Posts Tagged ‘technology’

The EPR Flamanville two years late

July 31, 2010 - 11:32 pm Comments Off

It's now official, EDF has announced a delay for the EPR Flamanville, in the Channel. Delaying the start date of the reactor is two years "the goal of the first marketable production is now set to 2014," says management.

And the cost of construction is "re-estimated at around five billion euros," confirms the group. So far, the construction of 3rd generation reactor was estimated at four billion euros.

According to Jack Tord, coordinator CGT on the site, this would involve additional time to recruit more staff on site.The staff, already brought to 3,000 employees, "should reach 3500 to the end of the year or early next year," said he.

The management of EDF had implicitly recognized in November 2009 after a delay of one year, distinguishing between the engine start, in 2012, and "production of electricity sold, set up in 2013.

A delay not surprising

Delays in the EPR Flamanville are regularly mentioned in the press. In January, Le Figaro and Les Echos mentioned already "at least two years late" for a cost of 5 billion euros.Thursday, Le Monde and Le Parisien also evoked a start in 2014, against 2012 under the original schedule.

CGT refers to EDF for several months delay of this order, the Paris-based delegates arguing two years late and those of construction Flamanville a year and a half.

Credibility of the EPR

In a report released Tuesday by the Elysee Palace, the former boss of EDF Francois Roussely called to urgently establish a "priority action plan" to "ensure the construction of the nuclear Flamanville 3 in the best conditions cost and time.

Objective, preserve the credibility of the maximum EPR model and "the ability of the French nuclear industry to achieve new power plants were built, after the difficulties encountered on the Olkiluoto site in Finland and that of the third installment of Flamanville.

Construction of the EPR at Olkiluoto in Finland, led by the Areva group, accuses the four years behind its original schedule, with a reactor startup scheduled for late 2012 or early 2013.

Areva has spent 2.7 billion euros of provisions in its accounts for the site, while the cost of the EPR was initially estimated at 3 billion euros.

The CAC 40 was reluctant to leave

July 20, 2010 - 12:36 pm Comments Off

While preparing a new series of sales on Tuesday, the CAC 40 attempts to leave after the good performance of Wall Street on Monday, despite the erosion of trust property developers and disappointing results from Texas Instruments and IBM. But the trend is still cautious. Around 10:45, the CAC 40 gained 0.17% to 3492.10 points. "This week will be clearly nervous about the financial markets, as dependent on stress tests. The volumes are very low weight (less than 500 million euros with 350 million around 10:45 am on the CAC 40, Ed), "said Franklin Pichard, director of Barclays stock.

With the exception of Tokyo was closed Monday for a holiday, the Asian stock markets have also rebounded to gain, climbing 1.45% Shanghai and Hong Kong of 1.41%.

On the macroeconomic front, it remains in real estate in the United States, since the figures for housing starts for the month of June will be published at approximately 14.30. In France, INSEE reveal clues to 12 hours worth of orders received in the industry for the month of May

The news will be charged at the micro level, notably with the publication of turnover. Program are: Alstom and Hermes pre-market, Accor, Lafuma and Radiall after-hours trade. In the U.S., Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo and Goldman Sachs will release their second quarter results pre-market, Yahoo! (Second quarter) and Apple (third quarter) after market.

On the currency markets, the euro flirted with the $ 1.30 mark, he has not met since May. Around 10.45am, the single currency was worth 1.2984 dollars (0.33%)."A strong euro coupled with a fragile economic recovery in the U.S. is double bad news for European export companies. Until then, the situation was reversed, "said Franklin Pichard.

The bank will resume, the computer values mixed

While bank stocks are picking up well in the early exchanges – Dexia (0.84%), BNP Paribas (0.73%), Credit Agricole (0.95%) and Societe Generale (+0.15% ), computer companies emerge mixed after disappointing results from IBM. Cap Gemini lost 1.02% to 35.42 euros, but Steria wins 1.18% to 20.56 euros.

Alstom: -1.07% to 36.46 euros

Alstom recorded a fall of 38% of its orders in the first quarter of fiscal year 2010/2011 shifted, while its revenues fell 5%.The group expects a "gradual recovery in demand.

Hermes: 0.24% to 57.29 euros

Hermes has doubled its forecast for sales growth this year and expects a rise of between 10% and 12%. The group's turnover surged by 22.8% in first half of 2010 to 1.0747 billion euros.

Edenred: 5% to 13.68 euros

Edenred announced an increase of 4.7% of its turnover in the second quarter, growth of Latin American operations have helped offset a more difficult economic environment in Europe. Trends should remain "similar" in Latin America, and Europe, in the second half.

