Archive for the ‘international’ Category

The Cac folds after the rebound of the day

June 22, 2011 - 4:24 pm Comments Off

That night, the Greek Parliament gave its confidence to the new government Papandreou for the implementation of an austerity program. This news was widely expected by the Paris market, which rose 2.04% Tuesday night at closing. If the ad is positive, this explains the slight decline in anticipation of the index in Paris on Wednesday, which fell by 0.50% in mid-session at 3857.71 points. It is thus unlikely that the Cac 40, which has recovered to 3877.07 points last night, without addressing today at 3900 points mark.

For despite the vote tonight, Greece remains in a serious situation. The country needs to pass before June 30, the austerity plan that provides savings of 28.4 billion and 50 billion privatization until 2015.Persistent concerns explaining the lack of investor optimism since the beginning of June.

At the macroeconomic level, the announcement of an increase in the INSEE industrial morale in June, was not enough to give a positive trend. Industrial orders in the euro area rebounded 0.7% in April from the previous month, said Wednesday the EU statistics office Eurostat.en March, they had recorded their first decline in six months, 1.5 %. Eurostat has slightly revised its initial estimate, which gave an even stronger decline of 1.8%. On the macroeconomic front, investors should exercise great caution before the press conference of the U.S. central bank in the evening.The economic outlook in the United States could be scaled down and the Fed is expected to confirm the end of the support measures.

As for currencies, the vote of confidence of the Greek Parliament supports a slight decline in the European currency. The euro fell slightly against the dollar on Wednesday, suffering from profit taking after the sharp rise the previous day. Around 11:00 in Paris, the single European currency was worth 1.4401 dollars against 1.4408 late Tuesday.

In terms of oil, the news does not really have an impact on price developments, mixed Wednesday. Relieved by the vote of confidence, the market is wait until the end of the meeting of the American Fed. In morning trading, a barrel of "light sweet crude" for August delivery lost 46 cents to 93.71 dollars.That of Brent North Sea crude for August delivery gained 31 cents to 111.26 dollars.

Carrefour degraded

Carrefour (-1.52%, 26.89 euros) Moody's said Tuesday it had downgraded the outlook from stable to negative. Yesterday, at a general meeting stormy, the splitting of Dia was approved while the shareholders voted in favor of renewing the businessman Bernard Arnault on the board.The current Group Chief Executive, Lars Olofsson, will take over the chairmanship of the board of directors in place of Amaury de Seze.

EADS (+0.11% at 21.78 euros): Louis Welsh, CEO of EADS, the parent company of Airbus, said Wednesday that the European aircraft manufacturer plans to save the day at the Paris Air Show orders for its A380, the largest airliner in service in the world.

Total (-0.76% to 38.58 euros) assigned to a consortium of most of its petroleum distribution assets in the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, for about 450 million.

Societe Generale (-0.87% to 39.82 euros). Shareholders representing 68% of the shares of the group opted for the 2010 dividend payment for new shares.The number of new shares issued for payment of the dividend is 23,901,432 shares, representing 3.2% of current capital of SocGen.

The title was up Altran Technologies (3.01% to 5.51 euros) on the Paris market on Wednesday midday, taking advantage of the positive outlook of analysts following a meeting with the new CEO of technology consulting .

The Tanner (suspended) Qatar Luxury Group has launched a simplified tender offer for the remaining capital of leather goods at the same price of 6.51 euros per share. He already holds 54.73% stake in the Tanner, whose listing is suspended.

Areva (-1.71% to 25.61 euros) The Supervisory Board endorsed the group's arrival Tuesday in place of Luc Oursel Anne Lauvergeon. This should also not give up his severance pay.

The Cac 40 without great enthusiasm

May 30, 2011 - 3:04 pm Comments Off

The Paris Bourse started the week with no major trend. After an opening down slightly from 0.29% to the image of Asian stock markets this Monday morning, the Cac back in the green but very moderately. At mid-session, he won 0.10% to 3954.86 points. Today, the London hotel market is closed while Wall Street will not open either and will celebrate Memorial Day (as every last Monday in May). The Cac 40, which had ended the week on a nice increase of 0.86%, managed to climb to 3950 points on Friday night.

