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International equity markets, Asia and Europe have already received the news by frank morning hikes. The main interest, Wall Street opens therefore no surprise to any one as beautiful flight. Picking colors after yielding over 4% last week, which will remain the worst of the year, the Dow began the week up 1.10% at 12,277 points. Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq 100 rose in turn respectively from 0.86% to 1303 points and 2785 points to 1.05%.

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. A condition that Congress gives the green light, no later than Tuesday night.

No one knows for 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.

Meanwhile, oil prices rose sharply, driven by the announcement of the agreement.On the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), a barrel of "light sweet crude" for September delivery was trading at 98.18 dollars, up 2.48 dollars compared to the previous day.

Industrial activity and construction spending

At the macroeconomic agenda of the first Monday of August, the ISM manufacturing index for July will be announced (expected at 54.4 according to a consensus of analysts), together with expenses building for the month of June (+0.1% expected).

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. Surveys of business advocate for a regional downturn in the ISM manufacturing index for July, which will be released today.Auto sales (Tuesday) and retail sales side of Wall Street in July will also be eagerly awaited. Finally, 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 (0.73% to 57.89 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 (2.54% to 12.52 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 (1.75% to 226.41 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 (2.36% to 101.13 dollars).

On the corporate side, after Merck (+0.03% to 34.10 dollars) and Chevron (1.57% to 105.67 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).

J-2 before the ax fell. The United States still be able to honor their claims after August 2? Barack Obama tackle it. So much so that after being long in the back face long power struggle between Republicans and Democrats, the White House decided Saturday to get involved again in the negotiations. Return ardently desired by the Republicans who wish to be assured that it will not oppose its veto on a possible negotiated settlement to Congress.

If no agreement has so far been found, optimism seems to place the next parliament. The head of the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, Harry Reid, who previously showed pessimistic, acknowledged the progress in negotiations with the White House. "Negotiations are taking place in the White House to avoid a catastrophic failure to pay the national debt," Reid said late Saturday.Same story on the Republican side: "I think we have a chance to do," said Mitch McConnell Saturday, head of the Republican in the Senate.

Vote Delayed

Evidence that the climate has calmed a bit, Harry Reid has even delayed by several hours the vote on the plan of raising debt cash advance flexible payments. Originally scheduled on the night from Saturday to Sunday at 1 am (7:00 am Paris time), the vote was postponed to 13 hours (19 hours, Paris time).

However, over the head of the Democratic majority noted that would not give the duration of raising the debt ceiling. The Democrats want a measure that could take until 2013.The Republicans, they insist on a plan in two stages: an initial increase before August 2 and a second early 2012, during an election campaign. "There are ongoing negotiations at the White House to avoid a catastrophic failure on the country's debt, he said. There are many elements to be finalized and there is still some way to go. "

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The private broadcasting group said Wednesday a drop of 3% of its turnover.

LE FIGARO. – How do you explain the 5.3% increase in advertising revenues from M6?

Nicolas de Tavernost. – The group is in a virtuous circle: the one who is to invest in programs to improve the quality of our offer to all our channels (M6, W9, Teva, Paris Première …) and therefore grow our audience and thus make our chain essential to advertisers. In a pub in the TV market declining by almost 100 million euros over the last four years we have increased our advertising revenue (3.1%) of 13 million. In the first half of 2011, the market is stable and the group realizes M6 6.2% growth reaching a market share of over 24%.This reflects our audience ratings: M6 is thus the only channel history to have increased this year to 10.5% audience share. If the duration pub fell slightly, however, we have increased our prices by 11%, in parallel with our audiences.

In 2010 you announced an increase in the cost grid of your chains. This strategy will continue?

We announced an increase in the cost of grid M6 5% in 2011, which remains our forecast. The first half of the increase is 2.3% and very fine programs are planned for the autumn. Similarly, the cost of grid W9 increased significantly over the past two years. It's a winning strategy: M6 was regularly leading the Friday night during the first half and also became the program Monday night with his hit "Love is in the field."We are pleased to have won 400,000 viewers in two years on our JT "The 19.45", gather 3 to 4 million ahead of "Scenes from" and to reach 6.3 million, as last Monday with "The Love is in the meadow. " We are not in a logic of cost reduction but in an offensive position in the investment programs.

