Archive for the ‘opinions’ Category

The CAC 40 is expected to rebound sharply

August 4, 2011 - 6:08 pm Comments Off

And if the Paris Stock Exchange on Thursday ended its eight consecutive sessions of decline that have lost more than 10%? The rebound on Wall Street Wednesday night and Tokyo this morning – although the latter is mainly due to the weakening of the yen against the dollar and the euro – seem to bode well for the Cac 40.According to analysts' estimates, could open the Cac 40 up 1.2%.

On Wednesday, the Cac 40 dropped 1.93% to 3454.94 points, after the yield spreads between bonds to ten years Spanish and Italian have widened compared to German bonds.

Financial markets, however, could play the card of caution pending the meeting of the Board of Governors of the European Central Bank (13.45), which is expected to announce its continued interest rate to 1.50% but especially before the publication of weekly claims for unemployment benefits in the United States (1430), on the eve of the official figures on Friday.

On the corporate side, two companies released this morning:

Veolia Environnement, which warned last Friday that it would not achieve its goals for this year, released on Thursday a net loss of 67.2 million euros in the first half, weighed down by exceptional asset write-downs 800 million euros.The world leader in environmental services will focus its activities "in less than 40 countries in 2013 against 77 today."

However, Axa reported first half net profit more than quadrupled to 3.99 billion ers (324%), driven by gains on sale and very little affected by provisions related to the support plan to Greece.

Vinci said Wednesday QDVC, its joint venture with Qatari fund, won a contract for 374 million euros for a metro project for a new town being built in Qatar.

Vilmorin has confirmed its margin target of 2010-2011 by announcing an increase of 12.1% of its turnover for the year, thanks to the vegetable business, along with the acquisition of assets and maize seed and sorghum Brasmilho of Brazilian society.

Hermès responded Wednesday to the Association of Defence of Minority Shareholders (Adam), who asked why the luxury group spent so much money to buy back its own shares. "Share repurchases are intended to cover the programs free shares to employees," said a spokeswoman for Hermes.

Cegedim dropped its goal of increasing revenue for 2011 but remains confident in its ability to generate an EBIT close in absolute value, that of 2010. The group also announced Wednesday for the second quarter of 2011, a consolidated turnover of 247.1 million euros (+1.6% as reported and 0.1% organic).

Dexia and Natixis will publish their second quarter results after market close.

Moody's threatens to degrade Spain

July 30, 2011 - 11:24 am Comments Off

It's time for Spain to be in the sights of Moody's. The agency placed the credit rating of the country under surveillance for any reduction, said a statement issued Friday, indicating a downward revision of the country's Aa2 rating one notch lower. The agency believes that the difficulties of Madrid to borrow at an acceptable rate will escalate following the second plan the rescue of Greece, who "made history" involving the private sector and a marked increased risk for investors bondholders fragile in the euro area.

The rating agency also advanced a weak growth of Spain and fiscal slippages in some areas of the country, adding that it would present risks, burdens on efforts to reduce deficits, which have recently been undertaken by Madrid .

Highlighting the challenges that the Spanish government will face for fiscal consolidation and improving the fiscal situation of the Spanish provinces, Moody's has given the banking regulator Spanish Fondo de Reestructuración Ordenada Bancaria (FROB) a rating Aa2, providing a possible degradation of the latter in the future.

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Half the jobs will be open to foreigners

July 26, 2011 - 1:20 am Comments Off

The reduction of labor migration in France is now effective. After fixing in April the goal of reducing by half the number of work permits granted to foreigners in France, the Ministries of Interior and Labour recently issued a new list of occupations open to non-Europeans. According to Les Echos on Monday, the draft of the new Order, which has been sent to the unions, cut in half the number of job families, open to non-EU nationals. 30, it is expected to rise to 15, said the business daily. It should be noted that the list issued by the Ministry of Labour in 2008 had remained unchanged for three years.

"This is to narrow the list to the most skilled occupations or specific, corresponding to significant needs for labor," which would be impossible to fill short-term workers already present in France, said the e of the General Delegation of employment (DGEFP), which was sent to the unions.

But this list may be adapted as needed in labor specific to each region. Each warden will be allowed to exclude some of the trades listed 15 families, if these jobs are not in power on its territory.

