International News

Read Online

Archive for the ‘money’ Category

This is a severe blow to Samsung and a victory for Apple. This may well be a mere confirmation of a judicial decision made in August, the pill is no less bitter for the Korean manufacturer who is outright ban the marketing of its top shelf, the Galaxy Tab 10.1. It "presents an overall appearance similar" to that of the iPad, according to the German judge seized of the matter.

Such a decision is worrying Samsung that focused on this tablet to boost this market. It means that beyond the patents on technical issues, courts are increasingly sensitive to another argument, visible to the naked eye: the appearance of the product design.The German decision comes two weeks after a Dutch court has taken a similar decision, and while litigation between Samsung and Apple are in the United States, Korea and Australia, where the Apple brand has already achieved a first favorable ruling.

For now, Samsung is still able to sell the Galaxy Tab in other European countries, and do not hesitate to do much advertising best payday advance. The Court of Düsseldorf has finally found not competent to prohibit the marketing of the Galaxy Tab across Europe. Nothing prevents Apple to take legal or other countries. The U.S. has also filed a complaint against Samsung for the same reasons, September 8 in Japan.

This offensive against Samsung, which is otherwise also one of its major suppliers, enabling Apple to establish its supremacy on the market shelves, which he holds from 70 to 80% with both iPad.The Galaxy Tab 10.1 was seen as the most serious rival. By preventing the market, Apple terminated the debate … that takes a different turn on the Internet, with netizens concerned about the relentlessness of Apple, who made his reputation by being the anti hegemony of Microsoft, which builds on present its own hegemony with a lot of trial and eco closed system.

An uncompromising report. For over a year, dozens of officials, led by the Audit Office, analyzed the tax and social niches, as a result of a mission request François Fillon. "The total amount of tax expenditures and social niches weighs heavily on public finances. Their development can also affect the readability of the tax and benefit system, and the fair distribution of public office, "wrote the Prime Minister.

Click the preview to enlarge the graphic.

Is credible but not to frighten. It was a difficult equation that would solve the government well aware that he must adapt its economic forecasts for 2011 and 2012, now too optimistic. The air hole world of activity in the spring, the debt crisis of July Greek and diving markets in August have persuaded it would be impossible to achieve 2% growth this years and 2.25% next year born, as previously envisaged.

"It would be irresponsible to ignore the current situation," hammered François Fillon. The government wanted to be as realistic as possible. He expects GDP growth of 1.75% in 2011, "because it takes even more cautious for next year," 1.75% also in 2012.

The deficit to 4.5% in 2012

These new figures are in line with what experts expect. Few saw growth reach the 2% this year. Even fewer were those who planned the event feasible for 2012. For next year, the forecasts of economists from banks for the time range from 1% to 2%. The Consensus Forecasts, which synthesizes a fortnight believes, anticipates 1.7%.

That market pressure, which monitor the slightest faux pas of public finances, and this downward revision of growth that led the government to provide additional savings efforts, without waiting for the presentation of the bill Finance for 2012 in late September.

The austerity measures – the government refuses to call "rigor" – will lead an effort to one billion euros this year and above 11 billion euros in 2012.This amount will break down next year, 10 billion in additional revenue and $ 1 billion of savings on expenditure. Not to mention spending another billion set aside to "deal with any contingency."

All this should enable France to reduce its public deficit of 5.7% of GDP in 2011 to 4.5% in 2012 – a final goal "a little more ambitious" than was expected previously. Enough to hold the European commitments and keep the famous "AAA" rating that allows the country to finance its debt with low interest rates.

"We are taking steps that do not break the growth (…) and strengthen the tax and social justice," said the Prime Minister.One of the most emblematic devices decided Wednesday by François Fillon and Nicolas Sarkozy is to tax the very high incomes so "exceptional" – to return to 3% deficit, is in principle in 2013.

But it will also count with a new movement of the plane 10% tax loopholes, increasing tobacco prices, higher taxes on savings and real estate gains, lower exemptions from employer contributions on overtime or a plan amendment to postpone the income tax (see below). The French now know what to expect …

After the storm that plunged all the stock exchanges, the European shares rebound on Thursday. In Paris the CAC 40 index opened up 2.96% to 3092.16 points. Same trend in Frankfurt the Dax rose 2.81% to 5771.21 points and in London the FTSE 100 opened up over 2% to 5118.29 points. Appeasement was already felt in the Asian stock markets that are returned to the green or showed moderate declines.

