Amsterdam - Dutch technology firm ASML said it suffered a 117-million-euro (155.32-million-dollar) loss in the first quarter of 2009. Releasing its first quarter results on Wednesday, ASML, which makes lithography systems for the semiconductor industry, said net sales in the first quarter of the year amounted to 184 million euros - compared with 919 million euros in the same period in 2008.
"Semiconductor equipment demand collapsed in the first quarter of 2009," ASML CEO Eric Meurice said in a statement.
However, he added a drastic cost-saving program had freed up more than 300 million euros in working capital, ensuring the company could maintain all its "strategic investments".
Amsterdam - Dutch electrical giant Philips announced a first quarter loss of 57 million euros (76 million dollars) on Tuesday, admitting a "further significant deterioration in our markets."The first quarter profit for 2008, by comparison, was 294 million euros.
Chief Executive Officer Gerard Kleisterlee said "our medical- division sales are also now affected. In our first quarter, like-on- like sales from last year fell from 5.97 to 5.08 billion euros."
Amsterdam - Shares of the Dutch ING Group rose substantially on Thursday following reports that the worlds' second largest retail bank would focus more on its core business and divest 10 to 15 companies in the following years.
"We are taking ING back to basics on all levels," said Jan Hommen, whose appointment as chairman of the managing board is to be formalized at ING's general shareholders meeting scheduled for April 27.
"The crisis has reinforced the need for us to be even more in touch with our customers. We will be focusing on fewer but more transparent products," Hommen said just before the annual investor's day was due to start.
Amsterdam - Dutch home prices dropped for the third consecutive quarter, the umbrella association of Dutch home realtors NVM said in a report released on Thursday.
Amsterdam - Theatres should not be permitted to reserve seats exclusively for women, Dutch integration minister Eberhard van der Laan said on Tuesday.
Van der Laan was commenting on a Rotterdam theatre's new policy of reserving 50 seats on its first rows exclusively for women during certain performances.
The theatre said the new policy should bring religious Muslim women to the Dutch theatre who would otherwise not to do so to avoid sitting next to a man.
Amsterdam - The controversial Dutch Freedom Party PVV formally announced Monday it would participate in the European Parliament elections scheduled for June 4.
The Freedom Party PVV said one of its current legislators, Barry Madlener, would lead the party list.
The liberal-rightist Freedom Party, established by Geert Wilders after he was ejected from the Liberal VVD party in September 2004, is known for its strong criticism on Islam, Dutch migrant policy and Euro-skepticism.
Amsterdam - Dutch electrical giant Philips announced a first quarter loss of 57 million euros (76 million dollars) on Tuesday, admitting a "further significant deterioration in our markets."The first quarter profit for 2008, by comparison, was 294 million euros.
Amsterdam - Theatres should not be permitted to reserve seats exclusively for women, Dutch integration minister Eberhard van der Laan said on Tuesday.
Amsterdam - The controversial Dutch Freedom Party PVV formally announced Monday it would participate in the European Parliament elections scheduled for June 4.
