Inspectorate, currently held by the investment company 3i, is also present on the testing of petroleum products and petrochemicals (59% of its turnover), metals, minerals and agricultural products.The company recorded 2009 sales of 246 million pounds (280 million euros).

In a statement, Bureau Veritas claims that the acquisition allows it to position itself as "one of the world's leading inspection and testing of raw materials," a buoyant market, "according to Chairman Frank Piedelièvre group, whose potential amounts to 5 billion euros, according to the group saving account payday loan.

Inspectorate therefore give "a new dimension to the group that doubles the size of its laboratory network (330 sites) and now offers a range of services the industry's broadest assessment of compliance."

Bureau Veritas says that the transaction will be financed through existing credit lines and newly negotiated. The group expects a turnover of around 3 billion euros in 2010.It amounted in 2009 to 2,648,000,000 euros.

The announcement of a visit by IMF Managing Director, scheduled for Friday, has added to the panic. Although Dominique Strauss-Kahn said Wednesday in Paris that it was only "a working visit". To cut short the rumors, general manager told AFP he goes to all European countries."I'm in France, is there any rumors in France? I'm going to Italy. Is there any rumors in Italy? "He also downplayed the financial problems of Spain at a conference on Europe and China:" It is also said to exaggerate it a country that has great difficulty and yet the debt is 53% of GDP, which is relatively modest. "

Labour Market Reform

The Spanish head of government has also applied to reassure. Spain is a "country solvent, solid, strong and with the international credit, said Wednesday Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero before the Spanish Parliament. The Economy Minister Elena Salgado for his part denied that Brussels has put pressure on Madrid. Support for the Spanish cause is from Paris."We see no reason to be concerned for Spain, and there is no subject in the Spanish agenda of the European Council, it was said at the Elysee.

These multiple statements have not been enough to calm markets that have remained very nervous. The Spanish rate in a decade rose 10 points in the day 4.8%, approaching levels Portuguese. The yield spread between German and Spanish titles to ten years to 223 basis points on Wednesday, a record, as investors consider the Spanish debt more risky. The motion of no confidence falls ill in Madrid, which must issue this morning 3.5 billion euros of bonds to ten years.

The concern of the market relates to both the country's financial situation and the capacity of economic recovery.The government on Wednesday passed a labor reform, considered essential for revitalizing the job but remains highly contested by the unions.

In a report released Wednesday, the Bank of Spain insists on the need to implement "as quickly as possible" of economic adjustment measures to increase the competitiveness of the economy Hispanic counter the drop in employment and deterioration public finances. But the Spanish savings banks, the Achilles heel of the banking sector, require 11 billion euros to the state for further restructuring.

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The state park remains a major project

This time, the concern is not the same. Fifteen units are presently closed, a current threshold at this time.EDF enjoy summer to restore the park in preparation for the winter, much more greedy for power. By comparison, in January, peak consumption are regularly found around 90,000 megawatt hours (MWh), while in August, we do not exceed an average of 55,000 MWh.

"There is no risk of power failure for the portfolio company's customers," says Philip Torrioni Director optimization upstream-downstream and trading, while recalling that EDF has the "stacking of multiple means of production ': in addition to nuclear, hydro, fossil-fired (fuel oil and coal) or purchase obligations (cogeneration, wind …).

Note that EDF considers the situation of hydraulics "generally satisfactory", the streams and filling reservoirs for dams being at favorable levels."On this last point, we are even slightly in surplus," says Patrick Tourasse, in charge of coordination of water at EDF.

As for the effects of the strike last year, they are now digested, said Philippe Druelle, the delegate operational nuclear generation. This does not preclude occasional conflicts: Friday, the Inter Power Plant Flamanville announced the resumption of work after five days of strike any of its services after signing an agreement on creation of ten posts.