This is for now a simple technical rebound following the sharp fall of the Paris market by nearly 5.5% yesterday, the most since December 2008.The collapse in global equity markets was too large, "note the analysts of Axa IM, hoping more rational for this session.

But concerns are far from being dissipated, particularly those relating to the slowdown in the global economy and the issue of sovereign debt on both sides of the Atlantic. The overwhelming investor nervousness could therefore persist while no major indicator is the program on Thursday.

Wednesday, the markets were shaken by rumors of a deterioration in the rating of France, immediately denied by the rating agencies and the French government, and concerns about the health of the bank Societe Generale. And the CAC 40 plunged 5.45%, narrowly escaping the psychological threshold of 3000 points to 3002.99 points. Other European markets have suffered the same drop Frankfurt dropped 5.13%, 3.05% London.Madrid and Milan 5.49% 6.65%. In New York, the Dow fell 4.62% and 4.09% for the Nasdaq.

Bank stocks monitored

Gold continues, meanwhile, fly from record to record. The precious metal has crossed the threshold of 1800 dollars. It is this Thursday morning in 1790 dollars, after hitting a new record of 1815.50 dollars. However, oil resumed its decline in Asia. Yet he had resisted the panic the day before with the announcement of a dramatic and unexpected decline in crude inventories in the United States. In morning trading, a barrel of "light sweet crude" lost 79 cents to 82.10 dollars and that of Brent North Sea fell by 1.10 dollars to 105.58 dollars.

Among the values ​​to be followed, the bank that have been heavily tested yesterday. The Financial Markets Authority (AMF), the stock market regulator, announced that it will monitor developments in the securities sector payday loans with no fax.Trading in Societe Generale jumped nearly 9% to 24.16 euros after being suspended briefly at the opening. The title was unscrewed from 14.74% on Wednesday. The bank asked the AMF to investigate the origin of the rumors that have depressed its course. The CEO of the bank, Frédéric Oudéa, denounced, in an interview with Le Figaro, "the series of attacks" against the French banking sector "sounds completely fantastic, I struggle with the utmost force, it is taken at Societe Generale, "he lamented. "We have no fear on our lending: we achieved 93% of our long-term funding program year, he added.Short-term side, we have 105 billion euros of underlying assets with central banks and keep full access to the interbank market. "

BNP Paribas (2.98% to 36.67 euros) and Credit Agricole (5.68% to 6.418 euros) rebounded Wednesday after falling by 9.5% and 11.8%.

Veolia Environnement (4.61% to 10.55 euros) and STMicroelectronics (3.39% to 4.488 euros), especially titles attacked in recent days, return to the field.

In addition, EADS (1.66% to 20.24 euros), the parent company of Airbus, said Wednesday it will not achieve its objectives in the United States in 2020 without new acquisitions.

Title Alcatel-Lucent (2.11% to 2.324 euros) is expected to rise following the release of quarterly results from Cisco Systems, above the consensus of Wall Street.

L'Oreal (2.29% to 1.73 euros) should benefit from the decision by Goldman Sachs, which added its list of preferred European stocks to buy ("pan-Europe conviction buy list").

Saint-Gobain (1.11% to 31.775 euros) has announced the acquisition of Solar Gard, a subsidiary of Belgian group dedicated to Bekaert Specialty Films, as part of its strategy to accelerate its growth through acquisitions.

Maurel & Prom rose 4.22% to 12.35 euros after opening up over 8%. The oil company reported a surge of 123% of its revenue thanks to increased revenues in Gabon and Nigeria.

ALSO READ:

"Falling stock market: the CEO of Societe Generale reacts

"French banks in the spiral of fear

"Paris Bourse: 70 billion evaporated in five sessions

The damage is limited. After the first weekend after the degradation of the sovereign rating of the United States by Standard's and Poor's, the world was afraid to wake up on Monday on a stock market crash. Certainly, Asian stock markets, first to start the week and give the trend, showing all this morning a marked decline of more than 2%. But the risk of a crash seems for the moment excluded.

