Archive for the ‘international’ Category

Employment of older workers: France lagging

August 26, 2010 - 4:57 am Comments Off

At a time when the government prepares raising the legal age of retirement, he has surprisingly little publicity to these statistics, however, encouraging. The employment rate of 55-64 age group reached 38.9% in 2009 against 38.2% last year and 37% in 2003, according Studies Branch of the Ministries of Economy and Labour (DARES ).

The trend is especially notable is that despite an unfavorable demographic developments: the employment rate falls to 60 years, yet the 'sixties youth "are more numerous since 2005 as' s acts of war on people born after full-baby boom. By neutralizing this "structure effect", the employment rate of older workers has also increased by almost 5 percentage points since 2003.

However, unemployment was 50 years and older flies.Between March 2009 and March 2010, it jumped by 21.2%, after rising 16.7% the previous twelve months, said the panel of Dares. In fact, the number of seniors looking for employment and the number of seniors who work progressing both. In the first case, for cyclical reasons that should improve. The crisis, plus the gradual end to the exemption from seeking employment, given until 2008 to unemployed persons over 57 years and half is in effect passed by.

Effective retirement age for retirement of 61 years and a half

And in the second case, for deeper reasons. Women are more likely to work. The reforms of 1993 and 2003 from 37 ½ to 40 years the contribution period for a full pension in the private and the public.The effects of the device "long career" – awarded in 2003 to those who have started working very young, fade, because the generations born since 1953 have been affected by compulsory schooling to 16 years.

According to the National Insurance Old-Age, 30 218 nationals of the general system and have retired before age 60 in 2009, against 100,000 to 126,000 per year in previous years. Ultimately, the effective retirement age from 61 years to 61 ½ years for pensioners to live right (that is to say outside widowers). A second consecutive year of breaking up a downward trend in virtually stopped since the early 1970s when the average neared 64.

France remains still lags behind its neighbors: the employment rate of older workers of 27 countries of the European Union is 46%.The majority sees this as an argument for the legal age of retirement, arguing that it is possible to retire at age 60 which explains the low employment rate of 60-64 years. Opponents of the reform them, believe that we must first improve the employment of older before trying to make them work longer.

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The CAC 40 accentuates his downturn

July 31, 2010 - 11:10 am Comments Off

The CAC 40 has played the card of caution on Friday until 14:30, at which time the United States have communicated their rate of growth (initial estimate) for the second trilestre. After an opening in the red (-0.12%) followed by a brief stint in the green (0.24%), the leading index in Paris was back in negative territory at mid-session: -0.56% to 3631 points. The publication of a growth rate of 2.4% – less than the 2.5% expected by the markets – has a little cooled investors. Suddenly, the CAC 40 has stepped up its fold, which exceeds 1% at 2:45 p.m. to receive) 3613.91 points.

The markets are waiting game: the first estimate of U.S. GDP in the second quarter will indeed be announced this afternoon across the Atlantic.This Friday in Asia as investors remained on the defensive.

Besides GDP, the U.S. will publish the index of consumer sentiment and Chicago PMI.

The interpretation of many important results published before opening is not enough to liven up the coast.

Publication Burst

Alcatel Lucent (8.27% to 2.24 euros) announces revenues of 3.813 billion euros in the second quarter. The group reiterated its outlook for 2010, including an Adjusted operating income of between 1% and 5% of its revenues.

JCDecaux (1.16% to 20.10 euros) on Friday announced a net profit in the first half of 65 million euros.The group anticipates a change in organic revenue for the third quarter less than that of the second with a cash flow of 119 million euros, compared with -1.7 million euros in the first half.

Lafarge (-4.75% to 41.43 euros) has reported a sales increase of 2% to 4.43 billion euros in the second quarter. The company expects a reduction in capital expenditure to less than 1 billion euros in 2011.

EDF (1% to 32.80 euros) announced a net income Group share 1.7 billion euros including a provision for $ 1.1 billion on its North American operations.The group, which should sell its UK electricity networks based on an enterprise value of over 5.5 billion pounds, has announced a delay of two years for his BDU Flamanville.

EADS (2.70% to 18.06 euros) announces a net profit in the first half of 185 million euros and a turnover of 20.3 billion euros.

Schneider Electric (2.14% to 88.25 euros) publishes a turnover of 8.57 billion euros in the first half (+10.5%) of which 4.661 billion (+18.5%) in the second . In an interview with Le Figaro, Jean-Pascal Tricoire, CEO, set an improvement for the second part of the year.

