Archive for the ‘finance’ Category

Bourse de Paris: EUR 70 billion evaporated in five sessions

August 11, 2011 - 4:32 am Comments Off

Treasury bills do not suffer from degradation of the note of the United States. Instead, rates remain historically low. U.S. finances are parties to drift, but investors have long known, and such a decision undermines their confidence in the ability of the United States to meet its repayments. "On the contrary, the threat of similar actions in other states has positive points: it encourages the ECB to carry more debt buyer of European public and invites States to precipitate the budgetary consolidation measures, which will strengthen intrinsic quality of government securities, "relativize Patrick Artus, Research Director of Studies and Natixis.

In fact, it is especially risky assets, which suffer from fears of contagion cuts ratings of sovereign debt payday loan.Evidenced by the plummeting global stock indexes following the shock announcement Standard & Poor's. Over the past five trading days, the Cac 40 lost almost 8%, and the index companies were affected differently. These are "primarily growth stocks" that have suffered the most, says Patrick Artus, "since the fall of 2400 billion over ten years the U.S. deficit will cost a point of growth the first year." Over the period, it is almost 70 billion euros in market capitalization went up in smoke. The equivalent (almost) the biggest company in France, namely Total!

James Murdoch retains the chairmanship of BSkyB

July 29, 2011 - 9:36 pm Comments Off

Despite strong criticism from politicians, the public and shareholders, the board of directors of the British group BSkyB has renewed their confidence in James Murdoch, who remains in control of the company. "As you might expect, there was a long discussion on the board (Thursday), concerning in particular the role of the president and the board unanimously reaffirmed its support for James," said Jeremy Darroch, the chief BSkyB, the BBC.

In the spotlight since the outcry over the wiretapping scandal in the UK and the abandonment of the News Corp. offer. the entire bouquet of satellite channels paid, son of Rupert Murdoch resisted so pretty well. It must be said that under his leadership, BSkyB can not stop producing exceptional results.During the fiscal year ended June, BSkyB managed to attract 426,000 new customers to over 10 million users. What increase its annual turnover by 16%, to 6.6 billion pounds, or 7 and a half billion euros. Operating profit, up 23%, even more than the symbolic billion pounds (1.14 billion euros). In short, BSkyB is a real cash cow for its parent News Corp., Which holds 39.1% stake. And that is why Rupert Murdoch would put both hands on the entire group. An ambition he had to drop against the scandal caused by tapping the News of the World. The penalty was immediate the London Stock Exchange: title BSkyB plunged nearly 15% in July.

Very angry shareholders

Faced with obviously very angry shareholders, BSkyB multiplies the gifts.The group will hand out a total of one billion pounds through a share buyback program of 750 million pounds and a dividend increase of 20% to 23.28 pence per share. James Murdoch, who is also chairman of News International and Executive Vice President of News Corp., Has certainly won a race, but it is nevertheless not completely out of the woods. The natural heir of the empire, Murdoch could be again required to explain himself to MPs in the summer. British MPs seek, in fact, to understand why James Murdoch supported them, during his hearing, there are about ten days, he was not aware of the extent of fraudulent tapping, as of News International's former colleagues say otherwise.

Besides, sources from the board of BSkyB, quoted by the BBC, the support of the Board of satellite package does not go on forever, if new evidence calling into question the credibility of James Murdoch, chairman of the British broadcasting company since 2007, its role could be reviewed.

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The weaknesses of the five Greek plan

July 28, 2011 - 8:00 pm Comments Off

The lull will not last long. A week just after the EU summit that was to stop the crisis by helping Greece, markets fall back into distrust. The plan of 109 billion euros, which would act as a sedative, is no longer effective. "While Greece is doing a little better than before the summit. But Wednesday the gap between interest rates Greek and German, the reference, has widened. Another day or two like this and the country will end up worse off than before, "notes Paul Donovan, economist at UBS.

Feared the contagion to other fragile states (Spain, Italy) was not stopped. Their rates have continued to climb and investors are questioning the limits of the plan presented last Thursday.

