81.   Allianz, the biggest insurance group in Europe, expects pre-tax profits to grow sharply this year, company president Henning Schulte-Noelle said Monday.

82.   Company president Claude Bebear told a press conference that he expected net profits to grow this year.

83.   VIAG, a German group with interests in the energy, telecommunications and chemicals sectors, said on Friday that it expected operating profits to grow strongly this year.

84.   Net profit also grew because the year-earlier figure had been dragged down by one-time payouts to cover a shortfall in pension-fund reserves.

85.   Profits would grow by a greater amount, finance director Klaus Pohle told an annual press conference.

86.   The leading business daily said profits grew more slowly at electronics manufacturers, the sector which led overall earnings growth last year, due to falling semiconductor prices.