Archive for the ‘money’ Category

HP would eliminate 30,000 jobs worldwide

May 19, 2012 - 8:12 am Comments Off

 

Meg Whitman, head of HP for 8 months, is expected to announce the removal of 25,000 to 30,000 jobs worldwide, according to the Wall Street Journal. The group employs around 350,000 people. If the magnitude of the plan may seem surprising in a recipient company, the announcement itself is not really a surprise. After publishing a net income of $ 1.5 billion, down 44%, for a turnover down 7%, to $ 30 billion in the first quarter of its fiscal year, Meg Whitman warned that " difficult years "waiting for the group.

Since it launched the consolidation of two divisions: Personal System Group (computers) and Pinting (print) PPS (personnal and printing system). the boss also said that savings would be achieved, particularly regarding the cost structure in order to encourage industrial investment. The merger of these two divisions should logically lead to job cuts.

If HP still holds its position as world number one PC with 17 Payday Loan for Bad Credit.1% market share (according to Gartner), it is no less rushed. His challenger, Chinese Lenovo, is now only 4 points. Meg Whitman was among the first to point out that Apple had sold more than iPad HP PC in the last quarter of 2011. Now, HP is temporarily out of the race shelves. There should be making a comeback in October with the launch of Windows 8.

If recent weeks, the U.S. giant has highlighted its PC division, they do not neglect it must also continue to invest in future markets. Especially cloud computing and business services. Hence the need to increase efficiency. Meg Whitman explained last week that a "strategy builds on the strengths of the business." She had not said when it was accompanied by a weight loss program.

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Personal loans like these have to be repaid back within a time span of 15-20 days. This period can be extended a bit in case of emergency.

A French trader costs billions to JP Morgan

May 12, 2012 - 8:32 am Comments Off

 

Banks still have not digested the 2008 financial crisis. JP Morgan has announced after the close of U.S. markets heavy losses of over 2 billion following the massive purchase of products that were derived originally from the 2008 financial crisis. CEO Jamie Dimon spoke of losses of "litigation of approximately $ 200 million" and "pre-tax losses the brokerage of over $ 2 billion" during a conference call surprise faxless pay day loans. The boss of the first U.S. bank by assets added that these losses could still grow up to an additional billion dollars. The asset portfolio has complained yet "a lot of volatility," said the leader. "We will manage up", but "it could cost us up to a billion dollars or more" and "the risk will remain for several quarters," added the CEO.  

Photo credits: LUCAS JACKSON / REUTERS

Madrid and Rome borrow at rates up sharply

April 25, 2012 - 4:32 am Comments Off

 

In Europe, stock markets resumed their breath on Tuesday, but uncertainty still hangs over the debt markets, fueled by the political crisis in the Netherlands and the period between the two towers of the French presidential election.

Spain and Italy have borrowed at rates up sharply Tuesday. Madrid has raised no issue 1.933 billion euros in vouchers at 3 and 6 months thanks to a strong demand of investors, but she had to pay his show twice what it had paid on March 27 for a similar operation; 0.634% to 1.580% three months and six months against 0.381% and 0.836 respectively

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The Spanish Minister of Budget, Cristobal Montoro, speaking before MPs met to discuss the 2012 budget austerity, acknowledged that his country was "in a moment of extreme fragility", as the recession sets in peril promises deficit reduction. The country has promised to bring its public deficit of 8.51% of GDP at the end of last year to 5.3% this year and to 3% next year

The chief minister, Mariano Rajoy, said in Parliament that "the economic policy is a policy hard, expensive, that does not produce short-term effects, but this is what we need right now ".

Asian sovereign funds

For its part, Italy, who had taken advantage of favorable borrowing conditions since the beginning of the year, faces a rebound in interest rates business card design. The Italian Treasury has borrowed Tuesday nearly 3.5 billion euros on the market, as in Spain enjoying high demand, to 6.5 billion. But the rates of bonds maturing in 2014 surged to 3.355% against 2.352% at its previous similar operation in late March.

All is not lost, however, in the eurozone. Despite the political crisis and the threat of rating agencies on the Dutch AAA, the Netherlands has borrowed two billion euros in two years Tuesday, rates fell to 0.52% against 0.66% on secondary market on Monday. Many investors believe that the Netherlands has solid fundamentals frankly. "The yields are high but traders are satisfied," said Lyn Graham Taylor, bond strategist at Rabobank.

Another encouraging sign: the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) lifted successfully 3 billion to 7 years at 2.65%, or 160 basis points more than Germany. "This is a great achievement," commented Frédéric Gabizon, HSBC has submitted a tender. "Especially since 40% of the demand comes from sovereign wealth funds from Asia, which shows that outside of Europe investors are confident."

