Archive for the ‘top news’ Category

New black day for the ACC losing more than 4.7%

September 5, 2011 - 9:24 pm Comments Off

The CAC 40 plunges into the red Monday. The benchmark index of the Paris Stock Exchange, which closed Friday on the day of a severe fall of 3.6%, falling more than 4.73% to close below 3000 points to 2999.54 points, after a opened down 2.41% to 3072.51 points. The movement is the same in the rest of Europe in London, the FTSE-100 index lost 3.58%, in Frankfurt the Dax was down 3.94%. Madrid and Milan unleash respectively 3.38% and 3.97%.

The health of European banks up to the center of attention. The President of the French Banking Federation (FBF), François Perol, recognizes this Monday, in an interview with Les Echos, that if "bank liquidity in euro is not a problem," "the dollar is more refinancing tense. "Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, in turn repeats, in an interview published Monday in Germany, criticized the request of a European bank recapitalization. "We think in general it is necessary to recapitalize European banks so that they are strong enough to withstand the risks associated with the debt crisis and low growth," she told the weekly Der Spiegel.

The chief executive of Deutsche Bank, Josef Ackermann, in turn, poured oil on the fire by saying that some European banks would not survive if they were to reassess the sovereign debt of their accounts at market price.Recapitalization forced the European banking sector could in turn send the wrong signal to markets, in this case the loss of faith on the part of authorities in the ability of measures to succeed, however, said Josef Ackermann .

Societe Generale lost 8.75% to 20.25 euros (largest decrease in the ACC). The bank is also penalized by the U.S. federal agency oversight of mortgage that has filed a complaint Friday against 17 major international financial institutions which include the French bank, for a total loss of $ 41 billion in bonds linked to subprime .

In its wake, BNP Paribas lost 7.33% to 30.97 euros, Crédit Agricole 6.22% to 5.80 euros and 4.85% at Axa 10.01 euros. Natixis lost 5.05% to 2.57 euros.The aerospace equipment Safran (-2.78% to 26.25 euros) will make its entry into the CAC 40 index, while the bank Natixis is about to leave, said Friday the Scientific Council of the indices of NYSE Euronext. The changes take effect Sept. 19.

Bad signals on growth

In addition to banking problems, the first global economy has fueled fears of a global slowdown by announcing Friday it had no jobs created in August. Following this announcement, Wall Street closed on a sharp drop of more than 2%. U.S. markets will do on Monday with European stock any procedure they will remain closed for Labor Day (Labor Day observed every first Monday of September)."Wall Street remains closed doors, it seems unlikely that operators take the slightest risk," said Chris Weston, an analyst at IG Markets.

In China, HSBC index of purchasing managers in the Chinese sector services slowed to an unprecedented low in August. Seasonally adjusted and calculated by the Institute Markit, it fell to 50.6 after 53.5 in July

No other indicator may move the indices are expected on Monday. One highlight of the week will be the release of the Beige Book Fed on Wednesday night, which will be the summary of economic conditions in regions in the United States payday loans direct lenders.

No recession expected in Europe

The side of the euro area, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, has tried to reassure investors.Traveling in Australia, he said that the European economy would experience in the coming months a "moderate growth" without going into recession. "We do not anticipate a recession in Europe. The latest forecasts from the European Commission show that the growth will be at the meeting, although this growth will be moderate, it is true, "he said in Sydney.

Markit, the company that carries out the PMI, however, said on Monday that growth in private activity in the euro area slowed more than expected in August, falling to its lowest level in two years, reinforcing fears of a return to recession by the end of 2011. The composite index, which summarizes the activity in the service sector and manufacturing fell to 50.7 points against 51.1 points in July, according to a second estimate.

For his part, Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank said it is "imperative" to implement the decisions taken by Heads of State and Government of the euro zone in July to resolve the debt crisis.

The euro fell to 1.4127 dollars, its lowest level in three weeks. For their part, oil prices were down in electronic trading in Asia, depressed by the poor figures on employment in the United States. A barrel of "light sweet crude" for delivery in October lost 59 cents to 85.86 dollars per barrel of Brent North Sea crude for October delivery 74 cents to 111.59 dollars.Saft takes off

EDF: -2.77% to 20.37 euros

The Italian Minister of Industry, Paolo Romani, said Sunday he would meet Monday Proglio about the power company Edison.

