Posts Tagged ‘news’

November 10, 2011 - 5:40 am Comments Off

France, she missed electricity this winter? Nine months after the German decision to phase out nuclear reactors eight of seventeen will be stopped before the end of the year, the question of feeding the Hexagon concern to the government. Yesterday, on the occasion of the presentation of the report of the electricity transmission network (RTE) on the transition of winter, the industry minister, Eric Besson, has expressed its "vigilance".

Governments based on the calculations of the EDF subsidiary responsible for networks and very high tension. In the first nine months of the year, French exports of electricity to Germany increased by 11% over 2010, while imports fell by 50%.With all these elements, RTE suggests a risk of disruption "moderate fast cash loans."

Regarding the availability of the generation French, it is mixed: most important for the period January, at least in contrast to the months of November and December, due to the revised schedule of the facility.

Wednesday, Eric Besson welcomed RTE can count on an average of 1400 MW: Further expansion of wind power, new combined cycle gas came expand the portfolio of means of production.

Remains the black spot in Britain, has long been known. The region, which produces only 8% of the electricity it consumes, is particularly fragile. Certainly, infrastructure building projects exist, but they are slow to be realized.

November 2, 2011 - 4:36 pm Comments Off

CEO and American colossus original Welsh, Howard Stringer, missed the turnaround as promised by Sony. For the fourth consecutive year, the electronics group of Tokyo will be in the red. A loss of 90 billion yen (841 million) is expected for the fiscal year ended March 31, instead of a profit.

The various decisions of closures, massive layoffs and alliance with Samsung in flat panel LCD TVs have been failures. Certainly, the fate of the Japanese groups persists. Penalized first by the great earthquake that froze production in the archipelago, they now face a strong yen, measures to save energy drastic floods in Japan and Thailand.Production of television sets will also be halved, falling to 20 million units per year instead of 40 million Payday advance.

For seven years, the business of television is losing. It will be in the red for the eighth consecutive year. And should head out of water in 2014. In this context, the new challenge that has been made in mobile phones seem to be a bit risky. Sony has decided to resume participation in its joint venture with Ericsson joint smartphones.

Of course, the sun never sets on the group. But it is the issue of replacing Howard Stringer, CEO of Sony since 2005, that arises. His predecessors have missed the shift to digital music. Left him spun the televisions and internet tablets. A market where it will arrive late.

His successor will probably be a Japanese.

Complementary health: 8% increase

October 17, 2011 - 8:32 am Comments Off

Mutual did not took off. And three-quarters of the French objected to the new tax increase on complementary health from 3.5% to 7% since October 1, according to a Harris Interactive survey for the French Mutuality published last Thursday. Over 85% believe that this will result in lower purchasing power. Mutual claim because they are forced to pass on the increase to their policyholders. "In recent years, the taxation of complementary health" officials "went from 0% to 13.27% since in the new 7% tax added to the CMU of 6.27%, that mutual insurers and health are the only ones to fund.We can not support such increases without raising rates, when, in addition, new regulations require us to strengthen our reserves and our solvency, "said Philippe Mixe, the president of the FNIM, the National Federation of Independent Mutual .

Only the GMF took the opportunity of talking to her, announcing that it would not apply to customers the increase decided by the government. A promise that did not cost too much: it has launched its health contract for just over a year, and still only 30,000 policyholders. "We want to develop healthy techniques and results are good. It is normal that we do enjoy our policyholders, "said Patrice Forget, Chief Operating Officer of the GMF. But the GMF stands alone.Even other newcomers in this market – as Amaguiz, the Internet subsidiary of Groupama, which has just launched its contract health – have incorporated the tax rates.

According to Mercer, the French who have subscribed to one of these individual contracts can expect an average increase of 8% of their bonus next year. An increase that reflects not only the tax but also the increase in health spending at the expense of additional no faxing pay day loans.

Contracts "storey"

Insured employees as part of their business are not better off. "The increase will be at least 7% on average," said Philippe Mixe. An invoice less and less accepted by employers. "From 2007 to 2011, contributions of corporate contracts have increased by 6.80% per year, including taxes," says Eric Demolli at Mercer.Today, faced with employees very attached to these contracts, companies, always keen to control costs, tack. "They seek to spread the increase over time in negotiating with insurers, mutual and pension funds. They play better competition. And they refine the guarantees, for example by eliminating reimbursements to "actual costs" too expensive, "says Eric Demolli.

