Posts Tagged ‘opinions’

Cereals: Russia lifts its ban in July

May 28, 2011 - 11:20 pm Comments Off

Lifting the Russian embargo on grain exports was widely expected by markets. "We will lift the ban on July 1, has announced on Saturday the prime minister, Vladimir Putin. The latter was originally scheduled to expire in late December 2010 but was extended amid fears of another poor harvest.

Earlier this year, the Russian Minister of Agriculture, Elena Skrynnik, and the first Russian deputy prime minister, Viktor Zubkov, had even cast doubt in the minds of investors by suggesting that the ban could be extended until 'at the end of September or early October. "Our main task is to perform efficiently and timely spring planting on 50 million hectares of cereals including at least 30 million hectares, which will give us a harvest of 85 million tons of grain, "explained Elena Skrynnik.The announcement of the lifting of the embargo implies therefore that these objectives will be achieved.

Soulagment waited on wheat prices

That embargo was imposed by the Russian government because of drought and an unprecedented heat wave during summer 2010, which caused a fall crop Russian approximately 60 million tonnes against 95 million tons originally planned. The embargo was intended to ensure supplies to domestic markets. "We must prevent inflation in domestic prices and also save the Russian stock" which might be destroyed in case of lack of food due to excessively high domestic prices for cereals, Vladimir Putin had said during the announcement of measurement.

But the inflation in wheat prices has taken place internationally since Russia is the third largest exporter of wheat.In August 2010, a ton more than the 230 euros on the Paris markets, while a bushel (25 kg) was trading at over $ 7.80, a level not seen since the food crisis of August 2008.

Since then, the tension on the wheat markets has not subsided. Higher prices even accelerated since May, a tonne is worth about 260 euros on the Paris markets and is worth 8.1975 dollars per bushel on U.S. markets. In one year, prices have soared from 96.76% to 77.77% in Paris and Chicago. The meteorological context remains very complicated. The United States, world's largest exporter, are facing a very wet spring in central and northern Iraq that delay planting. The very dry conditions in Europe, especially France, would result in lower production than expected, while in China, a drought affecting the historic center of the country.The return of the Russian market should alleviate investors.

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Automobile: the peak shortage is coming

May 17, 2011 - 2:00 pm Comments Off

The global automotive industry has been particularly affected by the consequences of the earthquake in Japan on March 11. The problems of supply of parts continues to disrupt production lines. And the worst is to come as manufacturers currently still draw on their inventories of components for the shortages. But at this rate, stocks should soon be exhausted. Thus, according to the consulting firm IHS Automotive cited by Les Echos, the peak could be reached in early September, during which 3.4 to 4 million vehicles will not be produced because of supply problems.

In total, throughout the year, the Japanese earthquake could result in the loss of 2 and 3 million compared to 77.6 million vehicles produced per year, according to IHS Automotive.For now, the consulting firm believes that manufacturers could not produce the equivalent of more than 1.5 million vehicles have been produced in response to supply disruptions in supply chains which 1.1 million in Japan.

The magnitude of these shortages can be explained by the importance taken over the years by the electronics in vehicles bad credit payday advance. Electronic systems account for nearly 30% of the cost of manufacturing a car. But the main producers of these components are Japanese and there are few alternative sources of production. For example, Japanese Renesas which manufactures control systems gearboxes, holds nearly 40% market share.

Return to normal until 2012

Once past the peak, automakers will try to work extra hard to regain the level of production prior to the disaster even at higher levels to meet demand and replenish their stocks. But nothing says that the factories will be able to keep pace. In fact, the capacities of production lines are limited. On the other hand, the collapse of the automobile demand in Japan could encourage manufacturers to be cautious.

Thus, the groups should take time to catch up with the volumes that have been lost following the disaster of 11 March. Some analysts believe the situation should not be completely restored until 2012.

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The largest public hospital-born private in 2015

May 4, 2011 - 3:20 pm Comments Off

Bring together public and private hospitals: it is long and complex, but it can and it can be to the benefit of patients and public finance!

This shows that attempt to Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday in the Seine-et-Marne. It will include projects in two cities: Fontainebleau, where he is, and her neighbor Melun. This second draft was presented by the Regional Health Agency (LRA) as the largest structure in future public-private hospital in France (850 beds, 85,000 square meters, about 2200 employees). It will bring on a site whose construction must take place from 2012 to 2015, three clinics in the city, merged, and its hospital. Its genesis shows how the reconstruction hospital has become indispensable in this pool of 350,000 inhabitants, as in many others.

