Sundial of world news

With the boom in smartphones, iPhone in mind, insurers are facing a surge of claims. "All insurance plans for mobile phone are deficient because of the iPhone," said one trader. "We are facing both an increase in claims frequency and higher average cost of claims. All this weighs on the technical results, "says Catherine Lanson, communications director of SPB, broker manager at France's leading insurance mobile and handheld products.

On smartphones losses reach 35% against 20% on standard phones. As the average cost, it has doubled from 300 to 600 euros. "Besides the iPhone is over-represented in the portfolio of insurers with respect to its actual weight on the market as it is expensive, it is more fragile and he steals, consumers are more likely to sure, "says Catherine Lanson."Currently, 80 to 90% of claims relate to smartphones," says Anne-Laure Commault, director of mobile offerings from Orange.

Fragile

The case is the main source of complaints: it represents two thirds of claims against a third flight. All operators, claims related to breakage cost 400,000 euros and 200,000 euros for the flight. More fragile than previous generations of mobile clamshell or slider, smartphones with their large touch screen does not forgive the fall or landing in the toilet. This is the case of the iPhone 3 and the iPhone 3G, whose screen break if dropped on the pavement without protection payday loan lenders.Apple has taken this into account on the iPhone 4, where he worked the robustness of the screen.

Today, 6 million French people have provided their mobile phones: 4 million have taken insurance directly from their operator, 500 000 are insured through their bank, and $ 1.5 million through specialized distribution or retail. The rate of insured, reduced to 60 million mobile users, remains low but is rising sharply.

30 to 130 euros per year

Insuring your smartphone costs from 30 to 130 euros per year. Operators and insurers all offer forms for 3 euros, 6 euros or 9 euros per month, depending on the reimbursement ceiling. Despite the explosion of claims, they do not include higher insurance premiums. They rely instead on technological advances that help block mobile in case of theft, making it useless.On breaks, they play a tougher enforcement of the contract. Mostly, they try to stop fraud, which, estimated between 20% and 25% is huge. "Coincidentally, we note the real peaks of claims before the release of a new generation of iPhone," says Catherine Lanson. Insurers are now replacing broken or stolen laptops with identical phones reconditioned. One way to deter misrepresentation!

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The markets took fright on Friday night after a new European cacophony. Greece had threatened to leave the euro in discussions with the European Commission, reports the website of German magazine Der Spiegel quoted a government source in Berlin. The major European capitals have refuted this information.

"These items are a challenge, undermine the effort of Greece and the euro and serve speculative games," said the Greek finance ministry said in a statement. "We did not discuss output of Greece in the euro area, we all think it would be a stupid option," added the president of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker. "The assumption of an outflow of Greece to the euro area is completely fanciful", also assured Bercy.

Despite denials by the French, German and Greek, the single currency accelerated its decline against the dollar.Friday night shortly before 22:30, the euro lost nearly 1.4% to 1.4338 dollar. Rumor sign a new stage, and this information is disturbing. It is not surprising that the euro will weaken, "said one analyst at a U.S. bank. At the same time, the cost of insurance against a collapse of the Greek debt ("Credit default swaps, or CDS) jumped from 74 basis points to a record 1,370 basis points, according to Markit.

Meeting in Luxembourg

An emergency meeting, was held between some finance ministers from the eurozone. Jean-Claude Juncker as a German government source quoted by AFP on Saturday, it was denied solely on Greece.

"These are meetings that take place at irregular intervals, and mainly" the members of the euro area as the G20, such as France, Germany and Italy, the source said German.It argues, the discussions covered a wide variety of topics, including the regulation of financial markets, with Portugal, but also the financial situation of Greece. The Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou also confirmed to have attended the meeting Friday.

A debt restructuring envisaged Greek

According to the Greek press on Saturday, new support measures have been studied. The financial daily Naftemboriki referred to the lengthening of bonds maturing this year and in 2012, leaving Greece a breather. According to another newspaper, Kathimerini, the objectives of reducing the public deficit could also be pushed back two to four years, or interest rates in exchange for an extended break of two years, during which the country does not pay interest.

Contradictory statements are troubling indeed the euro area in recent weeks about a possible debt restructuring Greek. Lars Feld, one of economic advisers to Angela Merkel, considered by example on Sunday that the restructuring is "the only way forward so that Greece is a little relieved that creditors and help to solve the Greek problem." Jean-Claude Juncker for his part assured that this option had been ruled Friday. While stating that the possibility of a new adjustment program would be discussed at the next meeting of the Eurogroup on 16 May.