Restrictions in construction and computer

Among the jobs listed on the new list, we find the e-consultancy, management positions in audit and accountancy, engineering positions in information systems, and various trades technicians wood and glass processing payday loans for bad credit.In addition, the areas of chemical production, pharmaceutical and mechanical products always recruit foreign labor.

However, in construction, the positions responsible for education, site managers and supervisors will come out of the list, the sector is recruiting non-EU as for industrial designer jobs. Another area where Claude Gueant decided to impose restrictions on the information technology sector for nationals of non-European features only for experts.

Surprised by the return of the subject after the meeting of National Council for the use of the July 12 trade unions denounce a 'national' approach of the government and are skeptical about its effectiveness."Of the stations mentioned experts, the big groups use internal mobility from their subsidiaries abroad," said Raymond Chauveau (CGT) in an interview with Les Echos.

Reducing the list of occupations open to foreigners "liberate" from 10,000 to 12,000 jobs in France. However, according to experts, the government will face the difficulty of adapting this new list to fluctuations in supply and demand in the labor market in France.

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Bank stocks saddled the CAC 40

July 12, 2011 - 12:16 pm Comments Off

While Wall Street ended the session and declined Friday Asian stock markets see red on Monday morning, the CAC 40 continues its decline on Monday. Halfway through, he gave up 1.44% to 3858.11 points. The session will be marked by the expectation of the beginning of earnings season in the United States, with the aluminum giant Alcoa, which must publish its figures after the close of Wall Street. Investors are also nervous until the advances of another meeting of central bankers in the euro area held Monday in Brussels.

Van Rompuy, Barroso and Trichet, heads of three major European institutions – the Council, the Commission and the Central Bank – in fact, find themselves on Monday to spur the seventeen countries of the euro, still unable to agree of mounting a second rescue plan for Greece.Then the seventeen ministers of finance are again struggling in the afternoon of the participation of private creditors (banks, insurers and pension funds) to finance the 110 billion euros expected by Athens. In addition, concerns are doing now in Italy. Friday, the country has seen its returns soar. Rumors about a possible resignation of Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti, would have triggered the movement.

These concerns continue to weigh on the euro, which widened its losses against the greenback on Monday. Around 11:00 in Paris, the single European currency was worth 1.4123 dollars against 1.4258 dollars on Friday night, falling to levels seen for two weeks.

The macroeconomic situation across the Atlantic does not reassure the markets more. The United States are also penalized by a debt record. Barack Obama finds MPs on Monday.He said Sunday night, before a meeting with key members of Congress, he "must" that Congress reached agreement on the debt within 10 days. Otherwise, the U.S. could default on August 2.

Chapter macroeconomics, INSEE released the figure in industrial production in France for the month of May Over the period, and after two months of decline, it bounced 2%, against 0.5% expected by the consensus.

Car values ​​down sharply, despite the results of Renault and for values, the release this morning (tomorrow ahead of Peugeot-3, 74% to 30.09 euros) business results Renault (-2.17% to 38.35 euros) was not at all convinced investors. Carlos Tavares went to the site of Flins Monday.The automaker has announced an increase of 1.9% of its global sales in the first half, the strength of demand abroad offsetting supply problems it encounters in Europe. The group also expressed its willingness to establish a new sales record this year by selling more than 2.6 million vehicles due to its growth internationally and despite the poor performance in Europe in the first half, he said Monday.

The financial sector ailing

The financial sector is in bad shape, still weighed down by the debt crisis in Europe. Mid-session, BNP loses 3.92% to 47.87 euros, Axa, plunges 4.69% to 14.53 euros, Crédit Agricole ceded 3.05 9.18% to 3.88 euros and Societe Generale to 37.03 euros.

Air France (-1.37% to 10.06 euros) will propose October 13 routes from Marseille to France, Europe and the Mediterranean from 50 euros one way, a way, she says, to launch an "offensive" against the low cost.

Moreover, the energy values ​​react more weakly to kick off the giant tender (about 10 billion) government on the construction of an offshore wind farm with a capacity of production of 3000 megawatts.

Several candidates have already expressed: the consortium GDF Su ez (-0.84% ​​to 24.08 euros), Areva (-0.81% to 24.50 euros) and Vinci (-0.92% to 41.98 euros), another consortium Areva and combining the Spanish giant Iberdrola, EDF EN and all (-0.01% to 39.67 euros), Alstom (-1.2% to 40.76 euros ) and Dong Energy.E. ON and EDP-R have also responded to the tender.