More than 48 hours after the announcement that shook the world's largest economy, Asian investors have been partially sensitive to the political mobilization of the weekend, both of European leaders, who called for the adoption by the end of September pland the rescue of Greece on 21 July. But also that of the ECB, on Sunday night discussed a possible acquisition of Italian and Spanish debt, and the White House, which yesterday called for unity among Democrats and Republicans.

The yen is rebounding

Still, if the announcement of the degradation of the United States was somewhat expected in Asia, the timing chosen by Standard & Poor's has caught the markets, even after a weekend of reflection, continuing their descent into hell. In this context of concern about the state of European and American finance, the yen has tended to take some strength vis-à-vis the dollar and euro. Around 4 o'clock, Paris time, the dollar was worth around 78.05 yen and the euro hovered on the other hand around 111.90 yen, the two displayed small decline vis-à-vis the Japanese currency. A phenomenon still unfavorable export values.

In Tokyo, after opening down 1.40%, the Nikkei 225 blue chips of its losses widened in mid-session.The index fell by 2.17% to 9097.90 points, although the statement last night the Japanese Minister of Finance Yoshihiko Noda, who has maintained his confidence in the U.S. Treasury, and emphasized the mobilization of the European central bankers sign of awareness on the efforts to be undertaken.

Same phenomenon in other major Asian markets, but more amplified. China, which was very critical this weekend against the failure of U.S. lawmakers to find a long-term solution to their debt problems, the tooth was also harder on the markets: the Hang Seng Hong Kong picks up 4.12% on Monday morning at 20,082.80 points while the Chinese CSI 300 lost 3.51% to 2795.64 points. Beijing is by far the largest holder of U.S. debt in the world with 1.16 trillion dollars of U.S. Treasury bills in the drawers.

Elsewhere in Asia, all places show a sharp decline. The KRX South Korean loose 3.45% to 7581.86 points, while the S & P / ASX 200 Australian loses 2.14% to 4017.60 points. A Bonbay, the BSE Sensex was down 2.60% to 16,855.60 points. Finally in Singapore, the FTSE Straits shows the largest decline (-4.14%) to 2870.92 points.

Oil continues to tumble

Moreover, in this context very uncertain about the strength of economic recovery, oil prices continued their steep decline on Monday morning in electronic trading in Asia. A barrel of "light sweet crude" for September delivery lost 2.59 dollars to 84.29 dollars. That of Brent North Sea crude for September delivery fell by 2.48 dollars to 106.89 dollars.

At the same time, gold has gone through the roof of 1700 dollars to 1704 dollars an ounce on the market in Hong Kong.

The day promises to be very difficult for Societe Generale. The bank released Wednesday morning of the second quarter results affected by Greece, which do not allow it to maintain its forecast for 2011 as a whole.

Indeed, the net profit of Société Générale for the period April to June won by 31% over the same period last year to 747 million euros, due to increased depreciation on Greek government securities of 395 million euros. For his patron, Frederick Oudéa, depreciation Greek "a limited impact, as expected." Note that its rivals Credit Agricole and BNP Paribas have seen the note Greek respectively amount to 850 million and 650 millions of euros. Besides this exceptional item, net income of the bank was in line with analysts' expectations.If the net banking income (equivalent to sales) reached 6.5 billion euros (-2.6%), the net cost of risk has, himself, enjoyed 17.3% year on year.

"While the moderate recovery in developed economies has been confirmed in the second quarter, growing concerns about the European sovereign debt have caused risk aversion and erratic market movements, at the discretion of the political" summarizes the bank in a statement check cash advance.

Still, Societe Generale now seems to give up its goal of net profit of 6 billion euros in 2012, as the group had announced last June as part of its strategic plan called "Ambition 2015" according to CEO the objective "now seems difficult to achieve on time."

In terms of capital ratios, Societe Generale will toe the line: as required by the new regulatory framework for banks known as Basel III, which will be phased in from 2013 and requires banks a capital ratio of hard 7%, the bank expects to achieve an equity ratio of "hard" at least 9% in late 2013.Thus, if the extra layer of 1 to 2.5 percentage points, asked for schools called systemic, that is, those whose failure would threaten to destabilize the entire financial system-was claimed to Societe Generale, the obligations could be met.