ArcelorMittal: -4.67% to 13.46 euros

Peabody Energy and ArcelorMittal announced Monday it had extended until September 27, the period during which the short bid for $ 5 billion (3.53 billion euros) on the Australian Macarthur Coal.

Zodiac: -1.94% to 54.05 euros

The group said it had completed the acquisition of the American Heath Tecna and have reached an agreement with its banks to raise 300 million euros the amount of an existing credit line.

Schneider Electric: -6.01% to 41.35 euros

The French government intervened with the company to freeze a plan for the removal of one.000 temporary positions, the daily Liberation in its Monday edition, but the group has firmly denied to AFP such a plan.

Saft: 4.81% to 22.87 euros (largest increase in the SBF 120)

The American automotive supplier Johnson Controls will pay $ 145 million (102 million euros) to the French specialist in batteries as part of an amicable agreement ending their joint venture in the automotive industry, announced Friday the two groups in a joint statement.

Alstom: -5.16% to 29.21 euros

The group signed a 66 million euros with Iraq to build a power plant in the province of Nineveh in the north, said the Iraqi Minister of Electricity.

France Telecom: -1.67% to 12.36 euros

TPSA its Polish subsidiary has announced to contest the fine of 128 million euros that inflicted the European Commission.

After market, environment and Dried Assystem unveil their first-half results.

State speeds up the outsourcing to private

September 2, 2011 - 12:20 pm Comments Off

The Department of Defense is mobilizing to help reduce public spending. Authorized since 2004 to sign agreements of public-private partnership (PPP), the military have a growing use, like other state services.

The Air Force is leading. It announced yesterday the award of the contract to upgrade its computer networks and communications in a pool of companies led by Alcatel-Lucent. This contract runs on sixteen for a value of 350 million euros, the amount of royalties to be paid by the Air Force over the period. The state expects "tens of millions of euros in savings" through the pooling of engineering resources used on other projects as well as the speed of network deployment."Without the PPP, we would never have as quickly renovate and take advantage of new technologies," says Marc Leclere, director of central purchasing in the Directorate General for Armaments (DGA).

Financial arrangements entrusted to the Caisse des Depots

PPP is the second signed by the DGA and the first for the Air Force. The yard is huge. This is to equip a hundred bases, to wire several hundred buildings and installing 36,000 "access points" (for computer, telephone or system) to build high speed, with the latest fiber optic generation, the future "Internet protocol network service" of the Air Force (Air-RDIP). The construction should start in the coming days with commissioning of the first "positions" equipped end of 2012. The deployment should be completed in 2014. Alcatel-Lucent's partner INEO, an infrastructure specialist defense techniques.

As for the financial package, it is entrusted to the Caisse des depots associated with the Luxembourg investment funds SEIEF. The pool of partners committed to cede 10% of contracts outsourced to SMEs and to provide reclassifications to hundreds of military and civilian personnel involved. Alcatel-Lucent will assume management and maintenance of networks of Air Force with the requirement, half-life of RDIP-Air, an "update" so that it benefits from technological developments.

All of the information flow internal air bases including allowing the Air Force to conduct its missions – such as surveillance of airspace – will therefore be outsourced. The information will be protected and secured through five levels of privacy from the most basic to the "secret NATO" and "confidential defense".Alcatel-Lucent is also committed to service quality (availability and reliability) together with a penalty system if necessary. The operation could RDIP-Air School with the Navy and the Army in time, although for now the two armies have computer networks and communications referred to as "suitable."

Three sectors where the state says its operations in private

1. The defense pointed

The Army had the ball rolling in 2008 benefiting from the first PPP contract signed by the DGA. Specifically, with the company DCI has taken over the management of flight hours and the helicopter fleet of the School of Dax which trains pilots of the French armies.

