Current News Headlines

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.

ALSO READ:

"SPECIAL – Europe, States facing bankruptcy

»Greece: towards a second aid plan of 110 billion

"Greece: the solution proposed by France

The French presidency of the G20 has a real workhorse: the fight against agricultural price volatility and put agriculture at the heart of the investments to ensure food security. In fact, this summit today and tomorrow brings together the ministers of agriculture of 20 countries representing 85% of world production, is a first in the annals of the G20 to put the assets of France. On the eve of the opening, the Minister of Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire, recognizes this: if an action plan has five points on the table, "it will be difficult to reach an agreement, both differences are profound. " No question as to aim for a minimum agreement. "We prefer to fail rather than give up a point.It is a coherent whole that can handle all causes, "insists on the ministry.

• Transparency in Physical

The most concrete commitment, it would create a database, called Friends Information System (agricultural markets) and hosted at FAO. To provide information that is "clear and transparent" about global levels of production, consumption and stocks, initially focused on corn, soybeans, rice and wheat. This involves the cooperation of private groups such as Cargill and Dreyfus. This should lead to a consensus, despite the reluctance of China and India on issues of sovereignty. They are willing to engage on the condition of technical assistance such as satellite photos.

• Increased productivity

Again, this measure of common sense could rally all members of the G20.This is to encourage investment in global agriculture by focusing on innovation to improve yields of wheat and rice. The challenge: increase of 70% of world agricultural production by 2050 to feed 50% more mouths payday loan companies. The draft declaration emphasizes the need to develop public-private partnerships, a point without critics in the major emerging countries.

• Coordination of global agricultural production

In order not to replicate the Russian episode last summer, the French Presidency pushing for the establishment of a Rapid Response Forum (RRF), which should facilitate the coordination of agricultural trade policies. A measure criticized by the United States and Australia, which refer this matter to the World Trade Organization. The subject of biofuels, blamed as a factor of volatility, pass second.The project calls for a "strengthening of the analysis between the production of biofuels and the food."

• Reduce the effects of volatility on the most vulnerable countries

The World Bank should encourage the establishment of contractual instruments such as loans cyclical, ensuring access to credit and risk coverage to the poorest countries. It also reserves to provide for humanitarian relief. The term "stock" was carefully excluded to avoid offending the most reluctant, USA, Argentina and Brazil, particularly hostile to administered prices.

• Regulation of financial markets

Railing against excessive speculation, Nicolas Sarkozy promised more regulation of financial markets.On this point, the final statement is likely to be modest, returning responsibility to the finance ministers, themselves remain highly dependent on market authorities. The text could, however, contain some recommendations, including imposing position limits, as is already done in Chicago.

.

The U.S. stock markets, should re-open down on Monday. Future of Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq 100 respectively retreating from 0.27% to 1260 points and 0.65% at 2181.25 points. Wall Street ended the session on a mixed note Friday. The Dow Jones gained 0.36% to 12004.36 points while the Nasdaq 100 lost 0.32% to 2192.96 points and the S & P 500 rose 0.89% to 1278.87 points.

Despite a new rescue plan for Greece launched last night by finance ministers in Europe, U.S. markets should still be concerned as their counterparts in Europe and especially Paris.

After the reassuring words of Heads of State French and German unit, which posted a welcome Friday, the firm tone adopted by the ministers at the weekend said that the issue will be very long to resolve.The central bankers in the eurozone have defined the conditions of payment of a further tranche of loans in July, but the finance ministers of the euro area indicate that the release of the loan must be accompanied by the vote of a new plan of austerity and privatization by the Greek Parliament. Banks and other private creditors and participate in this new plan. However the contours of that plan remains to be defined.

In the wake of renewed tensions, the euro falls against the dollar. 11:00 in Paris to the European single currency was worth 1.4232 dollars against 1.4301 dollars on Friday night. In addition, oil continues to fall sharply, quoting under $ 92 in New York.

On the macroeconomic front, the week promises to be charged. Members of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Fed will meet this week.The release will be issued Wednesday evening and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will give a press conference after the meeting. Aurel BGC experts anticipate little change in the FOMC statement. They argue that the Fed chairman should emphasize the temporary nature of the slowdown and reject any idea of ​​a new program of quantitative easing. Other highlights of the week, investors will monitor the number of housing sales in the old tomorrow and in the nine Thursday. Then Friday, they will learn the durable goods orders. The latter will benefit from a rebound in transportation orders, thanks to Boeing.

