The euro recovers against the dollar

On the foreign exchange market, the euro penalized yesterday by concerns over the European banking sector recovered himself.Having lost 1.46% Tuesday, the euro climbed to 1.2713 dollars in mid-session.

On the macroeconomic front, the release tonight at 20 o'clock in the Beige Book Fed instant report on the U.S. economy, is the principal rendezvous of the day, across the Atlantic.Although unemployment figures better than expected, released last Friday, the U.S. central bank should continue to keep interest rates low.

Also note in the current macro, China has again rejected any foreign pressure on Tuesday the exchange rate of its currency, the yuan, while reaffirming the need to maintain good relations with the United States to During the visit to Beijing two senior White House officials need a personal loan with bad credit.

Bank stocks in the viewfinder

On the side of values, while Sanofi-Aventis continues to woo Genzyme, the U.S. Laboratory, Bristol-Myers Squibb agreed to buy another American biotech, ZymoGenetics, for 885 million dollars.

After its disappointing second quarter, including its defense division, Boeing announced the reorganization of its military aviation activities.The number of divisions from six to four, with a consequent 10% reduction in the number of posts.

Today on Wall Street banking is likely to remain under pressure. The feeling of increased bank risk has also been fueled by the meeting yesterday, the Basel Committee, responsible for setting new solvency rules for banks. However, after this meeting, the committee has maintained the suspense in not distributing a press release. It will do that Sunday. In the morning, a Wall Street Journal had rekindled doubts doubt on the reliability stress tests on European banks, whose results were published at the end of July.

Bernard Spitz. – Insurers are aware of the state of public finances and ready to participate in the effort. But the "planer" has been heavy handed. These measures are excessively severe: according to our calculations, they could not represent three billion euros, but up to 4.7 billion. Of the 10 billion effort on the niches sought at all, is asking a lot insurers and policyholders. And it is inconsistent with the objective of the economy and employment. Indeed, money from life insurance does not sleep. It is invested in long-term 54% companies in the form of shares or bonds.And the rest financed mainly sovereign debt.

But you knew that the tax shelters were the target of government …

Life insurance is not a niche tax! It is easy to label and all the products that we want to address. In the case of life insurance is particularly unjustified. She has a specific tax regime, as all savings products, which is the logical counterpart of an investment horizon longer term. Life insurance is not a niche, is the principal residence of the French investment!

What action is the worst?

All the measures presented have a strong impact. But the truth regarding the tax on capital reserves would undermine the solvency of insurers at a time when the sector must adapt to turmoil with Prudential Solvency II.It is indeed a drain 1.6 billion on capital of insurers can only affect their competitiveness in terms of solvency. We did not ask the French swimmers to compete in the European Championships with a sack weighted with stones … Do not ask the insurers!

Regarding life insurance, it is not a levy increase. The contract holders will pay just multichannel CSG and CRDS earlier on their compartment euro …

Exactly. However, this measure presents legal problems. The MPT contract, even if it has a compartment in euros and another in units of account, is everything. The product from its compartment euro is assumed that during the settlement of the contract. It will then reimburse the insured the overflow of CSG and CRDS eventually paid.Also, this would mean a very heavy management for insurance companies.

Baroin believes that insurers and mutuals have the ability to not pass on, the new tax agreements supplemental health officials. What do you think?

I fear that this is not so simple. The competition will be between companies, but the tax will necessarily be passed on to policyholders. Is mechanical. The Unocam, which brings together professionals in the supplemental health insurance, had proposed a plan of 3 billion euros in savings on health spending. These are structural reforms of this kind should be put in place rather than increasing taxes.

What do you do to limit the impact of these measures?

We look first to know the exact content of the texts.Then we will make proposals to the government as the national representatives in a positive way. If appropriate regulations improve the competitive environment of our businesses in France and Europe, this will be the best guarantee for tax revenues.

