World Articles

For the government, the record Pechiney has never really been completed. Les Echos on Tuesday unveiled the details of this future recovery in hand, already mentioned several times. Thus, the Strategic Investment Fund (ISP) plans to take 10% stake in this company called Alcan Engineered Products (Alcan EP) since its acquisition by Canada of the same name. This entry would be alongside the U.S. investment fund Apollo would take 51% stake. The remaining 39% remain in the hands of current owner, Rio Tinto, which acquired Alcan in 2007.

Apollo and the ISP should take control of Pechiney plants producing aluminum, which represents approximately 70 sites and over 11,000 employees including 5,000 in France. Negotiations should poursuivrent few weeks for a signed agreement in April.This new organization would be in place end June

Create a champion of aluminum

The aluminum activities hitherto neglected by Rio Tinto. In 2009, Alcan EP saw its sales drop 39% payday loans. Eventually, Rio Tinto could even get out of this business by selling its entire remaining stake in Apollo, or via an IPO.

Meanwhile, the government has high ambitions for Alcan EP. With investments of ISP, the state wants to make it a leading French, European and even global aluminum. A goal goes through restructuring. Negotiations are already underway on some sites and departures are expected in Saint-Florentin (Yonne) or New Breisach (Haut-Rhin) Voreppe (Is?re) or Issoire (Puy-de-Dome). In total, several hundred jobs would be in the spotlight.But the proposed takeover would be based on a commitment to maintain the sites.

In addition, acquisitions outside Europe are also on the menu. The headquarters would be based in France. This new scheme does not exclude a future introduction of the group at the Paris Stock Exchange under the name of Pechiney.

ALSO READ:

The ex-Pechiney scattered to the four winds

And if Pechiney became Chinese …

The index futures are predicting a slightly higher opening of U.S. markets. Shortly before the opening of Wall Street, futures on indices Standard & Poor's 500 and 10.8501961,50 points.

The U.S. markets have ended on a stable note Friday. The Dow Jones gained 0.08% to 10850, 36 and the Nasdaq 100 0.18% to 1952.63. The values of consumer durables and clothing and basic materials have gained ground. Conversely, those software and services and facilities and health services have been abused.

For U.S. investors await today in early afternoon revenues and expenditures of households for the month of February.

But the main highlight of the week on the macroeconomic level is expected Friday with the release of monthly statistics of unemployment in the United States.But U.S. markets will be closed as usual April 2 for the Friday that precedes Easter. Investors can therefore respond to the employment figures as the following week. They should focus their attention until the "Leading indicators of employment 'perception of the labor market by households, with the Conference Board survey from Tuesday, then the number of ADP private practice Wednesday. According to the makers of "Aurel BGC, the consensus of economists expect a sharp rebound in job creation."But, "this movement is partly technical, related to the reintegration of people who temporarily lost their jobs because of weather conditions in February …" add the specialists Aurel BGC.

Other key indicators of the week will be Tuesday house prices and an estimate of consumer confidence, Wednesday the index of activity in the Chicago area and the numbers of orders in February. Thursday last week's meeting, the market will focus on the ISM index of manufacturing activity and construction spending in March.

On the currency markets, the euro continued to recover against the greenback after the announcement last Thursday of an agreement between the countries of the eurozone to help Greece with the participation of the IMF.The euro was trading above $ 1.34 in the morning.

The values listed, Chinese, Geely signed Sunday an agreement with Ford on the acquisition of Volvo cars. The sale had been expected for several weeks, the Geely group wishing to build a Volvo plant in Beijing for its domestic market. Ford said the transaction was $ 1.8 billion and would be finalized during the third quarter.By selling Volvo, bought 6.45 billion dollars in 1999, and Ford sells the latest brand of upscale pole he had wanted to be and which also included Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover.

According to the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Verizon Communications, the second mobile operator in the United States, is in talks to merge with Vodafone.

Companies are also starting to communicate on the cost of health reform. AT & T announced a provision of 1 billion, Caterpillar announced a 100 million dollars and Deere & Co, an extraordinary expense of 150 million. The impact of this legislation on corporate performance is difficult to estimate the short term. The new law eliminates many tax deductions that companies used to reduce health costs for retirees.

At dawn on a trail lined with pine trees, hundreds of faces marvel at the sunrise over ridges carved Yellow Mountain, immortalized in traditional Chinese paintings. Search for a little solitude during his vacation in China is a challenge. On most sites, it is not uncommon to see the flags float guides, which announced the arrival of yet another group.