Inaccuracies

For the first time, investors will be strongly encouraged to participate in the rescue effort in Greece.Problem: lack of market information needed to assess how the financial industry will lose this game. "Financial institutions are supposed to have the three options, but these are not detailed in the European statement last Thursday", wonders Justin Knight, in charge rates for the euro area at UBS. The banking lobby, the Institute of International Finance, which participated in the negotiations, estimated probable losses for the sector to about 20% of total investments in the Greek debt.

Slow and laborious operation

EU leaders decided to put more tools available to the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF), the mechanism to assist states in need. The latter, which could only provide the states, will now buy the debt of these countries if attacked by the markets.Such action requires great responsiveness. However, the EFSF will have to wait to obtain the unanimous agreement of Member States before acting. "It is as if a city council should meet every time before sending firefighters extinguish a fire," concerned the analysis of ING, who would have liked a more flexible operation.

Not enough resources

The EFSF could also not have the means to exercise its new powers. Laurence Boone, euro zone economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said it would take 290 billion euros to defend Italy and Spain if they were attacked by the markets Payday Loan for Bad Credit. However, it has only 220 billion euros available. "The lack of risk to amputate the Fund's effectiveness," the economist concluded. A member of the European Central Bank (ECB) said it would increase the envelope of EFSF to 1000 billion euros.Economists European Centre for the Study of CEPS for their part feel the need to 4000 billion euros.

Not generous enough for Greece

European leaders have relaxed the conditions under which they provide loans to Greece, Portugal and Ireland. The repayment period was extended and the interest rate was lowered to 3.5%. Insufficient, according to analysts at Nomura: "The average interest rate on the Greek debt should be below 3% to enable it to achieve its goals of reducing its debt to 2031, ie to fall below 90% of gross domestic product (GDP). "The rating agency Standard & Poor's therefore believes that a new Greek debt restructuring will be needed in two years.

Not enough integration

The German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, has himself acknowledged Wednesday: the summit does not mark the end of the European crisis of debt. "A deeper economic union, including debt issues debt securities in Europe, is needed before we can declare overcome the crisis of debt in the euro area," said Michala Marcussen, chief economist at Societe Generale CIB.

In the end, "a supranational institution with real power to limit public deficits is essential," ING slice. It is the dream of Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank on the move: a European finance minister who would enforce fiscal discipline, over the states.Until such a reform, economists predict further mounted fever, until the appropriate remedy is provided.

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Sessions stressful to predict market

July 24, 2011 - 7:04 pm Comments Off

"All global markets are wondering whether U.S. policy makers are able to compromise and reach agreement on the debt." Here is essentially what Sunday said the secretary general of the White House, Bill Daley. Adding that financial markets are prepared to live very stressful day, Bill Daley has brought into the hands of President Obama and Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner. Both said last night their will to reach agreement by Sunday night (Paris time), a few hours before the opening of Asian markets.

Just relieved on the question of the end of the Greek fire, after the adoption of a new plan Thursday to help Greece, all the concerns of operators should indeed focus on the United States, where elected Democrats and Republicans are still debating on what to do to reduce the U.S. debt. After another weekend of heated discussions, the status quo is always appreciated. Nine days is the time left now to senior U.S. policy makers to tune their violins. If no agreement is reached by Aug. 2 on raising the debt ceiling (about 14,300 billion) as well as budget cuts and additional taxes, the world's largest economy could be in default payment at the beginning of next month. Which would surely induce panic in the stock market.

Fear of a deterioration in the rating of sovereign debt

Even without going to default, the risk of a stock drop on the American question remains possible payday advance lenders. According to the White House, a simple short-term renewal of the debt (to which scenario we are heading according to Republican Senator Tom Coburn) could lead to a deterioration in the sovereign debt rating by U.S. rating agencies. These sanctions are rarely applauded the stock market, especially when they concern the world's largest economy. Waiting to see the Asian markets the first consequences of the new fruitless discussions of the weekend, analysts stress the importance of the issue to investors.

