La Poste to announce drop in profits
La Poste, the French post office, is to announce its results for 2001 today. Chairman Martin Vial has said that profits have been affected by the economic slowdown and the anthrax scare. The last quarter of 2001 was characterised by a fall in activity caused by the increasing use of e-mail and the Vitale card.
The group may ask for government subsidies and for authorisation to offer new banking and insurance services.