Each has experienced: it is always extremely difficult to move from average to a respectable level of excellence, whether you are a pianist or a tennis player. The same is true for nations attain the status of "rich country" is not a foregone conclusion. Even when recording a growth of 10% per annum, and for three decades, which has enabled the Chinese to multiply their individual standard of living in a little over a generation.

Economic development is certainly not an exact science, but the trees do not ascend to heaven. Even in the jungle of state capitalism. There is no example in history where the growing disheveled inflected not only from a certain stage.By examining the career of some forty countries since the Second World War, Barry Eichengreen, Donghyun Kwanho Shin Park and discovered that the expansion slows inexorably past the threshold of 16,740 dollars to the GDP (gross domestic product) per capita. Anxious to establish historical comparisons, the three economists have reduced all data in constant currency (dollars at 2005 prices). Their study is published by the NBER (When Fast Growing Economies Slow Down: International Evidence and Implications for China).

This law, the French and their European neighbors have suffered in the early 1970s. In France, 1973 has been the hinge, GDP individual having reached 16,904 dollars. Over the past seven years – the reign of De Gaulle and Pompidou – per capita growth was galloping at a rate of 4.6%.She fell to 2.2% during the seven-year following that of Valery Giscard d'Estaing, a decrease of 2.4% of scheme. The United States had known since 1968 a reversal of the same nature and magnitude slightly higher (2.5%, according to calculations by three economists).

This break in France coincided with the first oil shock, which our countrymen seem to have still not delivered. Since then, it has ceased to lament the state of "crisis". The French have not realized that they had recently experienced a "golden age a quarter century of rapid growth inaugurated by the Marshall Plan and the postwar recovery," said Barry Eichengreen and his two confreres . Fourastie what John called the "Thirty Glorious Years".

China has a number of vulnerabilities

The scenario is in reality always the same: the reconstruction periods are marked by exceptional productivity gains.They do not constitute a sustainable standard. Farmworkers become industrial country imports the new technologies which increase its effectiveness. But once this revenue exhausted, we must innovate and find other vectors of prosperity. Furthermore the threshold of 16,740 dollars, the three economists put forward another concept: things become more difficult when a country obtains a level equivalent to 57% of GDP in the most advanced economy, one that portrays "on the technological frontier "(the United States in this case).

For its part, China still seems quite distant from these two criteria, especially the second (the Chinese GDP was only 19.7% that of the U.S. in 2007). But should it maintain its annual rate of 10%, it would affect the level of fateful 16,740 dollars per capita in 2014. The danger zone is reached in just three years.Barry Eichengreen prognostic so that "a significant slowdown in Chinese growth is imminent."

It is even more positive that China presents to him a number of vulnerabilities, making the course more difficult to cross than others. The observation of the forty countries studied shows that the transition is particularly difficult for a country to an authoritarian political regime, the industrial workforce is over 20% of the workforce and has a weak currency. Korea offers the previous "one centered on manufacturing exports and helped by an undervalued currency, with a consequent sharp fall in its expansion in the 1990s, culminating in the 1997 financial crisis.

Brazil is a land of opportunity

The study envisages a significant shift for China's annual growth would average between 6.1% and 7% over the decade, and would fall another notch (5% to 6.2% between 2021 and 2030 ). Barry Eichengreen believes that "Chinese authorities are convinced that a slowdown will intervene." Beijing seems sincere when he sets a target of 7% annual growth for the five-year plan 2011-2015.

The new emphasis on domestic demand and services, instead of all bet on the industry and export, is designed to circumvent the curse that threatens the country catch up. Many of them never get out of the "middle income trap" (around 16,500 dollars) for lack of a successful transformation.What they think the French have managed to "obtain the status of high-income countries" and since 1973 the GDP per capita has more than doubled. However, this is not the case in Latin America, said Barry Eichengreen. "Brazil is a country of the future and will remain" in the words attributed to General de Gaulle in the 1960s.

The return of the long weekend of Easter is prudence in the Paris Bourse. Closed since Friday, the latter has only indication for a mixed close on Wall Street Monday and wait very pronounced in Asia on Tuesday morning. The Cac 40, which had just managed to stay above the figure of 4,000 points on Thursday, started on a slight decline from 0.19% to 4014.29 points. But the trend was reversed in late morning. A trend that has strengthened over the meeting, the Cac 40 ended the session on a gain of 0.55% to 4045.29 points.

Even movement on other European markets: the London Stock Exchange up 0.83% to 6068.06 points and the German Dax-30 rose 0.85% to 7357.40 points.