Renault (0.28% to 33.74 euros) issued a revenue increase of 23.1% for the first semester in the same area, to 19.668 billion euros.The constructor returns to the green with profits of 823 million euros.

The reaction of Peugeot (-2.23% to 22.61 euros) will be observed.Also in the automotive industry, Michelin (-1.40% to 58.52 euros) announced a net profit in the first half and said it expects a continued rebound in demand for tires in the second half of the year .

PPR (-0.34% to 102 euros) has announced a net profit after minority interests rose 86.8% to 407 million euros in the first half.

Imerys (+0.27% at 44.59 euros) has reported a net operating income rose sharply to 122 million euros in the first half with a turnover of organic growth of 16%.

Total (1.30% to 38.85 euros) announced adjusted net income for the second quarter of 3 billion euros, up 72%.

CNP Assurances (EUR 15.45 -4.01%) has published a net increase of 8% to 542 million euros and a turnover of 17.697 million euros (+2.4%).

Rhodia (1.14% to 15.93 euros) raised again after its 2010 targets announced Friday results exceeded expectations in the second quarter.

Saint Gobain is optimistic

Saint-Gobain (-2.16% to 32.57 euros) reported a strong rebound in its first half results, while confirming its target of strong growth in operating earnings in 2010.

Capgemini (-1.29% to 35.88 euros) has announced the acquisition of the Swedish IT services Skvader Systems. No financial details were disclosed.

Air Liquide (-0.81% to 85.40 euros) has announced the acquisition of the company Lion Copolymer Geismar American Services.No financial details were disclosed.

Euler Hermes (4.94% to 61.40 euros) has reported net profit more than doubled in the second quarter from the first and said he intended to maintain profitability in a more favorable macroeconomic environment that over the past two years.

Ingenico (5.28% to 19.45 euros) on Thursday posted a net profit increased more than two in the first half thanks to increased transactions in Europe and raised its sales target.

Alten (-0.49% to 22.29 euros) has reported a slight improvement in activity in its sector in the first half. Turnover increased 2.7% to 450.9 million euros over the period.

Flo (-3.7% to 4.43 euros) said that the activity in its restaurants had not yet regained the level that was hers before the crisis, despite the reduction in VAT.The turnover of the group stood in the first half rose 7.6%.

M6: earnings up to the first half

July 28, 2010 - 1:27 am Comments Off

The first half of fiscal 2010, the M6 (metropolis TV) grew by 9.4% of consolidated sales, which totaled 742.1 million euros. All activities have contributed to this growth: the advertising revenue of the group (M6 channel, digital channels, the Internet) is up 10% at June 30, 2010, while non-advertising revenues are up 8.7%.

Net profit for the period amounted to 84.4 million euros, an increase of 5.5%. Net margin reached 11.4% at June 30, 2010 against 10.3% at June 30, 2009.And operating profit rises 23.3% to 132.5 million euros.

Figures better than what was expected analysts, who believe that the real catalyst (which permits actions M6 mounting) is the group's ability to realize its ambitions in terms of external growth, given the past success of the group the subject cash advance loans.

M6 is in fact actively seeking targets in the areas of DTT, the broadcasting rights and the Internet. However, this strategy is currently hampered by the lack of significant opportunities.

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The increase was confirmed to Wall Street

July 27, 2010 - 4:31 am Comments Off

The U.S. stock market was hesitant on Monday. The major indices started in the green, but very clear: the Dow is 0.12% at 10,438 points, the Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq 100 earn them, respectively 0.1% to 1104 points and 0.13 % to 2269 points.

On Friday, the NYSE has ended sharply higher, buoyed by another round of quarterly results from U.S. companies of good quality and were reassured on the results of resistance testing in European banks. The Dow Jones gained 0.99% and the Nasdaq 1.05%. On the whole last week, the Dow Jones gained 3.23% and the Nasdaq rose 4.15%.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro against the dollar adds.At the opening of U.S. markets, it was worth 1.2944 dollars against 1.2906 dollars on Friday night.

Oil prices retreated Monday in the opening exchanges in New York, yielding 86 cents a barrel to 78.12 dollars, while Tropical Storm Bonnie was eventually spared oil facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.

Busy Week Statistics

A busy week on the macroeconomic level. Today sales of new houses in the U.S. rebounded more than expected in June, from 23.6% in May after hitting their lowest level since 1963 at least, but still extremely low, according to figures Official published Monday in Washington.

