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The dream of motorists has it become reality? The site offers Kidioui.com for several days until September 30 to adjust the PV parking offenders who collect the votes of visitors to its site. The principle is simple: anyone who wants to be reimbursed must register on the mini social network for this purpose, explain the context in which the fine was imposed, and get as many votes as euros to pay.

Each registrant may, in fact, a vote for a candidate for reimbursement. A voting system which limits the scope of the regulations to be sent. "Not to push the crime", only minutes of parking are also affected by this unusual offer, which kidioui.com starts to make itself known to the public.

The site, which usually sells cars and scooters new discount Internet, hopes to boost its sales.Opportunely launched after the passage of 11 euros to 17 euros in the price of parking fine, this communication campaign is already bearing fruit, says Uri Stopek, co-founder of the site. "In five days, we recorded over 20,000 visitors to our dedicated website. And in July, while the beta site was just launched, our sales were maintained, when new car registrations were down overall, "said he.

Budget "unlimited"

To date, the bill for this operation is approximately 2000 euros. But the site states that its budget is "unlimited." "The cost of the campaign will be proportional to its impact on public opinion. Plus we will pay fines, and we will have visitors to the site, "said Uri Stopek. This strategy, which uses a bait to attract the interest, is not new.Two years ago, the company had pushed the Rentabiliweb ploy to organize distribution of tickets in central Paris … finally canceled for security reasons.

"This type of operation, a relatively low cost compared to a conventional campaign, designed to make short-term buzz. It is a blow, Eric Weerdmeester analysis, associate director of marketing consulting firm Numsight. This generates awareness, but does not contribute to building a lasting positive image. "

But this is perhaps not the sole interest of the brand. For beyond the mere impact on the visibility of the site, the operation provides the same time to Kidioui.com data on a variety of offenders, which will then be reused for future solicitation. "Very few dealers who now offer their customers targeted offers and packaged.But this site has to do a formidable tool, said Eric Weerdmeester. It is in my opinion his best card to play. "

After Bouygues Telecom and SFR, it is the turn of France Telecom to engage in the battle of the low-cost mobile phone with a new brand, Sosh. The announcement, made in conjunction with the presentation of interim results of the group, aims to address "the intensity of competition" and prepare "the arrival of the mobile Free," according to the admission of the CEO France Telecom, Stéphane Richard.

Sosh will mark "all digital", only sold on the Internet. If have to wait until September for details and more particularly the rates, Stéphane Richard said it would be a "soft offer, without commitment," which will decline "two kinds of attractive packages in price ", available with and without mobile terminal.Sosh, whose name is "a nod to the term" social network ", wants to build on social networks and user communities, said Stéphane Richard. It offers a low-cost but not low value. "

With this brand, France Telecom follows the lead of its competitors. SFR was the first to lead the way in June 2010 with its "economic advantage". The operator proposed a package on average 10 to 20% cheaper if the customer subscribing or purchasing retaining also his mobile. A year later, at the launch packages "Square", SFR explained that 15% of subscriptions were dry, that is to say without a telephone.

In early July, Bouygues Telecom has taken a step forward in the world of low-cost brand by launching the first low cost of a large operator.The two packages of "B & You" (our editions of July 5) are attractive, for example, 24.9 euros per month for calls, SMS, MMS and unlimited Wi-Fi 24/24, but that a terminal it is associated.

Reduce subsidies

The recent popularity of telecommunications operators for low-cost offers several origins and first of all the expected arrival of Free, renowned for its ability to break the established codes. Whereas in 2012, its competitors are afraid to see him land in October 2011, with rates very low, just like what he has done over the Internet, with the first offers to 29.99 euros. There is also growing competition from virtual operators (MVNO).Finally, the increase in the price of the terminals has also forced the operators to review their business model.

Until now, to lure new customers or retain old, operators put forward the phones heavily subsidized. But the development of smartphones has changed the situation, with the arrival on the market for phones with more than 600 euros 149 euros … sold by subscription.

