International News

After breaking the 4000 point mark, the CAC 40 is struggling to find a direction Thursday. The index initially opened higher, then long hovered around breakeven, before widening its losses in mid-session: Shortly after midday, the index featuring Paris ceded and 0.39% in 4008, 73 points.

At the London Stock Exchange, the FTSE-100, close to balance, gaining only 0.03% to 5949.87 points and the Dax index featuring the Frankfurt Stock Exchange climbed crumbling him, 0.01 % to 7056.43 points.

Marcoéconomique on the forehead, after the Minister of Budget, Baroin, announced Wednesday a government deficit of 7.2% in 2010, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Christine Lagarde, saw less than 7%. INSEE has decided: the public deficit was reduced from six billion in 2010 to 136,500,000,000, or 7.0% of gross domestic product (GDP), according to statistics released Thursday.

Inflation, meanwhile, accelerated again in March in the eurozone to 2.6% yoy from 2.4% in February, according to preliminary estimates released Thursday by the EU statistics office Eurostat.

United States, are scheduled weekly claims for unemployment benefits (1430), activity in the Chicago area in March (15.45) and in February industrial orders (16 hours).

On the currency markets, the euro continues to rise against the greenback at 1.4217 dollars (0.64%).

The debt crisis in the European program

Oil prices were up Thursday morning in electronic trading in Asia in the wake of the rebound on Wall Street, said the analystes.Le barrel of light sweet crude for May delivery gained 0.91% at 105 $ 22.

The eyes of investors will also be turned on Thursday to Ireland will be published when the stress tests of banks in the late afternoon. The debt crisis is again in the spotlight, while the Portuguese rate exceeds 8% and that the Greek deficit was revised upwards.

Meanwhile, the banking sector shows the largest decreases the Cac 40: 2.12% Societe Generale loose at 52.17 euros, Credit Agricole sells 2.50% to 11.71 euros, BNP Paribas lost 2.27% at 52 , 09 euros and Natixis was down 1.06% at 4.025 euros.

In contrast, Renault, despite its setbacks in the false case of espionage, climbing from 1.10% to 39.15 euros, the largest increase Cac 40, before Unibail-Rodamco (0.89% at 153 , 65 euros) and Total (0.48% to 43.12 euros).

LVMH: 0.27% to 111.95 euros

In addition, the Annual General Meeting of LVMH will be held at 10:30.

Poweo: -2.33% to 4.61 euros

With a loss of 146.2 million euros in 2010 against a loss of 85.3 million in 2009, operating income of Poweo was sealed by non-recurring items, as announced in February.The net loss attributable to group Poweo has for his part amounted to 133.4 million euros, against a loss of 93 cheap pay day loans.5 million in 2009.

After-hours trading, Cellectis Genoway publish their annual results.

Renault: 1.14% to 39.17 euros

Nissan and Renault were heading towards the establishment of a holding company which unites the two car manufacturers under one roof, said Carlos Ghosn, president of both groups, in an interview published by the Nikkei newspaper. But a spokesman for Nissan denies this morning, stating that this article resulted from a misinterpretation of what the CEO.

L'Oreal: -0.46% to 82.66 euros

YSL Beauté (L'Oréal) will cease in advance to create and develop the flavors of the Italian luxury group Ermenegildo Zegna, according to a statement released Thursday.The license agreement, which was to expire in April 2013, ending June 30, said the world number one cosmetics.

Publicis: -0.65% to 39.75 euros

Publicis announced that Jean-Yves Naouri, tipped as a possible successor to current chairman Maurice Levy, was appointed executive chairman of Publicis Worldwide, a subsidiary of the group including its network of marketing and advertising.

Schneider Electric: 0.46% to 121.15 euros

The electrical equipment manufacturer Schneider Electric announced Thursday the acquisition of assets of DigiLink, the "leading provider of structured cabling in India", about 80 million.

Areva: Trading suspended

The Strategic Investment Fund announced in a statement Thursday it has completed the acquisition of the stake in Areva STMicroelectronics.The nuclear expert held 10.9% stake in the OEM electronics.

Maurel & Prom: stable EUR 13.62

The independent oil company Maurel & Prom will ally with the Colombian Pacific Rubiales Energy by assigning half of his rights in a series of permits.