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The car manufacturers want to save fuel

April 17, 2012 - 11:32 am Comments Off

 

The final product of the electric range of Renault, the ZOE, will be launched in September. It will complement the Fluence, Kangoo ZE and Twizy.

Electric cars are the most striking example of the efforts made by manufacturers and their suppliers to reduce vehicle fuel consumption. "The first reason for this trend is the cost of fuel for consumers," acknowledges Sébastien Amichi, partner at Roland Berger.

Second reason: the regulation. In Europe, Brussels will impose financial penalties on manufacturers based on grams of CO2 emitted per kilometer traveled. The purpose is to emit less than 130 grams per vehicle range, on average, end of 2015 and less than 95 grams in 2020.

The major manufacturers put a lot of money on the table to achieve this. "We spent 500 million euros over five years to develop our range of diesel hybrid," explained William Faury, Director of R & D of PSA Peugeot Citroen to launch this range. For him, the PSA group spends "50% of its R & D to reduce emissions."

"The range of opportunities for manufacturers is extremely broad," says Sebastian Amichi. Electrification to-tal and is the last rung of the ladder, which passes through the microhybridation (the system startup "Stop and Start"), all hybrid, popularized by To-Yota with its Prius, or the Hybrid.

The success of these different modes of consumption reduction is difficult to determine. If PwC expects 1% of electric vehicles worldwide in 2017, Roland Berger is considering a rate of 4 to 5% in 2020. The use and type of vehicles used can also play. "In the U.S., where there are very few and very large diesel vehicles, the hybridization rate could be much higher than that achieved in Europe," says Sebastian and Amichi.

Lighter vehicles

Electrification is not the only point on which manufacturers and suppliers work. Weight is also a field of expression of the fight against pollution. "Reducing the weight of a car saves 10 kilograms 1 gram of CO2 per kilometer," says Lawrence and Burelle, CEO of Plastic Omnium.

The steel is still very present in cars, but it is increasingly challenged by other materials such as aluminum or composite. The French Plastic Omnium, the world's leading manufacturer of bumpers and tanks, has invested 10 million euros in its R & D Sygmatech, near Lyon, to strengthen its expertise in the field.

Proof of this relief strategy: the new Peugeot 208, launched a few weeks ago, is lighter than its predecessor, the 207. This is a first for a compact vehicle.

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In bankruptcy, think Kodak pay bonuses to employees

April 9, 2012 - 11:04 am Comments Off

 

Living under the bankruptcy system, the famous Chapter 11, is not easy for a company. In a document filed with the court last week, the company found, in fact "a marked rise in employee departures in the first quarter." Departures deemed "particularly damaging" to the management level.

That's why Kodak offers to pay $ 8.5 million in an initial group of 119 frames, which still represents more than 71,400 dollars per person, to retain them. Another group of just over 200 employees, has been identified and should receive $ 5 million, or about $ 25,000 per employee.

Out of "Chapter 11" is a real possibility in the United States. The most striking recent example of a successful exit is to make the assets of General Motors bad credit unsecured personal loans. This scheme allows the company to restructure while being protected from its creditors, a situation similar to the existing backup procedure in France. To achieve this, we must however keep its senior most "critical activity and the restructuring process," according to Kodak.

The company explains that "among the 7,600 employees of the group, there are many who have unique skills and value, but the weakness of available funds requires the group to make a strict selection of the beneficiaries" of this plan.

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Theolia on the road to recovery

March 30, 2012 - 5:24 am Comments Off

 

"In 2010 we re-starting the engine of our development. In 2011, we intensified this process. " Two years after Théolia came close to filing for bankruptcy, its general manager, Fady Khallouf, welcomed the turnaround began. The operator Wind "now walk on two legs" on one side, Theolia operates parks for its own account – and it is green electricity producer – on the other, it develops and installs wind turbines on behalf third parties. "This is the guarantee of a balanced growth that allows us to make the most of opportunities," says Fady Khallouf. This refers in particular to long-term contracts -15 years or more – which can have suppliers from wind.

Currently, the assets of Theolia reach an installed capacity of 910 megawatts (MW), which operated for 604 partners. In 2011, the company has commissioned 18 low rates payday advance.4 MW in the Hexagon. But his biggest development project in Morocco is concentrated, with a 300 MW a third scheduled to be operational in 2014. "The site will be commissioned in installments: engineering studies are completed, with the National Electricity (ONE), the Moroccan electrician, we are preparing to launch tenders to select the different OEMs, "said Fady Khallouf.