If operators and manufacturers refuse to disclose the sale price of "professional" and therefore the exact amount of the grant, it is the secret that the cost of acquiring new customers is a clear tendency to increase.The development offers low-cost in telephony, which are essentially free subscription offers mobile, could however not be sufficient to reverse the trend.

Consumers, especially the French are, by the admission of Stéphane Richard, very attached to offers of renewal.

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.

Naproxcinod is not dead. That's what investors seem to say this Friday, while the French biotechnology company NicOx, and Spain's Grupo Ferrer Announce an option to license the molecule NicOx 'lead. This product, a treatment against osteoarthritis of the knee and hip, was developed by NicOx for 15 years, and could be co-marketed by the Spanish in Germany and Spain. In these markets, biotech remains free to enter into agreements with other partners. Grupo Ferrer could also sell the product exclusively this time, Greece and Portugal.

This type of partnership between laboratories and biotech is quite common, while the latter, the new pool of pharmaceutical research and development, have not most of the time the business skills to sell their product.Still, the agreement between the two groups is a license option, the exercise remains subject to the approval of Naproxcinod potential on the European market. A record of the authorization (MA) was introduced in December 2009 with the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which should make its decision around mid-2011. "Ferrer could decide not to exercise the option even in cases where the Naproxcinod would be approved" also stipulates the joint communique of the two groups, illustrating the fragility of the partnership.

A "deal" of 7 million euros

Naproxcinod If approved, NicOx may receive 7 million euros from its partner, put in crossings of regulatory and commercial milestones, upon approval and based on sales in the form of royalties.However, a number that must be weighed against the EUR 150 million has spent to develop the biotech Nice product.

At the Paris Bourse, the title historically very volatile, advanced 9.5% at midday, to 2.40 euros, after having soared by 12% at the opening, investors betting on a leave of product on the Old Continent. A stock surge more powerful than the title, is now scrapped. Object of speculation, it was close again early in 2007 to 25 euros, the market relying on the ability of Naproxcinod to exceed one billion dollars in sales. Since then, the regulatory environment has tightened, and U.S. health authorities have refused registration in the U.S., where Naproxcinod had the biggest sales potential, causing the meltdown of the title.NicOx has challenged the decision, but shall probably conduct new clinical trials cost time and money if he wants to win at all costs the United States.

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On Thursday, the Paris Bourse, the CAC 40 rose 2.43% to 3786.21 points at closing, reinforcing its earnings at the opening on Wall Street optimistic. Same atmosphere in the rest of Europe: the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange finished up 2.2% to 6656.88 points while the FTSE-100 index of London Stock Exchange gained 1 , 72% to 5694.26 points.

Operators were initially reassured by the strength of the Japanese market which has lost only 1.44% today. Then the U.S. markets opened sharply higher, which consolidated its Paris in a good mood.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro continued its rebound against the dollar on Thursday. Around 17:30 in Paris, the euro bought 1.4038 dollars against 1.3906 late Wednesday, its highest in four months.

Wait around the nuclear

Markets remain suspended to the efforts of Japanese technicians to cool reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, while the situation deteriorated further on Thursday. In this context, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) announced it has injected six trillion yen (54 billion) extra in the money market today in two operations to support the economy after the earthquake, bringing to 34,000 billion yen (309 billion euros) its total contribution since Monday. The BoJ is attempting to stem the alarming rise of the Japanese currency. The yen has indeed reached a new record since World War II against the dollar in Asian trade, the greenback is worth more than 79.20 yen. An outbreak that the Japanese government has allocated to speculative movements.

Asian stock markets have plunged again on Thursday.According to Japanese newspaper Nikkei, a conference call would also gathered Tuesday afternoon with representatives from more than a dozen non-Japanese financial institutions about the market situation in the archipelago. Some have called for such an immediate closure of the stock market due to volatility. What the Tokyo Stock Exchange declined.

