"Our credibility implies the success of our monetary policy to anchor inflation expectations in the medium and long term (…) to sustain growth, job creation and financial stability. And we make this contribution in full independence, "insisted Mario Draghi.

Ceiling of 20 billion euros

So much so that they would even be subject to a weekly maximum of 20 billion euros, reports the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. This limit, which apparently exists since the beginning of these operations, in 2010, was set recently in this new threshold, the newspaper said.

The ECB acts only waiting for the States to establish their own anti-crisis mechanism, the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF), Mario Draghi repeated on Friday. Four weeks ago, European leaders decided to increase the powers so he could buy the debt of state. But these reforms are still not operational. "Where are we in the implementation of these decisions? questioned the President of the ECB.

The head of the Italian Government is committed to the adoption by Parliament before Nov. 15 its plan to revive growth, the first stage at least. The measures were approved Wednesday by the Cabinet. Among the main liberalization of regulated professions and local public services, commitment to gradually raise the retirement age to 67, administrative simplification, auction of 15 billion euros in property assets of the state in three years.

This plan is in addition to 54 billion budget savings passed in September to restore public finances to balance by 2013, when the deficit reached 3.9% this year.

The first event will be played next week in the Senate.

This management method was chosen to avoid having to put down passengers for lack of a sufficient number of hostesses and stewards. "It blocks the flights a minimum. Is completed according to the presentation of the crews as and when. But we have managed so far to complete the flight and make them go as planned, "says the director of Air France at Orly, George Daher. A strategy that annoys some customers. "We were placed on a waiting list by explaining that there was not enough staff.A rip-off in communication because all flights are available at this time, "said one man who was to fly to Toulouse.

About the airport Roissy-Charles de Gaulle, the traffic was in line with forecasts of Air France, which does not exclude any last minute cancellations. It struck ten long-haul flights planned Saturday morning, including flights to New York, Montreal, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Douala. But passengers were warned on Friday. Maisselon Europe 1, delays begin to accumulate.

Disrupted traffic until Wednesday

Without an agreement this week with management on working conditions for cabin crew, six of seven unions called the stewards and stewardesses 15,000 to go on strike for the weekend of All Saints, usually very busy. Traffic should be disturbed until Wednesday, November 2 included.The company also points out that the tickets can be changed or exchanged free of charge.

The negotiations broke down this week on two issues relating to working conditions for cabin crew. The number of stewards or stewardesses present on each flight, that management would reduce, and the method of evaluation of these same individuals. Air France would they be judged by their purser, rather than by instructors as it is now. For the UNSA and SNPNC-FO, both reforms increase the workload of staff, and thus put at risk the safety of passengers.

The Minister of Transport, Thierry Mariani, has however said "shocked" by the strike call, which he considered "suicidal".

More than for the unlimited drinks and canapés, all are there to see Karl Lagerfeld. The artistic director of Chanel designed a collection of three bottles of Coca-Cola Light, launched with much fanfare on the terrace of Beaubourg. TVs have come from all over Europe, on the promise of a few minutes interview with the star. Magazines have published photos of the evening across the continent.A promo for gold Coca-Cola Light!

Since its appearance in a graceful Road Safety campaign in 2008, where he was wearing a fluorescent safety jacket ("It's yellow, it's ugly, it's not going with anything, but it can save your life ", he said it), Karl Lagerfeld multiplies contracts with brands. Most of the time fixed fee paid by classified top secret, sometimes a percentage of sales generated.

Steinway piano to the Yule log Lenôtre through a limited edition of the Petit Larousse, a pair of Repetto shoes and outfits for Barbie, the designer is able to affix his signature everywhere you least expect it.In recent months, he created an eyewear collection Optic 2000, played in a Volkswagen ad, directed the 2011 Pirelli calendar, shot commercials for the launch of Magnum ice in the United States and developed a mobile hairdresser Schwarzkopf. The back looks just as prolific. The U.S. department stores Macy's will distribute a collection of ready-to-wear scratched Lagerfeld, who just draw a new limited edition shoe Hogan, a variety of ST Dupont lighters and pens and Orrefors crystal glasses.

All this, without tarnishing his own image nor nor that of its major employers, Chanel and Fendi, which could hold your nose when they saw him commit themselves with consumer brands and, worse, the smaller competitors.

Review of each project

The success of this tightrope follower of the great discrepancy is due to "system" Lagerfeld.All through the partnership (SNC) Karl Lagerfeld, owned by investment fund Apax Partners. This relates in particular to social "research and development of any product bearing the trade name of Karl Lagerfeld."

