Sundial of world news

The Nikkei gained 0.24% timidly, to 10,260 points by 6:15, after having opened Tuesday's session up 0.76% for the Nikkei 225. While the broader Topix slid into the red, falling 0.3% to 917 points. On Monday, the Nikkei had slipped 2.17% at 10,235 points amid concern vis-à-vis the euro.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng has put forward more than 0.21%, to 19,756 points and the Singapore Straits Times 0.04%, to 2834 points. In Shanghai, the Exchange has started doing the yo-yo, before anchoring in the red: -0.64% to 2697 points.

Monday evening, the finance ministers of the eurozone met to discuss the single currency, which lost nearly 20% since late November 2009 including 13.5% since 1 January.The euro is a "credible currency, said on Tuesday, Jean-Claude Juncker, the leader of Ministers of the euro area.

If this decline in European currencies could help grow the Old Continent, mechanically, through the principle of competitive devaluation, foreign companies suffer a cost of more expensive imports.

Against the yen, the euro down 0.44% and also score 114.7 yen. Levels for 2009 and … early 2002.

The Bank of Japan lends to 0.1%

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) has announced plans to lend money at preferential rates of 0.1%, the interest rate, to companies investing in growth areas, the newspaper Asahi.The central bank should decide in principle on the plan at a meeting of its Monetary Policy Committee this week, before details of the next month, the newspaper said.

This project would support modest growth in Japan low fee pay day loans. In addition to promoting growth, the BOJ has taken steps in recent months to try and halt the deflation that has raged for over a year: It has increased to 20,000 billion yen (174 billion euros) the allocation to provide loans to very low rates to banks.

Back to profit faster JAL

The first Japanese airline Japan Airlines (JAL), currently under judicial restructuring, has set a goal of finding operating income from fiscal year 2010-2011, a year earlier than expected, says Mainichi newspaper on Tuesday.And, thanks to a plan to revive its business that includes an operating profit target of several tens of billions of yen (several hundred million euros) for the current fiscal year.The titles do cotent over $ 0.01.

At the Shanghai Stock Exchange, what are the values of the aviation sector suffering most: China Eastern Airlines: -4.55% to 3.33 Hong Kong dollars despite an increase in traffic in April, China Southern Airlines -3.77%, 3.32 HKD.

Moreover, the Japanese steel companies Nippon Steel (-2.4% to 326 yen) and Argentine Ternium (-2.93% to 33.5 dollars a barrel Monday) announced Tuesday that it plans to invest $ 350 million in common two and a half years in a joint venture in Mexico to manufacture sheets for the automotive sector.

This site eventually produce the equivalent of 400,000 tons "of galvanized steel sheet of high quality and high-grade" for the automotive industry in Mexico, including the Japanese manufacturers on site.

Barack Obama was not convincing, is the least we can say. Despite these reassuring words about the future of the U.S. economy, U.S. markets were closed Thursday's session, down sharply: the Dow Jones lost 1.08% and 1.30% Nasdaq loose.

The three major indexes in New York posted strong gains Wednesday.

Eight banks covered by a survey: the markets punish

The Attorney General of New York has opened an investigation into eight banks, including Credit Agricole, to determine if they had provided misleading information about their mortgages before the subprime crisis, "according to The New York Times.Goldman Sachs (-1.73% to 144.65 dollars), Morgan Stanley (-0.65% to 27.62 dollars), UBS, Citigroup (-2.15% to 4.09 dollars), JP Morgan & Chase (-2.16% to 40.79 dollars), Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch (-1.29% to 16.85 dollars) and Credit Agricole in the crosshairs.

The dollar continued its rise against the euro

The euro fell Thursday to a level that was hers before the announcement of the stabilization plan of the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).The single currency was trading at 1.2531 dollar, near its lowest level reached before the announcement of the aid plan for the euro area.

Decline in number of unemployed weaker than expected

The resurgence of the greenback is supported by the fourth consecutive decline in the number of newly unemployed in the United States, according to figures released Thursday by the Labor Department in Washington fast payday loan. The ministry said 444,000 new jobless claims were submitted from May 2 to 8, or 0.9% less than the previous week (in seasonally adjusted data).

Oil prices opened sharply lower Thursday in New York, a barrel of benchmark lost 1.47 dollars to 74.18 dollars. Wednesday crude inventories rose 1.9 million barrels to 362.5 million.Economists on average had expected a rise of 1.3 million barrels.

