German stocks - Factors to watch on December 5

The following are some of the factors that may move German stocks:

MERCK KGAA

Indicated 1.1 percent lower

German drugs and chemicals group Merck KGaA said on Thursday it had agreed to buy AZ Electronic Materials, a maker of specialty chemicals used to make Apple's iPad, for about 1.57 billion pounds ($2.57 billion).

Related news

DEUTSCHE BANK

Indicated unchanged

Japan's securities watchdog said on Thursday it had found that a Tokyo-based unit of Deutsche Bank had violated financial regulations by lavishly entertaining pension fund clients who are considered public employees under the law.

Separately, co-Chief Executive Juergen Fitschen criticised comments by Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble that banks remained "creative" in seeking ways around financial regulation. "It's unacceptable for people to stand there and say that banks are still circumventing the rules," Fitschen said at an evening event in Berlin.

Related news

ALLIANZ

Indicated 0.6 percent lower

The Pimco Total Return Exchange-Traded Fund had outflows of $138 million in November, marking the seventh straight month of outflows from the ETF, data from Morningstar showed on Wednesday.

Related news

E.ON

Indicated 0.2 percent lower

Germany's largest utility is set to hike gas and electricity bills in Britain by 50 pounds in 2014, the Telegraph reported citing sources.

Related news

CARL ZEISS MEDITEC

Indicated 0.4 percent higher

The company said fiscal full-year sales reached 906.4 million euros ($1.23 billion), while earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) reached 133.9 million, both beating the average analyst forecast in a Reuters poll.

Related news

DIC ASSET

Indication not available

The company said it sold its 'MainTor Porta' office high-rise to Union Investment Real Estate for 155 million euros.

Related news

RTL GROUP

Indication not available

The RTL family of broadcasters have started offering their video on demand services RTL Now and Vox Now over the cable network run by Kabel Deutschland, Handelsblatt newspaper reports. Kabel Deutschland is paying RTL for the service, the newspaper cites industry sources as saying.

Related news

INDEX CHANGES IN SDAX AS OF DEC. 23:

IN - SHW

OUT - MVV ENERGIE

BROKER ACTION:

SMA SOLAR - HSBC cuts to "underweight" from "neutral"

DEUTSCHE WOHNEN - HSBC cuts to "underweight" from "neutral"

OVERSEAS STOCK MARKETS

Dow Jones -0.2 pct, S&P; 500 -0.1 pct, Nasdaq +0.02 pct at Wednesday's close.

Nikkei -1.5 pct at Thursday's close.

ECB

The European Central Bank is likely to hold off any fresh policy action on Thursday, but new staff forecasts will be in focus for signs of prolonged price weakness that could lead it to act again next year.

Related news

BANKS

The U.S. Justice Department plans to bring civil mortgage fraud cases against several financial institutions early in 2014, using as a template the case that ended last month in JPMorgan Chase & Co's $13 billion settlement, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Wednesday, declining to name the banks concerned.

Separately, Credit Suisse said it will sell its private bank in Germany to Frankfurt-based Bethmann Bank, part of ABN Amro, for an undisclosed price.

Related news

HAPAG-LLOYD

Chilean shipper Compania Sud Americana de Vapores said late Wednesday it was in merger talks with German container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd, confirming a newspaper report.

Related news

EUROPEAN FACTORS TO WATCH

DIARIES

REUTERS TOP NEWS

($1 = 0.6119 British pounds) ($1 = 0.7377 euros) (Reporting by Jonathan Gould and Christoph Steitz)