More and more companies are opting for contracts as "storey" in excess of a basic "minimum" common to all employees, the company funded in whole or in part, employees who wish to be better protected may subscribe for options, they bear the cost alone.In their individual contracts, insurers also offer more health insurance "a la carte", where everyone can dose coverage of individual items (ambulatory care, hospitalization, dental, optical) depending on its needs and its budget. They also imagined, as in the last contract Amaguiz of low-cost, to benefit the insured packages for reimbursement when they increased from the previous year have not been exhausted, optics, for example.

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The CAC 40 is reluctant

October 14, 2011 - 1:24 am Comments Off

The Paris Bourse after opening down slightly, sailing around the equilibrium after a session that saw the CAC 40 fly over 2%. In the morning, the CAC 40 in advance symbolically from 0.14% to 3235 points in early trade. Investors do not follow the mood on Wall Street yesterday and Asian markets this morning. The latter found confidence to the rhythm of advertisements European leaders on a plan to end the crisis. They particularly appreciate the position of the European Commission yesterday called for an urgent recapitalization of the banks deal with the debt crisis. Remarks relayed by the Minister of Budget Précresse Valerie, who, like Berlin, says it is "a necessity". France is willing to inject even said herself of public money to support its banks if necessary.

This commitment reflects a shift in the euro area on the Greek case.The taboo of failure is no longer excluded. The Chairman of the Commission José Manuel Barroso, called for "decisive action on Greece" while German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said yesterday that the overall level of indebtedness of Greece should be reduced s' it reaches an unbearable level, "to provide better opportunities" in the country. The discount will have to accept that private investors in the second aid package to Greece adopted in July would be 39% if we used the current market prices to assess the risk profile of the country, instead of 21% estimated at the time, said yesterday an official of the Institute of International Finance (IIF).

New vote in Slovakia, the euro rises

Concerning the Relief Fund in the euro area (EFSF), which must be expanded to support the plan to end the crisis, Slovakia has promised another vote tonight or tomorrow.It should be positive this time because four opposition parties agreed to support the government in place, Maturity of early elections. These data give back to the euro insurance. The European currency found the threshold of $ 1.38 in morning trading.

Oil, however, is small decline: a barrel of "light sweet crude" for November delivery lost 86 cents to 84.71 dollars. Barrel of Brent North Sea crude for November delivery yielded nine cents to 111.27 dollars for the last trading day of the deadline. The operators claim to be concerned before the publication of figures on weekly petroleum reserves in the United States no fax pay day loans. Another indicator to the American agenda: the weekly jobless claims, trade balance and budget.

Values ​​to follow

Total (-0.98% to 36.20 euros)

The oil company has discovered gas and oil off the coast of Norway, announced this morning the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. According to preliminary estimates, this discovery is to be between 19 million and 101 million barrels. To dig the well that led to this discovery, Total was allied with Norway's Statoil, authorities said.

Carrefour plunged 4.16% to 17.17 euros

The group launched Thursday a new warning on its results in 2011, relying now on a decline in operating income between 15% and 20%, 15% instead of the planned end of August.

Lafarge (2.28% to 29.62 euros)

The French cement company announced an asset swap with the U.S. Martin Marietta, which he will sell the aggregates quarries and concrete plants ready and asphalt, in exchange for aggregate quarries and distribution sites .

Casino (1.98% to 62.71 euros)

The retailer saw its organic growth slowed in the third quarter with declining sales of its hypermarkets in France, but the group has confirmed its objectives for 2011 include the strengthening of its market share in the Hexagon and improving margins at Franprix-Leader Price.

Areva (0.72% 22.49 euros)

The consortium of the French group and Germany's Siemens called the Finnish operator Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) to engage in the path of cooperation with the approach the final stages of construction of the EPR reactor Olkiluoto 3 (OL3). The French nuclear group has also been licensed by the U.S. authorities allowing it to construct and operate an enrichment plant in Idaho.Finally, the boss of the group, Luc Oursel, raised the possibility "to smooth or to shift some investments to reduce risk and improve (the) financial situation"

ArcelorMittal (-0.38% to 14.47 euros)

The group decided to shut down two blast furnaces located near Liège in particular because of the deteriorating global economic situation, the financial daily reported on Wednesday Belgian L'Echo, information later confirmed by the unions.

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The station celebrates 30 years of TGV and looks to the future

September 25, 2011 - 11:12 am Comments Off

SNCF never ceases to celebrate 30 years of its TGV. After the launch last May of a train specially decorated, a new celebration takes place Saturday night in the Gare de Lyon in Paris. The President of the SNCF Guillaume Pepy, and Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development, will attend a particular video show projected on the facade of the Gare de Lyon which left the first TGV, the September 22, 1981.

