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What was even Pringles Procter & Gamble, one might ask? The famous canned chips, which can be enjoyed in over 140 countries, were the last food brand – apart from the dog food – including shampoos, detergents, batteries and other razors marketed by P & G.

Pringles has found its place in the U.S. food group Diamond Foods, which will triple its snacks segment with the operation. This specialist snacks spends $ 2 saving account pay day loan.35 billion, including $ 1.5 billion in shares, and also takes over a debt of 850 million. Diamond Foods has made several acquisitions in recent years, especially from General Mills, who comes to him, to enter the capital of Yoplait.

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Faced with rising rents in France, it becomes difficult for the student accommodation. AFEV (Association of the student foundation for the city), an association of student volunteers who fight against inequalities in income neighborhoods, has been working on this issue. It launched a program that offers student groups, in return for a roommate in very affordable prices, to participate in a common social vision. This program is called KAPS "Koloc A. Projects in solidarity"

In September 2010, the mayor of Toulouse has made available ten students four T3/T4 type apartments, provided they spend a few hours a week in entertainment cultural workshops, or coaching youth in difficulty .Students share the old staff accommodation which the city owns and rents paid monthly CROUS (Regional Centre for University and School) amounted to 272.42 euros (141 to 182 euros after deduction of aid housing). The project is supported by the bank BNP Paribas participant KAPS at € 150,000 and shall be directly liable, allowing students to access at no additional cost to collocations.

Roommate: a method that works

"Although Toulouse was one of the cheapest cities in France, the housing market begins to be saturated," said Stephanie Arnold of the town hall of the "pink city". "An increasing number of students is therefore preferred to collocation. This allows them to make more new friends. "The analysis of the motivations of students, which was conducted among volunteers AFEV shows "both a strong desire to participate in an action 'good' socially and a desire to learn for themselves," says the press release KAPS project.

Furthermore Toulouse, Poitiers and Paris have also tried. Through a partnership with the Foundation AFEV Poitiers University and the social landlord Logiparc, 12 students occupied T4 4 apartments in two districts of Poitiers for a rent amounting to 285 euros each (housing not deducted) same day payday loans. In Paris, five students, including volunteers AFEV are housed in a residence of the Studentenwerk, including three singles and two in collcation in an apartment.In exchange for a rent of 350 to 380 euros per month, they are five hours per week involved in projects in the area of ​​the roundabout of the Chapel, where there is a high concentration of social housing.

Convincing results

In the capital, the city less affordable for students, AFEV, the Studentenwerk and SIEMP (Society of the mixed economy of the city of Paris) work to the lineup from 40 to 50 units dedicated to the roommate. "But we are still awaiting the response of social landlords. Nothing is certain at this stage with regard to these apartments. But we know that CROUS participate in KAPS next year through the apartments and rooms available to students, "Tiffany relativizes Koechlin, territorial delegate AFEV Paris.Laurie Hay, in charge of local development association AFEV Poitiers, gives more otpimistes figures: the number of units for the project KAPS in this city will double the autumn of 2011.

The Toulouse experience so far remains a single case in France, because it is housing, which owns the Town Hall. This facilitates all administrative procedures for obtaining housing and avoid going through intermediary structures. Other cities such as Bordeaux and Perpignan have already started looking for apartments in vacant city in order to transform it into the collocation projects KAPS, according to the association.

The respite will not last long on the market for European sovereign debt. The markets have once again played to scare Thursday and fears have focused on Lisbon. The return of Portuguese debt to ten years has indeed reached a level unprecedented since the creation of the euro, to 7.43%. The 7% threshold, estimated as the maximum interest rate for Portugal, has been crossed. The "spread" against German Bunds, that is to say, the premium demanded by investors to hold debt rather than Portuguese in Germany, rose to 440 points.

With this new record yield debt Portuguese, European Central Bank (ECB), which had suspended its buyback program for two weeks, had to return to duty. Traders said that the ECB had mainly bought the debt and Portuguese for relatively small amounts.The level of returns is then dropped to 7.404%.