Contracts awarded on the prudence of Cisco

The Japanese electronics giant Sony (-5.14% to 31.53 dollars) confirmed Thursday that ended the 2009-2010 fiscal year brought a net deficit of 40.8 billion yen (312 million euros ), reflecting a return to the green on the plan of operation, through reductions in fixed costs. Sony also said Thursday that he hoped to finish the fiscal year began last April, and will be closed in March 2011, a net profit of 50 billion yen (about 400 million euros).

Cisco (-4.53% 25.53 dollars) has announced its profit jumped 63%, but its CEO said that caution was in order.

The U.S. stock market, resumed a little height on Wednesday. The Dow Jones gained 0.16% and the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.56%.

On Tuesday, world stock markets were down, investors preferring to play the card of caution after the euphoria on Monday to adopt a rescue plan record eurozone.

In New York, Wall Street, after a volatile session, ended without a clear direction. The Dow Jones lost 0.34% but the Nasdaq has gleaned 0.03%.

In Asia, after the euphoria of Monday, markets showed frank declines, dropping 1.14% Tokyo, Shanghai, registering its lowest level in a year and Hong Kong is also in decline.

The euro erased its rebound

If the map of European aid, worth up to 750 billion euros, reassures markets in the short term, many questions remain, particularly on longer-term impact of these measures.Sign of the nervousness and doubts of investors on the foreign exchange market, the single currency, a barometer of the crisis in the eurozone, is moving in the morning to around 1.265 dollars, erasing Monday's rebound that had propelled briefly above the bar $ 1.30. Uncertainty room also has propelled gold to above. The ounce of precious metal has reached 1235 dollars in Hong Kong on Wednesday morning.

Growth in the euro zone came out at +0.2%, in line with expectations of economists. In contrast, French growth was limited to 0.1% against 0.5% in the fourth quarter of 2009. Economists were expecting 0.3%.

In the United States trade deficit continued to widen in March to its highest level since December 2008, according to figures released Friday by the Commerce Department in Washington.It rose 2.5% from February, to $ 40.4 billion (when adjusted for seasonal variations), the ministry said.

Investors will also monitor around 16:30 the traditional weekly crude oil inventories.

Oil prices hovered around equilibrium Wednesday at the opening of trade in New York. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, a barrel of light sweet crude for June delivery traded at 76.13 dollars, down 24 cents from the previous day.

Values follow

On the side of values, the U.S. company General Motors (GM) plans to get back into the auto financing, either by buying out his former division of loans, the former Ally renamed GMAC Financial, is launching a new company, understands the Wall Street Journal.GM sold its controlling stake in its former finance division in 2006, which represents a disadvantage compared to competitors who have a home finance division, the newspaper said.

The American group of media and entertainment Walt Disney Company on Tuesday said net income up 55% for the second quarter of fiscal year to offset $ 953 million, thanks to the success of the film "Alice in Wonderland."

Also noteworthy is the video game publisher Electronic Arts has announced a profit of $ 30 million, or 9 cents per share, against a loss of 13 cents last year.

Satisfaction and prudent. Patrice Durand, CFO, Thales has engaged in a balancing act by commenting on early trends of fiscal 2010. "We had an encouraging first quarter," says he. Markets remain difficult, the consolidated turnover increased by 8% (+5% at constant scope), while new orders booked increased 5% to 2.4 billion euros thanks to force of defense and security industry. In late March, the backlog exceeded 25 billion euros, or nearly two years of activity.

Annual objectives confirmed

However, the group finance director of defense and high technology remains cautious. "Our business is marked by a degree of seasonality. It would be premature to draw conclusions from this first quarter for the full year, "he warned.However, the group confirmed its annual goals: a stable income and an operating margin of 3% to 4%. It aims to build on its new organization – set up in late 2009 – and the first fruits of its "efficiency plan", called Basis Pro, which should reduce the cost of "poor quality" is ie the financial excesses of complex programs. In this regard, Patrice Durand said that "the landscape remains the same" for risk contracts (eg, development of avionics for the Airbus A400M military), because "you can not change radically a program in a few months, "but he adds" we are working hard in conjunction with Airbus.

Resumption of Aviation "uncertain"

The group led by Luc Vigneron remains cautious for the resumption of commercial aviation remained "uncertain" and the group will not benefit from the boost provided by the orders of the French army under the recovery plan. Unlike the budgetary pressure is at its height on the states of the euro area whose deficits have exploded over the past two years and who convert in a pinch. However, defense accounts for 60% in the activity of Thales. The challenge for the group will be to find new sources of growth outside Europe. In 2010 and in years to come.