Soitec: 1.46% to 8.21 euros

Soitec posted a turnover 2010-2011 in the first quarter increased 56.5%.The group expects a sequential sales growth exceeding 20% in first half on the basis of one euro to $ 1.27, with a return to balanced operating income, including its new photovoltaic business Concentrix.

Guyenne et Gascogne: 0.99% to 79.77 euros

Guyenne et Gascogne saw its consolidated revenues to grow by 5.1% to 278 million euros in the first half of 2010, the distribution of fuel. This figure confirms the sluggish consumer spending.

Compagnie des Alpes: 0.24% to 20.60 euros

Compagnie des Alpes has announced its successful capital increase of EUR 100 million with preferential subscription rights and creation of 5.88 million new shares. The total demand amounts to approximately 143.9 million euros, the company said in a statement.The new shares will be listed on the market July 21.

HF Company: -1.62% to 13.87 euros

HF Company has reported a turnover of 72 million euros in the first half, up 1.1% as reported and 3% on a constant basis, in a crisis of consumption.The company produces equipment for residential systems (digital television, broadband internet, etc..) Expects accelerated growth in the second half.

Audika: -14.05% 22.75 euros

Audika posted revenues down 4% to 27.9 million euros in the second quarter with a slowdown in sales of hearing correction since mid-May, as the environment is again unfavorable for consumption seniors.

Laurent Perrier: -1.20% to 66.51 euros

Laurent Perrier announced Tuesday an increase of 17.3% of its turnover, 36.8 million euros in the first quarter of fiscal year 2010-2011. The group enjoys very strong Champagne exports to the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and Asia.

Accor lightens the Society of sleepers

July 7, 2010 - 1:52 pm Comments Off

Accor train just keeps on getting shorter. Just days after it formally separated from his service branch, and renamed Edenred publicly traded hotel group Accor has formalized its withdrawal on Wednesday its subsidiary Compagnie des Wagons-Lits (CWL).

The project had been discussed in our columns, before being denied by Accor. Its position has obviously changed since then. The group sells for an undisclosed fee, 60% of the catering on board trains CWL Newrest its competitor, based in Toulouse. From January 2013, the French group will assign the remaining 40%, for an amount which depends on the valuation of the company at this time.

Last year, Compagnie des Wagons-Lits has achieved a turnover of 248 million euros and operating profit (EBIT) of EUR 3 million. In late 2009, the CWL has lost a major contract in Spain.The impact on turnover in the first quarter of 2010 represents a shortfall of 40 million euros, says it Accor, stressing that the CWL has instead awarded the contract for the TGV East March 7 last. A year earlier she had lost the tender for the provision of bar cars off the TGV North-East.

Other possible assignments

Present within the Accor Group since 1992, the Company has lost its former glory. Founded in 1872 by Belgian Georges Nagelmackers, who built the first sleeping cars and dining cars before embarking on the Orient Express and the Trans-Siberian railway, it has diversified into the hotel chains with Pullman, Etap- Hotel and Arcade (now in the lap of Accor) and in the service on board trains. The latter is now the only one of the Company.Over the past year, the Pullman Orient Express is indeed operated by the SNCF ….

Newrest, the new owner of Compagnie des Wagons-Lits, himself is present in the food on board aircraft, the catering, the basics of life for the oil industry and mining, VIP lounges at airports .. . Last year, its turnover reached 407 million euros. "This joint venture represents a unique opportunity to expand into the catering market on trains and expand into new countries such as Austria and Italy," says one in Newrest. For Accor, which is defined as the first global hotel operator, "This transaction is part of its policy of focusing on his heart craft." This does not preclude other interruptions.Draft assignment of Sofitel and Motel 6 chains have been mentioned by analysts of the market … and denials by the management of Accor.

How reinvents its Carrefour hypermarkets

June 30, 2010 - 3:04 pm Comments Off

"Re-enchantment of the hypermarket." Of the seven projects announced just last year by Lars Olofsson, Executive Director of Carrefour, the biggest boost to sales in hypermarkets, particularly the larger ones, whose attendance continues to decline in France.

Tests are carried out recently in a handful of stores in Belgium, Spain and Chambourcy, near Paris. But in Rhone-Alps that focuses the bulk of the efforts of the distributor réattirer customers and make them spend. The group also planned to hold its investor days, 15 and 16 September in Lyon.Between two presentations on the progress of plan savings of 3.1 billion euros, brokers and analysts will be invited to a tour of hypermarkets completely "re-enchanted.

