Archive for the ‘features’ Category

November 16, 2011 - 3:44 pm Comments Off

Apple announced Tuesday after the close of Wall Street that the media group's boss Disney, Robert Iger, integrate its board, now chaired by Arthur Levinson, who was one of the leading officials of the board of the group in 2005. These decisions were taken one month after the death of founder and CEO of Apple Steve Jobs. In addition, Apple has opened for the first time Wednesday discussions with advocacy groups accuse the Chinese environmental industry working for the manufacturer of computers and smartphones U no fax needed payday loans.S. large-scale pollution.

The Dell IT group released Tuesday, also after the close of Wall Street, with net income up 9% in the third quarter of fiscal offset to $ 893 million, slightly above expectations.

November 14, 2011 - 10:52 pm Comments Off

The U.S. stock markets have opened slightly lower Monday. In early trade, the Dow Jones ceded 0.17% to 12,132.64 points and the Nasdaq 0.23% to 2672.49 points. On Friday, the New York Stock Exchange ended in the green, driven by the hope of breakthroughs on the front of the crisis in the eurozone.

The events in Europe during the weekend still seem to dictate the evolution of Wall Street. Since the appointment of Lucas Papademos, former European Central Bank, to head the new Greek government was followed by that of the former European Commissioner Mario Monti as the new prime minister in Italy last night.

November 8, 2011 - 2:44 am Comments Off

France Televisions will participate there in the war effort budget? MPs Gilles Carrez, chairman of the Finance Committee, and Patrice Martin-Lalande, deputy of Loir et Cher, a member of the Finance Committee and co-chair of the Task Force Internet, broadcasting and information society, the same wish if the means differ slightly.

Specifically, this is to limit the payment of appropriations made to the public company for the loss of advertising revenue due to the partial shutdown of advertising on the main branches of the group since 2009. France Televisions already committed for 2012 to increase its advertising revenue from 410 to 425 million euros but also revert to the state 28 million euros in credits not used by the public group.

But the chairman of the Finance Committee would go further.

November 7, 2011 - 2:12 am Comments Off

France will she run out of stones in 2030? The threat is real lack for material needed to build roads, homes and offices, according to the National Union of Aggregates (UNPG), who sounded the alarm in the spring.

This seems incongruous. With the crisis, sales of aggregates are indeed increased from 431,000 tons three years ago to 365,000 tonnes in 2010. "But over a long period, the annual consumption of the Hexagon is around 400 million tonnes, says Nicolas Vuillier, president of the UNPG. One kilometer of highway requires 30,000 tons of aggregates, construction of a hospital between 20,000 and 40,000 tons. But with environmental constraints, a lot of careers close.Today, there are still 2500, 5000 against fifteen years ago. "

This intensified competition among the three main French actors, groups BTP Vinci and Bouygues (through their subsidiary road, and Eurovia Colas, respectively), followed by building materials giant Lafarge. Eurovia built last year a turnover of 500 million euros, extracting 55 million tonnes of its French quarries.

The pebbles are attracting ever-increasing appetite, because this business can secure the supply of concrete for groups of building materials, and asphalt for road specialists. In addition, their operation is a high margin business. On average, operating income up 20% of their turnover. "Careers require a lot of investment grade Guy Vacher, Chief Operating Officer of Eurovia.

November 2, 2011 - 12:36 am Comments Off

"What will happen if the people say no? The risk is that the international community shuts off the money and the country will eventually leave the euro. There is matter of serious concern investors, "said Christoph Weil for his part, an analyst at Commerzbank. As for the CM-CIC analysts, the referendum "opens a Pandora's box about the size of the losses to be borne by financial institutions."

New sharp rise in unemployment in September

October 26, 2011 - 9:16 pm Comments Off

The news could not have come at a worse time. According to data recently published by the Ministry of Labour, the number of registered unemployed at the end of month employment center has increased again in September. And not a little: from 26,000 in Class A (unemployed who have not worked at all) and 27,600 in categories A, B and C (including job seekers who have had a reduced activity during the month ).