"Karl has such an aura that many brands want to associate with him, says Christian Stahl, Partner at Apax Partners payday loans direct lenders. It is able to spend the most exclusive luxury brands for cheap. "But as talk of selling p Karl Lagerfeld as a common license to groups and advertising agencies who would do what they want. Karl Lagerfeld is Pierre Cardin.

"We receive every week a number of proposals around the world," said Pier Paolo Righi, CEO of the company. All are reviewed by a committee of five people around Karl Lagerfeld."Only 40% of the proposals are accepted, ensures Sophie Delanglade, director of the studio, which, among other things, denied a proposed umbrella. The project must be sufficiently creative, inspiring the team and match what fun Karl. "

For collections of ready-to-wear and accessories projects co-signed by Karl Lagerfeld and a registered partner, the designer engages the same team as its own line, to be released next spring on the Internet. "It is essential that projects are complementary and not competitors," said Pier Paolo Righi.

Far from any delegate to the studio, Karl Lagerfeld, workaholic and perfectionist, is personally involved in each project. Her photo shoots are always performed with the same assistants, and with models that selects itself. To begin with, often by his male muse Baptiste Giacobini.His clients can afford a reference to the universe … For Chanel campaign Dom Perignon, Karl Lagerfeld has ensured that a few years ago shooting, shooting sessions were held in his mansion at the time … "With furniture specially down from the attic," recalls an officer of the brand. Same organization for shooting the 2011 Pirelli calendar, made in his photo studio staff, with jewelry and cabinets designed for shooting …

Communication millimeter

Karl Lagerfeld's team takes great care to communication operations around partnerships. The step is essential for brands: even more than the turnover by product designer Lagerfeld, the launch campaign is allowing them to benefit from their association with the stylist. But the personal image of Karl Lagerfeld, demanding and a perfectionist, is at stakeOnly around him is entitled to control this crucial phase, press kits to the organization of events, always assigned to the same agency. For the evening Coca-Cola, it recruited the young models, revamped to Karl Lagerferd wearing a white wig with ponytail. Lagerfeld's house, the business contributes to the maintenance of the myth, and vice versa.

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

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

Banks and investment funds turbulent agitated

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

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

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

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

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

In this series of summer, we follow the wanderings of a young journalist from the Wall Street Journal sent to Frankfurt, headquarters of the European Central Bank and the financial hub of Germany. The names of the characters in the story are well known: Bruno Le Maire, portrays in Germanophile finance minister, Mario Draghi, Governor of the BCE, to the old speculator George Soros. On the agenda of the masters of the economy, threats to Societe Generale, next target of a takeover bid, and the Italian bank UniCredit.Their exposure to Greek debt fueling concerns.

Although it is amazed by the accuracy of the descriptions and the likelihood of situations, the informed reader understands that this is a fiction. In August 2011, Bruno Le Maire is not finance minister, but of Agriculture, and Italy's Mario Draghi has not made the head of the ECB, which is still headed by Jean-Claude Trichet.

On a rumor of a fall fiction real

It seems, however, whether this summer series that has inspired the fictional journalists Mail on Sunday, the Sunday edition of the Daily Mail for a story published Sunday catastrophic. In this paper, Simon Watkins and Dan Atkins have Societe Generale "at the brink of bankruptcy after terrible losses from its exposure to the Greek debt" and UniCredit "could collapse so similar" to the French bank.

The journalists added that "David Cameron has interrupted his vacation last night [Saturday, ed] to discuss the situation with Nicolas Sarkozy", a fact that has not been confirmed but exists also in the series of daily French.

Listed on online sites such as CNN mentioned on many forums, Twitter by many users, copied on blogs, the article from Monday, August 8 heat the rumor machine. Many elements accrediting effect the veracity of the article in the Mail on Sunday: Societe Generale is very exposed to the Greek crisis. August 3, his boss Frédéric Oudéa announced quarterly earnings down after a depreciation of 395 million euros for the shares of Greek states.

Wednesday morning the rumor that the company would be general in a situation so serious that the French government should intervene to save her is growing the market payday advance. The surprise announcement of a meeting at the Elysee Palace on the financial situation in the morning is a bombshell, and credibility to the words of the Mail on Sunday. The lack of communication officers of the Societe Generale does not help.

Meanwhile, as the stock market collapsed and with it the other financial stocks. At the heart of a black session, rumors succeed: France could lose its triple AAA, the government must save the banking system …

Only the evening that the management of Societe Generale denounces rumors and application to the financial markets opened an investigation into the launch of these sounds.But the damage is done: the bank saw its stock melted from 14.7% in one trading session.

A series of unexplained errors

Several questions remain: how an article in the Sunday edition of a tabloid, usually specializing in photographic study of cellulite British starlets, he could be taken seriously and set fire to the stock market ? How is it also possible that the two journalists of the text may have been confused, which to be inspired by what has been a fiction?