A few figures summarize the tremendous success of the first high-speed train developed by Alstom to accommodate all age groups, mobile executives, young, old … In all, nearly two billion passengers have taken in 30 years. 83% of French people have traveled at least once on board the TGV, which now serves 230 stations.

But the station pulled the alarm a few years ago commercial success, the TGV is not an economic powerhouse.The accounts of the industry are deteriorating, the fault, including the tolls the operator must pay to Réseau Ferré de France, the operator of the system for the use of high-speed lines. Today, nearly 30% of high-speed lines in circulation are not profitable. Guillaume Pepy regularly reminded that the company can no longer afford to invest in next-generation trains no fax payday loans.

The future railway landscape

Several projects of new lines are under way: the Rhine-Rhone, just opened, the Tours-Bordeaux, Brittany or the Loire region, not to mention the circumvention of Nimes and Montpellier. But others are virtual as the Paris-Caen. The success of the TGV has indeed given to the regions want to have "their" TGV.But the question of funding problem and use increasingly common in public-private partnership, a financing involving the state and communities in building a private group, is not a panacea.

After the festivities, Focus on the rail, a kind of rail Grenelle oragnisé by the Department, will again bring together industry players at round tables austere. Objective: To shape the future landscape railway … and give the French the prospect of other celebrations in the coming decades.

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»IN PICTURES – What will look like the next train?

Wall Street should be shaken

September 22, 2011 - 5:24 pm Comments Off

A new session promises to be eventful Thursday on Wall Street. Futures on the Dow Jones fell by 2.06% to 10,831 points, those on the Standard & Poor's let go of 2.23% to 1136.10 points and the Nasdaq lost 2.32% to 2208.20 points.

Like European and Asian stock markets, Wall Street should not escape the anxiety of investors pessimistic after the U.S. central bank on the global economy. The central bank has held that the U.S. economic recovery was "slow" and threatened by "high risk".

For this, the Fed announced an operation to extend the maturity of the assets it holds up to 400 billion dollars by June 2012."One can interpret this decision by the Fed as the will not to launch a" quantitative easing "3 (monetary easing to boost the U.S. economy) in the immediate future, says Arnaud Poutiers, executive vice president of IG Markets short term personal loan. Indeed, "Operation Twist" is intended to influence the long bond rate, but without increasing the size of the Fed's balance sheet, so without creating money ".

On the currency markets, the euro continued to sink against the dollar: the euro back below the $ 1.35 (-0.91%).

On the corporate side, Moody's lowered the credit ratings of Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citigroup. The agency that the state may fly to their rescue.

United Technologies will buy the equipment for Goodrich Aircraft $ 16.5 billion (12.2 billion euros) in cash, a transaction that would be the largest acquisition of U.S. industrial giant in 10 years.

FedEx has reported an EPS according to the consensus of $ 1.46 per share in the first quarter, a turnover of 10.52 billion dollars (against the consensus of 10.32 billion dollars).

Why Standard & Poor's deteriorating Italy without warning

September 20, 2011 - 3:56 pm Comments Off

The discount is as brutal as sudden. While markets were expecting a deterioration of the Italian debt by Moody's, its rival Standard & Poor's (S & P) has the first shot. On the night of Monday to Tuesday, the U.S. rating agency downgraded a notch credit ratings long and short term attributed to the third European economy A/A-1 against A + / A-1 + before. She also maintains a negative outlook on the evolution of the country's economic activity. Rome was quick to respond, criticizing a decision "dictated" by the media and "distorted by political considerations."

Above all, the rating agency believes to have taken someone a traitor. "There is nothing in this sudden degradation defends Martin Winn, Vice President of the London office of S & P, noting that the Italian debt had already been placed under negative outlook on May 21.A decision which in the eyes of the agency at least, appears as "a very clear indicator," said Norbert Gaillard, an economist and specialist rating agencies. In fact, a negative outlook indicates that degradation can occur at two-year horizon, says Norbert Gaillard yet. Unlike a "supervision order", indicating a probability of discount "stronger in the next three months."

Quagmire of the magazine Italian Greek

The question is whether the markets have built-or not-this "indicator". And there, the doubt remains: "Normally this should be the case," suggests Norbert Gaillard.Adding that markets were also able to consider a positive outcome for Italy, when Moody's, which was placed on negative watch Rome in June, was given "one more month" to determine a deterioration in the adoption of an austerity plan for Rome in mid-July.