The contract worth 400 million euros spread over twenty-two years. It must allow a saving of 600 million euros.But the PPP's most famous landmark is undoubtedly the contract of 3 free 3-in-1 credit report.5 billion euros, signed in early June, with Bouygues to build the "Pentagon in French" (pictured) at Balard. In 2014, 10,000 military and civilian staffs of the three armies and the DGA have to regroup. The PPP is not always the rule to outsource activities and services where military competence is not necessary. After the lawn or airport maintenance (based Cognac), the Ministry of Defence had retained in 2006 the American GE Fleet Services to manage its fleet, more than 20,000 commercial vehicles. With, in sight, a savings of 25% on an annual budget of 90 million.

2. Transportation and Maintenance

Bikers of the gendarmerie and the police accompanying the convoy will soon be a thing of the past exceptional.The state decided to entrust to private companies the management of transportation of wind turbines, ships and other bulky goods. Effective November 1, this measure is indicative of the willingness of departments to focus on their core missions. This is the philosophy of the modernization of the state launched since 2007. The functions called "media" such as purchasing, information technology, are among the first to be restructured. "We look first at the pool," says one at Bercy. A purchasing department of the State, which oversees the current purchases of government departments, has been created. The state also uses outsourcing. No more garages in the ministries: the management of their 72,000 vehicles will be performed by private companies at the end of the year. Caretaking, cleaning, heavy lifting, the reception is already provided by the private staff at Bercy.This is also true at the Musée du quai Branly. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he, a single private provider for the maintenance of its buildings in Paris. The government can also go further, by giving public-private partnership in the management and construction of prisons.

3. Public enterprises

Public companies, subject to increasing competition, should ensure the public service closer to the citizens without increasing their operating costs. It is the object, including the action plan for rural areas launched last year. The plan includes for example the Post Office launches 17,000 "contact points", mainly in shops run by individuals. In this way, 90% of French people will have access to a courier service within 5 kilometers.For their part, the old disused railway stations could be reused to pool several services in one place: social security office, ticket sales SNCF, EDF payment services. The state is full of ideas. Left to ogle the side of the private sector. The opening to competition of regional express trains (pictured) could well tip the railway in the private sector. It is expected that a "social framework harmonized" be defined so that they retain their current benefits. The Elysee confirmed in an engagement letter to the President of the SNCF. And Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, the responsible minister of the SNCF, was asked last June that the negotiations between social partners are committed as soon as possible. These issues should be addressed in the coming weeks as part of Focus on the rail.

Vinci will build the Moscow subway

August 29, 2011 - 11:24 pm Comments Off

World famous for its underground parking, Vinci Park would become better known in Moscow. According to the Russian business daily Vedomosti, the group, in collaboration with its partner, the billionaire Arkadi Rotenberg, a close associate of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has offered his services for the construction of parking in the center of the capital, and extension Moscow metro.

These two proposals, which, according to officials in Moscow, are currently before the town hall. For now, the company manages parking only international airport Sheremetyevo in the north-west of Moscow. But she wants to continue to grow in the country. "Russia is one of our objectives clearly displayed.(..) We have a desire to develop ourselves in this country where the need for parking facilities are very important, "said a spokesman for Vinci, who declined to give further details on the subject.

Demand exceeds supply

Several years ago, the giant French had already proposed to invest $ 300 million (210 million) in the construction of underground parking near subway stations and in the central arteries of the capital (Tverskaya, Lubyanka). "But officials do not have their assigned sites in places as important," the newspaper said. Same for the metro, which is of interest, "which are under state protection."

Previously, the city financed the construction of car parks and subway lines with its budget without resorting to foreign investors.But today, the ability of Russian manufacturers is not enough to complete all projects planned by the city of Moscow. Therefore Vinci "has all these opportunities" to participate in construction programs, the officials commented.

Of large projects

By five years, the mayor of the Russian capital plans to create nearly 2 million parking spaces, and has already launched tenders for the construction of seven parking spaces for a total of 1520 seats. "A place so close to cost 200,000 rubles (500 euros) and will be more beneficial if an investor takes over the construction of a network," says the director of the Department of Antimonopoly Policy of Moscow Gennady Degtev.

As for the extension of twelve subway lines, the mayor of Moscow also has gigantic projects.The plan to build 14 stations expected to open within two years and opening 75 km of new lines paydayloans. To do this, it provides 343 billion rubles (8.5 billion euros) in its budget between 2012 and 2014.

