Archive for the ‘economics’ Category

Budget 2012: what changes for businesses and individuals

September 28, 2011 - 6:04 pm Comments Off

• Individuals involved to the tune of 5.6 billion euros

– Removal of exemptions for allowances holding period on capital gains property, excluding exempt principal residence (2200000000)

– Increase of 12.3% to 13.5% payroll taxes on capital income (1.3 billion)

– Removal or reduction of exemptions from the CSG (800,000,000)

– Increase in tobacco prices by 6% (600,000,000)

– Increase the tax and social taxes on liquor (300,000,000)

– Introduction of an outstanding contribution of 3% on very high incomes, above 500,000 euros.Some 10,000 homes were affected (200,000,000)

– Creation of a tax on sugary drinks (100 million)

– Device Scellier: decrease of 22% to 14% rate of tax reduction for investors buying new low-energy housing for rental (about 100 million euros)

– Introduction of a progressive tax (from 10 to 40%) for owners of "good rooms" applying the rents to be too expensive (over 40 euros/m2), mainly in Paris (1 million)

– Decrease of 18% to 12% rate of tax reduction for purchases in retirement homes, tourist and student (nearly 10 million)

• The companies affected to the tune of 4.8 billion euros

– Reduction of deferred losses for a harmonization of corporate taxation with Germany.- Revision of scale of the tax on company cars (100 million)

– Creation of a 2% tax on hotel stays at or above 200 euros (90 million)

– Creation of an exceptional tax next year on sales of large industrial duty subject to quotas of CO2 (200 million)

– The draft budget provides for operators to bear the costs of a possible interference of DTT with the new 4G mobile radio frequencies that will be awarded in early 2012.

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Merkel wants to avoid "failure of control of Greece"

September 14, 2011 - 1:48 am Comments Off

After several days of hesitation, the main leaders of the euro area are put together in the front line Tuesday in an attempt to appease the debt crisis. The offensive is part of the first German chancellor, who tried to silence the cacophony in his ruling coalition. "The priority is to do everything to prevent a failure of control of Greece because it affects not only Greece but the risk that affects other countries would be very high," said Angela Merkel. A very strong focus towards members of his coalition, particularly the Vice-Chancellor in charge of Economy, Philipp Roesler, who had set fire to the powder Monday citing a lack of Athens.

True to his style, though Chancellor has not completely closed the door on this idea, stating that the priority was to avoid it."Everything must be done to keep the euro area united politically, because otherwise we could face a domino effect." Angela Merkel has also kept the pressure on Athens, welcoming the signal showing that "the Greek government has recognized the situation and does what he must do. " Finally, after a meeting with the Prime Minister of Finland Jyrki Katainen, it calmed the game on the ongoing negotiations between Greece and Finland, which requires collateral in exchange for his participation in the background of help. "I am optimistic that we find an agreement," she said.

Limit catches of speech

The statements made by German Chancellor multiple contrast with the silence of Nicolas Sarkozy. The French president received Tuesday the president of the European Union, Herman Van Rompuy to a point on the situation, with nothing to filter their conversation.Side of the French government, it is estimated that in the context of extreme nervousness of the markets, which eventually rebounded Tuesday after closing fell sharply at the opening, limit the public speaking up, not to give the serious crisis that Europe wants to avoid. Do not think of a panic. Within the State, it still insists that "banks are strong," they are "fully capable" to absorb the losses to Greece and that "we are far from the situation in 2008, where the interbank market was closed. Today, there is no liquidity problem. "

On the side of the Ministry of Economy, we want even more reassuring: "rumors do not affect the real economy."Therefore, there is "no reason" to think about re-financing of the Society of the French economy (SFEF) or the Company of equity of the state (SPPE), created in the heart of the financial turmoil in 2008 to rescue banks.

As part of nationalizing banks, as the idea begins to circulate, "it is triple no!" Says Minister of Economy, Baroin, Le Figaro. The Government's priority is the speedy implementation of the plan July 21. "What must be avoided, an environment is anxiety sustainable. Because here, the banks would start to select their distribution of credits, "we nevertheless recognize Bercy. A topic that will be at the heart of the Eurogroup expected Friday in Poland. This meeting of European finance ministers promises crucial. Further indication of the challenge, the U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will participate exceptional.According to European sources, it should call on this occasion the Europeans not to procrastinate in managing the crisis and look closely at increasing the capacity of the SFEF to deal with bank recapitalization.