Total (-1.09% to 39.53 euros) could write off some tax benefits. Following the controversy triggered by the imposition of any large groups of the CAC 40, Total could give up to enjoy the tax shelter known as "worldwide profits." The CEO also announced that he would pass to the pump the recent increases in crude oil prices.

Mergers in the telecoms

Bouygues Telecom, a subsidiary of Bouygues (-0.85% to 28.63 euros). The smallest of the three French mobile operators own their own network announced Monday the signing of a framework agreement with Spain's Telefonica, which will allow it to benefit from the infrastructure and the size of its new partner.For its part, rival France Telecom (-0.63% to 14.17 euros) was approached by the television channel in Qatar, Al-Jazeera, for the redemption of Orange Sport. Discussions are in progress.

Sanofi (-0.94%, to 55 euros). The laboratory has sold its dermatology at Dermik Valeant Canada for $ 425 million (300 million) to focus on its platform for growth in the United States and Canada.

Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS (-0.15% to 23.16 euros), would be willing to sell out to rival Boeing. The European aircraft manufacturer could make significant price reductions to crop market share with its U.S. rival in the U.S., in connection with the tender launched by American Airlines, says the Wall Street Journal. The U.S. airline expects to order 250 aircraft.

On the other hand airlines could face a strike in early August.The union of airline pilots SNPL filed a strike notice for all French airlines from August 5 to 8, written Tribunedans his edition of Monday.

Ipsos (-0.06% to 32.76 euros) could be thwarted in his plans to return to UK Synovate. In fact, the British investment fund would be willing to put 675 million euros for the acquisition of Synovate, the tamping pin to French Ipsos already in discussions with the company for market research, according to information from the Financial Times. The Aegis Group, which owns Synovate, however, have rejected the offer.

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Pixmania combined with Carrefour to boost online sales

July 1, 2011 - 10:52 pm Comments Off

Carrefour is a step forward to catch up on e-commerce. The group signed an agreement with Pixmania to develop a site selling non-food products in several European countries. Pixmania will be responsible, through its subsidiary e-merchant, to develop the site of the distributor. Some, or perhaps the entire catalog of Pixmania, which sells "everything" according to its CEO, but mainly electronic products, will also be sold under the Carrefour brand and sold in stores in the group.

If both partners remain discreet about the financial terms of the transaction, the aim is to bridge the gap of the distributor, outpaced by the site e-Commerce Casino, Cdiscount, the site recorded 6.8 million visitors Unique in France in May, according Médimétrie / NetRatings.At the same time, there were 7 guaranteed unsecured personal loan.4 million in Cdiscount and the two leading general commercial sites, Amazon and PriceMinister 8.9 and 7.8 million respectively.

"This new partnership is a major step in the development of Carrefour's multi-channel strategy," said Lars Olofsson, CEO of Carrefour, said in a statement. Jean-Emile Rosenblum, vice president and cofounder of Pixmania, the site of Carrefour should quickly catch up with the "technology platform and logistics products" of his group of e-commerce. "There are huge market share to conquer the Internet and that have in the physical world," he adds, citing for example the articles bazaar and sale of televisions.

More notoriety for Pixmania

Steve and Jean-Emile Rosenblum, founders of Pixmania. DR.

Whit Monday: The majority of employees stay home

June 12, 2011 - 9:28 am Comments Off

Schools, colleges, high schools, universities, governments and businesses will be closed ultramajorité Monday. Not because of a strike call would be strongly followed, but due to the National Solidarity Day, established in 2004 – through the elimination of the holiday falling on Whit Monday – by Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

The working day "offered" by the employees was instituted after the heatwave of summer 2003, which caused the deaths of 15,000 elderly and highlighted the extreme isolation of some people. Employers were free to set the terms of agreement by company or branch.The idea is to offset a new tax of 0.3% on the payroll who also hit the capital income and wealth.

Most of the time, a day of paid leave or RTT was sacrificed in exchange for work on Whit Monday.Some companies might choose to "dicked" day of extra work and free: in two half days without a student in Education or seven hours spread over the year at the station.

13 billion in seven years

Before the general disorganization – nobody knew when the Day of Solidarity was falling – and many recriminations trade unions, associations or religious, the Fillon government decided in 2008 to remake the Whit Monday public holiday and therefore not working no fax payday loans.

