International News

It keeps more Ryanair. The low-cost airline, offering unbeatable prices every month and opens new destinations this year will become the first European carrier. With 65 million passengers pass it to Air France and Lufthansa. This success, however, relies on flamboyant resort to illegal aid from airports served.

According to Air France, the aid would have amounted to 660 million euros in Europe in 2008, including 35 million in France. Based on its estimates, the company has decided to refer the case to the European Commission, confirming the details of Figaro. The complaint should be filed against Ryanair in the coming weeks, includes several charges: "lack of prior notification," "breach of equality and distortion of competition ',' illegal state aid.

Air France has conducted a proper investigation before doing so.This included all decrypted reports of regional chambers of accounts (CRC) on the subject. Using data sometimes old, crossed with his information on the field, experts have reconstructed the puzzle of allegedly illegal subsidies received by Ryanair. It shows that on average, chambers of commerce and industry, who manage airports, support the activities of Ryanair in France up 9 to 32 euros per enplaned.

A cultural crusade

From the bottom of the range found in France (using a 11 euros per passenger) and by a simple rule of three with the European operations of Ryanair (60 million passengers in 2008), Air France said that its competitor has received this year 660 million euros of aid to Europe. In support of its investigation, the French company relied on its partners KLM and Alitalia.She has found that the aid granted to Ryanair at the airport of Ostend and Alghero were above its low estimate of 11 euros.

"It's a bit weak reasoning, recognizes a part of Air France. There is no organization in Europe that will do the job of regional chambers of accounts. But the 11 euros of aid per passenger is carried in Europe by the airport we could see. We therefore believe that Ryanair affects 660 million euros in Europe. "

Pushing his argument further, Air France calculates that Ryanair, which posted a net profit of 390 million for its fiscal year 2007-2008 and a loss of 169 million in 2008-2009, has been virtually lost 270 million in 2008 and 829 million last year.

The aid takes several forms.They can be direct, as aid to start extending in contradiction with EU legislation. It also aids "indirect" form of rebate granted on ground handling and airport charges.

The method Ryanair is known: for aid in exchange for an airport serving unprofitable, the company highlights the financial windfall of Anglo-Saxon tourists it carries. In case of refusal, or if the aid is criticized, it selects a nearby airport.

This crusade Air France is not the new episode of a commercial battle, since he rarely Ryanair frontally competition. It is more cultural. "The prices charged by Ryanair give a false perception of the value of our service to passengers, said a part of Air France.The Irish company is considered the musketeer who is offering unbeatable prices respond to national companies and terminate abnormally high rates. In fact, Ryanair flies with the European taxpayers' money. "

Ryanair responds to accusations

Contacted by Le Figaro, Ryanair denies receiving any state aid on the airports where it operates. According to the spokesman of the company, "Air France is who receives illegal subsidies in the form of reductions in airport taxes on its domestic routes in France. "We do not pay attention to false claims of companies such as Air France who perform high prices and fuel surcharges, said the spokesman of the company.They complain because they can not make us competitive. "Ryanair has been traveling 6 million people in the departure or arrival of the French regions and said" support 6 000 jobs in France. In addition, Ryanair announced that "the economic model of Air France is in danger because the company can match its prices. This explains the false accusations. "

There are just a year he had won the grand prize of BFM manager and made the headlines in the magazines, which presented him as a guru technologist and strategist warned telecom. With only two known passion, except tech gadgets. His wife, Gilberte, banker at HSBC, and the trees of his house in Sologne. Alas, this image has eroded since the summer, while a series of suicides has plunged the group.

Hue on some sites, a company that has yet veneration of the leader, Didier Lombard, in his wheedling air and round cheerful, is affected. The mathematicians more comfortable in the labs among engineers that under the camera, commits some awkwardness of language that mark the spirit but do not reflect his thinking. Like when he talks of "fashion" about suicide.