By category, so there is between 2.78 and 4.175 million unemployed in France. A level not seen since January 2000 in Class A and never reached at all, the combination A, B and C.Results for the six months to less catastrophic for the presidential and the more so as the number of registered unemployed in category D (that is to say, training, training, illness or device reclassification as contract Professional security and therefore not required to seek work), jumped 3.8% in September after several months of declines or relative stability. Proof, if needed, that the social treatment of unemployment on public money is well and truly left full in September.

In a statement, Xavier Bertrand "takes note of these poor figures related to the downturn." The Minister of Labour and Employment took the opportunity to recall the "absolute engagement" government "on the employment front, especially for young people."And for good reason: the number of under 25 not engaged in any activity which have registered at employment center grew 0.6% in September, bringing down over-year to 2% when it was over 6 % on the first months of the year.

It is mostly young men who enrolled en masse in September (1.3% against 0.1% for young women)."The new measures already in force of the law of 28 July 2011, including the ability to start an apprenticeship contract immediately without learning, practical solutions to the challenges made in the field should enable all young people wishing to enter alternately you can do, "warns, however, Xavier Bertrand cashadvance.

Sudden economic downturn

The Minister did, however, no word in the direction of the unemployed and senior long-term which, when not hurt, have been hard hit by the economic downturn last month. The number of unemployed people over 55 increased by 2.1% in group A (a jump of 14.3% over one year) and that of long-term unemployed, 0.7%.

The cold shower is especially icy for job seekers registered for more than three years employment center (+2.5% on month and 21% year on year).Immediate consequence, the average length of employment center has yet to take one day at 456 (against 394 days two years ago), and the share of registered unemployed for over a year unemployed now stands at 38.2 %, up 8.5 points history since the beginning of the crisis.

Apart from the inscriptions following a redundancy which continue to decline (-2.5% over one month and 12% year on year), the other two main reasons for entry are on the rise: the purpose CDD (+4.5% on month and 9.7% year on year) and for temporary assignments (+0.3% in a month and 13.6% in twelve months).

As for administrative radiation, often a source of controversy, they are this time not in any case. They rose in effect from 4% in September and were virtually unchanged over the year.The other bad news, confirming the sudden economic downturn, concerns finally collected and vacancies filled by employment center that fell in September, respectively, 7.1 and 5.3% over one month.

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Barilla wants to eat his pasta to Chinese

October 22, 2011 - 8:32 am Comments Off

Pasta with pesto sold alongside kebab silkworm larvae or fried chicken feet? This is the crazy challenge of Italian Barilla, which hopes to soon be eating his pasta to the Chinese. "Fast food is an effective way to install the brand and a direct relationship with consumers, said Guido Barilla, chairman of the Italian group that carried out last year EUR 4 billion in sales. If food purchases for the home are traditional, there is now a real interest of people in the street to the kitchens of the world. "

In the Middle Kingdom as in the rest of Asia, food is becoming more and more often on the go, bought in the shops that fill the streets.Or international chains of fast food like McDonald's or Kentucky Fried Chicken, which are present in large cities.

"The goal of Barilla is to be present in twenty years with an offer dedicated to Asia, which is consistent with the true Italian gastronomic tradition, says Guido Barilla. We look at different ways to adapt the offer to local habits with recovery modes that do not exist in the business portfolio of Barilla. "

Ready meals in Europe soon

Therefore no question of selling Barilla noodles Asian or to eat his pasta with chopsticks. The Italian group, which wants to reach consumers in major cities of the region is still at the beginning. He formed earlier this year a regional team of five people based in Singapore. He also sent ten people in Tokyo.All work closely with the headquarters in Parma.

In emerging markets, which account for only 7% of sales, Barilla also looking to South America. "Barilla is a family business, we are not pressed by the objectives of growth or profitability, says Guido Barilla. Our priority now is to install Barilla in new geographies. But we do not make shots. What matters are the group's financial stability and product quality. "

The internationalization of the Italian group has accelerated since the mid-1990s, when Guido and his brothers and sister took over the reins of the company at the death of their father, Pietro, grand-son of the founder.