Since its inception seven years ago, the Day of Solidarity has reported 13 billion collected from public and private employers by the National Solidarity Fund for Autonomy.The annual levy – which will yield 2.31 billion in 2011 – is intended to cover devices cons dependency: Standard ABS and PCH allowances, retirement homes and special schools … It has 60% elderly and 40% for people disabilities.

To finance the care of elderly dependency, it is suggested to establish a new day of solidarity that would yield, according to Roselyne Bachelot, 2 billion more. Others still offer to extend the base's contribution to the professions and retirees who are currently excluded.

The reduction of the ISF adopted

June 10, 2011 - 8:44 pm Comments Off

The vote was taken freehand. The National Assembly on Friday passed the relief measures of the solidarity tax on wealth (ISF) contained in Section 1 of the supplementary budget (supplementary budget Ed.) 2011qui door for the tax reform Heritage .

Threshold at 1.3 million euros

This article provides for the abolition of the first tax bracket to the ISF by raising the entry threshold of 800,000 to 1.3 million euros of assets. This measure should allow taxpayers to exempt 300,000, which corresponds, according to the government, owners of a principal residence whose value has soared because of the explosion in property prices in recent years.

Two rates of 0.25% and 0.5%

Section 1 provides further reduce the progressivity of the ISF. The schedule now has six units which techniques are applied six rates ranging from 0.55% to 1.80%.If the text is finally adopted by the Assembly and the Senate, it restr only two tax brackets: 0.25% for those whose assets do not exceed 3 million euros and 0.5% where the estate is greater.

This Friday, the resumption of debate, an amendment allowing a small reduction in ISF extra part dependent children has been strongly denounced by the left. In detail, the amendment of the rapporteur Gilles Carrez UMP plans to "increase the amount of reduction for each dependent from 150 euros to 300 euros, including adult children who are studying business card. "Interesting," said Budget Minister Francois Baroin, who relied on the "wisdom" of the Assembly. "You have no shame.It's outrageous, "launched the PS deputy Christian Eckert, denouncing" 150 euros reduction for people whose assets exceed $ 1.5 million, even though the school year allowance is granted conditionally for income below 23,000 Euros.

On June 14 the Senate

The reduction of the ISF is the corollary of the abolition of the tax shield, a key measure of quinquénat adopted in 2007 which provided for the tax cap to 50% of revenues.The fate of the latter, under section 13 of the supplementary budget will be sealed within hours or days ahead, examining the text to run until Tuesday, June 14, the date set for the formal vote and Transmission of the Senate.

(With agencies)

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The French anti-nuclear

June 5, 2011 - 3:32 pm Comments Off

Nearly two in three French (62%) want that France is phasing to operate its nuclear plants. By adding the 15% of the population favored a quick halt French nuclear program, 77% of the French population is now opposed to this energy source. That is what emerges from the last Ifop poll, conducted from June 1 to 3 of 1005 people aged 18 and over, for the Journal du Dimanche. Only 1% of the panel interviewed did not comment. Supporters of a soft stop is at 74% of supporters of the Socialist Party, the Greens 61% and 37% of the UMP.

The German example

The gradual change of mentality of the French would not only result from the shock wave caused by the nuclear disaster in Japan, but also that of the German decision to phase out nuclear energy by 2022.Last Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, under pressure from Germany's Green Party, announced his decision to close the 17 German plants, within 10 years.

What might convince a few more French, interviewed after the announcement, the possibility for a developed country to live without this source of energy. Still, the German and French positions are far from comparable, France still produces 73% of its electricity by nuclear power, against 25% in Germany.

Stating his position on this issue, François Hollande, Socialist Party MP and the Corrèze Socialist candidate primary, moved elsewhere, always in the JDD, reduced initially by 75% to 50% dependence on French nuclear. For its part, Europe Ecology-The Greens called for a total abandonment of the atom.Final lesson revealed by the survey on Sunday, if the government is opposed to nuclear stopping, the UMP adhere less to this position, 55% of them sharing the wishes of their fellow citizens. These supporters are nonetheless the most pro-nuclear, with 37% of them advocating the continuation of nuclear program, and construction of new plants.

The state park is also hexagonal become less important to the French. Surprisingly, the hostility to nuclear power is indeed associated with the expression of any concern on the part of the French against nuclear sites. In total, 55% report little or not at all concerned about nuclear power, while only 44% a month ago.