All eyes will be turned to the Paris Air Show, which opens Monday.

Boeing launches new version of its popular 747 jetliner, highly anticipated.In an interview with Le Figaro, Jim Albaugh, CEO of Boeing Commercial Aviation believes "it takes 30% of the world to survive over time." This morning, the airline Qatar Airways has placed an order with Boeing for six long-haul 777-300 ER for $ 1.7 billion (list price).

NYSE Euronext said Monday in a statement the actual launch on July 11 of the first platform for bond trading companies in Europe, the project has given the green light of the Financial Markets Authority (AMF).

The side of values, General Electric has reached an agreement in principle of the two largest unions of the company for new contracts."The four-year contract will enable advances on wages, pensions and job security. "

For his part, PetSmart will turn its quarterly dividend to 0.14 dollar per share against dollar before 0125. The board also authorized a share buyback program of $ 450 million.

It unanimously that members have voted to delete one of the cornerstone of the quinquennium of Nicolas Sarkozy. On the night of Friday to Saturday at a little over two hours of the morning, the parliamentarians adopted rule repealing the tax shield, established in 2007 to limit to 50% income taxation. All of the supplementary budget will in turn be a formal vote on Tuesday afternoon.

Strongly contested by the opposition and discussed in the majority, sending checks every year to the wealthiest taxpayers had come to interfere with government. In 2010, a total of 678 million euros that the state has returned to the beneficiaries of this measure, a figure slightly higher than in 2009 (EUR 586 million). Especially, like last year, is only a small fraction of some 592,000 taxpayers subject to the ISF who earned the largest amounts recovered.If the amount of average check totaled 40,908 euros, the richest 7% received 60% of the amount paid, or 381,000 euros on average.

To the dismay of Socialist deputies, the government's plan, however, does not remove the tax shield that from 2012 on taxes paid on income in 2011. According to the deputy PS Jerome Cahuzac, the measure should thus continue to cost the public finances 550 million Euros in 2012 and 200 million in 2013.

Relief ISF

The elimination of this symbolic mandate Nicolas Sarkozy also fits into the context of a broader reform of the taxation of wealth, the members approved each measure in recent days. To parliamentarians, the Minister of Budget, Baroin, endeavored to describe the philosophy of combining text as "social justice" (the end of the tax shield) and "tax justice" (relief ISF) short term personal loan."The government is a simple reform, fair and balanced" has said repeatedly this week Baroin.

On Friday, the parliamentarians approved a reform of the solidarity tax on wealth (ISF), which raises € 800,000 to 1.3 million euros threshold of assets at which a taxpayer is taxable to the ISF. Approximately 300,000 people should therefore be exempt from this tax next year. The current rate also eased: below three million, the tax rate increased from 0.55% to 0.25% when it is lowered to 0.5% instead of 1.8 % above. Overall, 250,000 taxpayers should therefore pay less. This reform will result in a revenue decline of 1.8 billion euros.

A shortfall that is projected by the government, be offset by the elimination of the tax shield, the higher taxes on gifts and estates, and the new tax on second homes of strangers, sitting on their rental value. In total, the projected deficit for 2011 however, increases of 596 million euros, 460 million due to payments associated with the Taiwan frigates affair. Remain a little over 130 million bridge to return to the original projected deficit. Baroin promised by the end of the year new savings measures to achieve this.

ALSO READ:

"The tax-exempt donations allowed every ten years

"No enlargement of the ISF to works of art

"The reform of the ISF to benefit small estates

Not more than five hours of music per month. The platform for online listening Deezer decided to put its users on a diet. At the launch of its new, faster and more social interaction through Facebook, a new policy was implemented. It marks the end of unlimited listening obtained in exchange for advertisements viewed. The internet has thus no choice beyond the five hours of music heard, you have to pay.

The goal is "to accelerate the conversion of most active users towards premium offerings," says the streaming platform in a statement. For if Deezer is used by millions of Internet users, only 5%, or 1.2 millionsd'utilisateurs are paying subscribers. The shortfall is significant and Deezer trying to correct the situation since 2010.Became a shareholder in Orange since July includes such subscription to the site in some of its plans for mobile and broadband. Its main competitor Spotify has followed the same path in alliance with SFR. Since April, the platform also knows the same kind of restrictions: listening to you free is now more than ten hours beyond the first six months of registration and it is impossible to listen to more than five times the same song.