You have experienced performance-cons as "X-Factor" and now the series "Soda" ….

X-Factor is a disappointment all the greater as we do not fully understand the failure of the program while at the same time, the program was aired in Belgium very well. As for Soda is a summer program of fiction for young people and, from this point of view, the program fulfills its mission. What matters for a program schedule is a recurrence of his success is created through well established brands.This is the case for the M6.

Diversification of your revenues are falling. These activities need to be restructured?

Our group is based on two pillars: the main advertising, which exceeded the level of pre-2008 crisis, and diversification, which have been in 2009 support our business. There is no going back on that balance online payday advance. Although profitability for some of them is less, the diversification continue to earn money including distance selling. In addition, our business grew strongly and our Internet subsidiary Interactions (music licensing) has redeployed well. For its part, the department Audiovisual Rights, a slight decrease in H1, is subject to the seasonality of film releases. It remains the Girondins, who have experienced difficulties.We reduced payroll accordingly and we hope the new stadium will allow us to Bordeaux, in the medium term to increase our own resources over TV rights.

Your cash flow reached 282 million euros. Will you invest?

We are waiting arms at the opportunities to continue to grow in television. For this, there should have sales or clearances that are proposed and data. We are also ready to develop in the production.

TF1 has requested the passage of LCI free. Do you react?

We had anticipated this possibility since, as of May 28, we seize the Higher Audiovisual Council to say that if the spectrum allocation rules changed, we would be interested in getting free in Paris Première.So far, law enforcement had not anticipated the transition from free to fee. If the doctrine changes, and if, as it seems, the essential criterion of fluidity between paid and free was the diversity and quality of programs, then our chain would be the solution. Unlike the info where several channels exist, Paris Première, with its public + CSP, is actually a complementary, not equivalent free chain and a living creation. We are ready to make commitments to it. Pending the response of the CSA, we concluded a new agreement with CanalSat not to mortgage the future of our channels.

Have you changed your position on the launch of new channels on DTT?

Not at all. Should there be new, we would not be the worst placed to succeed. But we ask for consistency.The market is crowded in France and is not elastic in advertising. Also, reduce the costs of existing channels to create new sense to me! It would therefore be wise to take a break. This would allow players to improve the quality of their program offerings (more original programming and fewer reruns) – that ask the French – their digital services (TV catch-up …) and dissemination (HD …). This would also be the best way to resist the arrival of television connected. Ultimately, our position is simple: a break in the creation of channels may be useful, but if it was not the choice of government, the M6 ​​has rights to assert and skills, proven to enhance .

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BBC slashing its workforce. The Sunday Times, the group British public broadcasting might delete jobs by 3000 to five years, as part of a plan to reduce costs. This plan applies this fall, would provide a lower budget of around 20%.

The purpose of such savings is to deal with new budget information inherited from the British austerity plan: last October, the government has indeed frozen Cameron 2017 license fee received by the BBC, and forced the group to Broadcast new charges. It will include finance its broadcast services outside Great Britain, the BBC "World Service", formerly under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or the installation of broadband lines in rural areas.In total, the amount of the bill amounted to 340 million pounds (385 million) for the BBC, 16% of its budget.

"Pure Speculation"

While 8,000 jobs were cut in the group since 2005, the BBC had already announced in January the elimination of 650 positions in the "world service", with the closure of some offices abroad. This time, the British group would separate about 20% of its 17,000 employees. A spokesman for the BBC, however, denied the claims of the Sunday Times on Sunday, calling it "pure speculation" the figure put forward by the newspaper.

According to the Sunday Times, the group should also make public this week a reduction in costs generated by management.For example, members of its board of directors were paid 2.7 million pounds last year (3 million), against 4.8 million the year before, said Sunday Times. A reminder that ordinary employees are not the only ones to bear the painful consequences of rigor.