However, even if EDF is reassuring for the coming summer, the state park remains a major project for the company. In case the rate of availability of its stations, which dropped to 78% last year, far from that of other major utilities such as GDF Suez nuclear operator in Belgium. In the medium term, Henri Proglio, the chairman of EDF, is the bar of 85%.A major objective of financial terms because in terms of availability, each point less cost around 200 million euros to the company.

To remedy the situation the company began to invest heavily to replace large components of its plants. It also plans to optimize a number of operating procedures. With the desire to obtain tangible results from this year.

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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.

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 bank's CEO, Lloyd Blankfein was named, along with all members of its board of directors. The French trader Fabrice Tourre is also part of those involved.

Both complaints put forward the "systematic failures" of the bank for three and a half years has not reviewed the Abacus-risk investments, in the heart of the case quick cash.The losses amount to one billion dollars.

These criticisms follow those of the SEC has accused Goldman Sachs of fraud accusing him of having misled investors during the marketing of complex financial product issuing CDOs. According to the SEC, Goldman Sachs has committed fraud rules governing the banking institutions do not publish everything she knew about these titles based on guarantees fragile.

Ed Canaday, a spokesman for the bank, declined to comment immediately, saying the bank had not yet seen the complaint.

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Liberty is therefore in better shape, while its owner since 2000, the real estate magnate and hotel Richard Balfour-Lynn, announced in the middle of last year its intention to sell.

Among the candidates, the investment fund Capital BlueGem seems to hold the rope. Led by the former head of Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity, Marco Capello, he would have offered more than 40million euros.Much more than the other contenders, which include Robert Bensoussan, the former leader of the Jimmy Choo shoe, or the Chinese textile giant Li & Fung. Discussions in the home straight, could result in the month of April.

Liberty is a non-standard British heritage. En1875 Arthur Liberty opened his bazaar East India House on Regent Street between Piccadilly and Oxford Circus cash till payday. The Tudor style building is constructed from wood of two ships of the Royal Navy. This beautiful building has just been sold by a group Liberty Property German 46millions books, teaches becoming tenant of the premises. Inside the store, marked by a maze of elegant woodwork was redone last year.There is a sharp selection of fashion products, design and beauty.

"Avant-garde and accessible"

"We refocused on the cutting edge and accessible, with original designers not found elsewhere in order to rejuvenate our customers," says French of Geoffrey Labourdonnaye, former Christian Lacroix, who runs the company. This strategy of "renaissance" that he initiated continues to pay: he said the first quarter of 2010 shows trends "excellent", higher than last year. Liberty has refocused on its flagship store, after closing its Annex district of Knightsbridge. Moreover, the brand is known for its floral fabric that made the heyday of Cacharel, again in full in the trend. Sales of printed Liberty, which weigh one third of total revenue, surged DE23% in 2009.

Specifically, he presented a plan to aid three points for a total of 20 million euros. The bulk of the effort will focus on replacing equipment.This responds to a demand for professionals to enable them to restart their operations and be ready for the season getting ready now. "Especially our equipment that has been affected, such as sorters, the computers or the electricity grid, he says Tony Brin. I have even more checkbook to pay salaries, everything has been drowned by the rising waters, is tell you how we are. "

Lighten the load

Second point plan: relief of financial burdens of 1.5 million euros and finally the implementation of the national guarantee fund for agricultural disasters (FNGCA) to compensate for the loss of fish or shellfish. But on this last point, unlike the 1999 storm, which occurred at low tide and which has devastated oyster or mussel, the damage should be less important.It is funded jointly by government and professional organizations.

Another concern comes from the elver producers who fear their possible side effects of water pollution after they pass on farmland treated. In a scene of desolation, Bruno Le Maire has visited the farm of John Paul Rault, a young farmer Vendeen St. Rad?gonde-of-Walnut, who has lost everything, including his house, in the rising waters for payday loans bad credit . His case is not isolated as 52 000 hectares of land have been invaded by salt water after the passage of Xynthia. "It will take years and years for desalination," said the farmer. Bruno Mayor announced a plan to tens of millions of euros to farmers (see box below)."I shall return in a few weeks to see how its implementation takes place," he said.