ALSO READ:

"Baudoin Prot:" Stop the constant stress on the euro area "

"BNP Paribas has suffered from its exposure to Greece

"Greece will cost 850 million to Credit Agricole

The difference is certainly on the thickness of the line but it still twists his neck to popular belief. An evaluation of the Ministry of Labour with the redeployment of unemployed Le Figaro has obtained, employment center gets better results that private placement (OPP) to which the accompaniment of hundreds of thousands of job seekers job was outsourced. In other words, the public would be more effective than the private sector to find new jobs for the unemployed.

This assessment focuses on two categories of job seekers who have benefited, in November 2009 and March 2010, a reinforced support: the unemployed far removed from the market (long-term, seniors …) and CTP-fired economic CRP (devices for one year guaranteeing a subsidy equivalent to 80% of the last gross wage). Just under 5000 people were interviewed.In both cases, the rate of return to work thirteen months after the start of the support is higher for employment center.

47% of retrenched in CTP-CRP followed by public service employment benefit and employment (employed or not), against 43% for those followed by a private placement (employment agency, company … reclassification). Less than one in three point still unemployed after thirteen months, against 38% for a PPO. The private sector, which offers support more regular and reinforced, in the end proves better than the public service on one point: the rate of CDI won, higher than 5 points to the result displayed by employment center.

More CDI

The difference is greater for the second cohort of unemployed: the unemployed far removed from the labor market.49% are employed and thirteen months after the start of their employment center for support, against 43% for those followed by a PPO. Unlike the retrenched, the CDI rate is even higher in the public service (44% against 39%). Worse, the number of unemployed, thirteen months after the start of the accompaniment, are higher in PPOs (45% against 41%).

These results revive the controversy over the use of OPP – the cost of an unemployed investment returns twice as expensive (2200 euros on average per year, against 1100 at employment center) – to relieve the crews of the public service of employment in case of downturn. The popular option is to use only an "outsourcing of specialty", on a more targeted, less numerous and where the added value of OPP is proven. Should, in this case, review their terms of payment by paying more in income.PPOs now affecting half of their performance in support of an unemployed, 25% when in use and 25% if there is still six months later. The idea is often put forward to move to a 35% share in the care and placement for 65% effective (against today 50/50). A useful discussion since the OPP always accompany nearly 150,000 job seekers.

ALSO READ:

"The action deemed insufficient employment center

"Job center: the Senate wants performance bonuses

The 2012 presidential election will be decided in part on the field of taxation. In an interview in Le Monde, the Paris mayor proposes, as an individual and "beyond tax reform" in the program of the Socialist Party, to do more to contribute to debt reduction the richest of France. Bertrand Delanoe, who also claims to support the candidacy of Martine Aubry, decides to create a tax "exceptional and limited in time" on high incomes.

"The truth is that we need new resources to reduce debt of France and restore the public, he says in the daily newspaper. [...] So yes, I support what you ask most favored an effort "extra.In a context where the countries situated on the outskirts of the euro area are struggling to convince markets of the sustainability of their debt, the mayor of Paris has combined the fight against the deficit to a real "war": "And when you are war, they say the truth, "he said.

Fusion of the income tax and the CSG

Asked about the unpopularity of this measure, the elected official responded that "citizens may be more courageous leaders" and recalled that in 2008, when he announced to the Parisian tax increases before the election, "They put their trust in me well quick pay day loan." The government in turn made a recent tax reform, repealing the tax shield and at the same time reducing the wealth tax.

If the program of the Socialist Party is not considering special tax aimed at the richest, yet it provides to increase the progressivity of the income tax, now he considers unfair. His plan for 2012 provides for merging the income tax and the CSG, with the aim to simplify taxes and make it more redistributive. An idea which is also his way to the right, particularly in Jean-Francois Cope and Henry Gaino. The pen of the Elysée found Saturday morning in Libération that the proposal "is worth pondering. A condition to be very attentive to the issue of escalation, "he said.

LE FIGARO. Why launch this new brand, B & You?

Olivier ROUSSAT .- Today, with the success of smartphones and mobile Internet, a whole segment of customers has become an expert. They can do many things for themselves via the Internet without the need for assistance. For them we run B & You. It's very innovative. Five years ago, this kind of customer did not exist.

Selling online community of geeks … Is it a way to counter the arrival of Free using its own weapons?