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Libya: SocGen was leveraging of funding

May 26, 2011 - 3:48 pm Comments Off

It's a story that Societe Generale would have preferred to keep to herself. Since the freezing of Libyan assets earlier this year, the French bank has made its discreet yet welcomed funds investments of the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA), the country's sovereign wealth fund of Muammar Gaddafi. According to a document published by the NGO Global Witness and Le Monde on Thursday, the LIA has investments in three funds of SocGen, now frozen: Soc Gen Europe Medium, Soc Gen CODEIS Strategic Equity Fund, and Soc Gen Cross Roads 5Y Link Notes. This is a set of structured products that allowed Libya to diversify its portfolio.

The case was not even interesting for the French bank that has faced very disappointing returns in 2010.Thus, the value of the three financial products is increasing between the first and second quarters last year, 1.8 billion dollars (1.27 billion euros) to 1.05 billion. The only funds specializing in Europe, Soc Gen Europe Medium, which alone weighed 1 billion dollar saw its value drop by 43% to 498 million.

BNP Paribas, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs …

The French bank is obviously not the only one who sows the seeds of funds from the Libyan regime. The names of several banks are well surface, which another French BNP Paribas, as well as American as JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse and Britain's HSBC. In total, these financial institutions managed almost $ 5 billion in assets (3.5 billion euros) over the 55 billion dollars of financial assets of the LIA.Overall, losses collected by these funds would be heavy: their value would be increased from 5 to 3.5 billion dollars last year.

But for NGOs, collected more than the losses is the involvement of these prestigious institution in managing the funds of a scheme which is now discredited defendant. "It is striking to see how many large institutions were ready to do business with the Libyan regime, knowing the potential risk of misuse of state funds for personal use," says Robert Palmer Global Witness, in the columns of the Financial Times.

In his defense, Societe Generale said it acted legally and accurately manage the investments of several state funds in the same way.Remember, the banks and financial institutions held 8.233 billion Libyan dollars (5.84 billion euros) in deposits and loans from French banks to September 30, 2010.

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U.S. debt has reached its statutory limit

May 16, 2011 - 10:24 pm Comments Off

For several months, the G20 and the IMF, but also Europe, Brazil, China, and rating agencies are urging the U.S. to clean up their deficit and debt dementia. Today, the U.S. federal government has the knife to her throat on Monday, the U.S. debt ceiling should touch her – already noted in January – set at 14.294 billion dollars, from which the U.S. can not borrow more.

In other words, the United States are on the verge of bankruptcy. Given the urgency of the situation, the Treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, has given a stay of 30 days to allow Congress to reach agreement with the White House. They have until August 2nd to negotiate a compromise, Republicans in Congress will not agree to vote on raising the debt ceiling until the government has not implemented an austerity budget.The United States shackle in effect three years of deficit exceeding 10% and no concrete and credible program of spending cuts are envisaged. Olivier Blanchard, chief economist of the IMF, the savings plan of 39 billion delivered on April 8 is "insufficient".

Barack Obama has set a goal of reducing the U.S. budget deficit of 4000 billion dollars over the next twelve years. It sets the fiscal deficit to 2.5% of GDP in 2015, and wants it to be achieved by three-quarters of declines in spending.Objectives, but no clear way to reach them: during a visit to Facebook, the president spoke reform fiscalité payday lenders.Sans give too many details, he has to attack the tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, plans to limit military spending and aid to agriculture, and cutting in the health program, yet very popular Medicare.

"The financial equivalent of a nuclear bomb"

What would happen if the U.S. could no longer meet their debt, as was the case for Greece, Ireland, or Portugal? It would be "the financial equivalent of a nuclear bomb ', warns Aaron Kohli, a specialist in Treasury bills at Nomura Securities. The global cataclysm is such that people do not."They must find a solution, they can not leave the financial world explode," he reassured one analyst, who notes that the financial markets show no signs of concern about the ability of U.S. authorities to agree.

David Wyss, chief economist at ratings agency Standard and Poor's, which recently threatened the U.S. triple-A, not only the Treasury "may continue to operate until August (through accounting manipulations, Ed), leaving the time in Congress to agree, but again, in case of emergency, the government "will pass the debt service as a priority."

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