"The rate of leakage of patients to Paris or the inner suburbs, 60 km away, reached 50%.It is difficult for families and this complicates the monitoring of patients after hospitalization, said Claude Evin, CEO of LRA Ile-de-France. In addition, surgery, continuity of care was discontinued at night, not having enough doctors in each facility and will be re-assured with the combination. "The project is not only to collect geographically existing facilities. The activity will be pooled (laundry, catering …) or shared: the public emergency, obstetrics, psychiatry or geriatrics, in private surgery.

The kind of cutting, which usually makes them howl unions to "privatize" or "the case of public service." "The medical project was approved unanimously by the representatives of each medical institution, says Andree Barreteau, director of health care provision of the LRA payday loans online.Unions in the hospital, including the CGT, not opposed. They are pragmatic and realize that without this, the reduced activity of the hospital in Melun will continue. "

176 million invested

"It's normal that there is reluctance in both directions, when people have never worked together. But working with the private sector do not sell themselves to the devil, in our case is rather fortifying "abounds Valletoux Frederick, Mayor of Fontainebleau. Background, again, high leakage rate, with a hospital centennial, the town has made the same choice (together his hospital and clinic), at a smaller scale. Objective: an opening in 2015, a project launched in 2005.

At Melun, the LRA has secured commitments of Liberals surgeons to maintain at least 60% of their activity without excess fees.Last point: if the old public-private project, which has had several incarnations, should finally see the day, it's probably also because of the shareholding is made up of relevant clinical physicians. Chains of clinics held by financial investors tend to reorganize their business between private schools they have.

The project represents an investment of Melun 176 million euros. ARS 20 million in funding, the institutions concerned defraying the rest. To balance the operation, the bet – "prudent", according to ARS – is that the leakage rate will fall by 5% with the new facility.

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Unexpected decline in sales of computers

April 15, 2011 - 7:08 am Comments Off

The success of touch pads for the first time contributes to the decline in sales of computers. That is what the preliminary results of a study conducted by Gartner. The global PC market was 84.3 million units in the first quarter 2011, down 1.1% over the same period last year. These figures show a decline in sales of computers, first for 18 months. And this, when Gartner expected a rise of 3% for the first quarter of 2011.

"The low prices of consumer computers, which had long sustained growth, failed to attract buyers. Consumers have turned to the shelves and other multimedia devices in place, "says the study report, Gartner analyst, Mikako Kitagawa, noting however that the business market can limit the overall decline."With the launch of the iPad 2 in February, consumers turned to the purchase of alternative devices, or have simply chosen to buy a computer. We are studying whether this trend will have a long-term effect on the PC market. "

Declining sales due to currency

The general downward trend is however subject to disparities. If the European and Middle East is showing the first signs of decline "since the end of the recession in the fourth quarter of 2009, computer sales in Asia were up by 4.1% with 28.2 million computers for the first quarter of this year. Japan, devastated by the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, recorded the biggest drop in sales with -13 no fax needed payday loans.1% with only 4 million computers sold. In contrast, sales of computers in the Asia-Pacific are still growing.The Latin American market shows him the strongest momentum with an increase of 5.4% to 8.1 million units.

A lifetime of computers longer

"The consequences of events in the Middle East and Japan do not directly affect sales, but still a factor influencing the market in the short term, the findings by Gartner joins Jay Chou, senior analyst firm IDC Worldwide. "However, good quality computer products have become a reality today, with the advent of laptops, and more recently, multimedia tablet," he said in a statement. Bob O'Donnell, IDC wordlwide, is more reserved: "It is tempting to attribute the entire decline (the market) to the development of multimedia tablet, but we believe that other factors such as life longer PCs have had roles as important. "

Over the full year, Gartner predicts that sales of computers continue to "support" from their 2010 level. The upgrading of computer equipment should make it possible to support the market until late this year or early 2012.

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Prudence expected at the Paris Bourse

April 11, 2011 - 10:44 pm Comments Off

The Paris markets should not take any chances Monday. In Paris as elsewhere, investors will try to make a first point on the Japanese situation, one month to the day after the disaster that has ravaged the north-east. Reassuring news fell on the nuclear situation: According to government spokesman Yukio Edano, "the risk that the situation at the nuclear power is deteriorating and it leads to a new major radiation leak was significantly reduced. " In Asia this morning, markets have however not given clear signals.