Relief Fund: markets are getting impatient

Why this sudden adrenaline rush of investors? Thursday, no particular event or no ad would disrupt markets. Portugal has even done a show on Monday for which demand was sustained 6 billion euros for a 3-billion. Only the publication of inflation figures, which accelerated to 3.6% in January over a year, could "act as a trigger," said Patrick Jacq, a strategist at BNP Paribas.But it is especially for him a "pretext" seized by investors who wanted to get rid of their obligations Portuguese.

Indeed, a Malay would rather background behind these rate movements: Waiting for strong measures and reassuring European leaders, "markets are anxious and disturbed by the lack of communication," said Bertrand Michaud analyst at Louis Capital Markets. For several weeks the tension had fallen through discussions on increasing the financial stability of the Permanent Fund European (FESF), the European aid funds to countries in difficulty, and a convergence of economic policies of member states. Central banks had also reassured the markets by saying ready to intervene to redeem debt.Finally, the successful bond issues in Portugal and Spain in particular, and publication of economic indicators reassuring, particularly in Germany, contributed to this relaxation.

But markets are impatient again while discussions between member countries of the euro area have stalled. Last Friday, the leaders gathered at a special summit where Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy have called for a "pact of competitiveness" among the seventeen countries, including "structural reforms" and a "closer economic cooperation" . But the concrete application of these statements will not be discussed before the next summit. "The EU summit has led to nothing, which was more or less expected, said Patrick Jacq. It was also understood that the Franco-German proposals were not necessarily accepted by other countries.In short, it's back problems in the euro area ". Consequence: increased nervousness of investors resulting in runaway journeys, rational markets as was the case yesterday.

Recession fears

Concerns are still doing over Portugal designated as next on the list after Greece and Ireland for a new rescue plan. Lisbon yet strives to give positive signs. The Government has therefore set a priority to reduce the public deficit to 4.6% of GDP this year, against about 7% in 2010. "In 2011, Portugal will achieve one of the most profound and ambitious fiscal adjustments (…), necessary to ensure the credibility of our economy on the international front, funding of our economy and its growth," said Prime Minister Jose Socrates.Portugal has also reported an estimated GDP growth of 1.3% in 2010, after falling 2.6% the previous year.

But for many economists, recession fears persist. The austerity measures, including the higher taxes and cuts in salaries of civil servants, should indeed stopping domestic consumption. "Portugal is not released at the prospect of using the potential FESF said Patrick Jacq. At this stage, it is a choice on their part but if I were the Portuguese taxpayer, I would prefer that the state borrows under the FESF for a lower rate. " But Portugal is determined not to resort to European funds: "There is no reason to believe that Portugal does not qualify to continue to appeal to markets.Quite the contrary, has said yesterday the Minister of the Presidency Pedro Silva Pereira, who has condemned the attacks speculative pushing up rates of bond yields in Portugal.

Patrick Jacq, interest rate movements important as that of yesterday are relative, however, given the current liquidity conditions. "This is not a significant degradation of the image of Portugal." The peripheral states of the euro area remains under pressure however, pending the outcome of the forthcoming summit of EU leaders on March 11.

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After seeing its sales and profits fall in 2009, the world leader in cosmetics has regained his health before the crisis. Its sales rose 5.6% last year to 19.5 billion euros. Its operating profit him, jumped 18.6% to over 3 billion euros. Jean-Paul Agon, CEO since 2006, will chair the group on March 17, following the departure of Lindsay Owen-Jones.

LE FIGARO. – What is your assessment of 2010?

JEAN-PAUL AGON. – The crisis is clearly behind us, the results speak for themselves. L'Oreal has rebounded well in 2010, with strong sales growth at constant exchange rates, a record turnover, a result of very significant growth and market share gains in virtually all regions of the world.These results are the consequence of policy decisions taken in late 2008: to make our innovations available, enter into new categories (deodorants, body care, male grooming), accelerating globalization, increasing our research efforts and advertising & promotion and reduce administrative costs and business. China has become our third largest market, with over one billion euros of turnover.

What is your outlook for 2011?

We are confident in our ability to outperform the market this year. After rising by 4% last year, the global cosmetics market should again grow 3 to 4%.