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Hermes is Monday night in Paris the first general meeting of shareholders since its entry in October 2010, the capital of LVMH (with 20% today). The heirs, who hold 72% stake, hoping to get the green light in September the Court of Appeal of Paris to their proposed freezing holding a majority of shares, to defend against a raid by Bernard Arnault. Bertrand Puech, president of Émile Hermès family (sole general partner of the listed company Hermes International), a member of the fifth generation of heirs, is against the proliferation of litigation against the project, including those of the Association for the Defence of Minority Shareholders chaired by Colette Neuville.

LE FIGARO. – What will you announce to the general meeting of Hermes on Monday night?

Bertrand Puech.- We will announce, as we know already that 2010 was one of the finest, if not the best year, Hermes has lived for 174 years. The results were extraordinary in an economic context that was not favorable. This allows us to pay a dividend of 1.50 euro increased significantly compared to normal.

LVMH will he represented and he can enjoy his voting rights? Are you afraid of possible obstructions of the meeting?

The shareholders are all invited. LVMH said it would. He always said, if his friendship, in any case his pacifism. I am not chairman of the meeting but things should happen normally, as usual.

What do you think of recent legal actions taken by minority shareholders against the proposed family holding Hermes?

I do not understand.It's very sad and painful for members of a family committed to an ethic of openness and honesty for generations to be scratched before the courts, then we're just defending the values ​​of quality. You should know that Ms. Neuville is a minority shareholder, who owns a single share, which represents only herself. She can not speak for the association which is not approved by the AMF. And it is wrong to fight. If she wanted to play a role in defense of minority, why does she not be interested in the fact that one shareholder said suddenly have 17% of our capital, purchased since 2008 without making it to the markets? I think she has given way to a big bad wolf.

Business leaders may have breathed a sigh of relief last night when he saw the plunge of the main raw materials. In recent months, they look indeed with concern the soaring price of those commodities. Their concern was evidenced in the accounts of the first quarter of the year or in the speeches of leaders.

All sectors are however not affected in the same proportions, even if they are likely to be.

Transportation is often the former. Lufthansa has reported such an increase in its fuel bill by almost 30% over the first three months of the year. This charge amounts to 1.4 billion euros over the period, when its billings reach 6.4 billion. The airline spends "overload" fuel to its customers, insufficient to offset any upward.The aim of companies is obviously to cushion the effect of "raw materials" through price increases. Michelin is well to advertise on some of its tires, the costs are related to rubber. The equipment itself as able to compensate 80% of the additional cost of $ 1.8 billion over the year.

This ability to change its prices based on costs, however, can erode. For steel, the latest report of the consultant CRU reported a slowdown in inflation and even lower in some countries in Europe. Gold, iron ore and coal continue to appreciate. The margins of steel producers could therefore suffer the end of the year payday loans.

Plastics hit hard

Lowest in the industrial cycle, the automotive supplier Valeo has recently detailed the structure of its cost "feedstock."The steel is 35%, followed by plastics (23%), copper (20%), aluminum (19%) and zinc (3%) … all the upside in recent months. Schneider Electric, for his part highlighted the increase of 40% of the money since the beginning of the year to explain an overload of 100 million euros in its accounts.

Chemical groups are now able to pass these increases on to their customers, as witnessed this week the excellent results reported by Rhodia and Arkema, manifestly optimistic about the future. Their customers converters are much less … They find that prices of certain plastics (polypropylene, polyethylene, PET) have almost doubled in two years!

Again, the phenomenon has an impact downstream. The plastic is a constituent of many products. In industry but also in FMCG.The U.S. Procter & Gamble has estimated at about $ 280 million this additional cost in its quarterly accounts.

If the decline recorded yesterday is good news, its magnitude can be a concern. Volatility, that is to say, large variations in a short time, represents an additional risk for companies, including strategies to provide raw materials for the long term or to hedge against inflation, they can be taken cons-foot.