Side indicator, the day promises to be particularly quiet, calendar, industrial production in February in France.The rest of the week will be loaded with particular current accounts in France and the German ZEW index Tuesday, the Fed's Beige Book on Wednesday, the weekly jobless claims in the U.S. on Thursday and the index of U.S. consumer sentiment Friday.

Markets await especially forward to the start of the dance publications of quarterly results in the United States. As usual, Alcoa will begin the festivities this evening.

As for currencies, the euro appears small decline in morning trading at 1.4459 dollar. Same thing for oil, hit by profit taking after sharp gains last week.A barrel of light sweet crude for May delivery yielded 36 cents to 112.43 dollars while that of Brent North Sea crude for May delivery lost 83 cents to 125.82 dollars.

Values ​​to follow

Renault

The board of directors of the group will try Monday to see more clearly in the wrong spying scandal at a special meeting and will try to establish the responsibilities of everyone in this fiasco.

Saffron

The Central Directorate of Internal Intelligence (DCRI) investigation on suspicion of spying for Turbomeca, a subsidiary of Safran including computer networks have been "looted" for several months.

NYSE Euronext

The board of directors of the transatlantic exchange operator yesterday rejected unanimously the offer of participation of $ 11.3 billion made by Nasdaq, coupled with Intercontinental Exchange (ICE).

EDF and EDF Energies Nouvelles

The listing of both Kingbird, who was suspended Friday after the announcement of a takeover offer from EDF on the 50% stake in its subsidiary EDF EN it does not already own, resumes today.

EDF also requested that the EPR reactor being built at Flamanville is considered "priority" as part of the audit of nuclear safety in France, said the Nuclear Safety Authority.

United States, the commission (NRC) has denied Unistar, owned by EDF, a license to build a new reactor at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant.

Carrefour

The walkouts on Saturday in favor of wage increases were a success according to the unions, who speak highly mobilized. The strike rate ranged from 30 to 85%.Negotiations will resume Wednesday.

Sanofi-Aventis

The group said Friday night that completed the acquisition of Genzyme after the reopening of its bid and said the U.S. biotech is now a subsidiary that holds all.

Total and GDF Suez

The French government has decided to ban the exploitation of shale gas and the repeal of licenses already granted.

Areva

The group bought for 1.62 billion euros from Siemens in the joint venture Areva NP, paving the way for a merger between Siemens and the Russian Rosatom, said on Sunday the German newspaper Die Welt.

Procter & Gamble sells Pringles crisps

April 6, 2011 - 4:52 pm Comments Off

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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Roommate cons social projects

March 26, 2011 - 10:28 pm Comments Off

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.

Wall Street up sharply

March 22, 2011 - 1:48 pm Comments Off

At the opening of U.S. stock markets, the Dow Jones advance of 0.73% at 11,947 points, the Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq 100 rise respectively from 1.09% to 1293 points and 1.29% to 2678 points. A new session is so bullish on. Already on Friday, U.S. markets had ended the week up, encouraged by a cease-fire announced while in Libya, easing social measures taken by Saudi Arabia, by King Abdullah, but also by the intervention fighting the Japanese authorities in Fukushima.

On Monday, despite the military intervention in Libya, the relative stability of oil and the rather encouraging information from Japan, where the authorities seem to regain control of the plant in Fukushima, tend to support the rebound.A general rebound in markets, on both sides of the Atlantic, jusqu'enAsie, except in Tokyo, where the stock exchange was closed on Monday due to holiday.

Side of macroeconomic indicators, this week will be placed under the sign of U.S. housing, with, today, sales of existing homes, expected to 15 hours. "Sales are expected to remain weak in February, analysts said Aurel BGC. The construction sector remains a concern for the Fed. "

If durable goods orders (Thursday) "should enjoy a rebound in orders for machine tools and aviation. In contrast, consumer confidence could be affected by recent events, including the nuclear risk to Japan, which occupied a prominent place in the American media these days, "said Will we at Aurel BGC.

AT & T and AIG in focus.GM, Caterpillar and Apple penalized by Japan.

On the corporate side, the U.S. Treasury Department announced Monday it would begin this month to bring to market its portfolio of securitized mortgages guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, valued at $ 142 billion.

