Aug 9




If this is not a government program or a setting under the supervision of Italy is like. Friday, Jean-Claude Trichet and his designated successor Mario Draghi sent a joint letter to Silvio Berlusconi stating the conditions set by the ECB to the acquisition of Italian government securities on the secondary market. Conditions detailed binding, behind which one can read the label of the current governor of the Bank of Italy, future boss of the ECB. The letter should have remained secret: the Corriere della Sera reported Monday morning, after the Executive Board of the central bank in the euro area, which has long balked at the reluctance of German and Dutch governors, gave the green light to purchases of securities in Italy and Spain.

Roadmap drastic

The ECB seems to blame the previous plans of Silvio Berlusconi to be inadequate, too general, too spread out over time.As she raises her conditions. First, she asked Silvio Berlusconi to proceed by order, immediately applicable, not Bill (DDL), that Parliament is still time to approve. It then lists the reforms it expects Italy. In terms of privatization, she cites municipal corporations (public transport, roads, electricity supply, with the exception of water which will remain public).

With regard to the Labour Code in force since 1970, the ECB requires to make more flexible the procedures for dismissal and to focus on agreements in companies with sectoral agreements negotiated at the national level. This is a crucial point: Sergio Marchionne, boss of Fiat, continues to denounce the rigidity of hiring and layoffs.

By asking such requirements, the ECB ventures into unfamiliar ground.But it does not matter to the hawks in Frankfurt to fly to the rescue of Rome by putting huge sums into play if Italy does not comply with a roadmap drastically. Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel pushed in that direction. In their joint statement on Sunday night, they emphasized that the return of Italy to a balanced budget in 2013 was an important "fundamental" for markets and called for "a rapid implementation and complete" the measures announced Friday by Silvio Berlusconi.

This intervention boosted the opposition: "What we really require the ECB and the international institutions? A government powerless now totally discredited and Trust must at least say what the real situation, "said the press head of the Democratic Party, Pierluigi Bersani.As for the former European Commissioner Mario Monti, he now believes that Italy is governed by a "foreign Podesta."

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Jul 12




At the close, the Nikkei 225 index of blue chips lost 143.61 points to 9925.92 points, passing below the 10,000 points that he had passed last week for the first time in two months. The broader Topix index of all titles of the first table dropped 12.97 points (1.49%) to 857.19 points. The activity was quite low, with 1.83 billion shares traded on the market first.

"We must be on alert about debt problems in Europe, even more than before," said Yutaka Yoshii, fund manager at Mito Securities, quoted by Dow Jones Newswires.

European stock markets fell Monday, weighed down by the mistrust of the market vis-à-vis Italian and Spanish bonds have reached record levels, respectively more than 5% and 6%.After eight and a half hour crisis meeting in Brussels, the finance ministers of the euro area published in the late afternoon a statement intended to reassure markets about the soundness of financial support measures to the most indebted countries.

But the euro has remained on the defensive Tuesday in Asia, quoting 1.3961 dollars Tuesday shortly before 8 o'clock, against 1.4029 dollars on Monday in 23 hours. He also declined vis-à-vis the yen at 111.90 yen against 112.61 yen.

This weakness of the single European currency is bad news for Japanese groups engaged in Europe, because it reduces the value of their income from the Old World when converted into yen. The shares of Japanese exporters groups have therefore lost ground.

Jul 6




Investors have a sharp tongue this morning at the Paris Bourse to the Sodexo. The title of specialist catering opened sharply lower on Tuesday (-0.93% to 53.45 euros), thus one of the largest declines in the SBF 120. Figures released this morning before market had, however, is appealing. In the first nine months of its fiscal year 2010-2011 (ending August 31), the turnover number two worldwide in its sector has in fact increased by 7.7% to 12.408 billion euros. On a comparable basis, sales advanced 5.2% between September 2010 and May 2011.

Confirm what the goal of organic growth of 4.5% of its annual turnover from 2010 to 2011 (target statement in April) and operating profit up "order" 10% off effects.

In a statement released this morning, management also details the performance by division.On the side of its core business, sales service solutions on site (catering services, 95% of the activity), billings were up 5.1% organically, driven by the strong performance of the restoration and services to businesses and governments. "This reflects the dynamism of emerging countries Sodexo," also details the statement said.

Latin America driving growth

As for solutions motivations (gift vouchers, tickets restaurants), there is also a dynamic steady, with sales up 6.2% organically, to 532 million euros. Again, the emerging regions have driven growth, including Latin America, where activity jumped 13.7% of the activity against a withdrawal of 0.9% in Europe.For example, Sodexo won a new contract with the Venezuelan Senate tickets for restaurants, covering 11,150 beneficiaries.