Publications Burst

As expected, the meeting was very volatile, while many major publications are expected in the United States.The Case-Shiller housing index fell further in February (-1.1%) compared to January, its eighth consecutive month of decline, and also shows a decline of 3.3% compared to February 2010 . Analysts polled by Reuters on average expected a decline of 1.0% a month on another after -1.1% in January (revised from -1.0%), and 3.3% of year to year. Conversely, the consumer sentiment starts again from the front, but off its sharp drop the previous month.

On Wednesday, markets will pay close attention to durable goods orders and especially the Fed decision on rates. Thursday will be marked by the first estimate of U.S. GDP in the first quarter, while Friday is expected the Chicago PMI.

Side business publications, many American trucks reveal their quarterly earnings, including 3M, Amazon, Ford, Microsoft, or Caterpillar.The French will not be left with, among others, Renault, Seb, Klepierre, Bull, Safran, Saint Gobain and Total.

Side currency, the euro lost ground against the dollar on Tuesday. By late morning in Paris, the euro bought 1.4609 dollars against 1.4572 dollars late Monday.For their part, oil prices retreated in Asian electronic trading, a barrel of light sweet crude for June delivery lost 91 cents to 111.37 dollars and that of Brent North Sea falling by 66 cents to 123 dollars.

Air Liquide is better than expected

Michelin: + 5.10% to 66.95 euros (largest increase in the ACC)

The group said Thursday it would raise its target volume growth throughout the year if sales continue at levels experienced in the first quarter, which was marked by a turnover in excess of expectations.

Renault: + 2.72% to 39.44 euros

Nissan, the partner of the manufacturer, said Tuesday that its production in Japan would fall by nearly 60% in April 2011 over April 2010.Moreover, the South Korean affiliate of French (Renault Samsung) and Hyundai Motor will recall over 100,000 vehicles because of manufacturing defects, said Monday the Department of Transportation in Seoul.

Despite these announcements, the manufacturer is among the highest increases in the CAC 40.Peugeot is also well oriented with a gain of 3.96% to 30.34 euros.

Areva unchanged at 31.05 euros, GDF Suez: + 0.63% to 27.32 euros

Both groups must announce within weeks a partnership in offshore wind to meet a tender of 10 billion euros to be launched in France in May, reported Tuesday the daily Les Echos.

Saffron: + 1.83% to 24.49 euros

Six years after the founding merger between Snecma and Sagem, Safran Thursday changed its governance to return to a traditional organization, the Chief Executive Jean-Paul Herteman becoming CEO

Air Liquide: + 0.50% to 98.39 euros

The group announced Tuesday a turnover of more than-expected first quarter and confirmed its forecast an increase in net profit this year.World number one industrial gas produced a quarterly revenue of 3.543 billion euros, up 8.8% excluding currency and natural gas.The only gas and services division posted growth of 11.4% on a comparable basis to 3.185 billion.

Technip: + 0.52% to 76.80 euros

The group won, through its subsidiary, KTI, a contract for ten superheated steam generators for the first phase of an oil sands project in Canada.

Scor: + 1.98% to 19.80 euros

The French reinsurer acquired Transamerica Re, the U.S. division of the business mortality Dutch insurer Aegon, for 630 million euros, becoming the second life reinsurer in the U.S., according to a statement.

Eurazeo: -0.26% to 56.65 euros, OFI Private Equity Capital: 12.91% + 10.41 EUR

The investment company said Tuesday the acquisition for 132 million euros of OFI Private Equity Capital, an investment company that specializes in French SMEs currently controlled by the mutual insurance group Macif.

Biomerieux: + 0.37% to 73.56 euros

The group published a turnover up 3.5% in the first quarter.

Valeo: 1.61% to 42.36 euros

The group said Thursday sales rose sharply in the first quarter and said he was confident he will continue to grow faster than the market in 2011, but did not detail his ambitions for the full year.

ADP: + 0.46% to 63.64 euros

The group said they had been exploring the possible sale of the control group Alyzia specialized in ground handling operations for airlines and airport security.

First A380 to Montreal

Air France-KLM: + 1.17% to 11.63 euros

The first Airbus A380 carrying the scheduled Air France between Paris and Montreal landed Friday at the PE airportMontreal Trudeau.

Europacorp: – 8.17% to 4.37 euros

The group has once again launched Thursday a warning on its results 2010-2011, warning that the expected loss for the year would be greater than those anticipated by the market, partly because of new provisions.

