GmbH in Bremen, Germany with a US shipyard for two specialized vessels for an American owner and for two floating storage units for an Asian owner. The total value of the deal is approximately 33 million NOK.

TTS Group’s Energy Division also won a deal. It was struck with SWS, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard for two Drilling Equipment Packages to be installed in new F&G JU2000E Jack-Up Rigs. This deal has over 90 million USD value. TTS Energy has options for three additional drilling rigs with the yard. This is the second deal for such equipment for TTS in China, following an earlier deal with DSIC Offshore in Dalian. TTS stock gained in excess of 7.5% for today’s session.