The reaction of the markets this morning is not worrying, investors took some profits after a rise of 13% of the title for four months. More than 18 times earnings estimates for the current fiscal year, the title is rather highly valued, which may also explain the correction on Wednesday.

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Jun 9




Gloomy atmosphere at the Paris Bourse. On Wednesday, the benchmark index in Paris ended sharply down 0.88% to 3837.98 points. Either in the 3850 points, a significant technical threshold, which has not happened since March 18 last. Even bad mood: the London Stock Exchange was down 0.95% at 5808.89 points while in Frankfurt the Dax loose 0.61% to 7060.23 points.

On Tuesday, the benchmark index beyond the Paris Bourse had managed to achieve a small rebound. But since the Fed has made comments that disturb operators, already worried by the weak U.S. economy. In a televised speech in Atlanta, its chairman Ben Bernanke said that economic growth across the Atlantic remained "desperately slow" and that it required the maintenance of a "monetary policy complacency."He said that "growth should recover somewhat in the second half, but remain generally moderate. Delivered just before the close of U.S. markets, the speech was the turning Wall Street into the red. And this morning, Asian stock markets also reacted negatively.

Furthermore, growth of the emerging world should rise from 7.3% in 2010 "to about 6.3% annually from 2011-2013," considers the Bank's global economic forecast published in Washington.

French record trade deficit

In this gloomy atmosphere, the markets will monitor several indicators, mainly European.

– In France, the trade deficit set a record high in April to 7.14 billion euros, against 5.91 billion in March, seasonally adjusted data, the Customs said Wednesday.Moreover, the deficit of state budget stood at 61.4 billion euros in late April against 56.2 billion a year earlier, according to data released Wednesday by the Budget Ministry.

– In Germany, exports fell 5.5% in April on a month and imports by 2.5% over the same period, according to preliminary data adjusted for seasonal and calendar published Wednesday by the Federal Statistics Office . Other bad news, industrial production in Germany fell 0.6% in April on a month, its first decline since December, after rising 1.2% in March, said Wednesday the Department of Economics.

– Economic growth of countries in the euro area was well brought up to 0.8% in the first quarter from the previous quarter, Eurostat said.In one year, growth was also confirmed at 2.5%.

– U.S. stocks of crude oil dropped ten times more than expected last week in the U.S., but gasoline inventories rose sharply, according to figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Energy. Then 20 hours, the Fed will deliver the findings of its Beige Book.

Side currency, the euro lost ground against the dollar Wednesday after being around $ 1.47 the day before. To 17 hours in Paris, the single European currency traded at 1.4575 dollars against 1.4688 dollars late Tuesday. Oil prices were, themselves, without direction in electronic trading in Asia in anticipation of an OPEC meeting in Vienna in the day that might decide to increase production.A barrel of light sweet crude for July delivery took 7 cents 99.16 dollars while that of Brent North Sea crude for delivery same retreated 48 cents to 116.30 dollars.

Banks still abused

No value of the CAC 40 is in the green at closing. On the SBF 120, Groupe Eurotunnel rises of 0.88%. The operator of the Channel Tunnel has won the tender launched by the great seaport of Bordeaux to determine the particular conditions of access to the network of railways, said on Tuesday a statement from the group.Saft rises of 0.80%, HSBC rose to overweight on the title.

Back on the Cac 40, Alcatel-Lucent shows the largest decrease: -3.26% to 3.65 euros.

Sanofi Aventis, valued for his defensive forward timidly from 0.17% to 52.33 euros.

Banks are generally downward: Natixis (-2.07% to 3.50 euros), Societe Generale (-1.39% to 39.79 euros) and BNP Paribas (-0.82% to 52.21 euros ) undergo further profit taking.

PPR: -1.67% to 115.15 euros

The group announced it is extending its takeover offer for the American Volcom until June 16

Hermes: +0.08% to 187.80 euros, LVMH: -1.11% to 116.30 euros

The group returns to its highest in October 2010 and outperformed the other lasting values ​​of luxury in favor of speculation about a takeover at the end of the saddle by LVMH, which already owns more than 20% of a group supported by sustained growth .

Schneider Electric: -1.34% to 110.70 euros

The authority of U.S. markets, the SEC filed a complaint for insider trading around the offer of French Schneider Electric on the Spanish Telvent. According to a warning issued Tuesday on the website of the SEC, this crime would have allowed the authors to make a profit of about $ 475,000 in total through the sale of option contracts Telvent acquired before the announcement of massive Schneider's offer.