The runaway media, which has a genius visionary, is suddenly switch to a boss with autism.A shift that shows how it is excessive as it is radical.

For Didier Lombard is fully committed to "home" and its employees, where he began his career as a young Polytechnique, before joining the Directorate General of Industry at Bercy. There he will manage all major industrial issues, Bull Thomson. It will keep the obsession with the voice of France and Europe in the "global digital village," between the American omnipotence and new ambitions Chinese Business Card Holders .

Capacity in countries emerging

When it comes to the head of France Telecom in 2005, replacing Thierry Breton became Minister of Economy, the company is just the head. Crushed by debt, it almost went bankrupt.Didier Lombard accelerates plan "TOP" drastic cost reductions initiated by Thierry Breton, and continues the transformation of enterprise fixed mobile integrated operator with its plan Next. A transformation vital to the survival of the group plunged into the competition, but that is no longer welcome by some of the employees in historical France. At the international France Telecom is strengthening in the emerging countries, but also in Switzerland and Great Britain, even if the marriage with the Nordic TeliaSonera fails.

In taking over, Stéphane Richard will give a flat part of this strategy.Starting probably content, even if their weight in the group activity is inversely proportional to the media buzz they generate.

ALSO READ:

"France Telecom: Richard at the helm on March 1

"France Telecom: Lombard says the leadership of Richard

Didier Lombard, head of Orange multimédaillé

In the wake of their European counterparts, U.S. exchanges have closed the week on a steep decline: the Dow Jones lost 0.96% and the Nasdaq, 1.22%. However, publication of results in the fourth quarter of giant Intel on Thursday night after-hours trading was better than expected. But the JP Morgan Chase established the doubt. The day before the U.S. markets have closed up slightly, despite the disappointing statistics across the Atlantic. The sectors of health and technology have supported the trend.

Earlier Friday morning, Asian stock markets closed broadly in the green. Tokyo The Nikkei ended the session up 0.68% at 10,982.10 points. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong, however, ended down 0.3% to 21,654.16 points as investors still worried about a possible tightening of Chinese monetary policy.

The President's speech yesterday, Obama did not surprise the markets.As announced by the spokesperson of the White House, a proposed tax of fifty largest banks will be presented to Congress in the coming weeks. According to the Financial Times, the U.S. Treasury would press other countries to also adopt a tax on banks.

New wave of statistical significance

The consumer prices in the United States rose by 0.1% in December, bringing inflation over the whole of 2009 to 2.7%, according to figures released Friday by the Labor Department. In the short term, the inflation risk sembre low.

Industrial production in the United States rose in December by 0.6%, as expected by analysts, according to official figures published Friday, but this increase was primarily allowed by having an unusually cold boosted the energy sector.

The technology and banking suffer

Intel sells 3.17% to 20.80 dollars, while the U.S. group confirmed on Thursday evening the resumption of its activities, with net income nearly tenfold in the fourth quarter of 2009, which has reduced to 17% of the decline annual net profit to 4.369 billion dollars. This exceeds the expectations formulated earlier by analysts. "The market has seen a nice rise, everybody expected a good showing from Intel. To some extent it is a classic case of sales at the time of the announcement, "said Owen Fitzpatrick of Deutsche Bank. Even setback for Microsoft (-0.32% to 30.86 dollars), IBM (-0.38% to 131.81 dollars) and Cisco (-2.20% to 24.40 dollars).

Boosted by a return to growth in the fourth quarter, PC sales grew by 5.2% in 2009, according to a study by analyst firm Gartner published yesterday.Acer dethroned Dell (-2.04% to 14.40 U.S. dollars) in second place worldwide.