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The Japanese prostestent against the Mont Saint-Michel

September 13, 2011 - 7:44 am Comments Off

Mont Saint-Michel, La Mère Poulard and neighbors start laughing … yellow. This gem has been moult attacks, "this fairy castle planted in the sea," as admired Victor Hugo, is the subject of a heated battle. Not that of the wind, which Unesco has asked in June to stop the work, but the tourists. Especially the Japanese, the abbey historic monument fascinates. The 300,000 Japanese visitors, a total of 3 million who visit the site each year, in fact, threaten to fall back on other destinations. In question, while the work that will enable the Mount become an island is accelerating: the conditions of reception of tourists, including the starting point of the shuttle 800 meters of the future parking. The owner of a tour operator, which only works with Japanese from Paris for the day, will meet Tuesday the mayor of Mt.This is to prevent its customers, who have three hours to visit, a walk of nearly two kilometers …

The association of tour operators Japanese in Paris also wrote to 24 local elected officials, recalling that a Japanese customer spends 80 euros at Mont-Saint-Michel, and a decrease in activity of 30% would represent a loss of 7 2 million euros per year for the rock …

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The Cac 40 ended the session on a drop of 3.6%

September 4, 2011 - 12:40 am Comments Off

The Paris Bourse has continued to widen its losses on Friday. After an opening down 1.19%, the CAC 40 slipped 3.5% in response to the publication of U.S. employment figures earlier this afternoon. Then the index was down enccore in the red, losing up to 4% just before 17 hours. Finally, the CAC shows a significant decrease of 3.59% to 3148.53 points, under the 3150 points. No value of CAC has been able to climb into the green on Friday. For the week, however, the Cac 40 shows a gain of 1.97%.

Elsewhere in Europe, the Milan Stock Exchange closed on a fall of 3.89%. In Frankfurt, the Dax lost 3.36% at the final bell and the FTSE in London fell by 2.34%.The European indexes have been sealed by banking stocks, which still suffer from concerns over European debt, including the stalled talks in Greece.

Thus, investors have been cooled by zero job creation in August in the United States. In July, the first estimate of recruitment was greatly scaled down from 117,000 jobs created to 85,000. The unemployment rate remained steady at 9.1%, as expected. "The labor market is expected to remain sluggish in the medium term and the unemployment rate should rise slightly or remain at its current high level" of 9.1%, says Inna Mufteeva at Natixis.This publication reinforces the eyes of experts, the probability of a new monetary response from the U.S. Federal Reserve at its next meeting on September 20 and 21.

In addition to the waits before publication of the report, traders were disappointed by yesterday's U.S. indexes mixed. The weekly jobless claims have fallen and certainly the contraction was avoided in the manufacturing sector, but construction costs and productivity plummeted. In addition, the White House confirmed the pessimism about the weakness of the recovery across the Atlantic in scaling back its growth forecasts.

Euro stable

On the foreign exchange market, around 17:30, the euro 1.4207 dollars, against 1.4260 on Thursday, its lowest level in three weeks.Yesterday, the euro had fallen sharply under the impact of renewed concerns vis-à-vis the health of the euro area, where industrial activity contracted in August, unlike the United States.

In France, higher energy costs caused a 0.5% increase in producer prices in July in the euro area, as expected, but overall inflationary pressures subside to the extent that the area economy patina.

The bank collapse

Fear seizes even Greek European banks. The establishment of a second aid plan seems to be complicated. The troika of creditors of Greece left Athens Friday, giving the government 10 days to advance structural reforms in the country, weighed down by a recession that will prevent it from holding its budget savings target.In Paris, Crédit Agricole fell 7.38% to 6.65% Societe Generale, BNP Paribas and Axa of 6.24% to 5.73%.

Arcelor-Mittal: -6.10% to 14.17 euros

The group plans to resort to short in the fourth quarter at its plant in Florange (Moselle), and will ask 600 of the 3,000 employees of the plant to take RTT in September, officials said Thursday a union source

Total: -2.69% to 33.40 euros

The oil will extend all over France its network of service stations at low prices, after tests conducted last year in dozens of outlets, according to Les Echos.