The U.S. unemployment expected

Note that in Europe, the Spanish Treasury has issued Thursday for 4.13 billion euros of bonds at 10 and 30, again with interest rates down from the previous similar show on February 17, This confirms the renewed investor confidence in the soundness of the economy.

It is within this context that several U.S. macroeconomic statistics have been published. The weekly jobless claims fell more than expected in the United States.Moreover, higher oil prices is being felt in the United States on consumer prices, which have experienced in February their largest increase since June 2009. Industrial production, she shrank against all odds in February cash advance no faxing. Finally, manufacturing activity accelerated sharply in the Philadelphia area.

Credit Agricole wants to quintuple its net profit

Lagardère: +0.22% to EUR 30

The group announced its plan to postpone initial public offering of Canal + France because of the events in Japan and financial market instability that results.By contrast, sales at Hearst Magazines International is not questioned.

Carrefour: 3.13% to 30.83 euros

HSBC is the title neutral to overweight cons.

EADS: 1.52% to 19.06 euros

German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG has announced that it placed an order for 30 Airbus A320neo and five Boeing 777 freighter version.

Axa: 4.61% to 13.94 euros

The buyer from PAI Partners in the capital of Yoplait will be known by the end of next week, said a spokesman for the fund. Seven candidates, including Bel and Axa Private Equity, are still in the running, sources said Reuters source familiar with the matter.

Credit Agricole: -0.04% as 11.28 euros

The bank announced on Thursday its net profit will increase fivefold by 2014 and confirmed forgo major acquisitions over the period.Credit Agricole, which presented its new strategic plan, said targeting a net profit of group of 6 to 7 billion euros in 2014 against 1.26 billion posted in 2010.

Bolloré: + 1.60% to 155.50 euros

NCT Necotrans announced its intention to file a criminal complaint Thursday with the prosecutor of Paris after losing in conditions he considers irregular, the concession of the port of Conakry, Guinea, on behalf of Bolloré.

Plastic Omnium is optimistic

Plastic Omnium: 17.81% to 51.60 euros

The specialist automotive products and services to communities on Thursday posted a net profit increased fivefold to 150.7 million euros.He expressed optimism for this year.

Ruby: 0.15% to 78.95 euros

The group, whose net income rose 19% in 2010, believes that the level of its equity and low debt levels allow it to target new acquisitions this year. Specialist in downstream oil and chemical proposes a dividend of 3.05 euros per share for 2010 (+7%).

ADP: 0.03% to 60.01 euros

Traffic increased 5.9% in February, with 5.8 million passengers, including 4 million to Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport (+4.6%) and 1.8 million to Paris-Orly (+8 , 8%).

Eiffage: +2.15% at 40.39 euros

Today is the expected decision of the Court of Appeal of Paris on the use of Arnaud Montebourg cons of PROs on APRR.

NRJ Group will publish its annual results after market close.

The idea is gaining ground among the MPs who are working on the reform of broadcasting outside France (AEF). Christian Kert Didier Mathus and the two members co-rapporteurs of the mission on the AEF chaired by Michèle Tabarot (UMP) examine opportunities to "secure the international structure to France Televisions. "The public group could act as a reception center," commented Christian Kert cautious reminder that this idea had already been in development a few years ago before the report of Bernard Brochand not advocating the creation of a structure autonomous as it currently exists.

For the UMP deputy of the Bouches du Rhone, "this would be a more natural affiliation to Agence France Presse that the kinship with less obvious". In addition it would minimize a number of issues raised by Bercy interviewed by the Mission information.They have indeed outlined, in very diplomatic language, virtually impossible for shareholders is the state of having a clear idea of ​​the financial situation of the AEF. That because of the difficulties of current governance. "This explains that the contract objectives and resources with the State which is under construction since 2008 is still not finalized in 2011."