This Monday, we will particularly impact that will follow the announcement by Germany to close its last nuclear reactors by 2022. The country became the first industrial power to abandon atomic energy.Already in China, the values ​​related to coal soared when he appears as the best vehicle for investment, better than solar or wind power in the future.

European side, the news is charged. The Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said was confident Sunday in the payment of the next tranche of EU-IMF loan to avoid bankruptcy for rejecting an article of the German weekly Der Spiegelmettant doubt this release. Note that the Athenians flocked in their thousands on Sunday night in the central square of the capital, before the parliament, the fifth day of a successful mobilization against austerity, modeled on the Spanish "Indignant".

Ireland, she may have to request a new loan to the European Union and the International Monetary Fund if it fails to return on the bond market to raise funds next year, said Minister of Transportation the columns of The Sunday Times.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro retreated slightly against the dollar Monday in a quiet market due to the closing of financial centers in the United States and England. Around 0900 GMT (1100 Paris), the single European currency was worth 1.4291 dollars against 1.4317 dollars on Friday night.

Values ​​on the forehead, that Monday is the day of commencement of trading of shares of Areva. The beginning of the session is particularly volatile for the action that keeps change from red to green and almost abandoned from 3.47% to 29.20 euros.

The group's president, Anne Lauvergeon, also believes that the nuclear reactor projects under consideration will be delayed by about 6 to 9 months because of the review of data on plant safety, said Monday its president .

Renault leaves% to 0.18% 38.99 euros while known to be the name of the successor of Patrick Pelata to senior management. Portuguese Carlos Tavares, 53, an avid sports car and head for the Americas of the Japanese Nissan, Renault's affiliate, should be named the number two automaker French.

Dexia advance of 2.03% to 2.467 euros. The Belgian-French group will pay no dividend for 2011 due to the cost of asset sales announced Friday, said its chairman Jean-Luc Dehaene, Belgian daily L'Echo.

EADS gained 0.29%.Its executive chairman Louis Welsh said that he supported the introduction of a veto in the defense sector to prevent hostile takeovers, in an interview with Focus magazine. "It's not about bags and luxury goods, we are in an area of ​​national interest," he said.

Technip advance of 0.12% while the group was selected by Samsung for its Floating Shell gas extraction.

Total (-0.04%) acquired 25% of an exploration license offshore Qatar for an offshore field that extends over 5,600 square kilometers.

Petroleum.The Economy Minister Christine Lagarde said Sunday that the government could impose on oil to reduce fuel prices at the pump if they do not justify the price drops enough found so far by the administration.

Hermes pressure

Hermes was down 1.17% to 177.2 euros while the group holds a very important meeting on Monday. Saddler said the appeal: the voice of Hermes family shareholders, Bertrand Puech denounces "attempts to destabilize" the company by LVMH. The Adam, she filed a lawsuit that the family can not merge into a holding company.

L'Oreal (0.43%).Daughter of Liliane Bettencourt, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, June 6 to ask the investigating chamber of the Court of Appeal of Bordeaux to cancel all records Bettencourt, citing a procedural issue attributable to the prosecution Nanterre.

Trading in Meetic is suspended while his American counterpart Match.com Announces Intention to bid for all outstanding shares of the French site. Internet dating site offers 15 euros per share in cash offer for its competitor.Its parent company said already hold 27% stake in Meetic.

Medica (-0.63%) announced Monday it had signed an amendment to the credit agreement that was signed in June 2010, taking advantage of favorable conditions in the debt market to increase its financial capacity.

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Succession at the IMF: Nominations opened on Monday

May 22, 2011 - 11:36 am Comments Off

The International Monetary Fund said on Friday it would open Monday until June 10 nominations for the position of CEO, and he stared for "objective" to appoint his number one "by 30 June."