"The markets have liquidated" Friday, they had learned during the day the failure of negotiations between the White House and Republican opponents of a plan to reduce long-term deficits, said David Kotok, chairman of Cumberland Advisors. But now "the markets have had time to digest" and determination displayed by both others to avoid default is reassuring. Still, that nervousness should remain in force next week on the large world. After removal of the threat of the eurozone, the political debates around the indebtedness of Western countries have not yet finished obscure markets.

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Beware of counterfeit notes of 20 and 50 euros

July 19, 2011 - 3:40 pm Comments Off

In the first six months of the year, the European Central Bank, through the 17 national central banks in the euro area, has withdrawn from circulation approximately 296,000 counterfeit euro banknotes. A figure down 18.8%. As usual, these are the breaks of 20 and 50 euros that have been copied the most, with respectively 43 and 36% of counterfeit notes detected. Thus, the probability of having one day turn a fake is minimal, since currently, 15 billion euro banknotes circulating in the world with 13 billion in the hands of 330 million Europeans.

How to recognize a counterfeit bill? "First is the button: the ticket must be firm and crack when it is bent, and some inscriptions in relief is palpable. Then you look at it: we mark the traditional watermark, the black security, we detect signs of security by transparency, etc..And then tilts: the band or disc holographic silver toggles the face value and the € symbol, "said Francis Coustin, communications director of the Bank of France, stating that there are eight recognizable security features of immediately, then another series of signs visible with ultraviolet light, which traders often have, and finally other signs that only the European Central Bank and national central banks can detect. In all, there are 63! (See the interactive presentation of the security features of the ECB)

The ECB shall ensure consistently maintain its technological edge on the counterfeiters, who face risks thirty years' imprisonment and 450,000 euros fine. The Bank of France, also a civil party, does not claim a symbolic euro in damages.Within the Eurosystem, work is underway to develop a second series of euro banknotes, the theme will look like the current (see box).

A ticket is damaged, torn, not calcined is not lost

Think again if you think the ticket you just go to the machine, or your child has torn, is worthless. While it may legitimately be refused by your merchant, but the Bank of France, she will be able to replace them. In extreme cases – ticket sales, burned, burned, mutilated, wet, soft, bonded, etc.. – It is always possible to be "paid" but for a fee of 20%.

Francis Coustin the occasion of the exhibition Euro: the exhibition at the Cité des Sciences and Industry at La Villette (Paris XX) until September 4 – which comes in a fun way about the history of the euro, its manufacture, the security features of tickets, etc..- Chronicles the misadventures of people who burned their tickets, ensuring that parts of the Vatican, Monaco or San Marino (Italy) should be retained as they are rare … and therefore valuable, but warns, however, that collecting tickets francs (date of exchange limit, February 17, 2012) does not promise any profit, "they will be worth nothing then strictly."

Euro: the exhibition, organized for the first time in France, the European Central Bank and the Bank of France, has already attracted over 100,000 visitors in recent months in Europe, from Barcelona to Tallinn via Rome or Berlin.

Cotton in the mass circulation

• How does one manufacture a ticket?

To make the paper is bleached cotton fibers (only one note is made of cotton) in a water bath at high pressure and high temperature.The resulting pulp is then passed through a paper machine. To obtain the special paper, called Paper Trust, own bank notes, are incorporated in the paper some security features such as watermarks and security thread.

• Where do we manufacture the tickets?

In Europe, paper is supplied banknote paper to the fourteen high-security printers who print the euro banknotes in the European Union. In France, since 1915, tickets are no longer manufactured at Bercy, in Seine-et-Marne, but Chamalières (print) Auvergne – nothing to do with Valerie Giscard d'Estaing, who became finance minister from 1962 to 1966 -, and Vic-le-Comte (stationery). A year earlier, the Paris site was briefly occupied by the Germans, hence the decision to relocate the "safe" to an area less exposed.

• How many tickets are made in France?

In 2010, 2.45 billion tickets were delivered by the Manufacturing billest which 1738 billion euro, central banks outside the euro zone commander in France tickets. Every day, these are some 6.7 million tickets that are born in Auvergne.