Possible support for Putin

Through collaboration with the contractor Arkadi Rotenberg, Vinci won the 2009 tender to build the first section of the highway Moscow-Saint Petersburg, whose total cost is estimated at 66.081 billion rubles ( 1.65 billion). According to a former official of the Moscow mayor, support Rotenberg, close to Putin, will once again allow the French company won the contract.

The group Vinci has extensive experience in the construction of car parks in the world.He also participated in numerous construction projects in the metro French cities (Paris, Rennes) and abroad (Budapest, Athens, Hong Kong). However, analysts said, one of the main handicaps of Vinci, the lack of experience on the Russian market. And this handicap could be considered by the Russians during the bidding process. Vedomosti also states that the manufacturer Austrian Strabag also plans to get into the race for the extension of the Moscow metro.

The construction of the highway Moscow-Saint Petersburg is controversial

In July 2009, the Russian Federal Agency Rosavtodor decided to entrust the construction of the first section of the highway Moscow-Saint Petersburg (15th to 58th km) to the North-West Concession Company (NWCC), as part of a public-private project.This company is owned 50% by the French Vinci, the remaining capital is shared between the contractor and the fund Arkadi Rotenberg "N-trans." The construction should also be done with funds from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the funds of Russian banks VEB and Sberbank. Investors in the NWCC received in exchange for the right to operate the highway for 30 years. But the construction project, which started in 2010, has generated considerable controversy among associations of environmental protection because the route of the highway, which passes through a protected forest. Work has been frozen by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in August 2010 and were resumed in April 2011. After the withdrawal of the EBRD and the EIB, the group Vinci is the only Western participant in this project.

The station is expected to increase its prices

August 27, 2011 - 9:00 pm Comments Off

It is a small revolution for the station and its customers: under a decree published this summer in a discreet and identified by Challenges.fr, the railway company could now set its prices much more freely. Gone are the peak and normal periods, the timing was officially recorded in advance and who presided over the setting of tariffs.

"The decree allows to adjust the price cap to the station for the gradual opening to competition of the railway market," says the text. Clearly, to boost the attractiveness and profitability of the public entity within the opening to competition of the European network, SNCF should be able to offer its customers a range of rates much larger, developed based on supply and demand.

Rate increases on the crowded trains

The gain to consumers is mixed.On some busy routes, these new capabilities would enable the public body to go beyond the current full price of the second class in rush hour fast cash without a hassle. Holidaymakers taking TGV lines busy for example will be expected to pay more. However, for trains shunned by customers, the SNCF would be allowed to go below rates currently charged to attract new passengers.

Such liberalization was requested by the SNCF to the government at the end of last year, in return for the introduction of a tax to finance inter-deficient lines. Neither station nor the government have so far expressed on the subject.Signatory to the decree, the Minister of Transport, Thierry Mariani, was at the time held that freedom of the SNCF tariff should remain regulated, "in that competition does not really exist."

According to Challenges, consumer groups such as FNAUT will be formally consulted before the application of the decree, "probably in the fall."

IMF calls for austerity avoid too abrupt

August 16, 2011 - 2:48 pm Comments Off

Fight against the problems of sovereign debt should not kill growth. This is the message sent Tuesday by Christine Lagarde, director of the International Monetary Fund, the world's governments. While massive austerity plans have been passed or are under preparation in several countries, particularly in Europe, it warns against the creation of a "sudden brake budget" that would result in " block the global recovery. "

In this article published by the Financial Times, Christine Lagarde is primarily intended "advanced economies", on the same alarmist tone than its predecessor, Dominique Strauss-Kahn last year. For these governments, while fiscal adjustment "to solve the puzzle is to go neither too fast nor too slow."She said "what is needed is to focus on both fiscal consolidation over the medium-term and short-term support for growth and employment no fax payday loan. This may seem contradictory, but the two are mutually reinforcing, "she writes. "The spending cuts will not suffice, revenue should also increase, and the first choice should focus on measures that affect less demand," said she.

Restoring market confidence

The former French finance minister also notes that "the current market turmoil has shaken confidence in the economy in the world and prompted many to conclude that all the political possibilities had been exhausted."

But "this impression is false and could lead to paralysis," she warns.And remember that "markets can be of two opinions: they disapprove of a high public debt – and may welcome a strong fiscal consolidation – they like even less a low or negative growth."