To Theolia, 2011 is the first year that the operator posted a net operating profit excluding items, up from 10.3 million euros. But the group posted a net loss of 39.2 million euros, following the impairment of goodwill in Italy where the system of feed-in tariffs is being revised in proportions much less profitable for the operators. "We cleaned up the balance sheet, we can now develop on a sound footing," said Fady Khallouf yet.

Japan: the puzzle of nuclear energy

March 11, 2012 - 8:56 pm Comments Off

 

Since the tsunami of 11 March and the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the Japanese atomic reactors were arrested, one after the other to be auscultated. Today, on the fifty-four boilers that supplied 28% of electricity in the Archipelago, only two work. And they should, they also stop in April to be tested for safety.

The streets of Tokyo shine though all their neon lights, and the life of the megalopolis of 35 million people saw the usual pace of its thousands of trains daily. Certainly, the corridors of Meti, the Ministry of Economy, are left in the dark, for an example. But the great campaign to save energy this summer ended.

This return to almost normal life despite the closure of fifty-two reactors, Japan pays a high price. Imports of oil and gas only for rotating thermal power plants in 2011 jumped by 77% and 18%. For the first time in thirty-one years, Japan had a trade deficit in 2011, 24 billion euros. And began the year with a record monthly deficit of 15 billion euros for the month of January, dug by the price of crude.

In this context, the government and power companies do not hide their desire: to restart nuclear plants faster. Large industrial fear a surge in the cost per kilowatt hour are pushing in this direction. The electrician Tepco, which operated the plant in Fukushima Daiichi and navigates to the brink of bankruptcy, announced an increase in its rates 17% for its major customers.

Restart nuclear facilities, just a year after the nuclear accident which forced 100,000 people to evacuate contaminated area? "For the Japanese, it's almost existential debate," says a French expert on energy, visiting Tokyo. The surveys that follow indicate that the majority of the population wants a nuclear phase-out.

Breach of trust

Reflecting Yuichiro Yonei, student 23 years specializing in energy met at the University of Tsukuba, who lived on March 11 as "a break". The young man, who no longer has confidence in the government's word on disaster management Fukushima, became antinuclear. Many young people who share his position on social networks come to sign the petitions in the tent erected militants since the fall before the Ministry of Economy.

The government Yoshihiko Noda walking on eggshells. It will not go into force. Formally, it does not need the green light of regional governors, elected, but nevertheless takes shelter behind them. To restore confidence, after pointing a report of TEPCO and failures of government, the government is reforming the nuclear safety authority, discredited.

Sixteen reactors only have registered for "stress test". Two of them, Ohi 3 and 4, have been deemed suitable by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and could be the first to restart.

The government plans to present in June or July of its energy strategy for the coming years. "We must remove our dependence on nuclear power and build medium to long term a company that will not have to rely on this energy," said the Prime Minister Noda Saturday.

By the summer season of peak power consumption due to the massive use of air conditioning, the Japanese will have to make tough choices: restart their nuclear reactors or pay the current high price; suffer outages new current or reduce their consumption of 10 to 15%.

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Chartier: "The proposal Holland accelerate de-industrialization"

February 29, 2012 - 3:08 am Comments Off

 

LE FIGARO. – What do you think of the proposal of François Hollande to fight against the dismantling of French companies?

Jerome Chartier. – I think she will have three effects: be an accelerator of deindustrialization, insofar as an investor does not take the risk now to resume or expand a business in France for fear of not being free to to act. Francois Hollande first puts the brakes, then it must instead press the accelerator. It expresses all the difference between the administered economy, which it promotes, and regulated the economy, which is the one that defends Nicolas Sarkozy. The second effect is the return of any power of attorney of the Commercial Court which, in the early Mitterrand, had helped to give up half of French industry in symbolic franc. And again, it had never prevented or layoffs or the dismantling. Finally, and this is the third effect, this proposal is an absolute breach of property rights remains one of the founding principles of the Republican base.

Nevertheless, 800,000 industrial jobs were lost in France in ten years

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These numbers are for the period 1998-2008. The dates are important because they correspond to the vote and the implementation of laws 35 hours. Malthusian principle was actually an accelerator relocations to the extent that, when you can not do enough work your employees in France to address the backlog, you produce elsewhere. Since 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy has stepped up to reindustrialise France. In its report released Friday, the OECD also welcome the research tax credit, the elimination of business tax and the status of the freelancer as good structural measures.

VAT can social relaunch "produce in France"?

Yes, it serves to finance a decrease of 12.12% in payroll taxes, but we will continue to do so to produce the same cost or cheaper than our competitors, Germany and Italy, and not China or India as would have us believe the French Francois Hollande.