The CAC 40 remains in the green for the eighth straight time. At closing, the index in Paris ahead of 0.05% to 4108.77 points. As in Japan on Monday morning as investors welcomed the announcement by U.S. President Barack Obama, death of Osama bin Laden. The leader of al-Qaida was killed Sunday by the United States, during a commando operation in Pakistan. But the positive trend has eroded over the meeting.

Of the other European places, same story, including the Frankfurt stock exchange rises from 0.18% to 7527.64 points. The London Stock Exchange remained closed for holiday.

In addition to boosting the morale of the operators, this new direct consequence of the dollar to rise against the euro. The single currency was worth 1.4771 dollars around 5:15 that French time (at time of announcement), against 1.4864 dollars shortly before 3 o'clock.Similarly, oil prices, affected by the bounce of the greenback fell. Precious metals onte unscrewed, just like the money that has dropped 10% to 42.58 dollars per ounce, or gold, which fell to 1546 dollars against a previous record of 1575.79 dollars. Trends that were chastened during the meeting.

17.30, the euro resumed height against the greenback, and was worth 1.4883 dollars against 1.4808 dollars on Friday night.

Responsible macroeconomic news

In this context, the markets will take time, however, to analyze key indicators of the day. The growth in manufacturing activity in the euro zone accelerated more than expected in April, according to a second estimate of the PMI index published on Monday. The index rebounded to 58 points, against 57.5 points in March, the company said Markit.In France, growth in activity in manufacturing worsened last month, reaching its fastest pace for fifteen months, with beneficial effects on employment, according to Markit.

In the U.S., construction spending gained momentum, knowing their strongest growth in 11 months, 1.4%, according to data released Monday by the Commerce Department. In contrast, growth of manufacturing activity slowed for the second consecutive month in April, but less than expected, according to the index of industrial purchasing managers released Monday. This index, calculated by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), stood at 60.4 in April after already slowed to 61 guaranteed approval cash loans.2 in March, against 61.4 in February.The 72 analysts and economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast an index to 60.0.

Values ​​to follow

Altran: + 3.38% to 5.51 euros

Specialist in High Technology Council has exceeded its goals in the first quarter by signing up at double-digit sales (to 387.7 million, +10.1% at constant perimeter) and announced the sale of all its subsidiaries in Brazil.The group also said to anticipate a significant improvement in current operating profit in the first half compared to the same period last year.

Trigano: + 4.60% to 25.25 euros

For the period September 2010 to February 2011, the specialist for caravans and camper vans, achieved an operating profit of 14.7 million euros, against a loss of 0.8 million a year earlier.

Renault: +0.41% to 41.31 euros, Peugeot: 0.72% to 30.88 euros

Renault and Peugeot stand up well despite the announcement of a drop in their registrations by 19.1% and 21.1% respectively in April.

PPR: – 0.12% to 120.60 euros

The group will launch a friendly takeover Volcom priced at $ 24.50 per share.This friendly offer values ​​the company at 516 million euros.

Technip: – 1.261% to 75.20 euros

The group has won a contract worth 100 million euros for the engineering and equipment supply and construction assistance for the Horizon Oil Sands Project in Canada, according to a statement released Monday.

Vinci – 0.52% to 44.86 euros

The group wants to increase the share of concessions in its revenues and will therefore be a candidate for the privatization of regional airports when it is valid, said Xavier Huillard, CEO of construction and concessions, in an interview published Monday by Les Echos.The group will hold its general assembly in early afternoon today.

Fimalac: 30.45 euro balance

The group will take a 40% stake in Auguri Production, which organizes performances of several famous singers, such as Matthieu Chedid, Vanessa Paradis and Thomas Dutronc, according to a statement released Monday.

GDF Suez will publish its first quarter sales this afternoon.

After market: Areva, CAM, GFI Informatique, Steria and Bollore will publish their quarterly earnings.