• Where do the tickets then?

Once made, the tickets are sent to branches of the Banque de France equipped with crates. Then carriers (Brinks, etc.). Come back to supply banks, which themselves carry out their distributors, or retail, which brews each day astronomical amounts of cash, and merchants.

• How long does a ticket?

Tickets and circulate from hand to hand, and come back regularly and the Bank of France, which sorts all tickets at once, to put back into circulation as tickets safe and in good condition. To do this, sorting machines at high speed are used to check in a split second the authenticity of tickets. Notes unfit for circulation are destroyed and replaced.Finally, an average, the average life span of a 5 euro note is fourteen months and that of a ticket 50 euros for three and a half years.

• Some rules to know:

– A merchant has the right to deny him a ticket that looks suspicious, a merchant can refuse to cash more than 50 pieces in a single payment, a merchant has the right to refuse a big ticket for a small purchase: the customer must to the extra-A trader does not have the right to refuse display notes 100, 200 and 500 euros denying a legal tender banknotes is punishable under the Penal Code-If I a ticket printer or scanner, I am off-the-law.

The design of banknotes and coins

• Tickets continennent all a European monument and a bridge. But if some drawings look fiercely at a known site, none really exists.In December 1996 that ended the contest European models of the euro banknotes, which was won by Robert Kalina, designer of the National Bank of Austria. Gaphisme inspired by the architectural styles of seven periods in the history of European culture: the classic notes of € 5, the novel for those 10 euros, Gothic for 20euros, the Renaissance for 50 euros Baroque and Rococo for 100 euros, glass and steel to 200 euros, and the architecture of the twentieth century for 500 euros.

• As for parts, the idea was that they have a common European side (battery) and the national side (face). A European competition was then held to select the number of common sides. The winner was Luc Luycx, graphic designer at the Royal Belgian Mint. And in the end, the 17 countries of the euro area are some 136 different pieces move.The choice of the national side has done differently in each country. In Italy, the themes were selected by viewers of the Italian channel RAI. In monarchies, the effigies of kings were most often represented.

"Join the game" Rally France Euro 2011 for children aged 9 to 12 on www.euro.ecb.eu

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Europe wants to stop the panic before the holidays

July 17, 2011 - 11:04 pm Comments Off

Find a solution to the debt crisis before the holidays. This is the roadmap of finance ministers of the euro zone next week. The European Council President, Herman van Rompuy, do not let them choose by calling Thursday for a summit. In the meantime, they must agree on the terms of a new plan of aid to Greece, the key to stability in the euro area.

"Our agenda will be the financial stability of the euro area as a whole and the future funding of the program (help) Greek," said Herman van Rompuy in a statement released Friday night. A summit should be held this week, but the disagreements were apparently still too large to meet the ministers of the euro area.

Friday, the German government still insisted on the need to reach a solution on this point before considering a meeting at the highest level."It's not a meeting in itself will help Greece, is a new program," said Berlin spokesman of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Steffen Seibert. A meeting will take place only if "it makes sense and is necessary," he added.

"Practicalities"

The fact that the president of the EU sets a date for the meeting means that the countries of the region are close to an agreement to overcome their differences on the plan must shelter Greece until 2014. The difficulties relate to the private sector. While States have agreed on this principle, "the element that continues to be discussed is the scope and practical arrangements," said the Belgian Minister of Finance Didier Reynders.

This question, seemingly technical, is the more political aspects.Specifically, Germany would like the creditor banks of Greece their hands to the portfolio. German Chancellor Angela Merkel does not want to antagonize the public, tired of paying for its European neighbors. The German solution has the potential to place Athens in de facto default. An option rejected by the European Central Bank (ECB), France and Madrid. "We made good progress" in discussions of the issues that upset "but there is still work to do," said a source close to the talks.