A plan dedicated to farmers

A budget of several million euros to farmers. This was announced on Wednesday the Minister of Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire, the operators hit this weekend by storm Xynthia. In detail, two types of aid are considered. Firstly, a reduced specific financial burdens and also social. The state with the Agricultural Social Insurance Agency has raised 5 million euros for the first strand.

Then, after a case-by-case damage caused by Xynthia field, another package will be released under the National Guarantee Fund for Agricultural Disasters (FNGCA)."Given an initial estimate and according to recent experiments, this should be in the tens of millions of euros," said one familiar with the matter. The new aid will complement those of the plan emergency support and to the extent permitted by Brussels (De minimis 15 000 per farm). For their part farmers have asked for clemency for the administration, for example, identification of dead animals or statements in order to benefit from the CAP.

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Herve Mangin: The market mergers and acquisitions work for periods of three to four years from 1997 to 2000, then 2003 to 2007. Since 2009, we are in the trough of the wave. Current levels are the lowest ever achieved for five years. Between 2007 and 2009, the number of deals announced declined by 53% and 32% between 2008 and 2009. The market mergers and acquisitions have obviously suffered from the economic crisis but also the draining of financial markets, preventing firms from refinancing.Since late last year, we see a resumption of operations, with an increase of nearly 50% in the fourth quarter versus the third quarter.

How can we explain this turnaround?

The economic visibility improves, credit conditions are more flexible, companies have taken preemptive measures to deal with the crisis and some have a large cash cushion. There are two ways to use this cash, either redistribute it to shareholders through dividends or share repurchases, or generate growth through investments or mergers and acquisitions. However, growth remains soft, the high level of taxes, consumer debt and high unemployment. It is better to buy existing capacity rather than creating new plants that use rates are poor.

The takeover of Cadbury by Kraft has yet taken place earlier this year.

The operation took place earlier this year because it was strategically very important for Kraft. This is also not expected to return to a debt level more comfortable to launch its offer. He attacked as soon as market conditions are loaned. Another symbolic aspect of this acquisition: it illustrates the need to increase the cash portion of the offering to complete the transaction. In other words, the larger the share in cash, the higher the transaction was likely to occur. Then again Kraft could do so only because the visibility has improved.

What is special about your fund Axa Opportunities?

The management of our fund is unusual to begin by targeting predators, their strategic and financial interest to generate external growth.Once we've found a predator, we want to know what would be the best "prey". And only from there, we are studying the viability of the project on a financial plan. So we try to place us before purchase. Operations in 2010 will be more strategic than financial. We focus on companies that have cash and are facing challenges in terms of growth, diversification, and whose price is underestimated. Our fund is invested in particular sectors of health, chemicals, oil and telecoms. According to a study co-published by Boston Consulting Group and UBS in January 2010, 20% of CEOs will make an acquisition of at least 500 million euros in turnover this year. Groups that have the greatest appetite are in insurance, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

The portfolio is invested two thirds in mergers and acquisitions and third in special situations (change of management, disposals important modifying the profile of a group …, Ed), while in 2009 the allocation was balanced. Our pocket liquidity is still below 10% and amounts to about 2% today. This pocket is more tactical than strategic: we do not intend to play on the cash to take advantage of market reversals. And especially since our fund is PEAable (the fund must invest at least 75% in European equities).

Do you ever happen to take positions outside Europe?

Absolutely. Having decided to adopt an approach focused on the predator to detect targets the most interesting, sometimes I take positions in securities outside Europe when the target detected there.But this represents no more than 8-10% of the portfolio. For example, I have a line on Mead Johnson, an American company specializing in the infant food because it is an attractive prey for Danone and Nestle, in particular because of its positions in emerging markets.