Also on conviction to a fine of 630 million euros in total (including 15 million in interest) of France in the case of the sale of Lafayette-class frigates to Taiwan, Thales, whose share of the fine represents 27.463% of the contract or its part, has decided to "implement all available remedies" and will soon file an action for annulment before the Court of Appeal of Paris. "As an interim measure, the company will pass on its accounts of the first half of 2010 an additional provision of 35 million euros.

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The crisis in Greek and the euro area worry the president of the United States. "I am very concerned about what is happening in Europe," said Barack Obama during an interview Thursday with the Russian television channel Rossiya and released Saturday. The nervousness in global markets and the increasing concern of investors towards the debts of states caused by the Greek problem posing "serious threats" to the United States, "said Bush.

"I think the Europeans have realized that it was very serious. Greece takes measures very difficult in any case they have put in place a plan that calls for tough measures, "he acknowledged."If we can stabilize the situation in Europe, it will be good for the United States, and it will be good also for Russia."

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the EU should announce before markets open Monday morning, creating a "Community mechanism to intervene" to save the states on the brink of bankruptcy. The European Commission was working on an emergency this weekend to present a convincing ministers of the European economy, which meet on Sunday afternoon. Reflecting the importance of time, Silvio Berlusconi, Italian Prime Minister, and Nicolas Sarkozy, have decided not to travel to Moscow for commemorations of the end of the Second World War.

Week chaotic

European shares and U.S. were closed on very steep declines Friday.Protests against the rigor enameled three died in Athens on Wednesday, and unexplained sudden fall of the New York Stock Exchange during the day Thursday and fear of contagion from the crisis in Spain and Portugal have marked one week chaotic markets.

The statements have increased in recent days to encourage European leaders to act. "We hope to see emerge a strong and rapid European response to crisis", said, quoted by Bloomberg, the Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who hosted the G7 on Friday. "We call for an answer as quickly as possible given the circumstances," insisted the Australian Minister for the Budget, Wayne Swan.

The Greeks accept the rigor

Nearly 55% of Greeks prefer an austerity plan to bankruptcy, according to a poll published Sunday in the daily Vima.Over 56% are even willing to accept wage cuts. Contradictory result, however, the same poll found that 53% of respondents felt the need to continue to protest against the austerity of the Papandreou government.

The rescue of Greece did nothing. Investors remain worried in Europe: the CAC 40 lost Thursday more than 2.2% and broke the 3,600 points, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange fell 0.81%, close to 5900 points, the London Stock Exchange has folded 1.52% to 5260 points.

In the European storm, which contaminates the morale of investors around the world – in Asia, markets deep into red, and Wall Street has suffered more heavy losses – the euro continues its downward trend.

The fears of the contagion of the disease are increasing fiscal Greek daily.If the EU, the IMF and Athens agreed to "save the country from bankruptcy last weekend, the panic was due to global finances since the beginning of the week.

On Tuesday, the rumor "murders" that Spain could ask 280 billion euros in the IMF and could see its rating deteriorated by Fitch and / or Moody's has dampened the markets. Madrid and ratings agencies have denied. S & P himself has lowered its rating last week.

Then Wednesday, the storm came from the threat of degradation of the sovereign debt rating by Moody's from Portugal.

On Thursday, Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the ECB (European Central Bank) has failed to reassure markets quick cash.The Ibex-35 index of the Madrid Stock Exchange ended down 2.93% and the Lisbon PSI 20 downgraded from 2.37% to 6824.8 points.

The Athenian has taken place, the colors, gaining 0.98%, despite the strong social tensions in the country.

The euro to 1.25 soon

Since the euro has broken the support of 1.3280 earlier this week, the single currency dipped down. On Friday, it dropped below $ 1.27, to 1.2659 dollar per euro, far from 1.5144 dollars reached November 25, 2009. The Euro is at its lowest in a year deal with the sixteen major currencies in the world, and been fourteen months against the dollar.

Since 1 January, the single currency has dropped 11.4%.

"The next support is at 1.2450 dollar," recalls the president of Saxo Bank, Pierre-Antoine Dusoulier, and ensures that could be reached "very soon".

If the euro remains at levels "healthy for the European economy, this decline reflects the magnitude of the crisis in the Old Continent. Such differences in scoring so little time, are accustomed closely watched by the European Central Bank (ECB).