L'Oreal: -0.02% to 85.66 euros

The general meeting of shareholders on Friday renewed almost unanimously the appointment as director of the heiress Liliane Bettencourt group, 88 years, for a period of four years.

The U.S. stock market should open up on Wednesday. Futures on Standard Poor's 500 and Nasdaq 100 advanced in effect respectively from 1.14% to 1323.50 points and 2336.50 points to 1.10%. Tuesday, despite a warning issued recently in the United States on sovereign debt, the New York Stock Exchange was closed in the green. The market had been carried by a handful of positive indicators, including the rebound number of building permits granted and housing starts in the U.S. in March, and earnings above expectations of Goldman Sachs and Johnson & Johnson .The Dow Jones gained 0.53% to 12,266.75 points, the Nasdaq 0.63% to 2306.77 points and the Standard & Poor's 0.57% to 1312 points.

On the foreign exchange market, the single currency rebounded, returning more than $ 1.44 the day after a sharp decline, helped by faster growth in activity in the euro area in April and the success of a Greek bond issue. Around 11:20 in Paris, the euro stood at 1.4477 dollars against 1.4334 dollars late Tuesday.

For his part ounce of gold surpassed $ 1,500. The yellow metal has in fact touched 1,500.70 dollars in Hong Kong Wednesday. His role as a safe intensifies as inflation and pressure on European and American debts are increasing.

On the macroeconomic front, except the American flag on home resales in March, no other figure is expected.However, corporate earnings will continue to lead the market.

Light on the technological

The side of values, the technology sector should indeed be at the party after the right figures published by two American giants, Intel and IBM-have for the first quarter pleasantly surprised investors by announcing better than expected results.World No. microprocessors, Intel has indeed released Tuesday after the close of Wall Street net income up 29% and higher expectations for the first quarter to 3.2 billion, a figure matched business "record" due to strong growth in all sectors.

For its part, the Internet portal américainYahoo! always said Tuesday after closing a marked decline in its profit and its turnover in the first quarter, mainly because of falling revenue from sponsored sites. The benefit of Yahoo has far exceeded analyst expectations of $ 223 million (-28%). The group's turnover fell from 24% to $ 1.24 billion.

Also note, according to Bloomberg, Bank of America (BAC) may split its private equity division estimated at 5 billion.For his part, Polaris Industries (PII) announced the acquisition of Indian Motorcycle for an unspecified amount.

Core Laboratories of his side recorded a first quarter revenue of $ 207 million up 10% over a year and expects a turnover of 215 to 220 million dollars for the second quarter.

CSX Corp. has announced first quarter earnings of $ 1.06 per share up 36% over a year and a turnover of 2.8 billion up 13%.

Juniper Networks also unveiled for the first quarter earnings per share of $ 0.32 and revenue of $ 1.1 billion up 21% year on year.For the current quarter, Juniper visa earnings per share 0.31 to $ 0.34 and sales from 1.13 to 1.18 billion dollars.

NRG Energy has announced its withdrawal from Phases 3 and 4 of the South Texas Project, and will depreciate its entire investment in Nuclear Innovation North America in the first quarter for $ 481 million before taxes.

Today investors expect another round of quarterly results to Wall Street. They watched figures including United Technologies, AT & T Wells Fargo or American Express.

The growth of the Chinese economy has been stronger than expected between January and March with a gross domestic product (GDP) up 9.7% over the same period last year.

Prices rose 5.4% in the first quarter in China, according to figures released this morning by the National Bureau of Statistics. It is still well above the government target to contain inflation below 4% throughout the year. The central government has stated repeatedly that the price increase is its first priority, recognizing that it could fuel social discontent. Investments in fixed assets have also increased by 25%.

The tightening of Chinese monetary policy does not yet appear to bear fruit.Yesterday, Beijing announced that its foreign exchange reserves had reached 3000 billion, indicating an influx of capital into China, which highlights the inflationary pressure on the country.

The day before, Fan Jianping, an economist with the State Information Center, a think tank close to the Chinese central government, said two new rotations rely on interest rates for the second quarter. Many analysts expected, moreover, is the required reserve ratios of banks after the publication of figures this morning.

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Nespresso, a subsidiary of Nestlé and its competitors are desperate to defend their respective pods. The Swiss Ethical Coffee Company (ECC), the most virulent opponent of Nespresso, and just get the bailiffs seized by the group of several machines in the famous store on the Champs Elysees. This operation, conducted last March 10, also held at the headquarters of Nespresso in Paris at the premises of Magimix at Vincennes, and the headquarters and in local group Seb.