According to our information, the most spectacular project will be unveiled in Ecully, in the upmarket suburb of Lyon. Work will start in the coming days and be completed in late August. The different radii, starting with those on the non-food (textiles, hi-fi …) will be reorganized in the form of blocks, or shops open on a driveway. A radical break with the organization of gondolas "spike", perpendicular to the rays.

Expensive and spectacular

Another radical change, hyper might be organized around a single street, which would allow customers to wander at will … without missing a spoke."A spiral path, which would impose a smooth path to clients as Ikea," says one close to the matter. A precision belied by Carrefour.

Rather expensive, spectacular concept, designed by the design office Malherbe, should be reserved for the most hyper among the high-end 231 of the brand in France. Also, changes may not be as radical, but they should nevertheless be numerous, as in Venissieux.

There remains the issue of the less profitable stores in the chain. Here the group test by the end of an adaptation of his Brazilian concept Atacadao involving hypermarket and hard discount, with few services and references 7000 sold to declining prices based on volumes purchased.Eventually, nearly a dozen stores could be converted, and renamed Hypercash.

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Asian stock counters in green

May 13, 2010 - 6:19 pm Comments Off

The Nikkei 225 of the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended trading Thursday up sharply from 2.18% at 10,620 points, thanks to good business results.The activity was average with 2.27 billion shares traded on the primary market.

Elsewhere in the region, the trend is very promising: the Hang Seng in Hong Kong up 1.05%, the Singapore Straits Times of Singapore won 0.3% to 2889 points and the S & P / ASX Sydney s 'gives 0, 71%, to 4652 points.

Sony confident

The Japanese electronics giant Sony has confirmed on Thursday it had ended the fiscal year 2009-2010 on a net deficit reduced to 40.8 billion yen (312 million), reflecting a return to the Green In terms of utilization through reductions in fixed costs.

With the renewed vigor, Sony also said Thursday that he hoped to finish the year began last April, and will be closed in March 2011, a net profit of 50 billion yen (about 400 million euros ).

Nissan Motor Co. is not far from being able to resume an operating margin of between 6% and 7%, said Thursday that Carlos Ghosn, CEO of the Japanese held 43% by Renault. On the occasion of the publication of a return to profit in the fourth quarter 2009-2010, Nissan had Wednesday reported a profit forecast for 2010-2011 considered conservative.

Carlos Ghosn re-elected head of Renault

May 1, 2010 - 4:52 pm Comments Off

A few days after the publication of a sales soaring and better than expected, Ghosn perfect its operation seduction. The CEO of the automaker, which suffered heavy losses last year with 3.1 billion euros of losses, it is one of the most important sector, pledged on Friday at the annual Shareholders' return in the green "no later than 2011.

A challenge for the "cost killer" at Nissan, the shareholders re-elected for four years without surprise at the head of the automaker. Five years after its accession to the presidency of the group, the economic conditions in 2010 should however be difficult. The scheduled shutdown of the scrappage scheme in particular, should not contribute to boost the profits of Renault, who anticipates a decline of 10% of the European market this year.

"The club small groups producing more than 7 million cars a year"

To find the flexibility brought by the loan of 6 billion euros granted by the state earlier this year, Ghosn has also committed to the shareholders to repay that money more quickly than expected, it ie before the year 2014 Guaranteed fast personal loans. "We will refund well before the deadline and we will refund if possible in concert with our friends at PSA," he said. The lion brand was in effect at the time assisted the same amount.

The manufacturer expects to have the freedom again to close and installing production units it wants to reduce its costs.One recalls the intervention of Nicolas Sarkozy to stop the entire production of the Clio in Turkey …

Carlos Gohn finally defended the recent alliance with Daimler, well received by analysts but with more caution by the shareholders of a German manufacturer of luxury cars. "With Daimler, we enter into the restricted club of groups producing more than 7 million cars a year," argued the head of the corporation.

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De Beers will reduce its production of diamonds

April 26, 2010 - 8:48 am Comments Off

The De Beers diamond bet on a shortage of diamonds in the long term. To prolong the life of its mines, therefore he wants to reduce its production. Such a decision could have an immediate impact on prices, with an increase of 5% according to some analysts, De Beers alone representing 40% of sales of rough diamonds throughout the world.

The world provides a stabilization of its production to 40 million carats in the next two years, against 48 million carats in 2008.The predicted shortage should be accelerated by new demand from Asian countries, including China, where these stones are very popular online cash advance.

In twenty years, no site has been discovered that can compete with the mines operated by De Beers in South Africa or that of Alrosa in Russia.