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The Competition Authority provides an active year

February 17, 2012 - 8:24 am Comments Off

 

The Competition Authority celebrates its 25th anniversary, in great shape, according to its President Bruno Lasserre. "We are the most active authority in Europe. The European Commission acknowledges, as it reminds us more and more business, such as the merging Transdev and Veolia or the redemption of Brossette by Point P is still ongoing, "welcomes this member Council of State , who heads the institution since 2004 and until at least March 2014.

The balance sheet of 2011 shows. The Authority fined 420 million euros in fines, almost as much in 2010. The producers of detergents were sentenced to the penalty most important, 367.9 million euros, shared between Procter & Gamble, Henkel and Colgate, who appealed. The second sanctioned firm, Canal +, also challenged his fine of 30 million euros. This issue of the recovery of GST is being reviewed by the Authority.

Less iconic but much more regular – three out of four – are the opinions in mergers and acquisitions. Of a total of 255 cases of concentration, nearly half involved the retail operators have received 207 times the green light. This was the case for the recovery of Habitat Cafom by or for the Republican takeover of Eastern by Crédit Mutuel.

Four sectors continue to retain the attention of the Authority in 2012: the retail, banking, rail transport and the media. After being interested in food distribution, especially in Paris (opinion of 11 January 2012), the Authority will be released in June "the first major survey of the competitive pressure that online retailers have over traditional stores. We will examine the entire chain of online sales: payment, delivering packages or shopping engines, "enumerates Bruno Lasserre.

Another survey conducted by the Authority may make a stir in March, she will speak on the automobile maintenance and repair, market largely controlled by the manufacturers. The extensive work on commissions paid between banks on payment (check, credit card, TIP, transfers …) will also be continued this year with no defined horizon.

The position of Casino in Paris

"The fact that companies bring more resources to challenge our decisions is proof of the relevance of our work, says Bruno Lasserre. Our budget is 20 million euros, an amount equivalent to that booked by banks to defend themselves in the only case of checks, "he says. The Authority considers, however, have "enough tools." However, one missing, the power of injunction. The Authority has certainly since 2008, but it can not exercise it only under three conditions: there must be a dominant position, which the actor in question and persistently abused. Field is too restrictive in the eyes of the institution that claims to have already convinced, left, the candidate Francois Hollande, probably also due to the action of the City of Paris. Because it lacked authority to order the Authority for Casino, which it considers the dominant position in the food market in the capital. Bruno Lasserre however recalled that if Casino decides to exercise its option to purchase 50% of Monoprix, "we would ask conditions, including sales of stores."

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Implications for social housing

February 15, 2012 - 3:56 pm Comments Off

 

The report by the Center for Strategic Analysis in a housing report released Wednesday is brutal: while the subject of aid mobilizes huge (37 billion euros) from the State and local governments, households the less fortunate spend more on housing. In 2005, they spent at this position 41.4% of their income against 25% in 1988.

To improve the situation of more modest in this area, the Center for Strategic Analysis made several proposals, focused on social housing. "First, it should be that only those who earn more than five times the annual rent for a dwelling may be candidates for living," Chriqui advance Vincent, general manager of that agency of the Prime Minister. A measure of common sense would settle with the current situation today, up 64% of households are eligible for public housing.

To reserve social housing for disadvantaged populations, some only dream of being able to expel those whose income has become, over time, well above the maximum income. This would call into question the sacrosanct principle of the right to remain in public housing, one of the cornerstones of the world HLM. Cautiously, the Center for Strategic Analysis does not follow that direction.

However, he has worked on a system where the rent paid by tenants would be modulated according to their income. "In fact, rents are nominally higher and tenants would receive a grant that would cover some of this burden, says Vincent Chriqui. The premium will be lowered when the tenant would see its revenues increase. "To avoid creating too strong reactions in a world quite restive HLM changes of this kind, this system would first be tested by some social landlords . If the Center for Strategic Analysis recommends this solution is that the devices require tenants whose incomes exceed the ceilings to pay additional rent malfunctioning. Normally, a public housing tenant whose remuneration exceeds 20% of the maximum income to pay a surloyer. "But it is a cumbersome process that requires to initiate proceedings," said Vincent Chriqui. Soft law passed in 2009 plans to evict a tenant of public housing for two successive years if its resources are at least two times higher than the ceiling. But we must wait three years after this observation that the measure could be effective. Result: more than three years after its adoption, the text has yet to produce any effects.

Statistical tool

Last priority recommendation of the Center for Strategic Analysis: Building a statistical tool that emphasizes respect for each program HLM, level of public support and the "discount" rent in the social housing compared to private apartments around the park. "By learning about government subsidies and the results they deliver, this should help to refocus the production of social housing where the need is greatest," says Vincent Chriqui.

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