Renault: -2.20% to 36.72 euros

The decision of the Court of Appeal of Versailles on the possible recognition as an occupational accident suicide in February 2007, Raymond D, employee Technocentre Renault in Guyancourt (Yvelines), is expected Thursday.The suicide of Raymond D was the third employee of the Technocentre in the space of four months between late 2006 and early 2007.

Belvedere: stable at 61.48 euros

After the decision of the Court of Appeal of Dijon, on Tuesday to confirm the cancellation of the safeguard procedure, the band announced that it "remains open to an agreement with its main creditors in the run to finish with a conflict that has lasted too long. "

BioAlliance: + 1.78% to 6.30 euros

The group wants to create a commercial structure for selling online in Europe's orphan drugs in oncology while pursuing its strategy of licensing agreements for its specialty products.

NYSE Euronext: -0.54% to 24.06 euros

NYSE and Deutsche Börse have announced a special dividend of 2 euros per share for shareholders of the combined group

GDF Suez: -0.49% to 24.43 euros

Group CEO, Gerard Mestrallet, warned Tuesday against Montreal seduction exerted excessive public opinion renewables, noting in particular the high cost of wind power."These are intermittent energy sources that will require large reserve capacity, which will be based on natural gas because of the ease of use of gas turbines," he told the International Economic Forum of the Americas.

Total: -0.20% to 38.21 euros

The U.S. manufacturer SunPower solar panels, partial target of a takeover of French Total, raised its forecast Tuesday quarterly revenue but warned that its margins could suffer from falling prices.

Next recommendation, after Exane BNP Paris yesterday, Credit Suisse rose to "outperform" on the title Michelin (-0.14% to 63.70 euros).

Please note that Air France-KLM will unveil its traffic in May after-hours trading. Valeo and Sopra hold their general meetings and Gifi publish the results of its second quarter after market close.

May 31




The 55 new trains duplex 3G will go quietly into the fleet of the station which already has 488. Outwardly, nothing distinguishes them from their elders also manufactured by Alstom and the delivery of which ranged between 2005 and 2011.

Inside, very slight innovations have been introduced: two screens are placed in each car to provide practical information (time, stations traveled, speed of the train …). The aisle is wider for the movement of disabled people. Seat reservations are displayed on small digital displays. Surprisingly, the SNCF seeks to preserve the same framework to avoid disturbing passengers … But according to the technicians of the station, trains are quieter and less pitching than older ones.They are also equipped with pre-wiring that will install a video system protection.

Yet, the president of the SNCF did not hesitate on Monday at a ceremony to talk about a new "weapon of European conquest." It is true that the Euro Duplex – it's his nickname – is the only way to travel in Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Spain through its signaling system that will work on different networks and thanks to its compatibility with electrical equipment.

The new TGV will run on the network Rhine Rhone which the Strasbourg-Lyon is inaugurated in December. They also conduct trips between Marseilles and Frankfurt. Gradually, as they are delivered (9 in 2011, 15 in 2012, 11 in 2013, both in 2014 and 7 in 2015), the TGV also serve Spain."We currently have nearly 50% share of European market for high speed, said Guillaume Pepy, SNCF's boss. Today, the challenge is to keep them. "

The overall cost of this order placed in 2007 amounted to 1.6 billion euros, or about 28 million per train. Something to keep Alstom workshops while a European social movement was launched Monday in the various European sites of the Alstom Group. Germany, Spain and Italy are particularly affected by a plan to eliminate positions from 1300 to 1400 in the transportation division.

May 21




Greece must provide more work and results, said the French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, who put pressure on Athens in an interview with Austrian daily Der Standard to be released this Saturday.

"Greece must deliver results and why the country must do more than during the last twelve months," said Christine Lagarde, whose name is mentioned as a successor to Dominique Strauss-Kahn to head the IMF.

Asked about her refusal of any debt restructuring, Christine Lagarde said: "We already gave Athens more time to repay its loans in the euro area is already a concession." He continued: "It is legitimate that we expected that Greece will make its share of work."

"We do not want a state of bankruptcy"

The French Minister of Economy recognizes that the Greek government has done things, "but there are still areas where things are moving too slowly", referring to privatizations. "Either Greece delivers results, then we can imagine additional help.Otherwise there is the question of how Greece is ready to play the game for its own bailout, "said ministre.Et further emphasized:" What we certainly do not want, c 'is a state of bankruptcy, a default in Europe ..