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The Paris Bourse still in the red

July 16, 2011 - 10:52 am Comments Off

Like their colleagues in Asia, investors showed little enthusiasm in Paris on Friday. Mid-meeting, the CAC 40 lost 0.35% to 3737.93 points. Same movement in the rest of Europe: the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange was down 0.38% at mid-points to 7187.40 and the FTSE-100 index lost values ​​of the main symbols 0, 05% to 5844.12 points.

The attention of the market still focuses on the evolution of the European agenda to discuss aid to Greece and parliamentary discussions slipping in the U.S., about raising the debt ceiling. After Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Fed chairman, Ben Bernanke, the U.S. President, Barack Obama has assured last night that "the time for decisions has come."Barack Obama will hold a press conference to take stock of the subject at 17 hours, Paris time.

In addition, many macroeconomic indicators expected in the day could hold the attention of investors. Foreign trade in the euro area has returned to balance in May in raw data, exports (seasonally adjusted) increased faster than imports, Eurostat said Friday. In April, the deficit was $ 4.8 billion. It was 4.9 billion in May 2010.

The news is also very busy across the Atlantic with the program price index for consumption, the Empire State index of the activity of the New York Fed, industrial production and the first estimate of the index consumer confidence in July.

Note, next currency, the euro has stabilized against the dollar at 1.4140 dollars against 1.4141 dollars last night.The euro rose slightly, however, against the Japanese currency to 112.03 yen against 111.89 yen yesterday. On the commodities market in the current context of heightened uncertainty about the public debt in Europe and the United States, gold is looking for: the metal-King reached a new record yesterday to 1594.45 dollars. It flows back slightly this morning.

A very technical session for

The news should be sparse on the side of the values ​​on Friday, but the session is facilitated by the expiration today of a battery of forward contracts.

Investors remain concentrated in Paris after the close for 18 hours to read the results of resistance testing in the European banking sector.Among the 91 banks assessed in connection with these third annual stress tests, are the French BNP Paribas (-1.10% to 45.54 euros), Societe Generale (-0.66% to 35.28 euros), Crédit Agricole (-1.33% to 8.63 euros), Natixis (-1.55% to 3.18 euros).

Dexia (0.05% to 1.83 euros) filed a complaint Wednesday in U.S. courts against the Deutsche Bank to recover losses related to a billion dollars of U.S. securities backed by mortgages ("subprime").

The automotive sector is also seen on Friday, after the presentation of the number of registrations in Europe in June, which shows a decrease of 8.1% over one year. Over the first half, the market decline is limited to 2.1% with 7.12 million passenger vehicles registered. Renault (1.01% to 37.03 euros), sales fell 20.9% in June and 10.8% for six months.Rival PSA Peugeot Citroen (1.02% to 30.19 euros) saw its sales fall 11.9% in June

In addition, the Wall Street Journal reports that the Indian Bajaj Auto has suspended a project to develop a cheap small car for Renault and Nissan on the grounds that such a model would not be commercially viable.

PPR (1.16% to 126.60 euros) and LVMH (-0.16% to 124.50 euros) not taking advantage of good prospects for German Hugo Boss. The group raised its forecast for 2011 after better than expected second quarter.

Total (-0.50% to 38.40 euros) and Technip (0.91% to 71.90 euros) are little affected by the sharp drop in oil prices in New York. This morning, oil markets are evolving in a piecemeal: a relaxation is observed on the future of Brent North Sea (-0.22% to 116.09 dollars per barrel).In contrast, light crude gained sweed 0.24% to 95.92 dollars a barrel.

Sponsors cautious against the return of the icon Laure Manaudou

July 14, 2011 - 6:40 pm Comments Off

Objective: London Olympics 2012! The challenge is ambitious Laure Manaudou but probably not impossible. "She recovered in the skin of a champion," said Gilles Portelli, CEO of Havas Sports & Entertainment. Absent from the basins since September 18, 2009, the swimming is preparing to make his comeback this Thursday in Athens to the United States. She has eight months to return to competitive, qualified for the Olympics taking place in mid-March. His former mentor, Philippe Lucas, believes it. "It's a good thing for French sport. It changed, it is a mother. She has thought through many things. Swimming was missing.