Pressed to see close the valves of the free and unlimited internet, the majors have strongly influenced these decisions. Their fight is also not complete: Universal Music has always Deezer impose the same restriction to five songs played. But all the stakeholders do not rejoice in this decision, as Adami, a collecting society of intellectual property rights of performers."Why limit listening to five free hours a month just announced as the champion French streaming? We see the requirement for producers who once again is the wrong economic model. Imagine that limits the radio listening to a few hours per month. Record sales they would find it doped? "She asks in a statement. "The proposed model opens the door to the concentration and will affect the diversity," says Adami.

The future of such limitations may depend on decisions made in the U.S. by other Internet giants. Amazon and Google have decided to launch their music service without the majors, at risk of being prosecuted or with a limited catalog of titles. Facebook should ally themselves to Spotify normally while Apple has its side chains agreements for its music service, expected to be announced Monday night.

Unions are rather relieved. After fears yesterday that their call for the strike falls flat, following the announcement last minute by the management to reopen salary negotiations, they welcomed a widely followed mobilization this Saturday. Employees hypermarket distribution group were in fact called by four unions to strike on Saturday to protest against including salary increases for 2011, considered insufficient. The appeal was launched in late March by the FGTA-FP, the majority union at Carrefour (with more than 45% representation), and supported by the CGT, CFDT and CGC.

In total, employees of French retail group came to mass protest around the shops in this traditional day of great crowds in hypermarkets.According to union estimates, the movement is widely followed (50 to 85% of striking workers) in 130 of 203 hypermarkets in the group. Over thirty sites are completely blocked, preventing access of employees supermarkets. Even when they are not completely blocked, the strike rate range from 30% to 85% as estimated by Dejan Terglav, general secretary of the FO-FGTA reported by AFP. "The regions are the most mobilized the North, Britain and the Centre," said trade unionist. When contacted, the management of Carrefour has not confirmed those numbers, always carrying an inventory of mobilization, and ensuring that all supermarkets were open.

Union representatives yesterday morning anticipating a high rate of mobilization of employees. A rare occurrence in a group unaccustomed to large-scale social movements."Especially since the announcement of the reopening of Carrefour wage negotiations Wednesday could deter some people from coming forward. But reopening negotiations, it does not mean to succeed, "insists Dejan Terglav.

"It's a movement that looks pretty memorable," confirmed Frank Gaulin, Steward central CGT. Jean-Claude Mailly, secretary general of the Workers' Force (FOR), came to support the movement at the site of Le Mans, on strike for 80%. "People want a redistribution within companies.When they are unwilling to do that, there is a strike, "said union leader, also claims that" a device to make compulsory the transport allowance in all enterprises. "

Insufficient wage increase

While management offers its employees a 1% increase in wages to March 1 and another 1% increase on 1 October, union officials estimate that these proposals do not cover inflation announced by 2% payday loan online. "I do not really represents only 1% over the year," says a leaflet distributed by the FGTA-FO, which requests that the increases are decided once a year. The promise of recovery to 10% (against 7% previously) discounts on purchases of stores, and the announcement of the reopening of negotiations next Wednesday, will not suffice to bring back the union leaders on their decision.

Indeed, beyond wages, discomfort is increasingly strong-side conditions of use and new methods of work since arriving at the head of the group of Swedish Lars Olofsson, in January 2009. In total, FGTA-FO amounted to 10,000 the number of jobs cut since 5 years, and denounced a "new business model based on night work generalized ultra simplified workflow and increased employee stress .

The union also stipulates that future negotiations with management will not only wages and, even in case of high wage increase, it will not bend on the claims concerning the improvement of working conditions.

Opposition to the plans of division

While President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday expressed its willingness to link salaries to dividends, the unions could ask for more support for their speeches. For the third and final major demand, workers are opposed to the division by trading in the subsidiary Dia hard discount and the 25% of the land Carrefour Property. According to unions, these purely financial transactions would bring six billion euros to the two main shareholders, Bernard Arnault and Colony Capital (14% stake and 20% of voting rights between them).

