GERMANY: Metro Group has raised this year's budget for capital expenditure to £1.74bn after posting solid first-half figures. Sales have risen 2.4% to £26bn in the past six months, with earnings before interest and tax up £56m to £306m. Metro also opened 28 new stores during the period.

Chief executive Dr Eckhard Cordes said the budget increase was a sign of the group's confidence. "We are focusing more on growth and expansion again," he said. "The period of caution is over."

Asia: Carrefour's plans to sell its stores in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have attracted interest from a number of rivals. Tesco has been tipped to snap up the French grocer's Asian assets, while Casino is understood to have appointed Deutsche Bank to advise on a possible bid.

First-round bids are expected as early as next month, with the assets set for an estimated price tag of £600m. Casino recently posted first-half profits ahead of forecasts and said it was on course to meet its 2010 financial targets, with growth in emerging markets countering weakness in its domestic market.

INDIA: Bharti Walmart, the joint venture between Walmart and India's Bharti Enterprises, has opened its third cash & carry, at Jalandhar in the northern Indian province of Punjab. The joint venture started operations in May 2009 and plans to build a national presence over the next 18 months with further outlets.

Carrefour, which has tied up with retailer Future Group for its Indian entry, is reported to have secured properties for cash & carry outlets in New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Indian laws currently only allow foreign retailers to operate wholesale outlets and provide back-end support to local operators. However, the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion recently issued a discussion paper to test the appetite for reform.

US: Whole Foods Market has reported an 88% increase in net third-quarter profits. Whole Foods earned £41m for the period to 4 July, up from £22m the year before. The figures included almost £440,000 in costs for relocating and closing stores as well as termination of leases.

Revenue grew 15% to £1.4bn. Despite matching the expectations of analysts, the retailer tempered sales forecasts for the rest of 2010, citing the competitive grocery environment and the sluggish US economy.

Procter & Gamble expects organic sales to increase 3% to 5% next year despite posting slower growth than expected in its latest quarterly figures. Net profits fell 12% to £1.37bn after increased marketing spending. Organic sales were up 4% for the quarter and 3% for the fiscal year.

CEO Bob McDonald said the results were ahead of original expectations and the group was pleased with the trend of the business. He dismissed the threat of a double-dip recession in the US but warned that the recovery would be "uneven".