Jean-Paul Gaillard, founder of ECC had preemptively filed patents at the launch of his company in 2009, should "change its Nespresso machines to prevent the use of ECC pods. He now feels that "some technical solutions adopted recently by the Nestlé group could violate some patents.Hence the entry for infringement.

Nestlé confirms the arrival of bailiffs but scans the charges. "It denies all allegations of patent infringement, annoyed the Director General of Nespresso France, Arnaud Deschamps. It permanently alters our machines, our extraction systems to improve the quality of our products, "he says, which does not mean that these changes are aimed to" block a particular competitor. " According to him, he is simply "that their capsules are not compatible."

Complaints against complaint

This latest episode demonstrates the escalating legal, begun in 2010 by Nestlé. Last year, the group assigned to counterfeit the French Casino, supplied by ECC and the American giant Sara Lee with its pod Gold and Swiss discounter Denner, who sells caps stores.A few days ago, at the request of Nestle, the Paris Tribunal has to take 50 capsules of ECC for "patent infringement of the Nespresso system.

Nestle has already suffered two setbacks. The Commercial Court of Zurich and one in St. Gallen dismissed in February and early March the group's complaints in the case Denner. In the daily newspaper of Fribourg, Liberty, Pascal Hottinger, director of Nespresso Switzerland, announces the filing of an appeal to "continue the defense of its intellectual property."

These words were echoes those made by Richard Girardot, director of Nespresso in the Geneva daily Le Temps payday advance. "We are convinced of our good faith," he explained. We conduct different actions against each of them. We do not have all attacked in the same way or on the same subjects. "

Nestlé still live in the 50s "

Search the protection seems to turn an obsession for Nestlé. Nespresso will face the expiration of several key patents in 2012. The group ensures that despite this pressure, no modification of machinery to block the competition is on the agenda. "The option exists. But currently it is not our position. We are not defensive. Our company is focused on innovation and offensive. That is our primary concern today, well beyond issues of patents, "said Richard Girardot.

But Jean-Paul Gaillard, head of the TTC, do not believe in these promises. Interviewed by Swiss television, he does not mince words with respect to a company he headed from 1989 though 1997. Nespresso he accuses of "espionage" and believes that the group is seeking by every means to "preserve its monopoly.What makes me think that Nestle is still alive in the '50s. "

A market too juicy

Verbal exchanges may still be lively among competitors at the height of their respective ambitions. On the one hand, ECC promises to enter the Swiss market in September 2011. "We sold 50 million pods in 2010 and we are aiming between 700 and 800 million capsules in 2011, including about 400 in France. The rest should be sold in Switzerland and Germany, "says Jean-Paul Gaillard. On the other, Nestle wants to spend $ 215 shopping late 2010 to around 250 in late 2011.

Nespresso is to remain a leader in a market growing at 20% in one year, which represents slightly less than 3% of Nestlé's revenue last year with 3 billion Swiss francs (2.3 billion euros) in turnover business gained.The mission will be difficult: early January, United Coffee, announced his intention to go further than the pods by manufacturing machines identical to his.

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The presentation on Wednesday morning, the results of the 2010 Strategic Investment Fund (ISP) gave the feeling of a routine exercise. Increasing equity of 1.3 billion euros, net income – dividends paid by equity – 646 million euros, well oiled speeches on the investment philosophy that seeks to reconcile profitability and serving the public interest . "Our goal is to sublimate all that oxymoron," even started, lyrical, the director general of the Caisse des Depots (CDC) and President of FSI, Augustin de Romanet.

Economic Patriotism

This apparent serenity was not acquired for the young institution. Actually created in December 2008, at the heart of the crisis, the ISP immediately caught many reservations.The presidential ambition to give France a sovereign fund dedicated to the defense of its enterprises in difficulty, while the country has no particular resource for abundance, was initially surprised. Governance complex induced by a shareholding split between the State and the CDC 49% to 51% then fed complex power struggles. Initially, the ISP has been regarded as the Trojan state to influence the CDC. Despite regular friction between representatives of both shareholders, the overall situation has subsided.

"The ISP is based on a governance issue," said Augustine Romanet. This is the only way for the public interest that the fund stands is forfeited no part i. "He responded to the changeover to criticisms of the senators of the majority.The latter had moved last winter that Parliament has no control over the management of the fund's portfolio, and it can not "judge the quality of investments and the criteria."