Vranken-Pommery: -2.96% to 34.7 euros

The title Vranken-Pommery Monopole was heavily penalized, this Thursday morning at the Paris Bourse after the publication of disappointing results judged by the market, who questioned the group's strategy.Oddo Securities lowered its recommendation on the value from "buy" to "ease".

Trigano: 2.24% to 24.44 euros

The specialist for caravans and motorhomes Trigano announced a six-monthly sales growth should, in his view, lead to market share gains and improved "sensitive" in its results for first half of the year. Societe Generale rose from "hold" from "buy" on value.

Saft: 1.26% to 29.66 euros

The battery maker Saft has announced in a statement that only one of components it buys in Japan is produced in the region of the country affected by the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March.

The International Monetary Seminar, which opens Thursday morning in Nanjing to the Chinese seems in some embarrassment. President Nicolas Sarkozy inaugurated in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister Wang Qingshan, the Minister of Economy Christine Lagarde, finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 countries.

While the Elysee this meeting as "an important symbol," "a unique event," which "enshrines the weight of China in the global economy", Beijing sees an "informal seminar, and academic "according to Jiang Yu, spokesperson of Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The official news agency Xinhua pretended to discover, there ten days, the presence of the French head of state by saying he would meet with Chinese officials, without specifying which ones.As for the Chinese embassy in Paris, who knew where the meeting was held in Nanjing, it stated that the seminar was "entirely organized by France" and that the Chinese were content to "make available the infrastructure is everything. "

In fact, Nicolas Sarkozy, who arrives Wednesday afternoon in Beijing, will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Great Hall of the People, for bilateral talks followed by a dinner on the G20 and international diplomatic issues, including Libya and Japan, where the French president is scheduled to visit Friday.

Pressure on the yuan

"The Chinese will reserve a special welcome to Nicolas Sarkozy, to commemorate the visit of Hu Jintao to Paris and Nice," we are assured at the Elysee.But China, which the press is unleashed strikes against Libya, did not seem to want to advertise around this movement, hard won by France.

Although the seminar does Nanjing officially "no money in particular", and emphasizes the "structural reform of the international monetary system", Beijing knows that its monetary policy will be at the center of discussions. For Westerners, the Chinese currency, the yuan, which traded at 6.56 yuan to the dollar is undervalued by 20% to 30%.

If the Chinese authorities have made the fight against inflation their priority of economic policy, Beijing does not intend to dictate the way forward.A revaluation of the yuan would most frank yet to effectively fight against inflation, Washington insists.

Unlike the U.S., France does not address the issue of the yuan so front, preferring to advocate a stronger role of the Chinese currency in the international monetary system, a step sought by Beijing, which will require ultimately, the yuan's convertibility and liberalization of its exchange rate regime. "The purpose of this seminar is to reach a common diagnosis on the strengths and weaknesses of the current international monetary system and develop possible reforms for the G20," said the French presidency.

The dollar, global reserve currency risk is in the sights of Paris and Beijing.First holder of U.S. debt, China's central bank estimates that the dollar will continue to weaken this year because of "low interest rates and deficits."

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Faced with rising rents in France, it becomes difficult for the student accommodation. AFEV (Association of the student foundation for the city), an association of student volunteers who fight against inequalities in income neighborhoods, has been working on this issue. It launched a program that offers student groups, in return for a roommate in very affordable prices, to participate in a common social vision. This program is called KAPS "Koloc A. Projects in solidarity"

In September 2010, the mayor of Toulouse has made available ten students four T3/T4 type apartments, provided they spend a few hours a week in entertainment cultural workshops, or coaching youth in difficulty .Students share the old staff accommodation which the city owns and rents paid monthly CROUS (Regional Centre for University and School) amounted to 272.42 euros (141 to 182 euros after deduction of aid housing). The project is supported by the bank BNP Paribas participant KAPS at € 150,000 and shall be directly liable, allowing students to access at no additional cost to collocations.

Roommate: a method that works

"Although Toulouse was one of the cheapest cities in France, the housing market begins to be saturated," said Stephanie Arnold of the town hall of the "pink city". "An increasing number of students is therefore preferred to collocation. This allows them to make more new friends. "The analysis of the motivations of students, which was conducted among volunteers AFEV shows "both a strong desire to participate in an action 'good' socially and a desire to learn for themselves," says the press release KAPS project.