"I travel a lot, but I've never had either the opportunity or means to go abroad," Huang Yun smiled. Commercial for a Chinese company, this young woman of 29 years has never traveled child. But since she works in Shanghai, she loves from a change of pace and has swelled the ranks of Chinese visitors to their own country. These represent the vast majority of tourists visiting the Middle Kingdom.Moreover, only a minority of Chinese can afford to leave the country for holidays.

"The video interview with Henri Giscard d'Estaing, CEO of Club Med

The China National Tourism Administration has counted last year 1.9 billion domestic tourist trips to China by plane, train or car. A steady increase in sales for twenty years, thanks to higher living standards, the relaxation of regulations on interprovincial travel and the emergence of paid leave. The award of "Golden Week" by the authorities in the late 1990s, now allows the public to enjoy each year, more than four public holidays, two weeks of leave data at all, for Chinese New Year and National Day on October 1.The Law on Employment Contracts of 2008 provides between five and fifteen days of additional holiday for employees according to seniority no faxing pay day loans .

Besides the New Year with the family, the Chinese go on holiday generally organized in groups, with a busy schedule to as much as possible in four or five days. Beginning with visits to historic and natural sites, their favorite activity. The Chinese territory is seventeen times the France and has twenty-seven sites classified cultural heritage by UNESCO.The local holidays are often more affordable than those spent abroad.

Restaurants & karaoke

Nearly 40% of Chinese tourists spend each year between 100 and 500 euros for travel, 30% between 500 and 1 000, and one quarter more than 1 000, according to a survey by Ctrip, the first Chinese travel agency , which depends on the state.

If the "sacred mountains", Beijing and the Great Wall continues to attract a mass of tourists, new emerging destinations. Almost deserted in the 1990s, the tropical island of Hainan in the south, has become one of popular destinations. Even if the tan is not part of beauty of Asian middle class does not sulk pleasure to enjoy a little sea air.And always have access to a choice of restaurants and karaoke.

For more exotic destinations, the Chinese can afford a small world tour for 16 euros on the national pavilions of Shanghai World Expo, which opens on 1 May Of the 100 million expected visitors, 95% should be Chinese.

Credit Suisse said Thursday that its chief executive Brady Dougan had received 19.2 million Swiss francs (13 million euros) in cash and stock for the year 2009, making it one of the leaders the more lucrative banking sector.

This high level of pay, despite the profits generated by the bank in 2009 and its recent efforts to make its system more transparent compensation, likely to raise criticism from shareholder activists and political parties in Switzerland, where the Parliament debate new wage rules including the introduction of a ceiling on salaries.

In detail, the head of the Swiss bank has received a base salary of 1.3 million Swiss francs and a bonus of 17.9 million.

Huge side of France

"Such compensation for the CEO of Credit Suisse seems huge in terms of what affect the patterns of French banks," says Cyril Bellanger, at Proxinvest. At Societe Generale, Frederic Oud?a received 1.11 million euros of fixed and variable."He had no options or free shares," says analyst research firm specializing in executive compensation.

At BNP Paribas, Baudouin Prot has received 950,000 euros of fixed and 1.4 million bonus. The bank emerged in 2009 a net profit of 5.8 billion euros (+93%), third in the ranking of the best banking performance in 2009, after Barclays and Santander.

Other DGs have refused their bonuses

In Britain, the CEO of Barclays John Varley declined – as in 2008 – to receive his bonus for Payday Loan Bad Credit . The British bank posted a profit doubled to 10.4 billion pounds over the past year, crushing all its European competitors.The institution intends to distribute 1.5 billion in cash bonuses.

Same attitude towards Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh: Stephen Hester has waived his bonus. The Scottish bank posted a net loss after minority interests of 3.6 billion pounds, about 4.1 billion euros, against a loss of 24.3 billion the previous year.

Back in Switzerland, the CEO of the first institution in Switzerland, UBS, Oswald Gr?bel has waived its variable pay and decided to reduce his base salary of 2 million Swiss francs to 850,000 francs (583,000 euros).It is the responsibility of the Investment Banking Division which was the better off for the year 2009 with a premium of 12.5 million Swiss francs, or 8.6 million.

In late January, in a context where wages are banking scandal in the United States and despite a profit of nearly $ 5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009, Goldman Sachs has decided to limit the pay of the hundred top leaders based the United Kingdom, one million pounds (1.13 million euros).