The importance of achieving good performance will depend in fact a new interest of major sponsors (Lancel, EDF, Arena, among others) who have stopped working when she announced her retirement. These contracts Lancel, EDF Arena and allowed him to reach about three million euros per year between 2007 and 2009. Reportedly, the contract of sponsorship with the chairman of PPR, through his holding company Artemis, who reported one million euros per year, is suspended and not broken. Discussions are therefore underway between the two parties to try to bring back Laure Manaudou and Francois Pinault.But suddenly, its value would decline significantly Advertising (LPG contract with him would bring 200 million euros per year). Necessarily all brands can not match the prices of luxury brands. " Most experts interviewed do not believe that the financial aspect is the main motivation behind this "comeback". "She would have stopped swimming in this case," explains Gilles Portella.

After accumulating the gold medals like pearls and posted disappointing results, shaken by romantic escapades, Laure Manaudou is trying to write a new story of his sporting career. "She now has a stable life, a companion who is immersed in the world of swimming (Frederick Bousquet) and one child (a little old Manon a little over a year). The risk of "relapse" is lower, "said François Guyot. But not nonexistent.

Business tourism: Greater Paris could do better

July 7, 2011 - 5:04 pm Comments Off

Far ahead of London and New York, Ile-de-France is the first tourist metropolis in the world. It is also the first French economic region, with a gross domestic product (GDP) alone accounts for 4% of GDP in the EU! Pride of place, then, but a place increasingly challenged: Paris is losing market share, overtaken by Singapore, Vienna or Barcelona for the organization of congresses. 26 billion euros in 2006, business in France has fallen to 14 billion euros in 2010, according to a barometer American Express. For Bercy, so it was now "urgent to take measures to enable the Grand Paris to retain its preeminence."In February, Christine Lagarde, Minister of Economic Affairs, and Frédéric Lefebvre, Secretary of State for Tourism, has commissioned Gilles Pelisson, Accor's former boss, to develop a precise inventory of the situation and formulate proposals improvement. The report presented yesterday – titled "Business tourism in the Greater Paris: a new ambition" – recommends a score of practical measures, which include both travel, equipment, reception conditions, the organization but also taxation.

Priority to the CDG Express

"Paris is a destination that is well and is efficient in terms of reception bad credit pay day loans. But in a world that moves, other destinations are on the rise, said Gilles Pelisson. A number of handicaps and weaknesses that passed before will be more crippling future. "Her number one priority is to CDG Express project."Like the great European cities, Paris should have a direct fast with its main airport, it said in its report. The project, in the form of public-private partnership of the CDG Express, should be released: it will in the near time horizon (2015-2017) to connect directly (19 minutes) Roissy to Gare de l'Est. "

Paris also lacks large rooms. "There is only one large auditorium of 3000 seats, while most major cities have two or three," said Gilles Pelisson, convinced that it also lacks "a few thousand hotel rooms "and" 100 to 200 employees "to improve service to the border police at Roissy-CDG."Small things" could also make life easier for tourists to encourage taxis to be equipped including electronic payment terminals or negotiate packages for some races (CDG-Villepinte, for example).

Wall Street sign a great week in the green

July 2, 2011 - 12:04 pm Comments Off

The NYSE has ended sharply higher Friday, boosted by a surprisingly strong industrial indicator in the U.S., allowing the Dow to gain 1.36% and the Nasdaq 1.53% on Friday before a weekend of three day – Monday, the stock market is closed due to national holiday in the United States.

According to final figures, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 168.43 points to 12,582.77 in points and the Nasdaq, dominated by technology, from 42.51 points to 2816.03 points.The broader index Standard & Poor's 500 rose 1.44% (19.03 points) to 1339.67 points.

The Dow Jones ended in green all sessions of the week on which it jumped 5.4%, its best performance since July 2009

The day before, now, Wall Street had closed on an open rise, encouraged in this direction by the Chicago PMI – and the relief felt on both sides of the Atlantic after the second vote in Parliament in Greece. Voting allows the application of the austerity plan as expected, and the release of 12 billion euros in aid to Athens.However, the agreement of the Eurogroup surl second aid plan, expected this weekend, take a little longer than expected, according to diplomatic sources.

