Wendel, the French investment company, on Wednesday said it returned to a profit in the first half of 2010 as the economy rebounded, saying that all its investments grew better and faster than expected.

Net profit in the six months to June 30, 2010 was €124.5m, compared with a loss of €960m in the first half of 2009, when the economic downturn hit the book value of Wendel's investments.