Another highlight, the U.S. central bank should publish its Beige Book Wednesday on the economic conditions.It will be very guarded while the president of the institution, Ben Bernanke said Wednesday before Congress the slow recovery, with no announcement of new funding in the economy.

On Tuesday, it is the Standard & Poor's / Case Schiller home prices and consumer confidence, which will be followed, before investors only look the next day on orders of durable goods. But it was the day Friday with the first estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) U.S. second quarter is expected this week.This new burst of publications should be followed especially when investors are questioning again on the strength of the U.S. economic recovery.

Publications wait

U.S. companies are still likely to take stock in their accounts this week, including the program six companies forming part of Dow Jones. Tomorrow investors expect such figures CIT and Lockheed Martin and those sitting in the middle of DuPont.

To follow today the title of BP traded on Wall Street. The British press refers to a departure from the CEO of BP, before tomorrow, the date of publication of interim results of the oil giant.

IBM: The European Commission has opened two investigations into the group.It suspects the group of computer abuse of dominant position on the markets for servers.

Always on the side of values, General Electric said Friday its increased dividend of 20%, the quarterly dividend from 10 cents to 12 cents. GE also announced a resumption of its share repurchase programs. He had stopped this practice in September 2008. The board gave its approval for an additional $ 11.6 billion. "GE hopes to finish the year with $ 25 billion in cash, including proceeds from the sale of a majority stake in its subsidiary NBC Universal to Comcast" say the analysts at Aurel BGC.Some of this money will be used to buy three billion dollars in preferred shares that the group has sold to the holding company Berkshire Hathaway of Warren Buffett in October 2008.

Also note Friday night, the FDIC, the federal agency whose primary responsibility is to guarantee bank deposits, announced the bankruptcy of six new American banks, bringing to 102 the number of closing establishments since the beginning of year. These six failures will cost about 394 million dollars to its compensation fund the FDIC.

FedEx climbed 4.25% to 82.32 dollars while the group has raised its earnings forecast for the current year. The U.S. giant now aims Messaging earnings per share of between 1.05 and $ 1.25.

Genzyme flies from 5.45% to 65.93 dollars. The group would be the target of several pharmaceutical companies.Sanofi-aventis is about to blow.

The CAC 40 should remain in the green

July 24, 2010 - 9:59 am Comments Off

Maintain the 3600 points. It is an objective that will bind the Paris Stock Exchange on Friday. If investors follow their Asian counterparts in Paris, and especially Tokyo, the CAC 40 should be driven up to the opening. The green should be this good after a session to bounce which saw the benchmark index of Paris open reduction and regroup before accelerating earnings and to close more than 3%.

In addition to Asia, should further positive momentum on Wall Street. The U.S. markets have done a nice meeting Thursday at which time the Dow has gained almost 2%. U.S. markets relatively insensitive to the announcement of a surprise increase in weekly unemployment registrations have been worn by the overall business results above consensus.

In this good mood, the wait surrounding the publication of results of stress tests of European banks on Friday should be more on that early next week.

In terms of macroeconomic statistics, the session looks very calm. No major indicator is expected in the United States. In France, INSEE must publish the figures for household consumption while the Germans unveil their Ifo business climate.

TF1 reviewing its objectives to increase

The stress test, however, occupy the banking sector.BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, Credit Agricole, Natixis (BPCE) or Dexia should respond.

Moreover, the markets will again this session to analyze several quarterly publications:

TF1 announced before market sales ad up 11% in the first semester for a total turnover of 1.28 billion euros, above the consensus. Net income group share was 74 million euros over the period payday loans for bad credit. The objectives are significantly revised upward with a turnover in 2010 rose by 7% instead of 4%.

STMicroelectronics reported Thursday a profit above expectations at 18 cents per share with a turnover up 27% to 2.53 billion. Analysts on average expected a profit of 14 cents per share and a turnover of 2.513 billion dollars.

Pernod Ricard noted Thursday its annual forecast for operating profit thanks to the improved economic environment and its position in emerging markets. Its turnover in 2009-2010 emerged, up 2% on a comparable basis.

Ubisoft has released a turnover up 94% in the first quarter of 2010-2011, to 161 million euros and confirmed its objective of a provisional turnover of 160 million for the remainder of the year.

BioAlliance Pharma has announced a record turnover of 15.2 million euros in the second quarter against 1.5 million a year earlier, after recording in April for U.S. Loramyc, light treatment of fungal infections of the mouth patients with cancer or AIDS.