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"VIDEO – Life Insurance:" The performance will be slightly cut "

• Budget: tough decisions on niches
• Pensions: outline of the reform should remain
• Towards the compulsory insurance underwriting loss of autonomy
• The delicate capital increase
• 2011 upturn expected for the job
• Paris wants to reform the international monetary system

Of the four returnees that Nicolas Sarkozy has had to manage since his election, now is probably the trickiest. Very politically charged, the fall will also heavy economically. Number of reforms and sensitive issues facing the head of state and government who begin their Wednesday Cabinet reentry in a tense social climate.

Contrary to tradition, the vote of the Finance Bill 2011 will not be the first meeting of the economic return.It will be preceded by consideration of the Assembly, from September 7, the pension reform. The fiercely contested between a Labour Minister, Eric Woerth, weakened by the controversies that have continued over the summer, and an opposition determined to block any progress, including the extension to 62 years of retirement age.

But the pressure in this landmark case – the Head of State intends to establish his image as a reformer, especially with financial markets – especially coming from the street. Unions, braced against a reform they consider "unfair and ineffective", the French call en masse to protest on September 7. A mobilization that looks very well attended, in the street, transport and some public services where strikes were not hard to exclude. This day of action will not be the last.Meeting Monday at FSU, the unions agreed to see the 8 "decide how to proceed quickly, probably before September 29, when a euromanifestation against the austerity policies.

Behind the social issues lies the question of growth. For despite the increase of 0.6% of GDP in the second quarter, the horizon remains uncertain. And the downward revision of 0.5 percentage points of growth for 2011, together with further cuts in public spending and tax loopholes, reflects these uncertainties. "France has suffered a negative shock with its strong and deep recession of 2008 and 2009, says Philippe Waechter, director of economic research at Natexis Asset Management. A policy is too restrictive in order to quickly rebalance public finances will penalize the economy. "The paradox of this situation is summarized by the rating agency Moody's.This concern, last week, the deteriorating situation of public finances States rated "AAA", inviting them to structural reforms to rebalance their accounts. On Monday, the same agency cautioned, however, put the European states against a too rigorous, which could negatively affect their growth and influence their debt. In short, the government must practice strict management of public finances without too strict. A delicate balancing act …

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Budget: tough decisions on niches

The new hypermarket Carrefour way, space is reorganized into nine clusters, including the decoration and textiles. "The store will be more competitive in terms of price," says Lars Olofsson. A whole cluster will focus on "special events" with "two major themes monthly surprise in store for" customers, "says the CEO.

Carrefour, the world of large retailers, is facing an erosion of customers of supermarkets. The context is not easy, admits Lars Olofsson: "I think in the coming months, consumption will remain stable.(…) It remains a gloomy background.

The group would pull through, however, better than its competitors. "In France, Carrefour's market share of 24% has increased by almost a point since the beginning of the year on a constant basis," enthuses the director general. The group achieved a turnover of 24.9 billion euros in the second quarter, up 6.3%. The interim results will be presented August 31.

Net income from Lafarge withdrew its side of 29% to 233 million euros. The current operating margin shows finally a decrease of 30 basis points to 13.9%.

In the second quarter alone, sales rose 2% to 4.436 billion euros but, at constant perimeter and constant exchange rates, sales rose 2%. The operating income increased 5% to 836 million euros.It is stable at constant exchange rates and constant perimeter.

New measures to reduce debt

Brunot Lafont, CEO of Lafarge, said in a statement that "the pace of economic recovery remains uncertain and highly variable from one country to another," led the group to adjust its market forecast for the year 2010. Lafarge table so now on a variation of the demand for cement between -1 and +3% on the year compared to 2009 (against 0% to 5% expected in late March).

The band announced further steps to reduce its debt amounting to 15.16 billion euros (down 1% in the first half). Thus, it will "limit its investments in 2011 to 1 billion euros" and sets "a new goal of structural cost reductions of more than 200 million euros."

Marcoéconomique side, the Paris markets react to the employment figures fell after the stock market yesterday. After a bad month in May, June is a very moderate decline in the number of job seekers registered at employment center Class A (2,691,000 in metropolitan France, down 0.3%).

In addition, other indicators are expected: durable goods orders in the U.S. in early afternoon and the conclusions of the Fed's Beige Book in the evening.