Very symbolic. Having lost its place as number one global telephony to Apple last week, Nokia announced Wednesday the transfer of its Symbian mobile operating system to Accenture.

The first consequence of this partnership is the transition of 3000 employees of Nokia in the computer services company. The Finn gives a boost to abandon its system house for the benefit of Microsoft Windows phone, with which it has signed a partnership. Accenture will also mandated to work on developing Windows phone for Nokia. The group must now act quickly to address the backlog that builds up against its main rivals. For now, the battle is between Apple and the manufacturers who have chosen Android, including Samsung. Nokia and Microsoft are still on the roadside.The Finn has seen its global market share drop from 49% before the launch of iPhone in 2004 to 29% in early 2011. And this while the world market is booming.

The cuts in the number of Nokia do not stop there. Parallel to the outsourcing of Symbian, Nokia has announced the elimination of 4000 jobs by the end of 2012 payday advance. A measure intended to "align its human resources and operational sites with its new strategy," said the group, which now refers to the closure of some sites for research and development.

Repairing the lines

In total, therefore removes Nokia 7000 jobs. A restructuring that is part of his economic plan. Unveiled last week, he aims to cut one billion euros its operating expenses between 2010 and 2013, mainly through restructuring.An improved cost structure is mandatory, while Apple mocks the industry by posting a 50% margin on iPhone. This is ten times more than the operating margin by Nokia in the first quarter.

The group is facing a double challenge: it must develop one or two phones capable of competing with Apple and offer an application store as complete as those from Apple and Android. For now, the specification is far from completed.

However, ads Wednesday reassured exchanges. Nokia has won the title in Helsinki … 3.27% after having lost 25% since February 11, the date of the announcement of its alliance with Microsoft.

A man at the crossroads of the worlds of music, technology and business. Norio Ohga, father of the "Compact Disc" and former boss of Sony, died Saturday at age 81. It was as boss of the Japanese consumer electronics that monitors closely the birth of the CD with its Dutch partner Philips in the early 80s. He insisted then that the disc 12 cm in diameter can hold 75 minutes of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

This commercial success and technological, which then lead to the emergence of DVD, will remain as the main weapon is to Norio Ohga. But it should not overshadow his work as head of Sony. "He transformed the Japanese conglomerate manufacturer of electronic products in a firm's creative music, movies and video games," says the Wall Street Journal."We were always digging the tracks that other groups did not dare to follow," explained Norio Ohga in 1998. "This is the real secret to our success."

Explosive path

His entry into the firm, like the rest of his career then detonates. Student in musicology at the University of Tokyo, in 1953 he impressed the executives of the firm which became Sony in a letter advising them of improvements to the prototype of tape. Hired as a consultant, Norio Ohga follow a rapid and brilliant trajectory within the company. He became one of the executive directors from the thirties, something extremely rare in Japan. In the '70s, he led negotiations with CBS that will lead to the creation of Sony Music Entertainment and will lead.

President of Sony from 1982 to 1995, Norio Ohga innovates. It supports the development of the Walkman, launched in 1979.In 1989, he led the largest acquisition at the time a Japanese firm abroad by offering the Hollywood studio Columbia Pictures for $ 3.4 billion. This maneuver discontent across the Pacific. Rumors will ever drive on the possible resale activity, difficult to make profitable. The real stroke of genius of the president Norio Ohga is unquestionably won his bet in video games. In the early 90s, he in fact supports the launch of the Playstation division within the group. It is now one of the largest departments of the group.

Debonair boss

Nohga Norio, Japanese boss atypical-described good-natured, not shy, and has an artistic temperament, however, has not as successful. Shortly after the launch of the CD, and it fails to impose its Betamax video format against HSV.Advisor to Sony these days, he could only see, in recent years, the cons-performance of its group. Sony did not see coming the success of the flat screen and has lagged behind its South Korean rival Samsung. In video games, Nintendo has his compatriot hewn cruppers. Even in the music industry, the Japanese has been exceeded. By innovations from Apple this time.

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