However, even if investors are mild at first, the degradation of Standard & Poor's suggests a bleak future on the other side of the Alps. "There are now three notches score difference between Moody's and Standard & Poor's, which is huge," says Norbert Gaillard. He said Moody's may well be tempted to turn degrade the Italian debt, "especially to preserve its credibility." With in this case, "a risk of panic 'markets.

In addition, S & P has not ended with Italy, since the rating agency maintained its negative outlook on the economy Alps.Now, if Moody's was focused on the austerity measures, its competitor seems only need a high debt, a fragile political situation, or a sluggish growth prospects for taking action, counting up Norbert Gaillard. Questioned on this point, Martin Winn mentioned merely "a probability of 33% of a further deterioration in the next two years." As negotiations dragged on over Greece, which still awaits its next tranche of EUR 8 billion, Italy is transformed into a dangerous powder keg for the rest of the euro area.

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Wall Street tackles the week in the red

September 19, 2011 - 10:44 pm Comments Off

The U.S. stock markets have opened sharply lower on Monday. In early trade the Dow Jones loose 1.23% and the Nasdaq -1.54%. European divisions over the records of the debt crisis and the rescue of Greece, and political tensions in the United States expected to weigh on investor sentiment. Friday, after a feverish new session, Wall Street had ended in the green on the wire.

Investors will be particularly attentive to the speech of President of the United States, Barack Obama. The U.S. president should propose a new tax plan today to 1.5 trillion dollars over the next decade. The plan also intends to cut the deficit in Washington from 3000 billion over the next ten years, said Sunday night a senior administration official.Worried that his program pushed by Congress, Bush called this weekend to support the Republicans, to avoid "dead end". President Barack Obama presented a plan Thursday night use of 447 billion dollars intended to provide a "shock" to the U.S. economy. He warned the Americans Saturday that they would provide "pull their weight" to reduce the country's budget deficit. The United States must indeed make 1.2 trillion dollars in savings by the end of the year. Barack Obama wants to target primarily the rich and businesses. In this sense, it must provide to Congress today a tax on incomes above taxpayers, those earning over a million dollars a year.

Summit meeting in Greece

Concerns about the situation in Greece should also still produce adverse effects on Wall Street.Following a two-day meeting, Friday and Saturday in Wroclaw, Poland, EU finance ministers decided to postpone their decision until October on a loan of 8 billion euros in Athens. The European finance ministers have also made little progress on the implementation of the second aid package to Greece about 160 billion euros, of which the principle was arrested on July 21. The presence of U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner will not change. Accused of delay in implementing measures to reduce the deficit, Greece must show its good will.

To try to convince the Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos has to go today as the yoke of the major creditors of the country, calling for new savings measures.According to his ministry, Evangelos Venizelos will submit to the verdict of the "troika" representing euro area and the International Monetary Fund on a conference call scheduled just after the close of European stock. An interministerial meeting is then scheduled to "specify concrete decisions" to be taken, said on Sunday the Greek Minister.

On Monday, the only indicator of expected importance in the U.S. NAHB housing index is to be released in 16 hours. The main highlight of the week in the U.S. is expected Tuesday and Wednesday with the Fed meeting. Investors expect the institution to take steps to maintain the downward pressure on interest rates and long-term and in turn gives a boost to growth.

The euro against the dollar worth

On the foreign exchange market, the euro accentuated his decline against the dollar on Monday.The euro bought 1.3653 dollars against 1.3797 dollars on Friday night. He fell last week below the threshold of $ 1.36 for the first time since February. Oil prices are also in the red. Around 12:30 in Paris, a barrel of Brent North Sea crude for November delivery traded at 111.75 dollars in London, giving 47 cents from Friday's close. In electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, a barrel of "light sweet crude" (WTI) for October delivery gave up $ 1.19 to 86.77 dollars.

Also note, share repurchases by companies have reached record levels over the quarter.They are for non-financial businesses of $ 475.2 billion in the quarter (annual rate) against 277.9 billion dollars for the full year 2010 specialists note Aurel BGC.

Values ​​to follow

The side of values, the general manager of movie rental service Netflix announced on the blog of the company splitting its activities on the internet streaming movies and delivery of DVDs by mail.

Boeing expects to receive "hundreds" of new orders and commitments for the 737 version of its remotorisée in the coming months, told Reuters Randy Tinseth, vice president of Boeing Commercial.

according to reports from CNBC, United Technologies is in talks with Goodrich Corp. to buy the company at a price of 125 dollars per share.

Moreover, according to the Sunday Express, Best Buy would have discussed the prospects of its business in the UK with its shareholders.