ALSO READ:

"The gap between European banks

BNP: 1.4 million bonus for the CEO

"UBS: 37.6 million euros in bonuses to executives

"Goldman Sachs limit the salaries of its executives

"Credit Suisse compensate STMicro

Tough day in prospect on Tuesday for users of the station. The strike, announced in early March, began on Monday to 20 hours and causing disruptions throughout France. Traffic forecasts for Paris and its suburbs show a movement of 65% of TGV, from 35% to 75% of ESTs, 50% for Transilien, and 50 to 60% for Corals. Southern Railroad said that the railway traffic will be "virtually nil" on the region of Paris-Est.

For international TGV (Eurostar, Thalys, Lyria, Aleo), traffic is normal.

Moreover, disturbances depend on actions by the five trade union confederations (CGT, CFDT, FSU, UNSA and Solidaires) who called officials and employees to strike. Four of them (UNSA, CGT, Sud, CFDT) actually filed notice of strike for the day.

"These trades meet, region by region, the levels set by the Act of August 21, 2007 on social dialogue and continuity of public services in the transportation of passengers, for his part said the SNCF. The latter recalls that "every note outlines the valid period will be used in any train traveling on that day, but can not guarantee seating. Travelers preferring to cancel a trip involving a train reservation for this period may do so without charge at the counter.

3 metros of 4

For its part, the RATP, three metros of 4 circulating in Paris early Tuesday morning, and 90% of buses and trams, 95% of RER A, but only a RER B to 2, according to a spokesman for the RATP.For the RER B, the interconnection Gare du Nord station with the suspended cash advance no fax .

From one point of movement performed at 6:15, "traffic is almost normal" on the Paris metro network, "with 3 to 4 metros," said the spokesman, noting that "the line is the most impacted line 10, with 2 to 3 metros.

On the RER "zone RATP", "traffic is almost normal on the RER A, with 95% of trains insured, while for the RER B" train runs of 2, with interconnecting suspended at the station North, "the source said.

Finally, "the traffic of buses and trams is about right, 90% confidence," he added.

Back to normal scheduled at 8 pm Wednesday

Traffic should return to normal for all trains on Wednesday at 8 o'clock.Meanwhile, the station offers two websites (www.sncf.com for all trades and forecasts for www.abcdtrains.com Transilien per station) and hotlines (0805 90 36 35 for Main Lines and TER and 0805 700 805 for Transilien) for more information.

A radio also updates every 15 minutes in traffic (Radio station to listen from the SNCF Direct application on smartphone and on all station websites).

To recall, the unions called the strike to demand "concrete answers" on employment, purchasing power, pensions and working conditions. Workers Power (FP) refers to the scroll and employees to strike to defend pensions.

ALSO READ:

The Court of Auditors pinned the transport sector

The elections past, unions mobilized

The studio, based in New York could provide between 1.2 billion and 1.5 billion dollars for the recovery of the mythical MetroGoldwynMayer (MGM), as disclosed by the British newspaper Financial Times.

MGM has put up for sale last year, following its inability to pay its bills. She had received several proposals, three were still in contention at the end of last week. The company, which had initially hoped to sell two billion dollars, must be examined this week, not totally exclude the possibility of remaining independent fast cash loans .

The Hollywood studio has contracted a debt of 3.7 billion dollars five years ago, and he suffered falling DVD sales that affects the entire industry.His library of 4,100 films is yet to dream all his competitors.

MGM owns the rights to include the James Bond series, including those who are running. Time Warner owns the news channel CNN and Time Magazine.

Palm is now survive. Friday, the opening of the NYSE, the action of the cellphone maker lost nearly 30%, to $ 4, after the publication of quarterly results disastrous. Since the beginning of the year, diving for more than 50%, completely erasing the gains made in 2009, after the presentation of the Palm Pre, who was to sign the renewal of the brand.

Between December and February, Palm has accumulated cons-performance. Its losses have almost doubled to 22 million dollars and his phones were sold poorly. Although Palm has shipped to retailers smartphones 960,000, almost four times more than a year earlier, but customers still bought 408,000. Result, operators found themselves with huge inventories, and decided to cut off their supplies.Revenues from Palm on the current quarter would be only 150 million dollars, two times less than expected by the market.

Palm is the scenario. "These problems are not going to accelerate the doubts providers and operators" on the future of the brand, wrote Friday morning Peter Misek, analyst at Canaccord Adams, which sets a target price to zero dollars. The operators have observed that, in their shops, customers are more eager to iPhone, Google Android phones and BlackBerry.Under these conditions, application developers are less interested in phones from Palm, which makes them less attractive.