The Institution of Washington said that its board of directors, meeting in the day, had agreed "a period of applications which starts May 23, 2011 and will close June 10, 2011. "The objective of the board of directors select the director general consensus with the aim of completing the selection process by June 30, 2011," said Fund. Another objective is that this election "takes place in an open, merit-based and transparent," he added. IMF looks for a successor to French Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who resigned Thursday and is being prosecuted for sex crimes in New York.The Fund's detailed plan to follow the procedure that its board of directors composed of representatives from 24 countries and country groups.

Applications must be submitted either by such representatives or by the IMF governors (the finance minister or the head of the central bank in different countries). If there are three or less, they will be revealed at the close on June 10 If there are more than three, they will be kept confidential to determine time preference "by consensus", except by a vote, a shortlist of three candidates in the best position. The two or three candidates who remain will be heard by the Board in Washington. This body will then seek a "consensus" to determine the new head of the institution, "although the board may select the Director General by a majority of votes."

Number two in the IMF serves as the DSK

May 15, 2011 - 11:36 pm Comments Off

The alleged sexual assault case that led to the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn is also a blow to the institution he heads the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Sunday night, the institution announced that, as required by procedures, number two, John Lipsky, will assume the duties of general manager for the duration of the absence of DSK. The board of directors of the fund must hold a special meeting Sunday evening, "informally," says the institution. So John Lipsy who will chair the meeting.The IMF can initiate disciplinary proceedings against the Director General in case of "serious breaches" of the code of conduct for officials of the institution.

"This case is bound to tarnish the image of the institution, which, however, by the voice of its director general had managed during and through the crisis, to find a proper place in the regulation of globalization and stand at the heart international monetary system, "said Hassim Mounis, professor at Sciences Politiques in Paris.

"Dominique Strauss-Kahn is a Managing Director of IMF that will be remembered most," says the economist. "It will mark the spirits because he has temporarily disrupted the guidance of the IMF's role by requiring the state to support the economy, which is in total contradiction with the previous liberal policy of the institution," said it.DSK is known to have handled the economic crisis and financial crisis by bringing a Keynesian response … measured, however: in the emblematic case of Greece, the IMF forced the government to drastically reduce public spending and operate a process of privatization.

The IMF is "operational," Greece continues its reforms

Greece precisely, it ensures that the events that challenge the IMF does not change the government program to revive the economy. "The government is pursuing the reforms required by the Fund," said George Petalotis Sunday, his spokesman. DSK would have had to go in Berlin on Sunday and meet Angela Merkel to discuss a possible new aid to Greece, which had gained support in spring 2010 of 110 billion euros, 30 billion from the IMF.This meeting was to take place on the eve of a meeting of the Eurogroup, the Monday night and Tuesday in Brussels, with the main discussions at the agenda of the financial problems that resurface Greece for several days and that plague the markets. It is the deputy general manager of operations, Nemat Shafik, who will attend the Eurogroup meeting.

The IMF meanwhile assured that it remains "fully functional and operational." The Washington-based institution to ensure and maintain its role in the issue of European sovereign debt. "It seems impossible that the case could impact the DSK button timing and responsablités IMF, the stakes are too great," says an economist based in Paris.There was a pre-DSK IMF, there may be an after-DSK.

Who might succeed him at the IMF?

Since Bretton Woods in 1944, which devoted a share of the world between Europe and America, the custom was established to appoint a European to head the IMF and an American to head the Bank World. But in recent years, global economic governance has, too, internationalized: emerging countries like China and Brazil now have a bigger role, like the G7 became the G8 and G20.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who became the tenth Executive Director of the IMF on 1 November 2007, has himself advocated the continuation of the reform of the institution, and wanted a person from an emerging country for the succeeding fall 2012 . But the events that shook the Fund could also shake up the program.If DSK had to leave the branch, a new early election should take place. The voices, weighted by the amount of quotas, have been reallocated on March 3 after a major reform of the representation of the 187 IMF member countries. The reform has enabled the transfer of 6% of the votes of over-represented countries to benefit from emerging countries. Nevertheless, the IMF is likely to adopt a tougher stance vis-à-vis Europe under the leadership of a new management team.