To withstand various pressures, the ISP must show exemplary results, not so much financial – the fund's portfolio is still too young to measure profitability – industrial cheap pay day loans. And that's where the question thickens. The ISP has set a goal to invest in minority businesses with high growth for a period of long-term to compensate for the lack of private capital.But behind these rational criteria overlap always more political demands of economic patriotism.

Among the key operations of this year include the acquisition and – timely for the vendor Areva – 10.9% in STMicroelectronics and the acquisition of Appolo alongside activities of the former Pechiney. As a result, the U.S. fund holds 51% of the company specializes in aluminum, and the ISP 10%. The alliance between the ISP and Apollo surprised. "It seemed more important to maintain the anchoring of the French company in France, defended himself yesterday Augustine Romanet. On the same front of the media files, are two sides to balance. During the division of Accor and the estate of Jean-François Roverato Eiffage, the ISP has failed to impose its views.

In total, in 2010, the fund has invested in 21 companies directly, bringing to 42 the number of beneficiaries of its capital since its inception. The figure is even greater if one takes into account the fund's satellite ISP. In total, he has made 1.7 billion euros in 2010.

The new CEO since September, Jean-Yves Gilet, an industrialist from ArcelorMittal, wants to accelerate the pace. In 2011, he set three priorities FSI: regional roots, promoting socially responsible investment and participation in development of industrial clusters. "We will look primarily to the famous midsize businesses (ETI). We have identified about 1000 targets. We have already seen 400 and invested in more than thirty of them, "he was welcomed.

Iliad exceeds all market expectations. The provider of Internet access reported on Wednesday a turnover of 313.1 million euros in 2010, up 78% and well above the 288 million consensus estimate of analysts. The EBITDA jumped 20.7% to 798.1 million euros (above the expected 773 million) while sales gained 4.3% to 2.038 billion euros. Free cash flow for the ADSL business has emerged up 33% in 2010 to 435.5 million euros.

The most notable of the past year is the rapid recovery of Alice in restructuring since its acquisition in August 2008 to Telecom Italia.The subsidiary has seen a further erosion of its subscriber base in 2010 (565.000 in 2010 against 678,000 in 2009) and a decrease in sales (-16.7%) but its profitability has improved throughout the exercise in favor of a policy of cost reductions initiated last two years. Alice has contributed positively to EBITDA of up to 83 million euros.

The group will propose a dividend of 0.40 euro per share for 2010, against 0.37 euros for 2009.

Outlook confirmed

Based on these results, Iliad confirmed its objectives for short and medium term. The group, owner of Free, has a cumulative free cash flow of over 1.1 billion euros between 2010 and 2012, including Alice. Turnover is also expected to double by 2015.

Side operational objectives, Iliad expects a coverage of 4 million households in the fiber optic end of 2012 and 100,000 subscribers to fiber optics by the end of the year. The timing of the launch of the mobile offering is also confirmed for next year. The ISP, which just signed a partnership with Orange, plans to cover 27% of the French population with its own network by January 2012.

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It's confirmed. The Figarol'avait as revealed on February 22, gas prices in France will increase by 5% from 1 April. Eric Besson, Minister of Industry and Energy has announced at a press conference on the installation of the National Observatory of fuel poverty that GDF Suez was preparing "to submit to the CRE (Commission for Energy Regulation, Ed) a request to increase gas prices in effect from April 1, "5%" in principle ", he said.

In January, gas prices had been frozen by government decision. These are only three months after the invoice will begin to swell. 10.8 million households connected to natural gas are affected by the bad news. The increase of about 5% represents a premium of around 45 euros for their heating bills. Especially after this increase, the price of gas has taken nearly 20% in one year.On 1 April 2010, he had jumped by 9.7%. Last July, he was again appreciated by 4.7%. This winter, the government had decreed a break.

Rising oil prices reflected

GDF Suez was announced last August the establishment of a new method of calculating gas rates in France, intended to better reflect market prices and had to be applied from 1 January 2011. If the old method of calculation had been used, the increase was 1.7 points higher.

So now, rising oil prices is it better taken into account.Yet in recent weeks, the barrel is trading above 100 dollars and even exceeds $ 110 for several days, as tensions in Libya does not fade and that the risks of contagion Arab revolutions always worried.

Besides gas prices, two other major elements involved in the fixing of prices: the cost of transportation and distribution, on the one hand, and marketing costs (contract management and billing), on the other.In the case of transportation, this element is reviewed annually on 1 April precisely.

These days, the National Housing Federation (NLC), the main tenants' organization, called the return "to a utility power with a state guarantee of rate stability."

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