The return to growth in the market he calls into question the strategy of product availability?

Not at all. We are entering an era of beauty for all. For twenty years we have internationalized our brands.We will go further with different formats, different products. In Eastern Europe, Garnier sells staining simpler and more economical. In India, the brand is available in jars, tubes and bags a few rupees. Another example, Maybelline has recorded a growth of 13% of its sales because it distributes products of good quality makeup at an affordable price.

Are you concerned that political instability, economic and social burden on your growth in emerging markets?

The great strength of L'Oreal is to be present on all continents.The best protection against geopolitical uncertainty is to maximize opportunities in all new countries.

Are you considering acquisitions to accelerate in developing countries?

L'Oreal has a diversified portfolio of brands with European, American, a Japanese brand (Shu Uemura) and Chinese (Yue Sai). It would be interesting to buy a brand Brazilian or Indian. You should know that in emerging new consumers for many new consumers of cosmetics. To them we prefer to start our brand. Garnier and the preferred brand of Indians. Our specialty is to consider closer to the cultures, the needs of these consumers. There is no beauty, but beauty.Our strategy is to universalize the one hand that our global scale to all countries of the world, and secondly that they are available worldwide personal business card.

Will you continue to rationalize your portfolio of brands by country? Could you give Helena Rubinstein, who is no longer sold in France?

We are pragmatic. There is no taboo. All our brands will not necessarily present in every country in the world. Regarding Helena Rubinstein, it's been that we are attached.

Lindsay Owen-Jones why he chose to abandon his post as president, when he was re-signed for two years in 2010?

The unification of the functions of chairman and CEO is a tradition at L'Oreal. In over 100 years of history, they have been separated a few years.Lindsay Owen-Jones said in 2005 that he would leave the presidency before his 65th birthday. This council was the last before his 65th birthday, was the right time to pass the torch.

Some have criticized Lindsay Owen-Jones, very close to Liliane Bettencourt, to emphasize the family to other shareholders, especially Nestle …

It is not for me to comment on rumors.

The case Bettencourt did destabilized the group?

No, this has not impacted the operation of the company. Internally, staff have behaved quite remarkable and remained mobilized.

Mrs. Bettencourt and her daughter are reconciled.What does this change it for the future of family involvement in L'Oreal?

To mark this happy outcome, the family has publicly expressed a strong and united in its commitment to the company.

Francois Dalle his presidency marked by acquisitions, Lindsay Owen-Jones by his own rationalization and internationalization of the brand portfolio. What impression would you print?

Every president has matched a new era in the world. Today, we face new challenges in a changing world. These transformations are so many opportunities to continue the adventure L'Oreal. The first is the geographic shift to new countries. The group has built over 100 years consumers in Europe and North America. The new consumers of today are South America, Africa and Asia.We know the emergence of a new middle class of about 2 to 2.5 billion people in the next ten to fifteen years. Then, the digital revolution, technological and cultural changes in depth the relationship of our brands with consumers. Finally, the leader in beauty must help build a more beautiful world. L'Oreal is especially equipped to face the challenges of today's world. We focus on one trade, that of beauty. Research, innovation, quality of worship, a culture house very strong part of our DNA. Our values are our values.

Will you inspire Lindsay Owen-Jones to preside L'Oreal?

I have great admiration for him. It is twenty-five years as we work together.We are entering a new era with new challenges and a new adventure for L'Oreal.

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The yes won with 54.05% of the vote, according to final results announced Saturday morning after a night of counting. Employees of Fiat's Mirafiori plant history in Turin (north) have approved the agreement toughening their working conditions and whose survival depended on the site.

The signing of this agreement is considered a turning point in social history. It provides a specific contract for workers at Mirafiori, which no longer depend on the collective agreement for metalworking. The plant will now run on 24 and 24 hours to six days a week. Breaks will be reduced and the number of overtime tripled to $ 120 per year. Penalties are also provided for absenteeism "abnormal" or strike against the agreement.But wages will rise up to 3,700 euros gross per year due to night work and overtime, unions have argued signatories.