"DSK is a former economics professor and renowned former Minister of Economy and Finance. He has a real economic role at the operational level to the IMF. In France, too, has played its role, "insists Mounis Hassim, comparing his skills to those of Raymond Barre.Under Jospin, DSK, then Minister of Economy (1997-1999), had participated in the launch of the euro.

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Humanity depletes natural resources

May 14, 2011 - 8:56 am Comments Off

If humanity continues its momentum, it will consume in 2050 three times more raw materials than today. "Far beyond what is bearable." The warning is clear. And it does not derive from Lester Brown, president of Earth Policy Institute, which multiplies the books for decades on the depletion of the planet or the WWF or Greenpeace, but the UN.

In forty years, some 9 billion people consume 140 billion tons of minerals, hydrocarbons and biomass (wood, crops, livestock), as reported by the UNEP (United Nations Environment). Or 16 tons of natural resources swallowed each year by each person on the planet."Policymakers and the general public are still not convinced of the absolute physical limits on the amount of resources available to humanity," the authors note, a dozen experts led by an Austrian and a South African.

Doing more with less

To avoid shortages and social tensions and geopolitical they would generate, the world must "do more with less." Sustained growth requires massive investment in "technological innovation, financial and social." One difficulty lies in the considerable disparity in the exploitation of raw materials. An inhabitant of an industrialized country consumes an average 16 tons per year, four times more than Indian.

In rich countries, the differences are equally impressive.A consumer of Qatar, Australia and the United States swallows 40 tons of natural resources per year when a French, a German or an Italian uses about 15 tons. These figures do not reflect the reality only partially, note the rapporteurs of the UN. For a tonne of copper extracted in Chile will be charged to the consumer in their calculation Chilean even if it is used to manufacture a product sold in China or Europe. These methodological weaknesses therefore do not change the risk of global depletion of natural resources. Even if industrialized countries were able to halve their consumption of raw materials by 2050, not living to 8 tons, and that developing countries joined this level without exceeding the total amount to 70 billion tons, or 40% more than today.This scenario (No. 2 in the graphics) would be accompanied by a doubling of greenhouse gas emissions, a path inconsistent with the objectives of the international community in the fight against global warming.

Amid these grim prospects for the environment, the UN report uncovers some reasons not to despair. The global trend towards urbanization is paradoxically supports better use of natural resources. A densely populated area per capita is more economical building materials, energy and transportation, the experts argue.

Another reason for optimism, emerging skip some stages of development by adopting technologies directly or models that consume less raw materials, how they embraced the mobile phone have not finished building the fixed telephone network.

LinkedIn valued $ 3 billion

May 11, 2011 - 3:04 am Comments Off

LinkedIn assesses its value to three billion dollars in its IPO issue addressed yesterday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Constable of overseas markets. American professional social network is about to score this month on the New York Stock Exchange.

The startup has warned that its growth could slow in the future, investment is expected to increase the capacity of the site. The site could not even be beneficial shareholder this year. In 2010, it has recorded fifteen million dollars profit on a turnover of 243 million. This income was 78 million in 2008.It has also surpassed the hundred million registered end-March, with 102 million accounts online payday loan lenders.

Some analysts remain skeptical of the optimism LinkedIn whose business model is based on recruiting, marketing solutions and profiles "premium" pay, is very different from sites like Facebook or Zynga, very popular with investors, who rather seek to consume their users via their interfaces. Despite these differences, the IPO of LinkedIn will probably be a good barometer for gauging the success of quotations from other social networks, eagerly awaited.

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The Cac 40 disrupted by Greece

May 9, 2011 - 11:40 am Comments Off

In a quiet session ahead, the CAC 40 a break on Monday, after climbing from 1.33% Monday, following good U.S. job figures released Friday. The stock index opens down 0.49% at 4037.91 points.