Even surprise to JP Morgan Chase, which lost 2.26% to 43.68 dollars. The U.S. bank has yet announced having doubled its net profit in 2009 to 11.7 billion dollars. Per share, net income reached 74 cents per share in the fourth quarter, against 62 held by analysts. In the fourth quarter alone, the bank has increased by more than four net profit to 3.3 billion dollars. The bank's CEO, Jamie Dimon, welcomed the news that the bank in late 2009 enjoyed a "very strong capital ratios Tier 1 of 11.1%. But the cost of risk (failure to pay on credit) remains "high". The bank especially in its accounts last quarter to 7.3 billion dollars in reserves to cover these risks.Morgan Stanley lost 2.88% to 30.30 dollars, Goldman Sachs 1.95% to 165.25 dollars, and Bank of America 3.33% to 16.26 dollars.

Citigroup (-2.85% to 3.41 dollars) would be decided by the Financial Times, to cap the bonus at $ 100,000.

Market research firm NPD has revealed sales of video game consoles in the United States for year-end 2009 total, the three major manufacturers have passed 40 million consoles in 2009, including 20 million for the Wii Nintendo, 10 million for the Xbox 360 and 10 million for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) by Sony, thanks to an aggressive policy of lower prices.

In addition, Verizon Communications (-2.05% to 30.58 dollars) will host a conference on its wireless subsidiary, which is partly owned by Vodafone (-1.82% to 22.09 dollars).

Oil retreats, dollar strengthens

Side materials, oil slipped below the 79 dollars a barrel and connects its fifth session lower after the report of the International Atomic Energy: global consumption of oil should rebound by 1.7% in 2010 fully supported by demand from emerging countries and Asia, after falling 1.5% in 2009.

The dollar is strengthening against the euro, which is penalized by the situation in Greece after the publication of inflation. One euro is worth 1.4385 dollars.

The carbon tax is passed to the door Tuesday censured by the Constitutional Council. The government promised to submit within three weeks, a new mechanism. Anyway, the series of texts budget voted in recent weeks Finance Act 2010, Act funding Social Security, supplementary budget for 2009 includes several other measures affecting the taxation of households this year. Here are the key.

• Ceiling overall tax loopholes

For income received in 2010, a taxpayer may not reduce their income tax using the tax loopholes (working from home, child care, grants to associations, Scellier …) beyond an amount equal 20 000 plus 8% of its taxable income. Introduced in late 2008, the overall ceiling was far more generous, to 25 000 plus 10% of income.Taxpayers who use the niches Dom-Tom, Scellier, or devices for tourist homes have a respite: they have signed an investment commitment before December 31, 2009, they escaped the drop in overall ceiling .

• Act Scellier

The reduction of income tax, taxpayers enjoyed buying a new home for rent under certain conditions, remains at the same level as in 2009 – representing 25% of the purchase price – for homes purchased in 2010 that they meet or not the standard "building low-power" (BBC). The "greening" starts from 2011 for non-BBC dwellings, the tax cut to 15% next year and 10% in 2012. For homes BBC, it remains at 25% in 2011 and then fell to 20% in 2012.The Scellier disappears at December 31, 2012.

For new housing, the loan rate zero (PTZ) was doubled in 2009 and will continue until June 30, 2009. Photo credits: Pascal SITTLER / REA

While remaining for purchase on Ipsen, Gilbert Dupont decided Monday to withdraw the value of its favorite value list 'Midcap', arguing that "the handsome fellow course of action for a month (+9.4% ), compared with a performance of CAC Mid & Small190 limited to 0.6%, now leaves a potential stock market growth below 15%.

The withdrawal gave the lead in the wing during the specialist medicines, while trying again to exceed 40 euros. Around 15 hours, the action Ispen yielded 2.05%, to 38.75 euros, and signs the worst performance of the DRS on Monday.

However, the broker said it maintains its price target to 44.80 euros. To recall, the pharmaceutical group released late October sales up 7.8% to 256.4 million euros in the third quarter and raised in the same time its annual targets.The operating margin has been adjusted between 17 and 17.5% against 14% previously.

Gilbert Dupont has also highlighted the potential for marketing of LPG-1 class in the United States. The FDA (U.S. Health Authority) request to effect different actors perform a series of further clinical trials. Clinical trials are currently being published.