Palm would have to "consider options more extreme"

"We see no quick solution to the challenges facing it: the risk of intensifying competition, and Palm's response seems inadequate," warned Friday Vivek Arya, an analyst at Bank of America / Merrill Lynch. "Palm has at most two or three quarters to take before having to consider more extreme options," she thought. Frontline is the idea of redemption. The names of Nokia, Dell, Hewlett-Packard or even Google, which embarked on the sale of its mobile phones with the Nexus One are among the most frequently mentioned.

Palm remains in effect a few gems. The operating system that runs its phones, webOS, has received very favorable reviews.His team, led by former Apple executive Jon Rubinstein, are recognized for their quality. Furthermore, Palm has an interesting patent portfolio in mobile telephony, while the litigation in this area are increasing. "Obviously, if there is a reasonable proposal, our board of directors must consider," admitted CEO of Palm, while refusing to speculate on a purchase.

While acknowledging a "underperformance very disappointing," Jon Rubinstein holds that "Palm's potential remains strong." "The work we do to improve sales has an impact, we are making great progress on future products, and we prepare to launch new operators with new partners," he said, announcing a new campaign.In 2009, the market share of smartphones in webOS however, was only 0.7%, according to latest figures from Gartner, against 3.9% for Android, 14.4% for the iPhone and 46% for Symbian.

A sitting flat on the U.S. markets. At the close on Friday, the Dow is 0.42% at 10,779 points, the Nasdaq 0.09% nibbles at 2391 points. Only the S & P appears in a small decrease from 0.03% to 1166 points. After six consecutive sessions already in the green, investors take a break. Yesterday, U.S. markets had ended on a new annual record, always comforted by the status quo monetary decided by the Fed, and the reassurance of the U.S. central bank on the health of the economy.

Aujourd'ui, markets are stabilized by the publication of indicators broadly in line with their expectations:

– The consumer prices they have remained stable in February from the previous month, while analysts believed that there had been an inflation of 0.1%. In one year, they rose 2.1% in February when the consensus gave up 2.3%.These prices "still did not really threaten the prospect of a policy of low rates by the Fed," noted analysts at Charles Schwab.

– Registration for weekly unemployment benefits: they fell for the third straight week in the United States with the deposit of 457,000 benefit claims in the week ended March 13. This is slightly above that expected by analysts (consensus 455,000).

– Current accounts: the U.S. deficit widened in the fourth quarter to reach 115.6 billion dollars, according to figures released Thursday by the Commerce Department. It is equivalent to 2.9% of GDP in 2009 against 4.9% of GDP in 2008.

– The composite index of economic activity: the index is supposed to herald the changing economic conditions six months ahead, slowed his rise in February, rising by 0.1%.The increase for the eleventh consecutive month, is in line with analysts' expectations. The index had already slowed in January, with 0.3% increase.

– The index of manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia region has increased by 2.3 percentage points from the previous month to $ 18.9, while analysts were waiting to 18 points. This figure reflects the fact that manufacturing in this region have seen their business grow for the seventh consecutive month, and faster than the previous month. Philadelphia is one of the first cities in the United States and one of the largest industrial centers of the country till payday cash advance .

Renewed concerns about Greece, which has sealed the morale of the European investors did not appear to influence the Americans.Tensions have been rising on Thursday about financial aid in Athens, who now wants an agreement by European leaders next week, despite misgivings German, otherwise turn to the IMF.

On the currency markets, the euro fell 0.88% to 1.3615 dollar. Oil, meanwhile, ended down 73 cents at 82.20 dollars a barrel.

Nike back to growth

On the side of values, the number one sports equipment, Nike announced after the close of Wall Street yesterday, a return to growth in sales and profits. In the third quarter of its fiscal year ended in late February), Nike has made a net profit of 496 million dollars against 244 million a year earlier on the same period. A few months before the World Cup 2010, its backlog has already greatly improved and the group expects a continuation of this trend.The sporting goods company is the star of Wall Street with higher shares of 4.92% to 74.37 dollars.

China has ordered its airlines to conduct checks of their Boeing 737 after a similar decision of U.S. authorities. The decision of the Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC), which covers 400 aircraft, follows concerns about possible security problems related to a component in the tail of the aircraft. The Boeing climbed 1.66% to 70.53 dollars.