While the Greek Government discusses the rise in unemployment generated by the austerity plan, the minister reminded the unemployment rate in Spain, according to her superior to that of Greece, but where "the country still does its job, saved and managed to turn around. "

Challenge to implement a program

The rating agency Fitch, meanwhile, lowered on Friday noted the long-term debt of Greece to three notches. This is a new blow to Athens which also saw its borrowing costs on market reached a new record.Fitch lowered the rating of BB + Greek + to B, referring to the "challenge" for Greece that is the "implementation of a program of structural reform and radical tax necessary to ensure the solvency of the state and the foundations of sustained economic recovery "in the country.

"New fiscal austerity measures are necessary" to achieve that Greece's budget deficit target of 7.5% of GDP in 2011, said Fitch. The agency suggests including poor tax revenues and difficulties in implementing a privatization program.

Greece also saw its cost of borrowing on the markets at a record Friday, the rate of its ten-year bonds exceeding 16.7%. Sign that investors fear that Greece is not able to honor its debts.

The Greek prime minister said his country would repay its entire debt."We will refund the loans," said George Papandreou, whose country was granted last year a plan to help the EU and the IMF amounting to 110 billion euros to avoid it default.

But many observers believe that Greece will avoid a major restructuring of its debt, meaning pay creditors later or less than expected. But the European Central Bank precludes this scenario.

In the wake of Fitch, another rating agency S & P has for its part lowered by one notch the rating of the long-term debt of the Crédit Agricole to 'A +' cons 'AA-' before, because of its exposure Greece."We believe that the French banking group Credit Agricole is particularly prone in Greece, because of the issue of solvency and the economic outlook" of the country, particularly through its subsidiary Emporiki, S & P said in a statement.

(With Agencies)

May 13




The NYSE playing yoyo on Thursday. After starting down (-0.20% for the Dow Jones), the indices reflected the upward path. About 20 hours in Paris, the Dow Jones gained 0.48% at 12,691 points, the Nasdaq is 0.56% at 2861 points and the S & P advance of 0.51% to 1349 points.

This return is in the green at the same time as the rise in oil prices. The latter, who had also opened lower at 96.96 dollars, recovered after a sharp color correction yesterday. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, the price rises to $ 99.

Caution remains formatting: "Concerns about Europe and the debt crisis with the International Monetary Fund warning of a risk of contagion from the situation in Greece, indicators Chinese earlier this week, The warning from the International Energy Agency on oil demand, it all comes out at once and shower market, "said Phil Flynn of PFG Best Research.

Greece worries

The fiscal situation in Greece still disturbs the meeting. Thousands of Greeks have shown Wednesday, the day of general strike against austerity measures and privatizations decided by the government that seeks new international aid to avoid a debt restructuring of the country.

In the wake of these events, the euro fell sharply against the greenback, falling below $ 1.42 Wednesday. But about 20 hours, the single currency rises.The euro bought 1.4266 dollars at that time against 1.4193 dollars late Wednesday.

Retail sales and producer prices

On the macroeconomic front, retail sales rose slightly less than expected in April in the U.S. (+0.5% against 0.6%), posting their smallest increase in nine months as rising prices Food and fuel accounts for household spending.The producer prices have increased them by 0.8% in April according to figures released Thursday by the Labor Department, more than expected by analysts who had forecast 0.5%.

New jobless claims fell to 434,000 during the first week of May, according to figures released Thursday by the Labor Department, down nearly equal to the unexpected increase in the previous week.

Finally, business inventories rose more than expected in March, while sales posted their largest gain in a year, suggesting that first-quarter GDP will be revised upward, said Thursday the Commerce Department.Inventories rose 1.0% to 1.476 billion dollars, its highest level since November 2008, while economists polled by Reuters had waited an increase of 0.8%.

The side of values

The oil companies, heavyweights rating penalized yesterday by falling prices, contributing to their rise on Thursday. Thus, Chevron gained 0.66% to 102.936 dollars and ExxonMobil up from 0.38% to 81.43 dollars.

Cisco has unveiled for the fourth quarter of 2010/2011 a turnover of 1.67 billion, up 9% and net profits tax of 168 million dollars against 184 million last year. For the current quarter, the software company believes that business prospects are mixed and the current quarter will be "low" according to the leaders. The title loses 6.02% to 16.72 dollars.

The publisher of security software and antivirus software, Symantec (3.40 to 20.07 dollars) has announced earnings per share of 38 cents against 36 cents expected by analysts, and a turnover of 1 , 67 billion also exceeded expectations of analysts who had forecast $ 1.6 billion.

Google Internet group (-0.80% to 531.15 U.S. dollars) will launch next month the first computers using its new operating system chrome, representing a total challenge to the business model of Microsoft with its Windows system.These computers manufactured by Acer and Samsung, will have the distinction of having the browser Chrome only software preinstalled.