But it was the avalanche of publications that draws attention:

Saffron (4.90% to 21.19 euros) has announced its first-half adjusted net income rose 8% to 223 million euros, above the consensus. The turnover amounted to 5.19 billion euros. The group plans for the rest of the income year similar to those of 2009.

Rexel (3.47% to 12.95 euros) has announced a turnover up 2.4% to 5.7 billion euros in the first half. The company expects a slight growth in sales on a comparable basis and constant number of days over the year and EBITA margin of an adjusted 4.5%.

ArcelorMittal (-1.78% to 24.28 euros) has reported net earnings of 1.70 billion dollar in the second quarter, well above the 1.16 billion expected by the markets. In contrast, the turnover of 21.65 billion, below the 23.1 billion expected.

Nexans (-2.70% to 54.50 euros) has reported a net loss after minority interests of 17 million euros for a turnover of 2.1 billion euros in the first half of 2010 (-5.3% in organic). The group, which says its target operating margin of 4% over the period, expects improved sales in the second half and a return to net profit.

Atos Origin (1.34% to 34.01 euros) announced Wednesday for its first half operating margin above expectations of 150 million euros, with a rate of 6% against 4.6% a year earlier. The focus group confirmed a slight decrease in organic turnover in 2010, but less marked than the 3.7% decline in 2009.

Bull (-15.93% to 2.48 euro) recorded a first half net loss of 18.4 million euros, against a net profit of two million euros a year ago.While it expects operating profit of between 35 and 40 million euros in fiscal 2010, he now sets out "a minimum of 30 million euros."

PSA Peugeot Citroen (-2.37% to 24.28 euros) Wednesday said profit from operations $ 1.137 billion in the first half against a loss of 826 million a year earlier. Net income group share of 680 milllion euros against a loss of 962 million. The manufacturer anticipates an operating profit of around 1.5 billion euros.

The announcement could also be reacted rival Renault (1.24% to 35.24 euros).Also in the automotive sector, Valeo (5.02% to 27.20 euros) a statement Tuesday its margin target in 2010 after a first half marked by a return to net income and a continued recovery in automobile production despite end of car scrapping.

EDF Energies Nouvelles (-0.20% to 32.65 euros) Wednesday reported an Ebitda up 15.2% to 168.9 million euros in the first half, below market expectations. The sales were meanwhile up 28.1% in the first half, to 545 million euros.

PagesJaunes (-1.70% to 9.07 euros) has reported a turnover down 3.5% to 542.3 million euros in the first half, below the 545 million expected.The publisher of printed directories expects a drop in revenues of 1% to 3% this year and confirms its margin target of between 510 and 530 million euros in 2010.

EDF and Areva: Following the serial

EDF (1.46% to 32.71 euros) and Areva (-0.57% to 338.05 euros) shall enter into a strategic partnership agreement covering all their areas of common interest in the Nuclear, said Tuesday the Elysee. The possibility of a stake in the capital of EDF, Areva will be considered in the context of this agreement.

LVMH (2.45% to 94.52 euros) Tuesday reported a strong rebound in sales and profitability in the first half, driven by the performance of Louis Vuitton.

Vinci (+1.66% at 38.31 euros) has returned to growth in the first half thanks to the first effects of the acquisition of Cegelec.The turnover of the first half came out up 1.8% on an actual structure, to 15.4 billion euros.

Air France-KLM (4.29% to 11.43 euros) on Tuesday confirmed the target return to balance its operational activity in 2010-2011 but remains cautious about the economic developments in the second half.

M6 (0.59% to 17.76 Euros) Tuesday posted first half results exceeded expectations, including increases of 9.4% of consolidated sales and 7.4% of advertising revenue M6, 12% in the second quarter alone. In an interview with Le Figaro, Nicolas de Tavernost, chief executive, hailed "a relevant model in crisis and recovery."

Crédit Mutuel-CIC announced Tuesday a partnership with Banque Casino, to acquire 50% stake in the subsidiary from the distributor.