As for ads, Alstom said it had won contracts valued at about 450 million euros for the construction of two units for a combined cycle power station in India.

Legrand announced Thursday a takeover offer for Indo Asian Switchgear India, where he produced nearly 4% of its annual turnover after the acquisition. Indo Asian Switchgea aims for 2010 sales of more than 35 million euros.

Maurel and Prom announced Thursday it had increased to approximately 70 million euros the amount of its issuance of Oceanes five years following the year's total allotment option.

Apple has already sold 3 million iPad

June 23, 2010 - 2:58 pm Comments Off

The success is well meet up for the latest Apple products, the iPad. The company announced the Apple had sold more than 3 million copies of his tablet. And less than three months after its launch. In good shape Thursday, June 24 launch of the iPhone 4.

Apple has delayed for one month out of its touch pad internationally because of the huge demand in the United States, which had exceeded its expectations. Next month the tablet, which combines the functionality of a mini-computer, a player and a media player must land in nine additional countries (Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore).

News that support the Apple stock offering. Quoted on the Nasdaq, Apple still wins the title more than 1.36% to 273.85 dollars, close to its highest of 275.97 dollars.But analysts see the stock price well above its record close reached last Friday in payday loans with no fax. For the more optimistic, and like the popular analysts at Deutsche Bank, the price of Apple stock could still earn $ 100, $ 375.

44 million iPhones sold in 2010 4

Last week, Apple and the U.S. operator AT & T, which has exclusivity on the iPhone in the U.S. have had to suspend the process of pre-orders, their system is clogged by the enormous demand, and Apple CEO Steve Jobs had to apologize.

The new multifunctional phone, especially with a high definition screen, a feature allowing telephone conversations and video editing software video, has landed Thursday in U.S. stores.Some analysts believe the iPhone will sell 4 million copies to 44 this year, 55 million units next year.

The "formidable challenge" of the UK deficit

June 9, 2010 - 12:19 am Comments Off

More rigor. The message sent by the rating agency Fitch to the new British government is clear: "the magnitude of the fiscal challenge is formidable United Kingdom and justifies a strong austerity plan in the medium term." For, if London enjoys a triple-A thanks to its economy "diverse and flexible, its deficit is growing at a pace well above that of other countries enjoying the same note, the agency warns. It reached 11.1% of gross domestic product (GDP).

"The existing plans are not ambitious enough," Judge Fitch, who still welcomes the willingness of the new Liberal-Conservative coalition to act very quickly. Even in London announced new austerity measures amounting to 0.4% of GDP in the form of budget cuts.

Under a new emergency budget to be presented June 22, the government should adopt targets for reducing the deficit more ambitious, Fitch recommends. The new conservative prime minister has already promised gold and years of "suffering" the British people.

"While other European countries are strengthening their plans and rigor that markets are concerned about the sovereign risk in developed countries, the size of the UK deficit is currently estimated for 2011 and failure to return to the 3% deficit the next five years are worrisome, "Fitch alarmed.

Further decrease expected on Wall Street

June 7, 2010 - 10:03 pm Comments Off

The U.S. stock market, expected to open down on Monday. The index futures Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq 100 fell back in effect respectively from 0.41% to 1061.50 points and 0.50% to 1830.10 points. On Friday, the NYSE has dropped to its lowest level in four months, cooled by the monthly figures of employment in the United States, although less well than expected. The Dow Jones lost 3.16% and the Nasdaq 3.64%. Stock markets in the Asia-Pacific fell sharply on Monday and European markets grind black.

The U.S. economy created 431,000 more jobs than it destroyed in May This is the highest figure since March 2000, but analysts had expected much better. They expected a half-million net new jobs created.The private sector created only 41,000 jobs, five times less than the previous month.

In Europe, a new front in the crisis began in Hungary, where the forint, the local currency, the Budapest Stock Exchange, and covers the failure of Hungarian debt (CDS, credit default swap) tumbled after statements alarmist about the economic situation of the country by the hand of politicians from the majority in place.

On the foreign exchange market, the European single currency settled below $ 1.20 and was trading at 1.1937 dollar in the morning, 1.1972 against the dollar Friday.It fell to 1.1877 dollar in Asian trade, a level not seen since March 2006.

After the disappointment of Friday on the job figures, investors should pay particular attention this week to weekly figures for unemployment benefits that are to be released Thursday easy pay day loans.Among the major events of macroeconomic week, the Beige Book Federal Reserve will be released Wednesday, and on weekends the market will face a survey about the mood of consumers.

