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The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis and the U.S. Merck in a statement announcing the creation of a joint venture in animal health. Owned equally between the two groups, it is destined to become the world's number one industry with a combined turnover of approximately $ 5.3 billion, or 29% of the market.

Since July 29, 2009 and redeemed for $ 4 billion of Merck's participation in their previous joint venture Merial, Sanofi-Aventis had an option to meet with Merial, Intervet Schering-Plow Animal Health Division in the born merger between Merck and Schering Plow.

The deal values Merial to 8 billion dollars and Intervet Schering-Plow 8.5 billion.It already cost at Sanofi-Aventis 250 million dollars to establish an equal joint venture with Merck, and 750 million under the agreement of July 2009 the statement said.

The formation of this joint venture is subject to completion of definitive agreements, review by competition authorities in the United States, Europe and other countries . The completion of the transaction is expected during the next 12 months. Pending completion of the transaction, Merial and Intervet Schering-Plow continue to work independently.

The market for animal health has reached 19 billion dollars in 2008. Products for pets represent 40% of the market and 60% for animal production.The growth of this market should be about 5% per year during the next 5 years, supported by a growing demand for animal protein, and by the substantial need for care for pets.

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The year 2009 was not that of chemistry as shown in the results of the Arkema Group, published on Thursday. The group announced a net loss of 172 million euros, against a profit of 100 million euros in 2008. The turnover has shrunk from 21.1% to 4.44 billion euros for an operating margin of 7%, against 8.8% in 2008.

The group saw its three channels suffer because of weak demand and reduced inventories at its customers. The vinyl products business recorded a decline in its sales to 1 billion euros against 1.443 billion a year earlier. The industrial cluster Chemistry reaping 2.109 billion euros against 2.582 billion revenue in 2008 cash advance to savings account .Finally, the last part, performance products has achieved a turnover of 1.318 billion against 1.602 billion a year ago.

In 2010, Arkema expects a "significant increase" in sales and its gross operating profit (EBITDA), which stood at 310 million euros for 2009 (-37.8%). He adds that "standard conditions", Arkema is an operating margin "greater than 13.5%" in 2014.

In early September, Arkema, a former subsidiary of Total, announced the arrest of a production line in Saint-Auban (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) with the elimination of 88 positions.

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Air France-KLM fails to emerge from the fog in which she sailed past four quarters. The airline announced on Wednesday a further loss in the third quarter of fiscal shifted 2009-2010, the fifth in a row. Over this period (October to December), the group garnered a net loss of 295 million euros. This is less than the 508 million the previous year but well above the 216 million expected by analysts. The operating loss also disappointed expectations, to -245 to -194 million against expected by the market.

In the third quarter, revenue fell 16% to 5.19 billion euros. Observers had expected 5.34 billion euros."The business has shown during this quarter are some signs of recovery but in an economic environment that remains challenging," the group said in a statement.

Operating loss record throughout the year

For more, Air France KLM expects operating profit in the fourth quarter of fiscal offset "the same as that of last year" was 574 million euros. This "given the expected recovery later in unit revenues, lower capacity and an increase of about 300 million dollars from the oil bill.

This means that at this rate, the operating loss over the whole year could reach a record. Indeed, nine months, the group's operating loss amounted already to 788 million euros.Adding to the loss of 574 million harvested in the fourth quarter, the operating loss over the entire year could exceed 1.3 billion euros.

In a more distant future, Air France-KLM confirms targeting a return to balanced operations for its fiscal year 2010-11, excluding the impact of oil hedges prior to 2009. The company relies on cost reductions, "expected a slight increase in unit revenues, the implementation of medium-haul product and restructuring initiated in cargo activity.

The general environment is showing signs of improvement in the airline also confirmed the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The situation could hardly be worse than in 2009.

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Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Anne-Marie Idrac, will announce Friday morning trade figures in 2009. France's 5th largest exporter, has eroded market share at the expense of its competitors.

LE FIGARO .- What is the balance of French foreign trade in 2009?

Anne-Marie IDRAC .- 2009 was a year encouraging, marked by a significant reduction in trade deficit due to the strong decrease of the energy bill free credit report . But beyond that figure, the major point is that France has held its largest export in a context of crisis. The world demand in our country has decreased by 13% by volume, and our exports have declined in this order of magnitude.But this movement has been marked elsewhere and, unlike Germany or Italy, France has managed to retain its market share vis-à-vis OECD countries, accounting for 6.6% exports.