"Treat the Greek problem '

These dissensions troubled financial markets in the euro area. The crisis reached a new level this week, the contagion affecting Italy's third largest economy in the euro area. Rome, however, managed to extinguish the fire in the markets by adopting an emergency in the austerity plan of 48 billion euros.Publication of the results of stress tests of European banks on Friday could also help calm the fears of investors.

If the finance ministers do not want to disturb the relative calm, they will present next Thursday, practical solutions. "It should address the problem of Greece, as a starting point of an overall therapy," say economists at Credit Agricole. The recipe that will be applied to Greece as an example. "

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Europe is going bad but the euro remains strong

July 6, 2011 - 12:48 am Comments Off

Eighteen months after the initial concerns about the European debts, the situation on the old continent is still fragile. However, the euro remains surprisingly strong. The euro hovered around $ 1.45 since April, and rose more than 8% since the beginning of the year, and 15.5% in one year. "The first explanation that justifies the euro strengthens and weakens the dollar is in the interest rates: in Europe, they are likely to be faced by the ECB on Thursday, reaching 1.50% while those U.S. Federal Reserve and will still remain long remain between 0 and 0.25%, "says Bruno Rodier, private banker and portfolio manager at Pictet & Cie.This differential rate encourages investors to take advantage of the "carry trade", this technique to generate returns by borrowing in dollars at a rate unusually low, and place it in euros, which pays better.

"The situation should not change in the coming months because when the European Central Bank has the sole purpose of containing inflation by raising interest rates, the Fed also has the task of supporting growth and employment and maintain long-term rates low and a weak currency to do so, "said Harry Sebag, an analyst at Saxo Bank.He said the Fed will not change its monetary policy anytime soon because it looks especially the real estate market across the Atlantic, the one who caused the economic crisis and financial crisis in the summer of 2007, which is still not out business.

The dollar is kept artificially low

But even more than the strengthening of the euro, especially on the weak dollar that the experts agree. And has been a little more than a year: the Fed announcement as it injects new astronomical quantities (600 billion) dollars in the global economy. Instantly, the dollar lost its value against other currencies, and the effect lasted until now."There is also the effect 'end of world supremacy' of the dollar plays, including the report of the World Bank has recently anticipated that by 2025, that is to say tomorrow, the market currencies will be dominated also by the Chinese yuan, not only by the dollar and the euro, "notes Vincent Juvyns, strategist at ING IM cash advance no fax.

The role of the dollar as the global benchmark fading as global governance wants to reform the international monetary system. In this perspective, little by little, investors include the future landscape of the exchange market and exchange their dollars into yuan and euro. "At the same time, we must take into account the cultural dimension of geographical areas: Europe, under the influence of Germany was a culture of rent, we want to keep a strong currency.This contrasts with the current pattern of currency war, which is to artificially push down its currency to promote its own foreign trade, "said Bruno Rodier.

Europe is going less badly than the U.S.

Finally, if Europe goes wrong, it will hurt less than the United States. Bad news on the macroeconomic front here and on the other side of the Atlantic, lower the respective currencies, but the U.S. figures are still worse than the European data, the dollar fell more than the euro. So the euro / dollar rate goes up anyway. "If you took away the effect debt, the euro was trading at least $ 1.50," Harry Sebag plans.Recently, the growth forecasts for the European Union were found, while those for the United States have been degraded.

Thus, the twists in the case of Greece, or fears of contagion from the crisis of sovereign debt of countries in the euro area peripheral to Italy or France, they have had little effect on the euro itself. "The currency market is highly sensitive to very short term. But in the coming weeks, the scenario of an outbreak of the euro area remains the least plausible of all, "says Vincent Juvyns, underlining that" challenges remain whole in the longer term. " The markets seem optimistic about the ability of European governance to agree to find solutions to problems of public finances of member countries."And Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel, and Jean-Claude Trichet has always reassuring words to soothe the markets when tensions rise," added the expert.

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Retirement: the new rules quickly set

July 4, 2011 - 10:20 pm Comments Off

Once published Tuesday, the opinion of the Advisory Council pensions, the decree formalizing the transition to 41.5 years of contributions from the 1955 cohort could be taken quickly. CNAV request, to inform as soon as its nationals. The beneficiaries of the "long career" born in 1955 are, in fact, likely to retire on January 1.