The text of Philae is, indeed, confusing realism. Hidden under the pseudonym, a journalist from the Tribune, Brussels correspondent of the daily economic, and whose employment by the evening paper did cringe at the writing of the World.A French bank would also indignant at the tone of the newspaper that gave off the soap truth, so much so that the newspaper added from 1 August 1 line warning: "Le Monde reminds its readers that situations, facts and figures reported in this fiction is imaginary and should not be taken as an expression of reality. "

There are no quotes in the article by Watkins and Atkins, which are directly drawn from the World Series, but the charges against SocGen and UniCredit, and the words of the intervention of Nicolas Sarkozy to be found in both documents. The Daily Mail has deleted Article guilty of its online site and apologized, acknowledging that the paper was based on "false information". Thursday noon, the Cac 40 fell below the symbolic threshold of 3,000 points, while Societe Generale fell by 7.26%.

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

For investigation

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

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

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

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

Strategy of focusing

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

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

It is in extremis, on the night of Sunday, which is reached an agreement on raising the ceiling of U.S. debt, after a speech critical of President Barack Obama. Two days before the deadline set by the U.S. Treasury, the stakes were high: without this increase, at least 2.1 trillion dollars, the United States, on the edge of default, could sow the wind panic on financial markets.

Barack Obama has managed to generate compelling reconciliation of Democrats and Republicans on this agreement, investors now hope to see a bill passed in the coming days. But that will depend on the Congress which has yet to give the green light, no later than Tuesday night. Similarly, no one knows how to react, however, the rating agencies. Despite the compromise finally reached on the debt, the loss by the United States, their AAA rating is not excluded and would have severe repercussions on the economy and markets.

After selling more than 4% last week, which will remain the worst of the year, the Dow had yet started the day up 1.10% at 12,277 points.Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq 100 progressed to their respective share of 0.86% to 1303 points and 2785 points to 1.05%.

The manufacturing sector to the death

At the macroeconomic agenda, a bad surprise helped to fill the atmosphere: the growth in manufacturing in the United States slowed in July against all expectations, according to the purchasing managers' index released Monday by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), which fell to its lowest level in two years. The index of manufacturing activity of this organization stood at 50.9 last month, its lowest level since July 2009, against 55.3 in June. The market economists polled by Reuters on average expected 54.9.

Construction spending in the U.S. have also increased by 0.2% in June, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce published Monday.These expenditures reached 772.3 billion dollars, while analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a rate unchanged Same day payday loans.

This week, analysts said Aurel BGC, "investors will focus on indicators confirming whether a rebound in growth. In view of the latest indicators movement is far from certain. Auto sales (Tuesday) and retail sales side on Wall Street for the month of July will be eagerly awaited. This weekend, the employment figures will be released by the BLS.They will be very affected by the lay-off of 20,000 staff in the State of Minnesota. "

73% of companies did better than expected

The European steelmaker ArcelorMittal and U.S. mining company Peabody Energy (-1.48% to 56.62 dollars) on Monday made a hostile bid on the Australian Macarthur about 4.7 billion Australian (about 3, 6 billion euros), after the failure of talks to reach an amicable agreement. The board of Australian mining group declined Monday to support the joint bid from ArcelorMittal and Peabody to 15.50 dollars per share.

The title of the American manufacturer Ford (1.23% to 12.36 dollars) could take 25% as the group reduced its debt, is launching new models and trying to expand in China and India where he remained late over its competitors, said Monday the magazine Barron's.

Shares of online retail Amazon.com (-0.54% to 221.32 dollars), which is just below its record high, could earn 10% to 25% if the investment result rapid growth of its retail operations, cloud-computing and Kindle reading light, said Monday the magazine Barron's.

The railway company of the UAE, Etihad Rail, said Monday it has ordered seven locomotives Electro-Motive Diesel, a subsidiary of U.S. manufacturer of construction equipment Caterpillar (1.95% to 100.72 dollars).

On the corporate side, after Merck (-2.05% to 33.43 dollars) and Chevron (1.32% to 105.39 dollars), which published its quarterly results Friday, the ball of publications in the U.S. coming to an end.Nearly 65% ​​of companies have indeed published their findings in the U.S. and 73% reported earnings above expectations.

Among the publications planned the first week of August, include those closely watched CBS, Cephalon, and Pfizer (Tuesday). Will be followed by Comcast, Time Warner and Mastercard (Wednesday). Then, Kraft Foods (Thursday), Procter & Gamble and Viacom (Friday).