Good news for Safran. Its subsidiary, Turbomeca has been chosen by Beijing to power the Chinese version of the new civilian EC175 helicopter jointly developed with Eurocopter, said its CEO Lutz Bertling. So far, the new helicopter is equipped with American engines Pratt & Whintney, and double engine choices are few things on the helicopters.

According to Voices, the American engine could not get the green light by U.S. authorities for exportrer in China some of its technologies.

This agreement confirms the thrust of Saffron to China. Last month, the group associated with GE in CFM International, has been chosen to equip the C 919 Chinese, the future Chinese medium-haul aircraft, a rival of Airbus A320 and Boieng B737.

The device of "breaking conventional" – that allows an employer and his employee to terminate a permanent contract by mutual agreement, limiting litigation and providing access to unemployment benefits – has confirmed its success in 2009. For the full year, the first full implementation since its entry into force in August 2008, 191 309 amicable separations were approved by the Department of Labor. This represents nearly 8% of ILC failures recorded in 2009. "This system has put an end to hypocrisy that was to dress up as desired redundancies departures by both parties for the sole purpose of enabling the employee to receive unemployment insurance, welcomes it does in the entourage Xavier Darcos, Minister of Labor. He is entered in the customs and found its stride. "Either 20 000 applications, more or less approved by months.

"If we better secure the release of the company to an employee by guaranteeing a minimum benefit equal to redundancy pay, that's something," says Marcel Grignard, number 2 of the CFDT, the one of four unions to have invented the employers with the device in January 2008.

The refusal rate (records released by the administration in particular for non-compliance with statutory time limits) reached 13% in 2009 and that of inadmissibility (for incomplete), 3%. Two proportions in sharp decline over the year, indicating a greater ownership of the device by the Department of Human Resources. Some companies however are still aligned for their applications because of "social disguise" – a true social costs more than adding individual separations. It's mishap occurred in December to IBM online payday advance .The direction of the work of the Hauts-de-Seine has refused registration of 12 cases in the month. According to Jean-Michel Daire, CFDT delegate the administration would still accept applications in February reformulated by the group.

"It does not attend mass flow diversion" into perspective does one Department of Labor, which has yet sent in March 2009 a serious warning to its officials. They were advised to be "vigilant breaks conventional concluded in order to circumvent the safeguards of redundancies and collective."

Strong rise in entries to employment center

Virginie Devos, a lawyer in employment law in August & Debouzy, confirms: "Some enterprises are abusing the conventional break knowing they are likely to overturn." But others are more reluctant to use them."Some employers do not want to sign a treaty breaks because they fear a ripple effect among their employees more and more people want to benefit and reluctant to resign," says she.

Latest Trend: More and more employees enroll in employment center after signing a separation amicably. They have been 128 696 in 2009 to cross the gates of the former ANPE, or 67% of recipients of rupture. A steadily rising level which was close to 80% in December. This implies that, despite the crisis, employees are increasingly likely to take the gamble to leave the company immediately without having another job.

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He took his time. But the New York jury delivered its verdict on Friday evening the group of telecommunications and media company Vivendi sued by shareholders ruined by its near-collapse in 2002, was convicted of misleading communication. Its CEO at the time, Jean-Marie Messier, has instead been milled.

As expected, Vivendi's lawyer Paul Saunders immediately announced he would appeal, and that he intended to "win". "We are satisfied that the damage is half of what the plaintiffs claimed this side there is a partial victory," said the lawyer. The plaintiff had estimated that damages could rise to 11.5 billion dollars.

Messier absent when the verdict

Jean-Marie Messier and Guillaume Hannezo, its chief financial officer, were absent when the verdict.They have yet to appear in magistrate in Paris in the spring, with five other executives of Vivendi, including responding to charges of disseminating false or misleading information, price manipulation and abuse of social goods, which they could worth up to 5 years in prison and heavy fines, business cards .

After three months of trial, the nine board members of the Federal Court had to decide on 57 points very technical. After answering a series of questions establishing the guilt of the accused or not, they have, for each trading day occurring between October 2000 and August 2002, "determine the amount of inflation being caused by the fraud alleged" .