After settling in France – its second largest market after Italy – and Germany in the 1980s, Barilla headed for the United States.Three years ago, he won first place in the pasta market. Barilla, which generates $ 500 million in sales in the U.S., it now holds 30% market pulp and posted growth of 4 to 5% per year. The Italian was offered four years ago a second plant in the country, near New York. The growth potential is enormous. If the Italians consume 27 kg of pasta per year per capita, Americans eat three times less …

Meanwhile, Barilla brand of pasta popular in Greece and Turkey. In Europe, where the group wants to expand its business scope, it introduced last year pasta with vegetables. This board today the launch of cooked pasta, bearing the signature of chefs.France, where the brand holds 20% of Barilla pasta market, would be among the first countries to sell this product.

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Moody's severe penalties for Spain

October 20, 2011 - 8:16 am Comments Off

The debt crisis in the euro area is growing. After Moody's threw the trouble on the debt rating of France, the rating agency has put his threat for Spain. Following in the footsteps of Standard and Poor's and Fitch, the rating agency lowered the credit rating of the fourth largest economy in the euro area by two notches to "A1" instead of "Aa2".

Moody's, however, shows more severe than its competitors. She attributed to Spain's fifth best mark where Standard and Poor's and Fitch gives it their fourth best. Moody's and depriving the country of the issuer status for high-quality issuers to the rank swallow solids but may be affected by changes in economic conditions. Like its competitors, the rating indicates the rating of Spain could again be lowered to medium term faxless payday advance.

To justify its decision, the agency said that "Spain continues to be vulnerable to market pressures" that economic growth should reach only 1% at best in 2012 (and not 1.8% as the Moody's previously thought), and that it "will make it more difficult to achieve the ambitious budgetary targets" of the country. Moody's also kept a "negative outlook" rating on the Spanish because of the "risk posed to the country for worsening of the crisis in the euro area."

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Worried about China, Asian stock markets fall

October 19, 2011 - 12:56 am Comments Off

The fear of a slowing Chinese economy weigh on Asian stock markets. On Tuesday, the day after a session, however encouraging, the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong and Shanghai Composite Index unleash respectively 3.34% and 1.67 points to 18,243.31% to 2399.58 points. Investors react to the publication of a slowdown in Chinese growth to 9.1% in the third quarter, against 9.7% and 9.5% in the first and second quarters.After this bad figure, other regional financial centers are also displayed down: the Nikkei of the Tokyo Stock Exchange lost 1.47% to 8749.08 points, the Kospi index in Seoul fell by 1.47% to 1837.73 points, the S & P / ASX 200 Index yields 1.82% at Sydney 4197.70 points, the BSE Sensex 30 in Mumbai fold from 1.66% to 16,742.80 points and the FTSE Straits Times of Singapore gives up 1.78% to 2729.51 points.

"Economic growth is currently facing a more complicated on both external and internal plans," said the spokesman for the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Sheng Laiyun commenting on the growth of China. In fact, Chinese exporters are beginning to suffer from particular sovereign debt crisis in Europe, their largest market, a difficult economic situation in the United States.The Chinese economy is also impacted by rising wages and strong yuan, has appreciated by 7% in a year against the dollar. "The number of factors of instability and uncertainty increases," says Sheng Laiyun.

The concern weighing on Europe

In this context, the correct figures for China's industrial production have gone unnoticed cheap pay day loans. This has increased by 13.8% in September year on year, according to BNS.

In addition, concerns about the debt crisis in Europe grew yesterday and weigh Surles markets. The German Minister of Economics Wolfgang Schäuble has indeed warned that the EU summit to be held in Brussels Sunday will not lead to a definitive solution to the debt crisis. And, while the central bankers of the euro zone had promised a response "comprehensive and lasting peace" to the crisis at the G20 finance this weekend in Paris.