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The accounts of the first quarter of Compagnie Generale de Geophysique-Veritas (CGG Veritas) illustrate the difficult trading conditions which prevailed in the second half.

Specialist Geophysics, whose clients include oil and gas companies, released on Wednesday morning a symbolic net profit in the first three months of the year: 1 million dollars, 760,000 euros. It was 5 million in the fourth quarter 2009 and 71 million over the first three months of 2009.

Another sign of weakness to the group led by Robert Brunck, operating profit of 37 million dollars (28.5 million euros) between January and March 2010, which fell by 33% compared to the previous period and is and divided by more than three compared to first quarter 2009. Operating margin also exited at 5%, against 7% and 15%.What is much less than the operating profit expected by analysts of Gilbert Dupont (7.5%).

For the CEO of CGG Veritas, the rest of 2010, increased investment in exploration and oil production continues, "and will gradually lead the market upward seismic. A recovery that will benefit from first Sercel, the seismic equipment manufacturing industry (32% of sales), the group said.

The stock price in great form since the beginning of the year

This quarterly publication disappoint Wednesday: CGG Veritas shares fell by more than 7% at the Paris Bourse.They cotent to 15 hours, 20.3 euros.

But since the beginning of the year, the increase in stock price is still high at almost 43% against a background of positive recommendations from several consulting firms, mostly optimistic about the prospects of CGG Veritas.

Like Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, which raised its price target on the value of 20-27 euros, saying that "the average life span of the fleet grow from 18 years in 2007 to 11 years 'By the end of 2010, with an average number of streamers (a tool for measuring the seismic data, Ed) per vessel increased by 10 to 12 by 2012 " flexcheck cash advance.What, according to the broker, expect "good surprises at the margins.

Morgan Stanley also recently referred to above – 20 to 22 euro – showing that the oil services industry evokes options included about $ 310,000 per day for vessels to be used in the third quarter of 2010. In other words, prices rise by 40% since a ship costs about $ 220,000 the day at acruelle.

On Tuesday, Gilbert Dupont reiterated his advice to "accumulate" CGG Veritas shares, and recommends to hang over the quans profits reach EUR 25.5.

Bourbon sign a big contract in Brazil

The Bourbon Group, also specialized in oilfield services, announced on Wednesday morning a turnover in line with expectations, fell 1% to 236 million euros.

The group also announced it has won a long-term contract in Brazil, estimated by Natixis to about 100 million euros of turnover split over periods of contracts 3 to 8 years.

This is a contract for 13 new vessels (1 and 7 PSV AHTS type liberty for offshore continental and five crew boats) that will allow it to "almost double its size in the country by the end of the year, "said the broker.

In the first stock exchanges, securities Bourbon drop 1.45%, to 31.65 euros.

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The standoff between Apple and Adobe is a rotating record. In the U.S. antitrust authorities are taking a close look at Apple, and are investigating whether the refusal of Flash on the iPhone, and iPod touch iPad is a barrier to competition. According to the Anglo-Saxon, the Ministry of Justice and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) study the desirability of launching a formal investigation and discuss the distribution of the proceedings.

These are a few lines slipped into the contract for the next iPhone software, which alerted the authorities of the competition. Since one month, Apple requires application developers for its mobile devices to use its own software development. This decision led to the banishment of a handful of tools unofficial iPhone development.Including the Adobe Creative Suite 5, which was designed to create Flash applications.

In an open letter published last week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has explained the reasons which led to the prohibition of applications developed with other development interfaces. Apple, he said, wants the software for iPhone take advantage of all the functions of the smartphone. Requirements hardly tenable with Flash, which focuses on compatibility with a wide variety of devices (phones, computers, shelves, televisions), rather than optimizing for one of them.

"Obviously anticompetitive"

Adobe, meanwhile, accuses Apple of foreclosure applications on the App Store for its own benefit. "What it does is clearly anticompetitive," responded David Balto, a former head of the FTC. But the issue divided the experts.Another former head of the FTC, more nuanced, felt it necessary to show that Apple is dominant in this sector. Or prove that its new rules affect the consumer.

No stranger to antitrust proceedings against its rivals, including Microsoft, Apple has in any case rarely found in this position of defendant. But in Mobile, where he became the number one American, the positions have changed. Last year, the FTC had already interested in its policy of banning applications on the App Store. The acquisition of the mobile advertising AdMob for Google is also under investigation "push". A potential deadlock that would serve both the interests of Apple, which launched its own offering, DST.