On other European financial centers, the Dax in Frankfurt Stock Exchange is 0.41% to 7461.35 points and

With the exception of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the Asian financial centers evolve upward Monday.

On the macroeconomic front, Bank of France (BoF) provides a first estimate of growth of 0.5% in the second quarter of this year. BdF anticipates a 0.7% gross domestic product for the first quarter.

The business survey from the Bank of France reported a moderate increase in activity in industry in April.The business climate indicator in industry decreased by three points to 107 while in services it has dropped one point to 102.

Bank stocks follow

Bank stocks will follow, while the financial situation of Greece worried, so much so that a new EU aid is getting ready by 2012. After two consecutive sessions of steep declines that saw him rise from 1.48 to 1.43 dollar, the euro starts again from the front Monday against the greenback and quoted at 1.4380 dollars.

Moreover, Eurofins Scientific will release its first quarter results, Vilmorin, its turnover in the third quarter of fiscal year 2010-201.

Transfer rumors Lafarge and acquisition for GDF Suez

Technip won a contract worth approximately EUR 55 million from Statoil for the development of the Vigdis field NE, located in the Norwegian Sea.The contract includes the supply of pipes to be installed by mid-2012 in water depths of 220 to 310 meters.

CNP Assurances reported Monday a net profit in the first quarter down 3.6% to 270 million euros, affected by a strong contraction in sales (-14.1%)

Lafarge and Anglo American want to sell 600 million pounds (680 million euros) in assets to their new joint British company, whose creation was announced last February, the Financial Times.

GDF Suez wants to have a pole there and energies reouvelables consolidate its ten subsidiaries producing green energy in France, according to Les Echos.Also according to the economic daily, the group would be interested in the Italian Sorgenia, 52% owned by the holding of the CIR De Benedetti family and 45% by the Austrian Verbund.

The passenger traffic of Air France-KLM jumped 23.1% in April, an increase that is "not significant" compared to April 2010 during which the European sky was blocked by the eruption of an Icelandic volcano, said Monday the airline group. In the past month, Air France-KLM carried 6.36 million passengers (+28%).

The credit insurance group Euler Hermes has done in the first quarter 2011 net income rose 58.2% to 75.3 million euros thanks to the continued recovery of the global economy observed in 2010. Turnover increased 7.6% to 544.1 million euros.

Numericable could announce the launch of a mobile telephone within 40 euro on Wednesday as well and hunt on the land of the Free (Iliad). The mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that rents the network Bouygues Telecom is the origin of the site larevolutiondumobile.com. The group has denied wanting to launch an unlimited mobile plan.

Oil prices appear to rise

Oil prices were on the upside Monday in electronic trading in Asia, resuming after the sharp drop last week, dealers said.

In morning trading, a barrel of light sweet crude for June delivery gained 1.18 dollars to 98.36 dollars. That of Brent North Sea also June delivery gained 52 cents to 109.65 dollars.

Limited impact of holidays on growth

May 7, 2011 - 9:12 pm Comments Off

For the second consecutive year, neither the first nor May 8 to do the bridge in 2011! Labor Day and the commemoration of the armistice of 1945 had fallen on Saturdays last year and this time it's a Sunday.

The timing, thus depriving the French of long weekends or days off, he is at least good for growth? "Sure, in theory, the more days worked, the more activity, purchases, consumption, etc.. There is an effect on the raw data, "said Vladimir Passeron, Division Chief of the quarterly to the INSEE. In fact, France will work more during the month of May, which did not include bank holiday week, the production system will run more than a year so classic.

But it will not be visible in the figures for second quarter growth to be published this summer.Because the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies anticipates and smooth the data "in the discipline of working days" and structural effects, says the expert.

Three Saturdays worth a weekday

This correction is not performed when calculating annual growth. Therefore, the sum of the quarterly is not equivalent to the annual accounts! However, it should not be a macroeconomic impact on GDP 2011, relative to GDP 2010. Last year there were 254 days of the week (Monday-Friday) working, there will be only 253 this year. But if the May 1, 8 May 2011 and Christmas fall on a Sunday, the holiday fell on a Saturday in 2010. Gold worked three Saturdays "compensate" a weekday break, says a study by the INSEE.