Since early July, the Yellow Gold has gained nearly 60 dollars and grew by more than 2% in five days. A craze that is also explained by its role as a refuge for investors wishing to protect themselves against currency volatility, turbulence government bonds and inflation pressures persist.Since the beginning of the month, the disturbing news in the euro area accumulates. Standard & Poor's warned that a draft agreement between Greece and private creditors would be equivalent to a default under its criteria. On Tuesday, the working group to find a solution to save the country from bankruptcy said he did not exclude a more "partial failure" Greek. Moody's lowered the rating of Portugal and the eyes are now to Italy and Spain where the rates of bonds soaring.

Investors are not convinced by the ads of European finance ministers that provide control to prevent contagion. The latter said they were willing to increase the size of the Fund for financial help payday advance. They are also considering a "lengthening of maturities of loans" made to give more time to countries in difficulty to repay their debt. But nothing works.Tuesday again, plummeting stock markets in Europe reflected a continuing concern.

All eyes turned to Italy

"Unlike money, which is currently trading on the area of ​​35.50 dollars an ounce and is a turning point towards lower, gold is playing its role as a refuge and is one of few underlying advantage of the situation, "says Alexandre Taurand.

In his view, two scenarios are emerging now for the precious metal, "If the price settles above the area of ​​1547.11 dollars, then maybe we would pause in the middle before a new upward impulse to try re-cross the area of ​​1557 dollars per ounce. In the event that the price of gold were to fall below the 1545 dollars, then we would have a target level of support for 1541 dollars, "said he.But can not decide yet, "there are a lot of uncertainty. Investors are focused on the Italian austerity plan (on which Parliament must decide by by the summer break, ed.) They also monitor the situation in the United States with the vote on the debt ceiling to be held by 2 August. "

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Gama Brazilian society had proposed to merge the Carrefour group's Brazilian assets with those of the French retailer CBD group Grupo Pão de Açúcar (GPA). They thus constitute an equally owned company. CBD had previously merged with Gama.

But the case is the most sensitive.Right in the legal showdown with Carrefour, Casino contests this possible merger with CBD, "it is the largest shareholder, which it provides the co-control with Abilio Diniz and which it acquired in 2005 from Abilio Diniz and his family the right to become the sole controlling shareholder in 2012, "says the company in a statement issued in the wake and that sounds like a declaration of war.

The group Etienne, who now owns 37% of GPA, is indeed bound by a shareholders' agreement with the businessman Abilio Diniz, who owns shares in the holding company of GPA. Their agreement provides that neither party can negotiate a development project with a third party without the consent of the other. In late May, took the Casino Chamber of Commerce to arbitrate the case.

Referring to "a material financial transactions and prepared for a long time illegally by Abilio Diniz and Carrefour" and "illegal and secret negotiations," Casino accuse both parties have "ignore [d] deliberately both the law and ethics elementary. "

"Casino will consider in the coming days how to best defend the corporate interests of CBD and its shareholders that seems compromised by this project very complex and financial," says Casino, recalling that "it has the power s to oppose this project in terms of existing agreements and that no negotiations on the future of CBD can not be conducted without his consent and without prior discussion of this project to the Board of Wilkes, holding control of CBD. "

Clear benefits for Carrefour

Brazil is a strategic market for the two French groups, "the third world market in terms of food expenditure" the statement said Carrefour there realizes 12 low fee pay day loans.3% of sales. If the proposal is accepted Gama, the new joint venture would represent "the main actor in the distribution in Brazil," said Carrefour.Its turnover pro-forma is estimated at over 30 billion euros for 2011.

Gama has in turn shown to benefit from a capital investment of 2 billion and funding of 500 million euros.

"The benefits of the transaction are clear to Carrefour," noted analysts at Natixis, "the benefit to his credit in Brazil, which leaves just one major accounting scandal, the expertise of CBD; gain size of a key market , realize significant synergies with CBD and strengthen its long-term shareholders. "

Gama: up 6% stake in Carrefour

After OPERATON, Gama become a shareholder of the French distributor. The Brazilian could acquire additional shares Carrefour market of up to 6% stake in Carrefour.It would be represented by two members to the board of the French group, whose vice president, and three from 2013.

"Gama sign a shareholders' agreement and act in concert with Blue Capital LLC, Colony Blue Investor LLC, and Groupe Arnault SAS, which now jointly hold 14.1% of the capital and 20.2% of the voting rights of Carrefour , "the statement said. Together they would hold up to 30% of share capital and voting rights of Carrefour.

The board of Carrefour will meet in the coming days to discuss the proposal of Gama. Following this announcement, the Carrefour share jumped by more than 3% to 27.250 euros, while the title unscrews Casino: it yields about 5% to 62.63 euros.The CAC 40 in advance for its share of 1.08%.

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