After a difficult 2009 which resulted in losses, the diamond table on profits this year, and until 2014. Some analysts see the move as a preamble to a re-IPO of the group.

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The cloud of ash does not jam recovery

April 19, 2010 - 10:12 pm Comments Off

"Dust volcanic paralysis airport dangerous for the economy." The Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CGPME) became concerned Monday that could have consequences for European sky empty of planes. Dramatization? CGPME quick to point out a little further in his text that only SMEs "whose activity is immediately dependent on air transport" are currently affected.

If paralysis continues, the slow recovery of the economy will she threatened? "If this situation persists, all French SMEs encounter difficulties," worries CGPME. Everything depends on the duration of the flight ban imposed much of European airspace. "The problem is simple: the shock will be there temporarily or not?" Says Philippe Waechter, head of economic research at Natixis."For now, all this is annoying but does not call into question the economic recovery."

"A crisis of this type can be analyzed as attacks or an outbreak, however, significant events that have little overall economic impacts," said Nicolas Bouzou for its part, an economist at Aster. Especially since the paralysis of European airspace should not have a huge impact on trade between Europe and the rest of the world, according to the Economist: "80% of goods moved by boat. And the businessmen will still meet in videoconferencing payday loan instant. "

Attacks and pandemic

The situation is somewhat reminiscent of the paralysis attacks of Sept. 11, which at the time, had greatly affected the airline."This event has changed the behavior vis-?-vis the air, but the current environment is extremely different," relativize Philippe Waechter. "Today, if the ban is lifted, all restarts as before." September 11 has also not necessarily have any impact on the economy, beyond transport. "It is very difficult to detect traces of attacks on the World Trade Center on economic growth," said Nicolas Bouzou.

More recently, influenza H1N1 has raised fears the worst. Especially because of the flight ban could be decided to limit the spread of the virus. The worst-case scenarios developed while anticipating a decline in U.S. GDP by 1.5% year over year. Impact due to paralysis of all types of transport, the cancellation of sporting and cultural events and absenteeism rates of about 30 to 40% in companies.In comparison, the ash cloud would block more than 150,000 French nationals abroad. For a limited time.

See also:

"Economic consequences cascade

"Volcano: expected improvement by the end of the week

The Total is indicted for corruption

April 6, 2010 - 1:20 pm Comments Off

A first for a group of ACC 40.Total was indicted on 27 February by the French judge Serge Tournaire, corruption, complicity and concealment of influence peddling in the case called "oil-food cons", echoing the UN program established in 1997 for the Iraqis, when the international embargo following the invasion of Kuwait.

After the setbacks in terms of image for Total, with Erika – Total was sentenced on appeal to pay 375,000 euros – and AZF, this attack could further extend the negative perception of the French vis-?-vis the oil group .

A decision "incomprehensible"

The investigation started in 2002 had directed to various French personalities suspected of having distributed the early 2000s kickbacks to members of the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein that the group continues to source barrels of oil outside the framework imposed program of the UN oil-food cons.

Several officers and employees of the group had been indicted personally since 2006. But this time, it's Total as corporation that is under no faxing pay day loans.

"This decision (of indictment of the Total Group, NDRL) recommence the proceedings," said Master Veil, the lawyer of Total, has told AFP the date of the indictment, and thus confirmed information from the newspaper Les Echos."The judge took this decision against all odds, while his predecessor and the prosecution had held the contrary, at least implicitly," he added, saying the indictment "incomprehensible."

Total will watch his side surprised by this indictment, which "comes eight years after the commencement of the trial, with no new element has been placed on file," according to Les Echos.

Indeed, Serge Tournaire succeeded Xaviere Someone who had requested a non-place for all employees and former employees, and the boss of Total, Christophe de Margerie. In addition, Total said that "the report Volker independent commission of inquiry established by the United Nations had rejected any complaint of corruption."

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Peugeot sales rose 21%

April 2, 2010 - 1:21 am Comments Off

The new car sales rose 12% in March over a year in France and 14.5% since the beginning of the year, blew Thursday Olivier Veyrier, marketing director of Peugeot France. His brand has simply grown over the past month 21%, he added.

Remember that vehicles registered in the first months of 2010 were ordered in the previous months, some before the end of 2009, when the scrappage rate was still full. That is to say, 1,000 euros for a replacement of vehicles over ten years.

These numbers confirm the information published this morning Parisian No fax cash advances. The newspaper, which states that brands have started a race promotion in March to try to attract motorists who do benefit more than 700 euros a premium, Citroen would increase the order 12%.

The Committee of French (CCFA) will release the official results at noon with details.

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