The timetable "should not impact the annual growth between 2010 and 2011," concludes INSEE.At best, it would have a positive impact of 0.06 percentage point of GDP, at worst a negative point of 0.06. Only the thickness of the line!

Nevertheless, there are years when the holidays can impact less significant. "The growth differential can be up to 1 tenth of a point or more, is Nicolas Bouzou, economist at Asterès. We also know that the years with few working days result in distributional effects across sectors, to the detriment of the industry by example and benefit from tourism. "That will not happen this year.

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Real Estate: Paris exceed 8,000 euros per m² in June

April 29, 2011 - 1:44 pm Comments Off

In real estate, Paris is not France. So goes the refrain sung Thursday by the Higher Council of Notaries. In the capital, in fact, prices never stop rising. Last year, the increase was 17.5% and per square meter was worth, on average, 7330 euros in old housing. The boom continued in early 2011. "From December 2010 to February 2011, prices rose 5.2%, says Mr. Thierry Delesalle, president of the real estate commission of notaries in the Ile-de-France. In twelve month rolling period, from June 2010 to June 2011, we will not be far from the 20% increase. "Soon, the ceiling of 8,000 euros per square meter in Paris will be reached.

Relying on the promises of sales in the first quarter of 2011 signed, notaries believe the square meter in Paris will average 8,028 euros in June. This will rise to 15,500 euros in even the most expensive neighborhood in the capital, the Champs-Elysees.And this movement does not seem ready to break if we are to judge by the large number of transactions: first quarter in Ile-de-France, they rose 16%.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the graphic.

Fewer foreigners in Paris

Contrary to popular belief, foreigners are not responsible for the rampant price increases because they are less active than before the Paris market: last year, they accounted for 6.5% of buyers against 7.6% in 2009. The result? "We should see the price differences widen between areas traditionally preferred properties such as Paris and those economically disadvantaged in which a decrease has already been committed," said Pierre Bazaille, president of the Institute for Notarial real estate guaranteed online payday loans. In fact, in the province, the changes are more chaotic.Overall, prices have also increased but less dramatically than in Paris. They set up in 2010 by 4.7% for older apartments and 10% for houses. But since early this year, the situation is contrasted by areas or cities.

In Lille, for example, home prices fell 6% to 170,000 euros on average in Bordeaux, one of the apartments has decreased by 1%. Less than 3% also for apartments in Rennes, where the square meter is now worth 2212 euros. On the other hand, for apartments, in Brest, the price per square foot rose by 7% to 1527 euros per square meter. The increase is more limited but very real (+3%) in Lyon, where the square meter is 3102 euros.

Difficult, with that, whether property prices will rise or decline this year in France. According to Mr. Pierre Bazaille, the trend towards a higher but moderate (between 0 and 3%).A development that will depend on exogenous factors such as rising interest rates on mortgages or advertisements referring to the SP in its program the rent freeze.

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Typewriters, it's over

April 28, 2011 - 1:36 am Comments Off

The order of keys on computer keyboards is now the last vestige of the era of typewriters. In India, the last factory in the world still producing the devices on which generations of typists have damaged their nails, just down the curtain.

The Daily Star has revealed that, without controls, the group Godrej & Boyce, based in Bombay, not surprisingly, decided to cease production after more than half a century of production.The fault, of course, the irresistible rise of the computer, which has reduced from 50,000 units in 1990 to only 800 in 2010, the number of units produced annually by the conglomerate of the subcontinent.

The Indian government has given the coup de grace by deciding to gradually move to IT, to the chagrin of officials who say old type faster on a machine.

To liquidate the latest machines in stock, Godrej & Boyce shakes the rope speculation. "This is the last opportunity for fans of typewriters," said the Indian press one of the leaders of the group.

Accuracy before rushing to Mumbai: Most of them are intended for texts in Arabic.