The two bad U.S. indicators have failed to curb the enthusiasm of investors on the Paris Bourse. The CAC 40 closed up about 0.32% to 3910.75 points, above the threshold of the fateful 3900 points. When the volume of trade, they remain very low at 2.02 billion euros.

After a setback, following the publication of figures for new home sales in the United States and the index of consumer confidence, the market has finally resumed.

Defensive stocks in the spotlight

The largest increase in the CAC 40 is up to STMicroelectronics (1.80% to 6.34 euro).The group is supported by the resumption of investment in semiconductors.

Elsewhere in the charts are essentially defensive stocks such as PPR (+1.64% at 83.09 euros) or L'Oreal (+1.40% at 77.57 euros).

Great shape early in the session, as the Sanofi-Aventis does nibbles as 0.45% at closing. The pharmaceutical company would consider acquiring a stake in the Danish biotech company Zealand Pharma.

Veolia is maitient up (+1.06% to 22.79 euros). According to information from the Figaro, the group would link with the Italian railway company Trenitalia to launch TGV from France in 2012 to compete with the station.

EDF (+0.53% at 40.86 euros) has shown up throughout the meeting. The electricity supplier could open the French market for electricity in Russia's Gazprom by Voices."Gazprom will supply gas and electricity recovery in Europe," according to an anonymous source.

CAC Hors, Maurel & Prom Signs finest performance of the SBF 120. The title gained 4.15% to 12.55 euros after the announcement of successful tests on the exploration well OMGW-1 (Gwedidi-1), located in Gabon, on the exploration permit Omoueyi.

As for cuts, Suez Environment fall from 1.45% to 15.96 euros. On Tuesday, the group announced a contract for 34 million euros for the construction of a facility responsible for treating wastewater from PetroChina's refinery, located in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, China.

Thomson continued his yoyo Wednesday. After more than 20% earlier this week, the title loses 2.77% to 0.95 euro.

Exxon Mobil launched a massive operation. The Texan oil giant announced Monday in a statement putting his hand on XTO Energy, a specialist in exploration and production gas field unconventional. The stock transaction is valued at 41 billion dollars (28 billion euros). An amount that includes 10 billion debt to XTO. The news that investors react. On Wall Street, the action XTO recorded a jump of 16.65% to 48.38 dollars, while Exxon Mobil abandoned as 2.99% to 70.65 dollars.

Through this transaction, expected Exxon 0.7098 new share issue by XTO title. This is equivalent to a 25% premium for shareholders of XTO, compared to the closing price on Friday, December 11, which served as basis for agreement. The deal should be finalized in the second quarter 2010 after the green light by shareholders of XTO and regulators.After the merger, Exxon plans to establish in Texas a new organization to manage development and resources that will bring him XTO Energy.

The exploration and production of unconventional gas represents a potential size of the United States. For Rex W. Tillerson, executive director of Exxon Mobil, this acquisition will be an opportunity to increase investment and create new jobs in the U.S. economy.

Despite the significant impact of successive delays made the program of the new jumbo Airbus A350, the chairman of its parent, Louis Welsh, said in the columns of the Financial Times that his group will not appeal markets.

The boss of aerospace group EADS has nevertheless conceded that such delays "have an impact on cash Airbus, which suggests the London daily that the group's treasury could melt rapidly due to lower deliveries of had expected next year, raising questions about the long-term funding of new programs.

"We have over 8 billion euros in net cash. When you're in that situation, you do not request funding for your shareholders, "said Louis Welsh. The cost of developing the A350 is generally estimated at over 10 billion euros.Louis Welsh also ensures that the financial difficulties of Dubai, one of the largest customer of Airbus, will have no impact on the European group.

EADS shares evolved to equilibrium at around 11.00 to 12.37 euros, or -0.08% over the closing price last Friday at the Paris Bourse.