In exchange for signing the agreement, Fiat has committed to invest over one billion euros with its U.S. partner Chrysler to produce up to 280,000 Jeep Mirafiori and Alfa Romeo annually. If failure had won, the group would have produced such vehicles in the U.S. or Canada, and the lack of new models, the plant would have gone to Turin closure assured.

Membership narrower than expected

Almost all employees of the Fiat factory – on 5119 5431 or 94.2% – participated in vote.Les employees have played a decisive role in the yes vote when the workers of the assembly line rather have them voted no.For Fiat, which has not yet reacted to this result, membership is narrower than in the referendum held on a similar agreement in June to plant Pomigliano (south) where the yes had accumulated 62% of votes payday loans. With the exception of the IMF – metallurgy branch of the CGIL (left), the first union in the country – who denounced a "blackmail", all unions had signed the agreement on December 23 and asked to vote yes. Giovanni Centrella UGL union praised the "sense of responsibility" Mirafiori employees who "saved tens of thousands of jobs" while Giorgio Airaudo the IMF has instead praised the "courage" of workers who said not. Very controversial point of the agreement, the IMF will have to aiileurs more delegates in the plant, refused to sign.

Supported by the Government, employers and the left part of the agreement Mirafiori sharply divided peninsula.Sign of tension, red stars, symbol of the Red Brigades, have emerged in recent days on the walls of several cities. The vote has sparked more passion than this plant in Turin is the industrial heart of Fiat in the city where the band was born.

The head of government Silvio Berlusconi pledged personally in favor of yes, believing that if no victory, companies "have good reason to go to other countries." For the boss of Fiat, Sergio Marchionne, who wants to make the alliance a giant Fiat-Chrysler world car, this type of agreement is essential if the Italian factories are more productive and stop losing money .He made a sine qua non for investment of 20 billion euros in total by 2014 to Italy to double production.

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After two losses, the Detroit show this year symbolizes the victorious return of the Big Three, the Big Three U.S. automakers. In 2009, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have been brought to its knees by the financial crisis, after years of abysmal losses. Two of them, GM and Chrysler, have gone through a bankruptcy and owe their salvation to the billions of dollars in aid the U.S. government.

This year, the mood should be much more festive in Detroit, as reasons to be optimistic are real. After collapsing in 2009 to its lowest level since 1983, the U.S. car market is again on the rise for the first time since 2005: 11.6 million cars were sold last year, a rebound 11%.In 2011, experts predict volumes between 12.5 and 13.5 million cars, far, however, nearly 17 million copies in 2005.

Factories closed, wages reduced

GM has made for his return to Wall Street, in November, the most spectacular IPO in history, raising more than $ 23 billion. Photo credits: David Zalubowski / ASSOCIATED PRESS

After long hesitation, the U.S. stock markets end on a small rise on Wednesday. At the close, the Dow Jones gained 0.27% to 11,723 points, the Nasdaq climbed 0.78% to 2702 points and the S & P ahead by 0.50% to 1277 points. The indices were displayed in the red in early trade but the trend was reversed in favor of two macroeconomic statistics found reassuring:

– Operators have learned earlier this afternoon, good numbers of the ADP survey on employment in the United States. Job creation in the private sector were almost three times more than expected in December. In total, 297,000 jobs have been created over this period, while the consensus expected 100,000.This increase is greatest over a month since 2001.This statistics were scrutinized by investors because they often foreshadow those of the monthly report on employment expected Friday, a major indicator to assess the strength of U.S. recovery.

– Moreover, the ISM index on the service sector stood at 57.1 last month, a highest since May 2006, while economists and analysts surveyed on average had forecast an index to 55.6. This is much more representative of the U.S. economy as the ISM manufacturing sector released Monday.

Retail sales climb

Also on the macroeconomic front, according to Retail Metrics, retail sales in the U.S., rose 3.4% in December over a year. This is their strongest growth since 2006 and the best month of the year for U.S. distribution.The snow storms that have occasionally affected sales, purchases by households after Christmas, were very dynamic.

More good news: the real estate office would have improved slightly last year. For the first time in 3 years, rental prices have increased slightly in the fourth quarter 2010 vacancy rate remains high (17.6%, the highest since 1993) and the prices are low (they were $ 25 average in mid-2008). But the stabilization or even slight recovery, employment benefits to this area.