In the words of Dejan Terglav in Les Echos reported on Friday, the organization also wants the Mutual Fund Business (CIPF) 'vote against the division (at the next general meeting of June 21 ed.)CIPF owns approximately 1.33% of the shares but the double voting rights "said the union leader. Bringing to nearly 4% the number of shareholders opposed the project, with the fund Knight Vinke (more than 1% of capital). But for now insufficient to meet a third of votes needed to derail the project.

ALSO READ:

"Carrefour France faces the discontent of certain employees

"Carrefour is considering the future of his hard discount

"The new hub is delayed

»New turbulence surrounding the division of Carrefour

Closer, Public, and are not following the party. Down 4% last year, the float people are still on the downside since January. This segment of press, however, represented more than 130 million copies in 2010, by volume, the third family after the titles of magazines and television for women. But, week after week, newsstand sales continue to nosedive, some publishers even going to talk privately with a series of "double-digit stalls.

"The first celebrity magazines suffer from competition from women who came to walk on their turf," says Veronica Priou specialist press in ZenithOptimedia (Publicis). The arrival of the weekly Grazia (Mondadori) or the positioning of "female celebrity premium" Gala (Prisma) or Viewpoint (Roularta) have reworked the maps.To this is added a plethora newsstand, which is likely to recede with the breath of reality TV, but especially the rise of Web hitherto under-invested by the publishers.

For the web, the leaders of the clipboard are far behind with a "pure player" purepeople.com. This site has attracted over three million unique visitors in January, nearly a million more than the following site (2 guaranteed cash advance.1 million) and more than double that of Gala (1,3 million). Closer, Mondadori group and industry leader in paper distribution, has received less than 500,000. As for public.fr (Lagardère Active), it has taken its autonomy in February, after being hosted by the First Portal.

Dispersion of the hearing

While advertising companies minimize the dispersion of the hearing, the phenomenon is worrisome in the wings.Through its websites Disney Co, and Puretrend Pureshopping, which combine 4.5 million unique visitors per month, the publisher Webedia, launched three years ago, shakes boards. The advertising model is simple: the beautiful people as a pretext to talk about shopping and beauty. "Our positioning antitrash allows us to attract advertisers like L'Oreal and Dior," says Cedric Sire, founder of Webedia. This is precisely the profile of advertisers competing publishers, including through special operations that integrate more and more often a mobile flap. "Once we have deployed our entire supply bimédia, we pass by Disney Co, promises Philippe Labi, editor of Voici and Gala at Prisma Presse.

"Participation is beyond anything we dreamed. It's fantastic. It is the largest event in a generation in London, "enthused the general secretary of Unite union, Len McCluskey. "There is a palpable anger in this country and hundreds of thousands of people came here to say overnight pay day loans. According to police, there would be almost half a million people, "he said.

Protesters across the Waterloo Bridge. Photo credits: Paul Hackett / Reuters

Optimism is back this Friday on the Paris, following the CAC40 was in the red all week. The benchmark index in Paris opens up 0, 25%, to 4019.56 points. Yesterday, Thursday, despite a slight improvement, the index in Paris ended on a fourth session of declines, amid political tensions in Libya and soaring oil prices. Since the beginning of the week, the Paris index was down 3.55%, but reaching back to the symbolic 4,000 mark.

The trend is reversed so this morning's speech on OPEC's likely response in case of disruptions in oil supplies has restored color to the Asian stock markets. Yesterday's meeting was hesitant to Wall Street, but lower indices has been limited. The Nasdaq has even increased from 0.55% to 2738 points.

Even optimistic about other places Europen, the FTSE-100 index of London Stock Exchange gaining 0.28% during early trade, to 5936.29 points. For its part, the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange advance more cautiously, 0.13% to 7139.88 points.

Little news on the macroeconomic front

So investors will keep their eyes fixed on the political situation in Libya and the risk of contagion to other challenges big oil producing countries.Side of macroeconomic publications, the news will remain limited.

Few significant indicators across the Atlantic on Friday set apart from the publication of the index from the University of Michigan on consumer confidence for the month of February (3:55 p.m.).

In France, INSEE published at 8:45 expenditure Household consumption of manufactured goods in January, questions and business failures for the month of September 2010 (12:00).

Side currency, the euro climbed against the greenback Friday, crossing the threshold of $ 1.38, supported by speculation about a rate hike from the European Central Bank next week to stem inflationary pressures, according to traders .At 8:00 in Paris, the euro bought 1.3821 dollars against 1.3797 dollars on Thursday night.