Furthermore Toulouse, Poitiers and Paris have also tried. Through a partnership with the Foundation AFEV Poitiers University and the social landlord Logiparc, 12 students occupied T4 4 apartments in two districts of Poitiers for a rent amounting to 285 euros each (housing not deducted) online pay day loans. In Paris, five students, including volunteers AFEV are housed in a residence of the Studentenwerk, including three singles and two in collcation in an apartment.In exchange for a rent of 350 to 380 euros per month, they are five hours per week involved in projects in the area of ​​the roundabout of the Chapel, where there is a high concentration of social housing.

Convincing results

In the capital, the city less affordable for students, AFEV, the Studentenwerk and SIEMP (Society of the mixed economy of the city of Paris) work to the lineup from 40 to 50 units dedicated to the roommate. "But we are still awaiting the response of social landlords. Nothing is certain at this stage with regard to these apartments. But we know that CROUS participate in KAPS next year through the apartments and rooms available to students, "Tiffany relativizes Koechlin, territorial delegate AFEV Paris.Laurie Hay, in charge of local development association AFEV Poitiers, gives more otpimistes figures: the number of units for the project KAPS in this city will double the autumn of 2011.

The Toulouse experience so far remains a single case in France, because it is housing, which owns the Town Hall. This facilitates all administrative procedures for obtaining housing and avoid going through intermediary structures. Other cities such as Bordeaux and Perpignan have already started looking for apartments in vacant city in order to transform it into the collocation projects KAPS, according to the association.

Nintendo 3DS landed Friday in the French shops. This portable game console that lets you play in relief, without needing to wear special glasses, is a boon for video game publishers. They swung their great success in 3D. It's a way to recycle old titles and launch new ones. Prices are driven up. The games will be sold between 45 and 50 euros. 5 to 10 euros more than the price of those of the previous generation.

During the presentation of the console, Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's CEO, indicated that a large number of publishers have decided to design specific titles for this console that render stereoscopic images. It is clear that the omen of the CEO is found.Alongside Nintendo (with three games Nintendogs), publishers Capcom (Street Fighter IV), Electronic Arts (Sims 3), Namco Bandai (Ridge Racer), Konami (PES 3D), LucasArts (Lego Star Wars III, The Clone Wars ), Sega (Super Monkey), Tecmo Koei (Samurai Warriors) and Ubisoft offering specific titles.

Among these actors, the French publisher is betting on a successful series of the 3DS. "The public, already extended by Nintendo with the DS, is expected to increase. The boot should be two times faster than the DS in the early years, "said Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft. Today, the French publisher will offer four of the fifteen titles available at launch for the handheld. Three of the four games have been developed at Ubisoft's fourth and its sister company, Gameloft, specializing in adaptations of games for smartphones and internet tablets.It was she who designed the race cars Asphalt 3D.

The French had also focused on the adaptations of Tom Clancy's universe, which has exclusive rights, with the stealth game Splinter Cell 3D and especially the strategy game Ghost Recon Shadow Wars, developed specifically for 3DS in studio Ubisoft Montreal.

A stronger anti-piracy

These songs contain small videos to stunning 3D graphics effects. In addition, the Rayman character, developed by the team of French Michel Ancel, gains in depth, with its version in relief. During the second phase of launch, which could happen in June, Ubisoft will also be the most prolific alongside Nintendo, especially with The Raving Rabbids.

This commitment to his backhand. A quarter of Ubisoft's revenue in 2008 was linked to games for the DS, the ancestor of 3DS, sold 130 million units worldwide.When sales fell because of piracy, the French publisher has suffered severely. With 3DS, "the anti-piracy mechanism was strengthened," says an editor who will not be more specific. The manufacturer is no more eloquent.

Anyway, the 3DS contains new communication features (challenges, blindly, in the street) or augmented reality games (using the camera to generate images in relief).

The call for EU aid is no longer a taboo subject for the Portuguese Government, as the tense political crisis in Lisbon. Finance Minister Fernando Teixeira dos Santos has clearly mentioned on the sidelines of the Eurogroup meeting on Monday in Brussels. "If we trigger a political crisis right now, it will create great difficulties for the country to enter the financial market and I think it poses a risk to our financial capacity," he warned.This crisis, he added, "actually helps to push the country into the arms of foreign aid."

Although this is surely a final attempt to pressure the opposition, accused of causing the crisis before a crucial vote on new austerity measures Wednesday in Parliament, the Portuguese government may have to accept the financial rescue plan that seeks to avoid for months.