China Eastern Airlines to Hong Kong and Tepco

On the corporate side, China Eastern Airlines (-7.02% to 2.65 Hong Kong dollars) on Monday announced an agreement to acquire 15 Airbus A330 family for a selected list price of $ 2.5 billion, for delivery between 2013 and 2015.

Note that Tepco, the operator of the nuclear accident in Fukushima, yields 1.38% in Tokyo, after asking the first tranche of public assistance of some 700 billion yen (6.7 billion euros) for finance part of the compensation of victims, according to Japanese media on Tuesday.

On the front of currencies, the euro rose 0.28% to 1.377 dollars on Tuesday. Oil is meanwhile down in Asia after the confirmation of a slowdown in Chinese growth in the third quarter against a backdrop of skepticism about a speedy resolution of sovereign debt crisis in the euro area.The barrel of "light sweet crude" for delivery in November, up in the early electronic trading, lost 9 cents to 86.29 dollars, around 6:00.

Coca-Cola launches cans of cold coffee in France

October 17, 2011 - 8:32 am Comments Off

Cold coffee "ready to drink" in a can? This is the new Coca-Cola hopes to drink from the French. Accustomed to swallow their little black zinc, they have already converted to coffee to drink in paper cups with the arrival of Starbucks and other coffee Columbus.

Since this summer, the world leader in soft drinks, combined with specialist Italian Illy coffee, launched its cans of coffee at Daily Monop 'and Monop' (Monoprix). Illy issimo named this new drink is declined "caffe" and "cappuccino". "This drink is not far from the tastes of the French, it's just a new way to drink coffee as was the case some years ago with the iced tea in cans," said Ilaria Presotto, marketing director of Ilko, the joint venture created in 2007 by Coca-Cola and Illy.

With this coffee "ready to drink," Coca-Cola wants to meet new consumer needs.He hopes to reach young and urban assets, on the road, often of tiredness during the day. "This is a premium drink that matches the new lifestyles, says Ilaria Presotto. This is a niche category that did not exist in the French market, so we need to educate consumers and encourage impulse buying. "Suddenly, the price of Illy issimo (2.20 -3 euros) is aligned with RedBull, alongside which he finds himself in the rays in the absence of competitor.

As with VitaminWater, the world leader in soft drinks has chosen a selective distribution. He wants to know Illy issimo by word-of-mouth.He focused primarily on fresh produce stores so that its drinks are lost on the shelf.

Starbucks and PepsiCo in ambush

These cans of coffee, which are now available in 400 outlets in France, were first sold exclusively at Colette, La Grande Grocery of Paris (Le Bon Marché) in several luxury hotels in the capital as the Hotel George V and the Côte d'Azur. "With these first months of launch, we will expand our offering next year and increase the distribution of our products to major retailers, says Ilaria Presotto, currently in talks with Carrefour. We hope to at least double our sales in France in 2012. "In the Hexagon, Illy issimo – which is produced in Denmark – is sold by the sales of Illy. In Barcelona and London where Illy issimo was launched along with Paris, the distribution strategy was the same.In the British capital, the drink is sold in stores in the chain Waitrose premium, in addition to sandwiches. It is also found in company canteens as Disney or head of the Daily Telegraph.

In Europe, Illy and Coca-Cola inspired by the success of Illy issimo Japan and the United States, where the drink was launched two years ago. In Japan, the first market issimo Illy, the coffee is sold in cans hot or cold in the millions of vending machines in the country. The country accounts for 70% of world consumption of coffee "ready to drink." A market of 17 billion dollars which increased by 5% in five years. In the U.S., too, is a high potential market. From year to year, sales have doubled in the country. But Coca-Cola is facing a strong competitor, Starbucks Coffee, combined with another heavyweight soft drinks, PepsiCo.After the United States, China, Britain or Germany, their coffee "ready to drink" Frappuccino will land next year in France.

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