The Ministry of Labour does not seem to see any objection, saying anyway have little choice: "The law is written Fillon very imperative low interest rate personal loans. Things mechanically apply, depending on life expectancy, "an official analysis.PS and unions denounced the prospect of a longer contribution period: CGT sees a decline in disguise of pensions, the CFDT talking about additional victims of the reform of 2010.

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Fillon target proponents of de-globalization

July 3, 2011 - 1:20 am Comments Off

A true campaign speeches. Cambodia before the French together in a vast lounge of the Sofitel Hotel in Phnom Penh, the prime minister Saturday launched a violent charge against the left, without ever naming it: "Those who believe that the idea that one could 'de-globalization' history and the comfort of a domestic policy alone, without external stress, maintain a dangerous illusion, "he said, while some voices in the PS and the Greens in particular to call for ecological and social conversion of the production system. "Globalization is a fact, not a hypothesis," has dealt François Fillon, taking the opportunity to refine their profile politician "lucid" which tells the "truth" to the French.

"You who live in the Asian continent, you know what is meant by globalization and the (…) changes it brought with it," he said to an audience that the UMP would attract and retain the perspective the presidential election of 2012 (hence the creation Wednesday of a Secretary of State for French nationals abroad, at the ministerial reshuffle).

Fillon promised to fight against the risk of decline

The prime minister also criticized the "lack of responsibility" for "those who advocate, under a mask of generosity, the return to funding expensive." "Between the spring of election promises and fall of the exercise of power, the reality is responsible for breaking down dead leaves of inconsistent programs," he added, lyrical.

While calling for more than "partisanship," the Prime Minister continued his charge against the advocates of protectionism. "Those who want to get France out of the euro, if unfortunately they came to business, they would endanger our economy, our social model, in the name of a false idea of ​​national sovereignty", he attacked. Against these "lax or populist proposals" which "we pose the risk of decline," Fillon promised he would fight "all (his) forces."

While the UMP is constantly mock the PS program considered "dated," Fillon drove the nail in praising the reforms carried out in four years: a guarantee "of international adjustment," he praised " we have continued to act to reinvigorate our economy, to capitalize on innovation to secure our social model, to contain our costs, "he added."None of these reforms has not been easy, he said. But I am convinced that their legitimacy will prevail, because the French feel that the new world will be uncompromising for nations that choose the easy (…) With the approach of elections, disputes conducive to systematic and utopias of all kinds, we will maintain our line of truth and realism ambitious. "

(From our special correspondent in Cambodia)

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China reaffirms its confidence in the euro

June 27, 2011 - 8:32 am Comments Off

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao expressed his "confidence" in the future of the euro area and promised to continue investing in the region at the beginning of a new tour on the old continent. In the midst of the Greek debt, Wen Jiabao gave a breath of fresh air to the euro by saying that Beijing had "continued to buy treasury bills from several European countries and had not reduced its reserves in euros." In Budapest and London to Berlin today and tomorrow o ù he will attend an economic forum with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the prime minister wants to present China as a long-term partner of the European Union.

Significant support before a crucial week for Greece.In fact, while the Greek Parliament will vote on Thursday, the new austerity plan required by the EU in exchange for the release of the next tranche of 12 billion euros, the Greek deputy prime minister warned that recalcitrant MPs could block some reforms sought by donors. Theodore Pangalos believes that overall the plan should be passed but the new tax reforms and privatization of national companies should be difficult to adopt, he warned. Yet the majority of the Papandreou government is reduced, the ruling PASOK deputies out of 155 and 300 Greek opposition repeats it rejects the call for a united front.

At the same time, France came up with a new plan to allow the private sector to help Greece, reveals Le Figaro.In the night from Friday to Saturday, the French Treasury and financial institutions have agreed on a scenario that will allow private creditors to subscribe to new Greek government bonds on a voluntary basis.

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