What are your beliefs about the four areas you are most invested (health, telecommunications, chemicals, petroleum)?

In telecoms we further expect further consolidation of domestic markets as large cross-border transactions. A reconciliation between Telenet and Mobistar France Telecom would thus solve the strategic problems of France Telecom in Belgium. Health, which is a major provider of mergers and acquisitions, should suffer the same fate as laboratories continue to suffer from the rise of generics.Sanofi, which has made more than 8 billion of acquisitions last year, would buy biotech and further diversification. For this, Stada, Shire or Stallergenes are good prey. As for the chemicals and oil, they should see competition from emerging countries, notably China and India grow. SWFs should also be present, but more on that equity takeovers.

What about bank stocks? The sector is expected to undergo further restructuring, and Societe Generale would be again at the heart of debates.

For bank stocks, is a question of timing. From 1997 to 2000, banks were in second position on the market for mergers and acquisitions behind telecoms. Similarly between 2003 and 2007 but this time behind the property.I do not see them go top of the list before 2011, because of uncertainty about Basel 3. They should instead carry out asset sales as a first step. Regarding Societe Generale, which could at some point the desire to attract a European rival. In this case, a French white knight would come to her rescue (including BNP Paribas).

Why do not you invested in the car?

I am not invested in this sector because the European players are more predators than prey. Peugeot and Volkswagen are currently taking stakes in Asia for example.And anyway, it is better to invest on groups whose fundamentals are attractive, which is often not the case of the automobile.

On what themes you bet?

The race to growth lies in emerging countries will also be one of the most important theme in 2010-2011. We see particular for Kraft, who has not bought Cadbury confectionery in the UK, but to gain strategic positions in emerging markets. Sanofi has just acquired a vaccine manufacturer in India, and continues to build in China by 2020 40.000 new hospitals should be built, and 90% of the population should receive special protection. Others include Vivendi, which acquired the Brazilian GVT or Heineken has acquired the activities of the Mexican brewer Femsa to 7.6 billion dollars.An offer of GDF International Power also has a sense of perspective in particular geographical synergy in the Middle East.

What are your plans for 2010?

Now that the means of external growth are met, the operations will be resumed. 2010 marks the return of mergers and acquisitions, ie the beginning of the wave. This does not mean that we will experience a bubble market and we'll find the record levels of 2007. But clearly there is potential to find a standardized level. We nevertheless believe that large transactions will only be until the second half of 2010.We should save up 15% to 20% in 2010, the market for mergers and acquisitions.

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"The repositioning of Greece at A2 level reflects both the very limited risk of a liquidity crisis in the short term and other credit risk in the medium and long term," Moody's justified. Indeed, "risk long term has been partially offset by the government's announcement" last week on the austerity budget.

Reviews of Moody's moderates have tended to reassure markets that apparently he had built a stronger degradation of the Greek notes. The Athens Stock Exchange returning 2.96% in early morning.The interest rate on bonds over 10 years of Greek Treasury bills were even lower, at 5.734% against 5.955%.

Following the announcement by Moody's notes on the Greek, Tuesday morning, the euro hovered around $ 1.43. "The euro is being undermined by the widening spreads (difference between interest rates, Ed) on yields of government bonds in the euro area," observed Friday in a note economists at BNP Paribas.

The difference between the interest rate applied to Greek government bonds to ten years and the German Bund, benchmark euro area widened to 250 basis points, or 2.5 percentage points, recent weeks.

Plan rigor

The Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, presented last week a fiscal austerity plan to leave public finances slump. The stated objective is to reduce the deficit to 4%.Greece is facing a deficit estimated for 2009 to 12.7% and a debt that represents 113% of GDP.

Moody's remains reserved about the effects of the government plan. "The long term rating of Greece will depend on how the public will accept these measures and the government's ability to implement them vigorously," the agency analysis. However, "neither of these points can not be taken for granted."

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