Spun, the AEF would clear up his accounts, but also its costs down, especially in terms of labor costs. MPs recall in effect, that "the two leaders of the AEF – Christine Ockrent and Alain de Pouzilhac – are as well paid as the president of France Televisions, while sizes of companies are not really equivalent. Moreover, it would mean that the Foreign Ministry would no longer directly on the frontline. This, according to people close to the dossier, would not displease him.If at this stage, Pflimlin Remy, president of France Televisions had not commented on this event, he would not, however, vetoed such a possibility. France Televisions is already a 25% shareholder of EuroNews, the European news channel.

But several issues remain pending. MPs do not rule out completely unravel the AEF and thus halt the merger France 24 and RFI. In such a case, France would be only 24 in the bosom of France Televisions while international radio remain independent unless it is linked to Radio France. It now remains whether the public broadcasting group, itself full internal reform, will be able to absorb a new entity.

Finally parliamentarians who know that time is running will not be content to appraise the mechanic of the AEF.They also intend to look at the editorial aspect of the chain and its developments abroad. All responses will be made in early July.

This time for sure. Or almost. March 2, Apple expected to unveil the highly anticipated iPad 2. It will suffice that the company sends an invitation to American journalists to revive speculation. A photo reveals a piece of screen that lets assume that this is the iPad 2. Additional evidence, the meeting will be held at the same place where the first tablet had been made, the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco. Reactions to the announcement may seem disproportionate. This overlooks the fact that after upset the market for music (iPod and iTunes), telephony (iPhone), Apple is addressing the issue and the PC world with its iPad.

When is the next revolution? Some are betting on a sensational debut in television. Meanwhile, the assumptions about race 2 continues the iPad.It would be finer, with new features, including a second camera to facilitate video conferencing.

The moment is perfectly chosen by Apple to silence rumors about his ability to launch a new version. Although no official date had been given, the rumor predicted a delay in this second version! They waited for the new iPad in January to launch three months later. But the health of Steve Jobs delayed the process. That gap could make him lose several million in sales. According to analysts, a period of three months in the marketing of the iPad 2 would pass the annual sales from 30 to 23 million.

Investor confidence

For Apple, the risk is even greater than the competition gets tougher. There are now over a hundred bars of all sizes.Admittedly, not all are marketed in the U.S. or Europe, but the profusion of offers incentives for the response. If Apple wants to remain the benchmark in the market shelves, it needs to change his. Success of the iPad 2 also proves that even if Steve Jobs is on sick leave, product launches continue. Certainly, many shareholders have asked last week presenting a succession plan, a proposal rejected in general meeting. But overall, investors maintained their confidence in society. The way Apple rose nearly 8% since the beginning of the year, the market outperformance.

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The redemption price would be fixed in April, and the report advocating the "right price competitive" known until mid-March. According to the Journal de Dimanche (JDD), the findings of this report, ordered the former director general of INSEE Paul Champsaur, "are ready and recommend the price of 39 euros per megawatt hour (MWh).

The new law on the organization of the electricity market (prefecture), which shall enter into force on 1 July, stipulates that EDF, the incumbent electricity, must yield to its competitors – GDF Suez Direct Energy and other Poweo – up to 25% of the electricity produced in nuclear power plants. The selling price must be set by ministerial order. This new mechanism is expected to boost competition in an industry dominated by ultra-EDF.More than three years after market opening to competition, the French are indeed remained mostly faithful to the regulated tariffs.

Reflect production costs

EDF had voted for a rate set at 42 euros per MWh, Henri Proglio, CEO of the group, believing that selling below this limit would mean the "looting". Alternative suppliers, including GDF Suez, hoping for a price closer to 35 euros per MWh.

To fix the wholesale rate at 39 euros, experts have focused on the impact that the price on your household. The increase for the public, would be at least 35% in five years, with the wholesale price of 42 euros asked by EDF. It would be 30% at 39 euros, a level considered more reasonable by the Champsaur report, according to the JDD, or 5% per annum by 2015.Difficile to go below, however, according to the report."If the government does not overly increase the rates for individuals, it should not set a price too high for manufacturers," said a relative of Paul Champsaur quoted by JDD. Nome law specifies that the award should reflect "economic conditions of production" of nuclear power plants and it will be "consistent" with a specific tariff to business, Tartam (transitory regulated tariff for market adjustment) .