GE Transportation, a subsidiary of the giant General Electric announced it would invest $ 200 million to develop manufacturing of locomotives in Texas and Pennsylvania.

Sicav: that the crash cost to individuals

August 31, 2011 - 3:08 am Comments Off

The shower is severe. In the portfolios of French investors, very few mutual funds have been spared by the crisis of the summer. But there are still some miracle, such as those invested exclusively in bonds. With lower interest rates on German and French titles, they have recorded gains that offset their potential losses on bonds of peripheral states.

Some balanced funds, designed to protect stock market turmoil of the capital of their subscribers, also grown out of summer crash, as they kept their promises. Carmignac Patrimoine, the most famous of them, for example, ends in August slightly higher.He won more than 1% over the last three months, and displays from the beginning of a loss of 1.38%.

Funds that keep their promises

Before the summer, the management company, worried about economic growth, would be prudent, played the German government bonds and U.S. gold mining, focused on the stock exchange on defensive stocks and fled from the European financial. Paris paying as much this summer. "Earlier this year, already, we were very cautious and this has penalized our performance. But our concerns proved justified, "said Didier Saint-Georges, a member of the Investment Committee.

This fund is not the only one who done well in the gameOthers are also this month in the green, like Invesco Balanced Risk Allocation, which earns more than 1%.

Good surprises are, however, to investors, far fewer on the side of mutual funds dedicated only to "actions". Even the most reputable funds have simply succeeded in limiting the decline to less than 20% in August, the image of Agressor of Finance of the Exchequer (16% on a month -12.90% since the beginning of the year), Ulysses de Tocqueville Finance (18% of one month, -17% since the beginning of the year), or Work at Mandarin Mandarine Gestion (-14% last month ), according to Morningstar.

The banks'

Scores honorable, because the mutual funds shares plunge less bright, they, by 25%. And very few funds have done better, except for example Neuflize Opportunities France, which lost "only" 12% in August.Managers had preferred Neuflize Private Assets before the summer increase liquidity, cover part of the equity portfolio and stood, too, away from financial stocks.

"Since the beginning of the year, banks have lost a third of their stock value. The differences in performance between the mutual funds 'share' in Europe are essentially determined by the position given in the securities portfolios, "said Bernard Aybran, director of the multi at Invesco. The funds dedicated to small and mid caps were also often more resistant, precisely because they have few banks in their investment universe.

Subscribers who have agreed to diversify their portfolios outside of Europe have suffered a little less. "Emerging markets have not declined over the summer that the European stock markets," notes Bernard Aybran.U.S. stocks end up well also. At one month, the CAC 40 fell nearly 12% and U.S. S & P 500 half!

If underwriters are well aware of the risks they take by investing in equities, they are however less sensitive to those they face in buying bonds. However, they lost an average of 6.5% in one month on high-yield bond mutual funds, which invest in corporate bonds of lower quality. Popular earlier this year, praised for their efficiency, these securities have also plunged on the stock market during the crisis.

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After the hearing, Rupert Murdoch is for employees

July 21, 2011 - 8:20 am Comments Off

Rupert Murdoch warned that things will change. "Given the current problems by News International, we are taking serious steps to deal with the past and ensure that these problems do not happen again," wrote tycoon in an email to all employees on Wednesday. This shipment came a day after his hearing before a parliamentary committee in London, about the wiretapping ordered by the newspaper News of the World, which led to the resignations chain, including the head of Scotland Yard.

"Those who have betrayed our trust, will assume responsibility before the law," he said, adding that the group will emerge stronger from this crisis, but it would take time.

Trying to manage the crisis, the News Corp. has decided to publish an advertising campaign in the British press last weekend to apologize. According to the statement of James Murdoch, son of the founder of News Corp, which was published in The Guardian last Friday, the group plans to communicate widely to explain the actions the group will undertake in the future to manage the crisis. "Our company has made mistakes. She was indicted, but it will make developed to respond to unfair attacks, "he said.

The case made waves in Australia

The wiretapping scandal that broke out in Britain, is now cause problems for the media empire of Rupert Murdoch abroad.The Australian prime minister Julia Gillar said Wednesday in an interview in New South Wales that News Corp. will be forced to answer "hard questions" of Australians in relation to this matter. "I think there are many people who would ask questions related to the practices of News Ltd in our country," she said.The Australian arm of News Corp. News Ltd. controls 70% of the press in the country and trying to acquire other media in the country.

Despite the reassuring statements of Rupert Murdoch, News Corp activities pourraitent be permanently sealed by the case, which led Standard & Poor's yesterday to place the note in the group under surveillance before a next possible degradation.

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