In this standoff, the Socialist Prime Minister Jose Socrates, will all play their politics. To save his head, he is seeking the approval of members to its savings plan, the fourth in less than a year. The plan, which includes tax increases and cuts in social benefits, is highly unpopular, even if it saves time and the markets.

By national pride, Jose Socrates resists the offer of financial assistance from the EU and the IMF for weeks."It's politically very costly to surrender its sovereignty, we have seen with Ireland," says Jacques Cailloux, chief economist at Royal Bank of Scotland. Knowing that the government is facing a social discontent increasingly marked. On Saturday, thousands of Portuguese officials and private sector employees, beat the pavement against the policy of austerity, rising unemployment and job insecurity.

"Socially unjust"

Jose Socrates was tried on Monday, throughout the day to rally the party leaders to his cause. But he struck again with the adamant opposition leader Pedro Passos Coelho right center, which rejected "any negotiation with the government, denouncing a" socially unjust program "that affects" the most members vulnerable in society. "The leader of the PSD had abstained from previous votes austerity, saving twice as Socrates motions of censure tabled by the anti-liberal left.

But this time, "it's over," urged Pedro Passos Coelho, who has said this weekend in favor of outside help. Faced with political stalemate, the scenario of a European rescue, like that of Greece and Ireland, appears imminent. And more so that the financing conditions in the markets remain very difficult. The rates of ten-year bond rose again yesterday, against 7.262% 7.212% Friday. By June 15, Portugal must face debt maturities of over 9 billion euros.

"The problem is that the appetite for the Portuguese debt is gone. Investors have lost confidence, "added the economist.Anxious to reassure the markets and the European Commission, Pedro Passos Coelho particular favorite in the event of early legislative, reiterated his "unwavering support to a structural reform program aimed at fiscal consolidation, reducing debt and economic growth." Lisbon is committed to bringing the deficit to 4.6% of GDP in 2011, 3% in 2012 and 2% in 2013.

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The costs of fund management Safely dropped a point in five years, reaching 3% in 2010. "Unbeatable for 400 billion euros in benefits provided to 360 premium collected," Judge Dominique Libault, Director of Social Security. "A form of performance" made possible primarily by the online services that reduce the "paperwork" to be treated while improving service (Pajemploi, CESU, Vitale Ameli.fr or to name the best known examples).

These productivity gains allow a policy close to the non-replacement of retiring in two applied to the state: 10,000 job cuts and less in Medicare and another 4,000 planned, workforce stability despite the CFO care benefits for civil servants and RSA no fax cash advances… In the end, the number of general system-level income "from 1976, according to Peter Mayer, director of CNAV.Other projects are underway: Medicare Expands Sophia, escort service for diabetics, an experiment takes place to optimize the treatment pathway after maternity … The branch family, she launched the site in 2009 my-enfant.fr to seek care arrangement. "Families find all the host schools, child-minders in 70 departments and a cost calculator," said Herve Drouet, its director.

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France-Soir has missed its target. Relaunched on January 17 with great fanfare with a promotional campaign for a $ 4.5 million, the newspaper of the young Russian Alexander Pugachev can not take off in sales. According to data reported to OJD, the distribution of the daily France paid amounted to 71,361 copies in January 2011 against an average of 74,531 copies in 2010. The new France-Soir has witnessed a drift of its newsstand sales. These are lowered in January to 46,000 copies, the worst month ever recorded the title since its first revival in March 2010, where he sold more than 73,000 newsstand copies. The situation had deteriorated again in February.At the same time, sales by third parties (airlines, restaurants …) journal has never been higher, at 22,000 copies in January, compared to less than about 4,000 copies in March 2010.

The new formula was launched under the leadership of Remy Dessart, managing editor since last August, would enable France-Soir "to pass more quickly to more than 100,000 copies," hammered in early owner. But Alexander Pugachev, who has already invested over 50 million euros in the newspaper, took the risk of destabilizing its faithful readers.It has increased the selling price of 10 cents to 0.60 euro for a paging maintained at 32 pages, and especially his book horse was reduced to almost nothing, pagination as the racing decreased from 8 to 3 pages .