On Friday, the Federal Reserve has conducted a new set of stress tests on the 19 largest U.S. banks. If the results of these tests have not been disclosed, they, however, already possible to allow some of these institutions to distribute or raise their dividends.Like Wells Fargo, JPMorgan, Citigroup and this Monday (2.44% to 4.61 dollars).

the telephone company AT & T (1.03% to 26.48 dollars) will buy its German rival Deutsche Telekom's U.S. mobile phone subsidiary T-Mobile USA for about $ 39 billion (25 billion in cash). A strategic transaction that will create the first U.S. mobile operator Verizon before. Deutsche Telekom, meanwhile, will benefit to pay off debt.Part of the proceeds will also be devoted to buybacks, "said Franklin Pichard, director of Barclays stock.

AIG (American International Group: 2.32% to 35.76 U.S. dollars) expected that banks submit bids on mortgage-backed securities that it proposes to redeem the U.S. state of 15.7 billion, the Wall Street Journal, citing the insurer's CEO Robert Benmosche.

Eli Lilly (+0.44% to 34.63 dollars), faced with sales at half mast because of competition and the expiration of certain patents, will not merge with another pharmaceutical company to get through this bad patch has said Saturday its chief executive John Lechleitr.

Broadcom (0.45% to 39.85 dollars) for its part in the day announcing the purchase of specialist Israeli bullets Provigent 300 to $ 400 million, understands the financial site TheMarker. This would be the eighth acquisition of semiconductor firm in Israel, adds the site.

General Electric (2.39% to 19.71 dollars) has also defended on Friday its type reactor Mark 1, designed 40 years ago and that the Japanese central team of Fukushima. It equips five of six units of the Japanese central, where the cooling system was damaged by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami on 11 March.

Other companies could become victims of the events in Japan. General Motors (1.38% to 32.29 dollars) will close its plant Louisiane.Apple (2.04% to 337.41 dollars) fear of stockouts on its iPad 2, launched this week in France.Caterpillar could also be a victim of difficulties in its Japanese factories.

Finally, Google (1.98% to 572.19 dollars) aroused the attention Monday. For at least two reasons: in France, Google has fined 100,000 euros, accused of having "hijacked" the French personal data via wi-fi. The world's leading search engines also believes that the Chinese government is currently blocking access to Gmail, many users had complained, China, dysfunction.

Quick attendance down after a suspicious death

February 27, 2011 - 4:32 pm Comments Off

The death of a teenager who ate at Quick in January led to a decline in attendance of fast-food chain, said Sunday its CEO Jacques-Edouard Charret. "The drop in attendance of about 30% of our restaurant Avignon Cap Sud (where the teenager had eaten) remains unchanged since the beginning of the case," he says in an interview in Paris . "On all of our franchisees, we also note a lack of interest, but it is weaker," he says. The fast food chain has more than 350 fast food in France.

"It will take us much time and effort before returning confidence," says the CEO of the sign, which recognizes that "as with any food crisis of this kind, it will take several months before s' in return. "The company also announced Thursday a strengthening of its sanitary measures, with the creation of a quality label, a hardening of the scoring system and better training of its employees and managers free credit score.

Quick had raised some ten days the possibility of a "local fault" in his restaurant in Avignon, in view of the first results of the investigation into the death of the teenager. It has already been established that the death was related to the meals the day before by the young man of 14 years. The prosecutor opened an investigation against X for manslaughter, citing serious breaches of hygiene. The victim's parents have become civil parties.

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The Department of Justice has avoided exile Porte de Bagnolet

January 29, 2011 - 12:04 pm Comments Off

It's a duel to the barbed as only the French government knows offer. Pressed to move its headquarters to save money, the Department of Justice had set his sights on a building of 27,000 sq Porte de Versailles in Paris, including the purchase cost 232 million euros. To make the operation possible, the senior judges had prepared a decree Bercy ahead … of 232 million euros.

Was reckoning without the vigilance of the board of real estate of State and the Finance Committee of the National Assembly, who found this address too expensive. They did not hide their preference for a building door Bagnolet at cost plus a modest (160 million). To make their point of view, members and senators voted in mid-December a supplementary budget amendment setting a ceiling of 160 million for this acquisition.It was thought that officials would take willy-nilly the way of the Porte de Bagnolet. I was wrong about them. Driven by rage against this forced exile, they received this week a final adjudication of the Budget Minister, Baroin: the Ministry of Justice has a year to find another place. At what price? The judges explained already with property inflation will not be possible to comply with the envelope of 160 million.

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