FedEx (-2.36% to 91.92 dollars) announced before market quarterly net income more than doubled to 239 million, above expectations and raised its annual forecast.Revenues also exceeded expectations, up 7% to 8.70 billion, while analysts had expected 8.37 billion dollars.

Google (+0.13% to 566.27 U.S. dollars) is currently working with Intel and Sony to develop a new generation of televisions and decoders for access to the Internet, according to an article in the New York Times.

Electronic Arts (2.81% to 18.65 dollars) will launch the final version of his golf game online Tiger Woods at the back of the champion on the greens next month, its chairman announced Wednesday.

Christine Lagarde is going to war against unfair bank charges. At the request of the Prime Minister, Fran?ois Fillon, Minister of Economy and Finance has commissioned a report to the former CEO of Credit Agricole, Georges Pauget, and chair of the Advisory Committee of the financial sector (CCSF), Emmanuel Constans. "Our goal is to protect consumers," she said into the microphone of RTL on Wednesday morning.

Bank charges: avoid abuse

The minister hopes to shed light on three issues in particular: the "cascade" of bank charges, billing services hitherto free, and finally, the establishment of systems of fixed costs "which include some services that consumers do not, "said Christine Lagarde.In an interview with the newspaper Les Echos on Wednesday, she said that instead "regulate all hair, she wants to ensure there is no abuse."I expect the report to the end of June," says she.

On 24 March, three days after the second round of regional elections, Christine Lagarde presented to the National Assembly a new position on the draft law on consumer credit: remove penalties release (charge made if a person makes one or more checks, Ed), "which are a real obstacle for small businesses.

Germany: Christine Lagarde persists and signs

The Minister is also back at RTL on her remarks Monday on the German economic model, stigmatizing the pressure on labor costs for its exports preferred payday loan lenders . "My remarks have been interpreted negatively. While Germany has performed well for ten years.But in such times of crisis, the deficit country must do everything to reduce it, and those of surplus should not be assumed that they are the only engines of growth, "she says.

Less than a week after the lunch meeting between Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy in London, Christine Lagarde expressed disappointment at the postponement of the adoption of the Directive on hedge funds, and remains "determined that the text completion by late June.

The subject, which should be discussed Tuesday by the Finance Ministers of the Twenty-Seven, was withdrawn from the brink of the agenda by the Spanish Presidency, who chose not to vote on a text in this highly unpleasant state in the United Kingdom.Christine Lagarde will therefore not stop there, and push to revive the issue with determination, even displease its European counterparts.

ALSO READ: "The banks offer rates sharply contrasting

"The online banks do not attract the French" La France has no lesson to give Germany "

Last week, young bloggers rubbed shoulders with fashion editors of major newspapers in the forefront of the parades of ready-to-wear in Paris. Appearing a few years ago, the phenomenon of fashion blogs, yet dispersed long ago, is being structured. Evidence of this trend, the arrival in France of U.S. website Glam Media, which proclaims itself the number one female audience coverage on the Internet, with 76 million unique visitors in the United States and 164 million worldwide through its declensions Great Britain, Germany and Japan.

Upon his arrival in France, he announced to start with two million unique visitors. Glam is an "object Web unidentified. He does not content itself but on its pages aggregates the blogs to which he refers by links.In France, it begins with a fifty partners, such as fashion trend or Betty's blog.

Half of the turnover

It covers topics related to clothing, beauty, luxury or entertainment female. With this reach, it sells for blogs concerned advertising space and retains 50% of turnover. "There is no real competitor. We are a kind of thematic superpertinent Google "tries to summarize Orianne Garcia, its director of marketing and communications. The famous founder of the site Caramail mails in 1997 heads the French branch alongside Jean-Pierre Levieux, CEO, founder of MSN France in 1996.

Brash.com for men

Glam Media was founded in the United States in 2003 by Samir Arora, 44, Net entrepreneur of Indian origin. After ten years at Apple, he founded several start-ups in California.Glam Media is defined as "a pioneering media vertical. Beside the site Glam.com female he created Brash.com for men fall 2008 and Tinker.com, a specialized search engine on Facebook and Twitter. Objective: to capture the audience of social networks booming.

The opening of the French subsidiary following a fundraiser for 50 million dollars. Other groups seek to federate the blogs. In France, the popular site Aufeminin.com began to incorporate in its pages. Some advertising agencies have started to commercialize this disparate audience to advertisers, as Bang Blog, a subsidiary of Publicis, which also has its consumer portal.