Compagnie des Alpes (-1.96% to 20.51 euros) warned Tuesday that its sales in the theme parks is projected to decline in 2009-2010. The total turnover decreased by 7.9% in the third quarter, to 120.7 million euros.

Spir Communication (1.22% to 16.60 euros) again suffered in the first half with a decline in its turnover from 10% to 280.7 million euros.

The ECB said that "reported to the stock, up, of genuine euro banknotes in circulation (average 13.2 billion in cuts in the first half of 2010), the number of counterfeits is very small." The European institution does not specify whether the counterfeit notes were seized before their release.

Tickets are most affected by counterfeiting are € 20 (41.5%) and 50 euros (42.5%) cash advance loan no fax. Almost all (98%) of counterfeit notes seized this semester have been in a member country of the euro area.According to the Central Office for the Suppression of Counterfeiting Currency (OCRFM) quoted by Agence France Presse (AFP), France, Spain and Italy together account for 70% of the counterfeiting of the euro.

The ECB seeks public caution, recalling the method "Touch-Tilt-Watch" called "TRI" to verify the presence of several security features on tickets for the single currency.

The general and regional councils also have used the gun tax. But it was not enough, especially for departments. For the latter, the surplus between income and expenditure has shrunk by 17.8% in 2009. For social spending soared 5.3%.The crisis has pushed the bill of RSA and the aging of the population that of personal autonomy allowance (APA). The elected county expect a similar drift in 2010, "For some departments, the budget balance is very fragile," concludes the report.

Reduced investment

However, in 2011, the constraints will become even stronger. The funds that the departments, but also municipalities and regions, receiving state, which represent nearly 30% of their income, will no longer increase. This was decided by the government. Moreover, the reform of business tax will reshuffle the cards in local taxation. The communes and intercommunal retain a large basket of tax which they may determine the rate.The departments themselves, will not play on the property tax and regions on the gray card No fax cash advances. A situation that worries the county and regional elected and pushes them to invest less.

In 2010, capital spending will drop the first 2.2% and 3.4% of the latter, according to the report. Spared, the mayors expect an increase of 4.5%. "But eventually, the municipalities will be affected because they receive subsidies from the regions and departments," warns Philip Lawrence, in right-wing President of the Finance Committee of the Association of Mayors of France (AMF).

What are the solutions? The local financial professionals, such as UMP or Marc Gilles Carrez Laffineur propose to increase the redistribution between rich and poor communities.Another avenue: better management of intercommunal. For staff costs have mostly slipped to this level (they will grow 8% in 2010). The groups of municipalities have produced savings but duplicates! The government, he promised a reform of the APA to relieve the departments and the establishment of ad hoc aid. "But for now, we are expectant. If nothing happens, we will introduce a bill that will force the state to finally make up our social spending, "said Claudy Lebreton, President PS Assembly departments of France. Meanwhile, between votes and budgets insincere appeal to the courts, the climate remains tense between elected officials and county government.

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For the full year 2010, Kaufman & Broad confirms in a statement that "a return to positive net income, which will however continue to carry the weight of years, with a view to improvement."

"The results of the second quarter of 2010 are part of the positive dynamic recorded in the first quarter, confirming the validity of the strategy of refocusing the business offer implemented in late 2008 on products more compact, less expensive and more suitable at the request of first time buyers and investors, "said CEO Guy Nafilyan, quoted in the press release.

Turnover down

In the first half of 2010, home sales rose 55% in value to $ 675 million euros free credit report and score. "We restart faster than the overall market," says Guy Nafilyan. In contrast, the turnover stood at the promoter of 385.7 million euros, down 7.6% over the first half of 2009.

Kaufman & Broad has announced it has signed a memorandum of agreement for the sale of all its shares and interests in Senior Health (homes of elderly dependents) for a total price of 30.7 million euros.

Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions to be met by September 30, 2010 at the latest, the statement said, explaining that the buyer's name can not be revealed.

Since the beginning of the year, as Kaufman & Broad has won less than 5%. On Thursday, the title rose 5.15% at 17.75 euros.