France Telecom: -2.37% to 13.17 euros

The operator has received numerous expressions of interest for its Swiss division, told Reuters CEO Stéphane Richard, noting that financial market volatility would not affect projects sales of assets of the group.

Bouygues: -2.14% to 25.61 euros

The Standard & Poor's announced that it placed the long-term rating of A-group under review with negative implications following the announcement by him of a proposed acquisition of securities.

Sanofi: -3.25% to 49.75 euros

The group confirmed Thursday it has reached an agreement with Pfizer to produce in France generic versions of Lipitor, the cholesterol featuring the American group.

EDF: -3.23% to 20.95 euros

Goldman Sachs has revised down its price target on the title, which goes from 49 to 31 euros, while remaining on the purchase value.

Carrefour: -2.83% to 17.66 euros

HSBC lowered its recommendation to "overweight" to "neutral" and target price of 30.50 to 20 euros.

Stallergenes: – 0.81% to 49 euros

The laboratory of immuno-allergic Thursday announced a net profit up 18% in the first half to 23.7 million euros, benefiting from the "business growth" and a "moderate increase spending research and development. " In the process, Oddo is to reduce its recommendation to neutral.

Safran – 2.77% to 27.05 euros, Suez Environnement: -4.23% to 11.09 euros

Saffron is the best candidate for an entry in the CAC 40, while Suez Environnement, whose price has fallen heavily since the beginning of the summer, should come out, say professionals in the Paris Bourse.

Nyse Euronext – 1.93% to 18.56 euros

The London Stock Exchange has confirmed a press report that it is discussing a possible settlement with LCH.Clearnet.Discussions are at a preliminary stage and there is no guarantee that it would, he said.

Neopost: + 10.39% to 56.30 euros

The group raised its forecast of annual sales for the second time, following an accelerated growth in the second quarter, thanks to the dynamics of North America.

Wall Street opens up small

August 23, 2011 - 6:08 pm Comments Off

The U.S. stock markets opened higher in early Tuesday: The Dow Jones gained 0.22% to 10,879.02 points and the Nasdaq 0.36% to 2354.28 points after having gleaned the previous day and 0.34% respectively 0.15%. The S & P 500 nibbles on his side 0.07% to 1124.65 points.

New home sales for the month of July in the United States are known to 16 hours. They are expected at 310,000 according to a consensus of analysts against 312,000 previously. This will be the only macroeconomic indicator on the agenda Tuesday. If others will be announced in the coming days, investor caution, but market volatility, however, should remain in force throughout the week until Friday.

That day, in fact, speak the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke.Speculation is rife, some still hoping that it will decide a third monetary easing to support the U.S. economy. Will also be unveiled for the second estimate of U.S. GDP for the second quarter.

Banks and investment funds turbulent agitated

Oil markets, a barrel of "light sweet crude" for delivery in October was trading at the opening to 85.06 dollars, up 66 cents from the previous day. As for gold, it never ceases to reach new records: the precious metal has reached this morning for the first time in its history to 1900 dollars.

As for values, it will be interesting to see if the securities of the banking sector managed to recover. The meeting this Monday night has been very rough in New York, the indices have again been a roller coaster.If technology stocks have bounced back, supported by investors looking for bargains, banks have suffered greatly, however. These are the titles of the financial sector that weighed most heavily on the Dow. Bank of America has yielded 7.9% on rumors of capital increases.

News is expanded on the side of investment funds. The fund Cerberus and its partner Chatham Lodging Trust and have informed the United States real estate company Innkeepers Trust (Marriott franchise) they did not buy the walls of 64 of its hotels in the United States. The transaction, amounting to $ 1.1 billion, was announced in May.

The investment fund Jana Partners in New York and the pension fund Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, shareholders of the publisher McGraw-Hill, for their part, indicated recommend a separation of the group.The two investors, who had announced in early August have acquired a total of 5.2% of the capital, advocated in a paper presented to the authority of the U.S. equity markets (SEC) that the group split its divisions Education, Information and Media and stock index Standard & Poor's.

Finally, on the front of mergers over the world stock markets, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) approved on Tuesday the merger of NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Börse, which should give birth to the first exchange operator world.