U.S. Policy and Debt

Another current, more American and more uncertain, however, could be followed by operators, mindful of the political context, while U.S. debt back on the front of the stage: the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States Timothy Geithner, in fact, consider soon resign from his post.Information reported yesterday by the Bloomberg financial news agency and other U.S. media, but qualified this morning.

Consumption, construction and industrial activity

In terms of macroeconomic indicators, the activity of manufacturing accelerated in June in the United States, according to an index released Friday by the professional association ISM, which stood at 55.3% as against 53 3% month précédent.Cet index, analysts expected a decline to 51.1%, is above 50%, the line between expansion and contraction, for the twenty-third consecutive month.

Consumer confidence fell in June in the United States, according to the index of U.S. consumer confidence released Friday by the University of Michigan, who finally stood at 71.5, lower than analysts had thought .A first estimate, released in mid-June, the index stood at 71.8 and analysts expected that this figure does not change pas.Après two months of increases, this index declined 2.8 percentage points at the end of May, and falling to its lowest level since April.

$ 4.5 billion for Nortel patents

On the corporate side, the maker of BlackBerry phones Research In Motion (RIM), is 0.28% to 28.93 dollars after the announcement yesterday of an agreement avoiding, at the General Meeting of July 12, vote on a motion challenging the operation of its management.Turbulent in recent times, the action RIM has tumbled almost 41% in one year, closing at 28.85 dollars Thursday on the Nasdaq, while the S & P 500 gained at the same time 28.55%.

Apple (2.26% to 343.26 dollars) Research in Motion and Microsoft (0.08% to 26.02 dollars), however, are part of a group of six companies that got their hands on the latest patents The telecoms equipment maker Nortel (1.82% to 29.14 dollars). The acquisition represents $ 4.5 billion (3.10 billion euros), after an auction that Google has removed (2.89%) and Intel (1.67% at 22, $ 53)

EMC Corp., and Sony Ericsson are the other members of the winning consortium, Nortel said in a statement released Thursday night.Telecommunications giant to the Internet bubble burst, Nortel filed for bankruptcy in January 2009 and has since liquidated most of its assets, raising about $ 3.2 billion.

In any other industry, General Mills (0.35% to 37.35 dollars) announced Friday the completion of the acquisition of half of the yogurt maker Yoplait, which he was the franchise in the United States. General Mills bought for about $ 1.2 billion (830 million), with the investment fund PAI Partners and the cooperative Sodiaal, 51% stake in Yoplait SAS and 50% of the entity holding world Yoplait brands.

Price: supermarkets denounced

June 28, 2011 - 12:56 am Comments Off

Monitor prices and margins on agricultural products launched in September 2010 will make its findings on Monday. According quotidienLes Echos, the 250-page report, commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with INSEE and Agrimer, the responsibility of leading retail chains in maintaining the sales price to consumers despite lower commodity prices.

Cherries five times more expensive

The experts, headed by Philippe Chalmin, an economics professor at the University of Paris Dauphine, studied agricultural production subject to the most serious crises in the last ten years such as milk, beef and pork, and fruits and vegetables. According to their findings the distribution has made such an important and constant gross margin of red meat even though the farmers of this category recorded the lowest incomes.

The situation is similar with regard to pork. In ten years from the final price going to farmers has increased from 45% in 2000 to 36% in 2010. At the same time, one devoted to retailers jumped 39% to 55%. The long-life milk, gross margin was doubled when the signs that producers declined. Distributors also apply high margins on fruits and vegetables. Cherry cherry has been charged five times more expensive to consumers that it was paid by the distributor free credit score. Only segment where margins have been reduced signs: the yoghurt.The report provides no explanation but Les Echos believe that the power companies such as Danone, which reach more to negotiate prices is one reason.

Annual Report

The report, which should help parliamentarians better navigate the debate between producers, manufacturers and distributors for years, however, said it is difficult to track the price of a product from production to its exposure on the shelf. Investigators also complain that the distributors did not provide all the necessary elements to determine the composition of the margins.Information they hope to meet next year, the Observatory should indeed provide an overview of the situation every year.

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