Operators leave a little later the pessimistic talk of the Fed. In reporting its last meeting, it considers that the European crisis is one of threats to the recovery in the United States.

Facebook and Goldman Sachs in the crosshairs of the SEC

The side of values, Constable U.S. stock, the SEC decided to look at investment bank Goldman Sachs (+0.50% to 173.94 dollars) in Facebook, to ensure that it not circumvent the rules governing non-listed companies, says the Wall Street Journal. Under the current rules, dating from the '60s, when a private company reaches a threshold of 500 shareholders, it becomes compelled to disclose certain financial information. Many commentators saw in the investment of 500 million made by Goldman Sachs with the Russian group mail instant payday loan.ru a way for the community site to gain access to customers of the prestigious U.S. bank, while remaining below this threshold, and freeing itself from any limitations of transparency.Depending on the outcome of its investigation, the SEC could recast the regulations in force, according to the Wall Street Journal. For the regulator, the newspaper said, the challenge is to find a compromise between protecting investors and unlisted companies will have access to sources of capital.

Also note, the year 2010 has been very positive for automakers and marks the return of the Big Three U.S. automakers General Motors (+0.47% to 38.08 dollars), Ford (2.99 to 17%, 90 ollars) and Chrysler, according to figures released yesterday after the close of Wall Street. A total of 11.6 million vehicles were sold in the U.S. last year, up 11% year on year, according to provisional figures from Autodata.Manufacturers should respond to these figures.

Always on the side of values, also after market, the manufacturer of fertilizers Mosaic (2.79% to 77.09 dollars) has published its results for the second fiscal quarter. The group's profits climbed to over $ 1 billion, well beyond analysts' expectations. Turnover was up 59% to $ 2.7 billion is also above expectations.

In addition, the American designer of components for mobile phones Qualcomm (2.08% to 52.03 U.S. dollars) Wednesday announced the acquisition of its partner Atheros Communications (1.45% to 44.64 dollars), a specialist WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, based on an enterprise value of $ 3.1 billion.

Annual gathering of consumer electronics in Las Vegas

The world of consumer electronics is preparing the opening Thursday of its big annual event in Las Vegas.This market is in full recovery is expected to reach almost one trillion dollars this year. Moreover, the Chinese computer manufacturer Lenovo introduced on Tuesday in Las Vegas a new hybrid version of its IdeaPad computer, a laptop running on Microsoft Windows 7 (-0.31% to $ 28) with detachable screen can turn into a tablet Android (Google (1.15% to 609.07 dollars). In the same sector, the U.S. Court of Appeals reinstated a verdict quashed in September thought that the software giant Microsoft guilty of patent infringement against rival Uniloc, but has not confirmed a significant financial penalty of $ 388 million.

In Europe a heavy presumption weighs manipulation on Google.This is evident first of questionnaires sent to European players of the Web by the European Commission as part of its antitrust investigation on U.S. Internet group.

Save the 3900 points this season. This seems to be the mission this week, the Paris Bourse. The CAC 40, which was chained Monday its fourth session in the red, troubled by rising Chinese interest rates, has opened higher Tuesday morning. He climbed from 0.27% to 3872.70 points at the opening and wins more openly 0.42% at 3878 points just before noon. Same atmosphere in the rest of Europe: the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange has opened up 0.20% to 6984.85 and gained 0.15% to 6980.89 points at midday. The Footsie dozing However, London remained closed until tomorrow what should once again limit the volume of trade in Paris, already very quiet this summer.

Investors do not eventually follow the footsteps of their Asian counterparts.The latter, still under Chinese ads, heard the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which reacted negatively to several national macroeconomic statistics. The U.S. stock market, which reopened yesterday after a long weekend of Christmas, has closed its side in unity.

On Tuesday, several statistical trends could play during the day. In France, first, INSEE announced before the opening of markets, the growth of the French economy in the second and third quarters of 2010 was revised slightly downward, respectively up 0.6% (cons + 0.7% previously) and + 0.3% (against + 0.4%).Moreover, housing starts of new homes in France rose 9.5% year on year for the period September to November, while building permits edged up 1.5%, announced Tuesday Department of Ecology.