The U.S. internet group Yahoo! (-1.51% To 16.95 dolars) is still buffeted stock exchange after revealing that a subsidiary of the Chinese payment service online Alibaba Group, where he has a major stake, was passed under the control of boss Jack Ma of Alibaba

The rating agency Standard and Poor's said Wednesday evening that she fell a notch to "BBB", the note of U.S. chemicals group Dow Chemical (-1.23% to 38.52 U.S. dollars) with a stable outlook, due to the progress of its results and its prospects for debt reduction.

Also note, the leaders of telecom operators AT & T and T-Mobile (+0.13% to 31.42 dollars) clashed Wednesday night on U.S. lawmakers skeptical of their merger at $ 39 billion, announced in March . "Now four companies control nearly 90% of the national market of mobile telephony," said Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy. He called the competition authorities and Communications to conduct an extensive review of the transaction.

May 10




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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Apr 30




The purchase marks the final small-flowered happens next June 30th. But in his interview in The Tribunevendredi, president of Yoplait Lucien Fa remains confident about its future within the group. It would even be based on General Mills, the future owner of the French brand, to expand abroad, especially in emerging countries. Said Lucien Fa are even willing to adjust the income and price to new consumers. "Dairy products are among the few categories of food products in real growth in these countries because, in addition to the taste and the health aspect, they are convenient to use and relatively cheap," said Lucien Fa

Yet General Mills, is not well known on the international market, carrying nearly 80% of its business in North America.But that does not worry the president of Yoplait, convinced that the American group did not have a good vision of the international market. "The interest of General Mills is to keep the factories in France and the research center, even to consider deploying more in the world," said Lucien Fa La Tribune totally free credit score.

Direct competition with Danone

The president of Yoplait also said to be reducing the gap between brand (7% global market yoghurt) Group Danone, the world leader (21%). "The Chinese have moved from a consumption of 0.3 to 2 kg per capita per year in ten years, while the French consume 35 kilograms, imagine the potential!" He added.

At the general meeting of shareholders on Thursday, Danone CEO Franck Riboud also addressed the question of redemption of its direct competitor by the group General Mills."This operation does not change anything because we were competing in every country in the world with these two actors," he said, noting that General Mills has been the franchise of Yoplait USA.

Apr 22




Without the mastery of numbers and salaries of civil servants, France can not stabilize, as it promised in Brussels on government spending until 2014. And for one simple reason: staff costs (salaries and fringe benefits) account for 31% of the state budget, excluding debt service charges and pensions.

The government is obviously aware of the issue. That is why the index point, which is the basis for calculating the remuneration of officials, will be frozen in 2012 after having been in 2011. In fact, every increase of 1% of item cost 900 million to the state. In addition, the non-replacement of staff on two retiring will continue, with the key to some 30,000 job cuts per year.Bercy hopes to reduce the state payroll, $ 82.7 billion in 2011 to 81,700,000,000 in 2013.

Too many bonuses repaid

This is not the opinion of the Court of Auditors. In a report published in the fall, the judges of the Rue Cambon noted that despite the job cuts, "payrolls increased an additional 1% annually in recent years." Worse, in 2009, staff costs were up 500 million that they were included in the original budget. In 2010, the slippage would be 532 million according to the report by Gilles Carrez, the UMP rapporteur of the budget to the Assembly on the last supplementary budget of 2010.Finally, to stabilize personnel costs, the Court therefore considers that a more bitter potion is needed, made of a gel point here until 2013 and included a strict framework of the "categorical returns, even their reduction after 2013 guaranteed approval cash loans.

It is here that things are fishing, according to the Court. Normally, the state must redistribute to officials 50% of savings from job cuts. Thus, in 2009, the 860 million of gains a "two" would generate 430 million due to the redistribution agents. "But the handover was in fact rather the order of 700 million in 2009," wrote the Court of Auditors. Some departments have been too generous, others, like the National Education should pay more overtime than expected."In 2010, the Department of Defense would have surrendered 63% savings, that 68.7% of the Economy and the Interior Ministry has spent more than it has saved," said one expert on the issue.

At Bercy, we challenged this analysis: "The Court includes in its calculations of the elements that are not" categorical return "but that emerge from our policy of individualisation of pay." It is estimated that the slippage of the payroll is due only one error in forecasting retirements. Fewer starts, it's more wages to pay and return categorical overrate. "The departures in 2010 were 12% lower than forecast. But in 2011, they are hasse, "says one at Bercy.Time will tell which of the Court of Auditors or the Government, is right …

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