United States, the idea of ​​taxing "mégariches" made its way

August 18, 2011 - 8:04 am Comments Off

The lowest in the polls, criticized for running out of ways to boost employment, weakened by a largely sterile confrontation with the Republicans on the issue of reducing the rate of debt, Barack Obama sought to regain control. Anxious to win back centrist voters, the president also caress the idea of ​​taxing the rich more, while the middle class is suffering from the sluggish economy.

It has been this week to support weight, in the person of Warren Buffett, the second property of the United States. For the latter, the "mégariches" are under-taxed. Buffett regrets having paid less than $ 7 million in federal taxes last year. This represents only 17.4% of its taxable income. He noted that employees pay on average, and as a percentage of their income, far more than him.The billionaire said that in 1992 the 400 richest U.S. taxpayers paid 29.2% of their income in federal taxes. But in 2008, their effective tax rate decreased to 21.5%, while in sixteen wealth is gone.

The two men do not speak yet not the same. The President wants to raise taxes for taxpayers earning more than $ 250,000 a year. Buffett, however, advocates the creation of new tax bands for income above one million dollars from all sources.The investor philanthropist also suggests an upper tax beyond $ 10 million, but fails to specify the desired level for these new units.

Impose more gains

Still, according to the Tax Policy Center, even 50% by taxing all income above one million, one that would release $ 48 billion in tax revenue over ten years, under very inadequate amount of resources to reduce the budget deficit. However, up to 15% to 20% maximum tax rate on capital gains as under Bill Clinton, would generate approximately $ 340 billion over ten years.

Warren Buffett's plea addressed especially to the twelve in fact members of Congress belonging to the commission that must by the end of November to $ 1.5 trillion proposed budget savings over ten years."It is vital that they manage to go beyond. Americans are rapidly losing their faith in the ability of Congress to address the fiscal problems of our country, "said Buffett, himself the son of an elected Republican Nebraska.

It is supported by another millionaire, Alan "Ace" Greenberg, former head of Bear Stearns: "To believe that, by raising taxes Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, they will begin to lay off staff is totally ridiculous … I'm not saying that tax increases should begin to 250,000 dollars in revenue. But they must start somewhere. At one million to two million, at least they should start, "says the bridge partner of the two richest people in the United States.

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Lagardère: Guy Wyser-Pratte against attack

August 5, 2011 - 8:16 am Comments Off

American financier Guy Wyser-Pratte does not disarm in the folder Lagardère. Almost eighteen months after the general meeting of 27 April 2010 during which the two resolutions he had proposed were rejected at 76% and 78%, Guy Wyser-Pratte against attack. Wednesday, August 3, he sent a letter to the Financial Markets Authority (AMF), in which he contested the vote count at the meeting of shareholders of the group.

The American activist took some time to gather evidence to support its contention. Today, it provides the AMF documents showing that the ten funds managed by AllianceBernstein (a subsidiary of AXA Group), a leading shareholder group Lagardere with 10% of the shares, would have voted for he had presented two resolutions.

For investigation

A resolution was to appoint him to the Supervisory Board of Lagardère.Resolution B was to amend the prerogatives of-stock by requesting that the general partners do not vote more consistently before the sponsors. Guy Wyser-Pratte also produces documents from two firms specializing in proxy voting investors (ISS and Broadridge). They would have gathered the voices of various U.S. institutional investors in favor of two resolutions A and B. Finally, he instructed the firm McKenzie to a total of U.S. investors vote in favor.

"In total, we can demonstrate that counting only the votes of shareholders represented by American myself, AllianceBernstein, Broadbridge and ISS, my application to the supervisory board received 44% of the vote of the quorum present at the meeting. In addition, it is likely that other European shareholders have also voted in my favor.I therefore request the AMF to conduct an investigation to understand the origin of the discrepancy between the results of the AG and the counting done by us, "said Guy Wyser-Pratte. In 2010, the AMF had already audited BNP Paribas, which had been in charge of counting votes at the annual meeting of shareholders.

Returning to the issue today, Guy Wyser-Pratte hopes remobilize American and European shareholders for the next general meeting of 2012.

In March 2010, Guy Wyser-Pratte had burst into the capital of Lagardère by buying up 0.53% of the shares. He then publicly criticized the governance of the group protesting against the existence of a partnership limited by shares and had criticized the lack of strategy of management.The tone was mounted and Philippe Camus, a member of the sponsorship of the Lagardère group, the AMF had seized a few days before the general meeting, marveling at the distortion between saber rattling by Guy Wyser-Pratte and the reality of the impact of the two draft resolutions.