Most importantly, the United States, in the afternoon, will be published index of house prices, the index of investor confidence and the index of consumer confidence in December.

On the currency markets, the euro strengthens its rise against the greenback in a relatively sluggish. It trades at mid-session against 1.3244 dollars (0.62%).

Alcatel-Lucent is paying for corruption

As for values, Alcatal-Lucent was awaited.The telecoms group has agreed to pay more than $ 137 million under a settlement of a case where he was accused by the U.S. court of having bribed some officials to win contracts in America Latin America and Asia payday loans. Last February, Alcatel-Lucent said it had provisioned 93 million euros in the framework of the case. The Exchange finally responds well: in mid-session, shares climbed 1.57% to 2.199 euros and signed the second largest increase in the CAC 40, behind Michelin (2.11% to 55.14 euros) which recovering from his emotions yesterday.The automotive industry has indeed been penalized in Europe after the announcement of Beijing to limit drastically new car registrations in 2011.

In an interview with Echo, Bénézit Michel, executive director of refining and marketing of Total (+0.36% at 40.14 euros), announces that "strikes the month of October has cost 150 million euros in total" .

JCDecaux (0.73% to 23.32 euros) and Paris Airport (-0.44% to 58.92 euros) announced Tuesday the creation of a joint venture to operate the airport advertising.

Lafarge (+0.76% to 47.305 euros) sold its assets to aggregate and concrete Portugal, Alsace and Switzerland for 120 million euros.

The General Assembly of SIIC de Paris (stable at 17.85 euros) has approved the transaction Contributed by SFL (flat at 35.99 euros) in two buildings in the business district of La Defense exchange of 29.99% stake in the company.

Risc Group (+ 4.55% to 0.23 euros), which specializes in IT services, has endorsed the sale of four of its foreign subsidiaries to the STS software company for 6.1 million euros.

The banks are well oriented, rebounding after their difficulties from the previous day, especially due to the closure of London and the concerns about the Chinese rate hike, even if banks are less exposed to China: Credit Agricole (1.01 %), BNP Paribas (+0.49%), Societe Generale (1.08%) and Natixis (-0.08%) are among the highest increases.

Side of the few stocks showing a decline are Technip (+0.26% at 70.18 euros) and Accor (-0.76% to 33.31 euros).

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PPR continues to refocus on its poles and luxury "sport and lifestyle. After the sale, announced Thursday, the Conforama South African Steinhoff for 1.6 billion euros, the luxury group is preparing for new acquisitions. Market rumors circulated Thursday on a possible takeover of the group of sports equipment and recreational Quicksilver, or group of Australian "surfwear" Billabong.

In response to these rumors, the action of Quicksilver in the day jumped 22%. The group declined to comment on the rumor. The company has a market capitalization of 2 no fax cash loans.52 billion. Due to uncertainties on these acquisitions, the action ended, however, PPR on Thursday down 1.65% to 124.80 euros while the CAC 40 0.68% garnering.

The assignment is for PPR Conforama another step out of the distribution sector, including Francois-Henri Pinault, who took the reins of the group in 2005, wishes to withdraw. After this sale at high prices, which follows that of Spring in 2006, Puma in 2007 and YSL Beaute in 2008, the luxury group will soon be separated from Fnac and Redcats.

PPR Conforama succeeded in selling at high prices. The furniture chain, bought in 1991 to LVMH, will pass under the flag of South Africa. Steinhoff, a manufacturer and distributor of furniture now in England, Germany and Italy, won the auction organized by Rothschild.

Reportedly, the group, advised by RBS, Citigroup and HSBC, had already completed its financing, and set the table a little over 1.6 billion euros. Steinhoff, who was interested in Conforama past two years has outstripped the Carlyle consortium led by the owners of Purpose, associated with the Permira Funds. With the result of this sale, François-Henri Pinault, the CEO of PPR, which also seeks to separate from FNAC and La Redoute, may redeem the clothing brands to build a pole "sport-lifestyle" around Puma.

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