On the side of values, the largest U.S. bank, Bank of America, is carried on by former employees for not paying them overtime, according to the text of the complaint partnership.

Exxon Mobil announced that it is negotiating with Chinese oil companies to forge partnerships in China and other countries, said on Monday an official of the U.S. oil giant.

The world of pharmacy, Pfizer announced Saturday that advanced clinical testing showed that the drug Macugen greatly improves vision in patients with diabetic macular edema, a complication of diabetes that can lead to blindness.

Always on the side of values, Standard & Poor's announced Friday it has lowered its rating a notch on the long-term debt of BP, referring to the cost of oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the operational challenges the oil group UK will face. The rating agency, imitating its rivals Moody's and Fitch have announced a reduction on their score on Thursday reduced its rating from AA to AA-with negative implications.

Also note, the retail giant Wal-Mart says it wants to create 500,000 jobs over the next five years and will repurchase $ 15 billion worth of its own shares.

iPad: Apple bypasses operators

April 28, 2010 - 7:48 pm Comments Off

Once again, Apple imposes its views in Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom. For its release in France in late May, the touch pad, the iPad will not be sold in their shops. Duplicating its model designed in the U.S., Apple will book the sales in France to its own stores, both Apple Store opened late last year in Paris and Montpellier, its website and retail mix in electronics. Distributors Fnac, Darty and Boulanger, Surcouf, already used to sell iPhone and Mac, will be the four most affected, according to an industry source. This will involve "a large number of stores," said an already Darty spokesman told AFP.

The tablet, however, will not be found in the shops of the three operators.Then they hoped "to generate traffic with the curiosity that is likely to generate the iPad [...] Steve Jobs has imposed on them an absolute bar to" Les Echos noted Wednesday morning. Apple would indeed set the iPad closer to a computer than a smartphone. Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom will be content thus to propose specific plans for the 3G version of the iPad, as they already do for the iPhone bad credit personal loan lenders. According to the scenario under development, Apple will contact the operator chosen by the client to forward him a SIM card and Micro-activates its line. But all the steps and subscription management package will intervene directly on the iPad.

It is around the price and terms of these packages lie the remaining uncertainties.In the U.S., Apple set to AT & T plans to develop 3G no time commitment, to 14.99 dollars per month for 250 MB of data exchanged or 29.99 dollars for the unlimited. In France, the operator suggested that "the price and features of these packages will vary from the key 3G standard, which hover around 30 euros, according to Les Echos. In fact, they fear that the tablet from Apple, with its larger screen than the iPhone, is developing new uses more bandwidth-intensive, particularly video. This could bring down the price of subscriptions up. In the U.S. market, AT & T said, however, expect that the iPad achieve more WiFi version, thus saving the mobile network.

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Mobile: Complaints against the bills

April 16, 2010 - 9:32 pm Comments Off

Good news for consumers: quality of service of mobile operators and ISPs improve. The complaints have decreased by 28% in 2009 compared to the previous year, according to the latest report of the French association of telecommunications users AFUTT (www.afutt.org). "There is no doubt that operators and service consumers are making significant efforts", says AFUTT.

Of the 5 761 complaints received by the AFUTT in 2009, the Internet is the main black spot with 53% of complaints received, even if the improvement is constant for three years. The mobile focus, these, 33.8% of complaints.

In the hit parade of complaints, billing problems came first (16.2% of complaints), before the break of service (14.1%) and termination (14%).

However, "often the bill is not wrong", recognizes the AFUTT."This raises questions is the understanding of supply and lack of clarity in tariff." In mobile, the invoice is the primary source of litigation, almost four a complaint. On the Internet, this includes "Advance billings": the box has not yet been delivered but the subscription is already taken, or not requested options are added to the total payday loan lenders.

Despite progress, the AFUTT thus draws the whistle on three topics. First, the notion of unlimited misleading."The limit is over emphasized, even though it does not exist because there is still limited in volume, or area covered … Consumers are discovering to their cost," explains Jacques Pomonti, president of the AFUTT.

We remember the astronomical sums – up to 159 000 – claimed last fall to some customers for mobile Internet offers so-called unlimited.

"The fear of overheating"

Second concern of the association: the saturation of mobile and fixed networks. "With the explosion of mobile Internet usage and video on the fixed Internet, you are exposed to saturation of the networks. There are fears of overheating, warns Jacques Pomonti. Especially since the operators are not willing to pay only to offer more bandwidth, while some American content providers pocket all the profits. "