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The time of discord between Cadbury and Kraft Foods U.S. suitor would be gone. The BBC and The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that even the banns could be published on Tuesday. An agreement had indeed been found between the two groups on the basis of an offer revalorized Kraft Foods.

The amount of this new proposal to be about 19 billion dollars, according to the U.S. economic daily, citing sources familiar with the matter. The British radio advance estimates of the same order.It expects an offer increased to 850 pence per share, at most, on the recovery of Cadbury at 11.7 billion pounds, or 13.3 billion euros, equivalent to 19.148 billion dollars at current exchange rates of one euro to 1.4397 dollars.

Based on closing prices Friday, the previous offer of Kraft, open until February 2, Cadbury valued at 10.5 billion pounds, about 12 billion euros or 17.2 billion dollars. Kraft Foods has finally decided to upgrade its offer in response to rumors of interest from the U.S. confectioner Hershey. British law gave him until Tuesday, January 19 to change the amount of its proposal.

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Abrupt return to earth to investors who started the session on Wall Street in the red. The unemployment figures in December were worse than expected. The U.S. has destroyed 85,000 jobs in December as the monthly report of the U.S. Department of Labor. The euphoria was not to go because the unemployment rate remains at 10%. Half an hour before the release of U.S. unemployment figures in December, all future pointing upward. Markets expect that job losses have continued into December. Some also not ruled the possibility of new posts.

Now, the Dow Jones fell by 0.4% to 10,563 points, the S & P lost 0.40% to 1137 points while the Nasdaq lost nearly 6% to 2295 points. The day before, the Exchange had ended in the balance.

Values follow

As for values, General Mills lost 1.02% to 70.57 dollars.The group is expected to announce some numerical predictions.

Barclays (1.18% to U.S. $ 20.63) receives a statement of recommendation from UBS from "neutral" from "buy."

Delta Airlines (-0.55% to $ 12.61 million). Information published by the Wall Street Journal announced that the U.S. airline American Airlines, together with the company TPG Capital, now propose to invest 300 million dollars more in Japan Airlines, for a total of 1.4 billion dollars.

The CAC 40 revives the green after having been the victim of profit taking on Wednesday. Around 12 hours, the benchmark DAX index rose 0.22% to 3944 point. The volume of trade remains very low (242 million euros), as investors deserted the market for the shortened session to be completed in 14 hours. The activity is even smaller that no statistics are expected today. After stock market, but the U.S. will monitor weekly figures on employment to be released at 14:30.

On the currency markets, the euro is rising against the dollar, investors sure some profits after the rebound of the greenback Wednesday.The euro gained 0.54% and traded at 1.4417 dollars against 1.4341 dollars late Wednesday.

As for commodities, crude prices are gaining ground, always supported by the publication yesterday of a decline in U.S. inventories for the second consecutive week. The barrel of Brent North Sea for February delivery gained 0.48% to 77.71 dollars. The barrel of WTI crude oil is 0.38% to 78.99 dollars.

If the objective of the 4,000 items listed on the Paris markets later this year will not be reached, the ACC can claim to have made a good performance this year. For now, the French index has gained 22.3% since 1 January. Of the remaining European markets, the trend is similar with increases hovering around 20% for German and English indexes.

EADS is good

The European giant EADS is the top of the charts of the CAC 40 in mid-session: title wins 1.82% to 13.95 euros.The parent company of Airbus has yet to face attacks by unions who say that the manufacturer will not be able to deliver its 13 A380s this year.

Like previous meetings, defensive stocks are also in the top of the table. PPR gained 1.71% and sign the second best performance of ACC, Suez Environment is 0.78% and 0.53% Oreal nibbles.

For this last meeting, the bank confirm their good health. Dexia (+1.82%), BNP Paribas (0.41%), Societe Generale (0.31%) and Credit Agricole (+0.12%) are all trending up.

Note, Cac 40 off the rebound of Air France. The airline gained 1.19% after having lost 1.70% Wednesday.

Total gain 0.34% on the strength of rising oil prices recorded since yesterday.

Among the largest declines in the ACC, there is Sanofi-Aventis (-0.80%), France Telecom (-0.64%) and Lafarge (-0.21%).