Crédit mutuel sought

The son of Russian oligarch Sergei Pugachev, who plans to inject another 20 million euros this year, he will continue long to replenish the paper? "Everything goes well, we work hard to make the newspaper," Remy loose Dessart, who does not wish to comment on the financial difficulties of France-Soir. Last Tuesday, Alexander Pugachev convened a crisis meeting with his directors, as revealed by Press News. While its monthly losses always exceed two million euros, France-Soir was hoping to break even in 2012 with a circulation of 150,000 to 170,000 copies.Goals that are too far pushing Alexander Pugachev to seek partners. He recently asked Michael Lucas, chairman of Mutual Credit and leading publisher of regional newspapers throughout the Group Ebra.

With the earthquake that devastated the island and the threat of nuclear catastrophe, Japan fears a massive repatriation of capital invested abroad by individuals and by businesses that would cause an immediate surge in the yen. That's what happened after the Kobe earthquake in 1995 where the Japanese currency had taken 15% against the U.S. dollar, finding himself at the highest in its history. But the movement seems already well underway.

Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn, Patrick Pelata, the general manager, on Monday presented their "apologies and deep regrets, personally and on behalf of Renault executives dismissed the three early January and accused of" wrongly "espionage . The automaker promises to "repair" and agrees "that reparations be paid to three executives involved and that their honor is restored to everyone, taking into account the serious human harm they and their families have suffered."

A few minutes earlier, the Paris prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin told a press conference that the prosecution gave up the hypothesis of espionage within the group, investigations into banks in Switzerland and Liechtenstein have shown that "the bank accounts of executives charged with Renault not exist," said the prosecutor.

The floor is moving towards the assumption of a "possible fraud intelligence" to the detriment of the group, following the indictment of Gevrey Dominique, head of Renault's safety, for "organized fraud". The trail of espionage is not completely ruled out, as "the scenario of destabilization, however, tempered Jean-Claude Marin bad credit personal loan lenders.

Renault has already paid 310,000 euros

In early January, the automaker has laid off three of its executives, accusing them of having coined confidential information on its program of electric vehicles. But since then, doubt has set in and Renault considered the argument of a "manipulation". The group acknowledged having paid its informant, referring to a sum close to 250,000 euros.The prosecutor for his part said that Renault had already settled 310,000 euros for information and he still had to pay 390,000 euros.

In an interview with Le Figaro, the chief delegate of the group, Patrick Pelata, hinted he might resign if the allegations proved unfounded: "When the investigation is complete, we will draw all the consequences to the level more top company, that is to say to me, "he said.

Renault has convened an extraordinary board of directors on Monday to 16 hours.

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This is one of two options for reforming the taxation of inheritance: the ease with EWB scale transformed. The other option is its abolition and its replacement by a new tax. The option for relief was undoubtedly the preference of parliamentarians.

Nevertheless, ISF smaller version has some drawbacks. Certainly, it helps to remove the tax on capital 300 000 households had entered because of soaring real estate, a total of 550,000 taxpayers. How? By starting the tax to 1.3 million euros of assets, against 800 000 today.

"However, households with assets of between 1.3 and 1.4 million would pay, those, about 500 euros EWB more with the new system. And this without even taking into account the impact of the end of the shield, warning the entourage of Gilles Carrez, the rapporteur UMP budget to the Assembly.One reason: the new fee would apply from the first euro of assets, while the current scale is progressive, which means, among other things, that the charging begins only 800 000 euros. Indeed, this tax from 1 euro combined with the new scale would lead to increased ISF those whose heritage is from 1.3 to 1.4 million. And alone. But this is unfortunate because he missed penalizes households "moderately" rich and encourages them to cheat to pass under the 1.3 million heritage.

Proposed adjustments

Therefore Bercy working to remove this bump EWB. "You can pass the threshold of entry to the TFR at 1.4 million, which would cost 100 to 200,000,000 to the State. Or reimburse these households the additional FSI, which underestimate the tax revenues under 40 million, "said Gilles Carrez's entourage.There remains one other category of households penalized by ISF lightened: the approximately 1,200 taxpayers in the last installment of ISF (over 16.8 million assets) activating the shield. "With the shield, the average tax rate of their assets was only 0.22%. With the new schedule and because of the end of the shield, it would rise to 0.5%, "says Gilles Carrez's entourage. An increase that does not seem to move Bercy.

"Overall, the tax rates of the new scale are so much lower (0.25 and 0.5% instead of 0.55% to 1.8%) that most taxpayers will see their bills go down even with the end of the shield, "says Valérie Harnois-Mussard, a lawyer with Fidal. In fact, for a wealth of 10 million, for example, the TFR would increase from 112 450 to 50 000 euros.