Strategy of focusing

Arnaud Lagardère had benefited from the rostrum of the General Assembly to address the critical Guy Wyser-Pratte. Some time after the general meeting, it had sold substantially all of its shares, pocketing a nice way to gain. Today, he is left only about 100,000 titles.

The tension had fallen, but after this episode heated, the Lagardère Group has implemented a strategy of refocusing on its core businesses – publishing, distribution, media and sport – and the country where he holds a position leadership.Suddenly, the group undertook to sell all of its minority, especially in Canal + France, the Amaury group and the group Marie-Claire. For now, these sales have stalled. However, Lagardère Active has led to the charge of selling most of its international press center to the American group Hearst, to 654 million euros. This represents a hundred titles in a dozen countries.

Triple expansion plan to calm markets

July 23, 2011 - 10:04 pm Comments Off

EU leaders Thursday night put on the table a series of measures to help Greece, but also to convince that there is solidarity in the euro area.

Save Greece

Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank on Thursday. Photo credits: Georges Gobet / AFP

Lidl accused of discrimination in hiring

July 16, 2011 - 9:28 pm Comments Off

Two regional leaders of Lidl Ile-de-France – Nord were placed under judicial supervision. They are suspected of discrimination in hiring, reports Le Parisien. They have ordered the makers of their 70 stores not to recruit persons of foreign origin in residence with "privacy and family life." A woman dismissed on this ground a complaint. The trial will be held August 18. The accused may three years in prison and 45,000 euros fine.

Refuse these cards have been living as a principle in the network Ile-de-France – Nord "at least six store managers will spread to the investigators," said Le Parisien. The staff representative UNSA, Fatiha Iraki, would have met "some thirty CV repressed," she told the newspaper.Lidl Why would he conducted such a wage policy? Residence cards "cost several hundred dollars per year per employee," said the steward.

Lidl's lawyer denies the charges: no guidance was given. There are many foreign candidates in the regional management, it is normal that some owners do not see themselves hired, he explains.

The largest group of nursing homes will close

July 11, 2011 - 11:44 pm Comments Off

From our correspondent in London

Despite a series of desperate measures taken last month to try to save the company, Southern Cross, the largest group of nursing homes in Britain, will have to end its activities. The company is in a position of near bankruptcy and will have to transfer all of the 752 homes it had to other management structures. Agreements are already being negotiated for a third of them. The listing of the group Southern Cross was suspended Monday for the London Stock Exchange.

An announcement has angered unions and associations for the protection of older people, worried about the future of 31,000 residents and 43,000 employees of the group.The bankruptcy of a private operator managed by investment funds of the City is also very bad news for the government to David Cameron, the reform of public health plans to provide a much greater role to the private sector.

Southern Cross tried last month to set up a restructuring plan which included the sale of hundreds of homes and the deferred payment of a quarter of rents for 752 homes, but these efforts have not been sufficient.

The magnitude of the crisis had forced the Prime Minister to take a stand last month. David Cameron was first started by saying that the state did not intervene in a private matter, but ended promise that he would do everything to ensure the situation of pensioners affected.A spokesman for Downing Street said Monday that no retiree "does homeless" because "there are currently about 50,000 places in the country" in nursing homes.

Reduced spending

The fate of Southern Cross also challenges the rapid privatization of the medical sector and assistance for the elderly in Britain for twenty years, a trend initiated by the Conservatives but pursued by Tony Blair. More than two thirds of homes in the country, many of which provide a public service, are now managed by private companies. The quality of their service is also criticism since private retirement residence with seven scored "poor" or "inadequate" in the inspections, said the Financial Times.

The cause of the collapse of Southern Cross is quite simple.The group had signed leases with annual increases of 2.5% guarantees but finds himself in is at odds because its major customers, municipalities and communities, reduce average spending of welfare benefits by 10% year, due to the combined effects of losses due to bad investments during the financial crisis and the massive budget reduction plan launched by the government Cameron.

This is the unfortunate consequence of a strategy set up by Blackstone, the investment fund that took control of the group in 2004. The fund wanted to increase the financial profitability of the group by selling its stock of homes, at a time when the UK property market was in a bubble.