The ball slows Publications

CGG Veritas

The oil services group announced Friday a net loss for the fourth quarter due to special charges related to its plan to improve profitability. The group is free cash flow positive 2011.Il said its industrial investments and multi-client should reach 600 million dollars in 2011.

EADS

The aerospace manufacturer lost the tender for the delivery to the U.S. Air Force, 179 tanker aircraft, after the invalidation of the previous contract awarded in 2008.It was eventually awarded to rival Boeing, but the European manufacturer has 10 days to appeal on this contract of 35 billion dollars.

Thales

Ten days after a profit warning, the specialist defense electronics, aerospace and security, has published annual results sealed by provisions amounted to 721 million euros related to contracts as underachievers 'Military Transport Aircraft

Saint-Gobain

The building materials group aims to accelerate its organic growth this year, in line with the rebound in activity recorded in 2010, driven by industry demand and buoyant emerging markets. Its CEO, Pierre-Andre de Chalendar also put on a strategy of acquisitions more aggressively.

Valeo

The automotive supplier has returned to profitability in 2010 and resumed the payment of a dividend for the year past. He expects an improvement in its operating margin in 2011, driven by buoyant U.S. and Asian automotive markets.

Eiffage

account resume growth in 2011 after a third consecutive year of stagnation in sales, concessions have yet to offset the sluggish construction.

Aeroports de Paris

The group announced Thursday the results confromes expectations with growth of 5% of its Ebitda to 927 million euros in 2010. By 2015 it wants to increase by 40% in 2015 compared with 883 million registered in 2009. Its sales rose 4.0% to 2.739 billion euros in 2010 – despite an almost permanent traffic – and net income group share grew by 11.3% to 300 million.EPA anticipates a recovery significantly higher than expected air traffic in 2011 which should enable it to accelerate slightly the growth of its revenues and EBITDA.

Air Liquide

The gas giant said Thursday night that a financial institution entrusted the mission to assist for the realization of part of its share repurchase program authorized by its shareholders last year, within a million titles.

Sanofi-Aventis

The lab announced Thursday the approval and completion of the acquisition announced in October 2010, Chinese BMP Sunstone, for 520.6 million dollars ($ 10 per share). The transaction will allow it to create a platform for public health in China, strengthening its presence in emerging and non-prescription drugs, two of its major growth drivers.

After the close, the Bel cheese will also publish its annual turnover.

Last year, the mobile phone market was above all marked by soaring sales of smartphones, up 72%. They now account for 19% of the 1.6 billion handsets sold worldwide. A share that will grow and could reach 70% within two to three years.

Nokia, whose difficulties are no secret to anyone, is still the market leader, with another 28.6% market share (against 36.4% in 2009). "I do not see Nokia losing its global leadership in the short term, Le Figaro said Carolina Milanesi, research director at Gartner. The group however is constantly facing new challenges. Especially the "white boxes" these little Chinese brands that have long served the limits of legality and now have a storefront.Micromax carve cruppers or G5 with Nokia in India, Africa, or Russia and Ukraine and of course, China!

Samsung continues to position itself as a challenger to Nokia in emerging markets and entry level. Its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S was sold about 10 million units in the last quarter, making it a very serious competitor to the iPhone. But Apple continues to benefit from "the strength of the attractiveness of its brand," said Carolina Milanesi. A change in the pricing of Apple, although unlikely, could be accompanied by a new boom in sales cash advance loan no fax. And even without that, Apple and RIM (BlackBerry) now rank ahead of Sony Ericsson and Motorola.

The challenge of operating systems

The symbol is strong in the fourth quarter of 2010, Symbian, Nokia has lost its place as the operating system's biggest selling world in favor of Android from Google.On the whole year, the OS remains the Finnish front, with 37.6% market share, a position very fragile in view of recent sales. "Even if the group is preparing to make drastic choices. It should not however abandon Symbian for Android. In contrast, in the high end, the platform could be Google's preferred solution to the house, Meego. " Globally, Carolina Milanesi estimated 5 or 6 operating systems to coexist, with three or four major players by region. The diversity of solutions is needed to face the width of an offer which starts at $ 20 to finish at $ 900.

Finally, the radius of disappointments Windows Phone figure 7 that despite significant marketing resources in place was not up to the expectations of the market. In the fourth quarter, it sold only 1.4 million phones in Windows 7.