Friday, Energy Minister Eric Besson had told AFP that "nothing was adjudicated" and that dialogue "continue."He said that this price would be fixed "by a decree signed in April, after an arbitration of the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister."

(With AFP)

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The CAC 40 continues on the path to higher Tuesday. Halfway through, the benchmark index in Paris gained 0.86% at 4039.98 points. Investors, who pushed the benchmark index in Paris yesterday to rebound, do everything to maintain the 4000 points. The closing in the green on Wall Street and the increases, even timid, in Asia this morning, contend that the movement extends to other European markets: The London Stock Exchange climbed 0.81% to 5910.69 points. The Dax index featuring the Frankfurt Stock Exchange gained 0.97% on its side at 7145.90 points.

But the news from China are likely to weigh on morale. According to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP), the PMI manufacturing index for January was again slowed to 52.9 in January against 53.9 in December 2010 and 55.2 in November. HSBC is less categorical and evokes a PMI remained virtually unchanged at 54.5 in January, against 54.4 in December.What sow doubt in the minds of investors, already disrupted by protests in Egypt.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro continued to rise above $ 1.37 on Tuesday after sharp rebound the previous day fueled by the figures for inflation in the euro zone that gave rise to speculation about a increase in the rate of the European Central Bank. Around 11:15 in Paris, the euro bought 1.3775 dollars against 1.3686 dollars late Monday, its highest level since Nov. 22.

Gust Statistics

Still on macroeconomic, particularly busy day ahead.

In France:

– The producer prices in December rose 1% after rising 0.4% in November, while prices for exports have been 0.6%, INSEE said on Tuesday.Furthermore, growth of manufacturing activity slowed in January, falling to its weakest pace in six months. The PMI index fell to 54.9 against 57.2 in December. An initial estimate had been given to 54.3 a week ago.

For the euro area:

– The number of jobseekers in Germany fell by 13,000 in January in seasonally adjusted data, more than expected, falling to 3.135 million, said Tuesday the Federal Labour Office.

– Manufacturing activity accelerated faster than expected in January.The PMI index rose to 57.3 in January against 57.1 in December, higher than the flash estimate of 56.9.

– The unemployment rate was 10% in December, unchanged from November.

In the U.S., the ISM manufacturing index will also be published, along with construction spending in December (16 hours.

Sanofi gets closer still Genzyme

As for values to be followed:

The values of the energy sector that benefits from rising oil prices. Total clinching 2.37% to 43.73 euros, Technip 2.60% to 72.1 euros O and CGC Veritas winning 3.30% to 22.89 euros.

Club Med: + 0.57% to 16.85 euros, Lafarge: + 2.37% to 44.30 euros, Air France: + 0.52% to 13.42 euros

The tour operator and the cement, very present in Egypt, are particularly challenged in price since the beginning of political troubles in the country.They are less so today, the day of the "march of a million" people in Cairo and Alexandria.

For its part, Air France will increase its capacity between Paris and Egypt from Tuesday to facilitate the repatriation of its customers payday loans online.

Sanofi-Aventis: + 1.11% to 50.43 euros

The French group and its U.S. counterpart Genzyme reached an agreement in principle on the structure of a rapprochement between the two groups said on Monday two sources familiar with the matter.Moreover, U.S. authorities have opened preliminary investigations on the potential risks of drugs produced by Sanofi-Aventis and other laboratories, said Monday the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Renault: -0.91% to 47.35 euros

The automaker announced Monday expected to resume with an operating profit in 2010, the current year to be marked, he said, in an operating margin of 2.8% against -1.2% in 2009. More generally, manufacturers will be monitored with the publication today of car registrations in January. The market is still supported by scrapping, because in January registrations were up 3.1% at comparable number of working days.

BNP Paribas: + 1.94% to 55.66 euros, Societe Generale: + 0.28% to 47.38 euros

The bans short selling of financial stocks, decided in 2008 after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers at the height of the financial crisis, will be lifted on Tuesday along with the entry into force of a modified version of the General Regulation The AMF makes such a mandatory takeover bid from the ownership threshold of 30% and not more than 33% of a company.

EADS: + 0.45% to 21.14 euros

A WTO report issued Monday contends that Boeing has received U.S. government grants unjustified.This latest announcement "a huge rejection of assertions of the European Union."

GDF Suez: + 0.74% to 29.19 euros

The group announced lundiun agreement for the purchase of five underground storage sites for natural gas in Germany, and a stake of up to 19.7% in another site.

EDF: -2.76% to 31.31 euros

EDF shares recorded the strongest decrease in the CAC 40 after information Voices that Paul Champsaur, one of the architects of the reform of the electricity in France, will offer a selling price of electricity from nuclear EDF lower than that required by the electrician.

ArcelorMittal: + 0.73% to 26.80 euros

The steel and mining group Vale, but also groups of South Korean and Chinese companies are among the 15 candidates for the development of Tavan Tolgoi coal site in Mongolia, considered the main source of untapped coking coal in the world.Its reserves are estimated at five billion tonnes.

Technip: + 2.73% to 72.91 euros

The group announced Tuesday it had won, in consortium with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, an engineering contract for a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) in Malaysia.

Carrefour: -1.26% to 35.19 euros

The retail giant confirmed Monday to study various projects likely to lead to the marketing of certain of its assets, including its real estate subsidiary Carrefour Property.

Alten: + 3.54% to 26.39 euros

The group announced Monday include organic growth of at least 8% in 2011, driven by the dynamism of its markets, and pursue acquisitions.

Bernard Arnault chose not to sell Kenzo and revive the brand. This subsidiary of LVMH group since 1993 is often regarded as the unloved child of the French luxury empire. At that point recurrent rumors about a possible sale had surfaced before last summer. Credit Agricole, Bank of LVMH, has indeed studied the file and buyout offers were presented. But the boss of the group has denied. He decided instead to revive the brand, which recently celebrated its 40 years, but barely surviving the departure of its founder Kenzo Takada, ten years ago.

The president of the company for just two years, James Greenfield, is leaving. He should join another subsidiary of LVMH. According to our information, it will be replaced by Eric Marechalle early January. The latter shows a profile of business.After going through the clothing brand cheap C & A, he was in charge of the group Catimini kidswear Zannier. This recruitment should be only the first of a series intended to beef up the sales and marketing of Kenzo.

The boss of LVMH trying to recoup its smaller brands, which often live in the shadow of the "stars" of the group, like Vuitton, Dior, Moet & Chandon or Tag Heuer. Within the fashion industry, led by Pierre-Yves Roussel, claws Celine, Givenchy, Loewe, Pucci, Berluti Kenzo or contribute less than others in the group's profits when they are not home loss cashadvance. The revival of Celine since eighteen months, led by Phoebe Philo to the creation and Marco Gobetti management, is already a success.Bernard Arnault and Pierre-Yves Roussel would apply the same recipes at Kenzo.

The fate of the artistic director, the Italian Antonio Marras, in place since 2004, is unresolved. Extend his contract until at least 2012. His style often cultural or ethnic does not always convincing. Some models shown at the shows are not even marketed.

Restore profitability

The new boss will have to look at the structure of the collections to make the offer more consistent. Kenzo is a scratch less luxurious than its counterparts LMVH, more accessible, balanced between men and women. Its sales, estimated at 150 million euros, is at best stable and has little of the traditional sector relay accessories (bags, shoes).Moreover, if it developed in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia in recent years the brand has not a globally and remains absent from the United States. Reduced to balance in 2007 after several years of losses, the company did not release significant profit. The new boss's first task will be to redevelop the sales to restore profitability in the medium term. However, its perfumes, whose bestseller FlowerbyKenzo, are a lucrative nugget.