In recent months, the market has sharply segmented into two blocks, with one side clients who are willing to pay for expensive packages smartphones with many services and, on the other clients are doing by them themselves but want less expensive packages.They are equally distributed among all operators.

How is it innovative?

B & You is a new concept: a revolutionary price, a non-binding offer, all in full on the Internet. All this together, it had never been done. We are entering a new era of data, and we are only in infancy. We are in the early history of digital homes.

You offer no phone packages included. Is this the end of the model based on the grant, which strike the costs of operators?

For the operator, in terms of value is almost equivalent: either we subsidize the phone, and packages are more expensive, or we make the economy of the phone, and we are making this economy the customer by lowering the price of his crime.In the same vein, the fact that everything happens on the Internet can not charge the cost of distribution in stores, and the customer relations center.

On the issue of commitment, is a way to get ahead of the bill presented by Frédéric Lefebvre?

The government's plan does not prohibit the engagement. What is important is that the customer has a choice. The commitment is absolute evil. Some customers ask for formulas without commitment, others with a commitment sooner or later.

You feel that the TV will be blurred in 20% of households in future 4G mobile. Will you still at the tender 4G?

Yes, because the frequencies are necessary for our business. But such interference will have a major impact: TVs will not work, it will be black screen. TV makers should take into account now.That the State to determine precisely the measures to be taken.

Are not you exaggerating the problem?

The financial impact can be heavy, everyone knows it. In addition, I note that much interference on all frequency blocks, not one.

Why fiber optic only does much to take off?

For our purposes, we are making very good recruiting subscribers and Bbox fiber meets the needs of our customers who expect very high speed. It is true however, that in very dense area, the operators had to deploy four networks in parallel, which is a non-economic sense. We should not repeat this mistake in the medium density areas. Bouygues Telecom hopes that the facilities are pooled as possible between the different operators. This should facilitate investment, therefore the deployment.

There are 140 operators in Europe, against five in China and three in the United States. The concentration is inevitable?

For Bouygues Telecom, there would be no incentive to merge with another operator. On purchases of infrastructure, we are well positioned. And terminals, exclusive agreements are reduced to a very short period.

ALSO READ:

"Mobile Bouygues launches new brand

"4G: Besson meets Bouygues Telecom

"The project of the PS does not the road." The essayist Alain Minc does not beat around the bush to try the program of the Socialist Party should he win the presidential election in 2012.

In addition to his friendship with Martine Aubry, Alain Minc believes that this project is "totally unsuited to the economic situation." "This is a project that was modern in 1981!, Says in an interview with the daily Le Parisien / Today in France. Youth employment is the world of yesterday. We can not, with the blade of the debt so close to our neck, having a Keynesian program. " The essayist and remember that "debt represents 80% of our gross domestic product. 20% is what he had to do to end the crisis. The remaining 60% are the result of thirty years of accumulated cowardice, left and right wing. "

Alain Minc goes even further in his indictment.He said a victory for the Socialist Party in 2012 would be penalized by financial markets. "The application of the socialist project would lose to France's 'AAA'," says Alain Minc. If for now the rating agencies have confirmed the rating of the country, it could be questioned if France did not take more drastic measures to reduce its deficit.

Lagarde IMF: "A decisive push Sarkozy"

Among the various proposals of the PS, Alain Minc attacks the merger of the income tax and social contribution. It considers the measure "extremely devastating for the middle class. I have long been convinced that all European countries should increase VAT by 2%. It will not escape, "said he.

Another topic discussed: compensation of top managers.While Nicolas Sarkozy and François Fillon supported the measure to overtax Xavier Bertrand and Jean-Francois Cope was cautious, Alain Minc "tearing his hair" when he sees the boss of Renault, Carlos Ghosn, will reach 10 million euros for fiscal 2010. "The selfishness of the ruling classes should encourage them to be more moderate in terms of pay. I persist and sign: we must know to practice self-regulation, "says he.

On the euro, Alain Minc said the German attitude to save Greece "intelligently selfish." "If Germany was up to the Deutschmark, it would be in recession," said he.

Finally, he welcomed the appointment of Christine Lagarde to head the International Monetary Fund."It's miraculous! Obviously there was a decisive push to Sarkozy, "he enthuses.

ALSO READ:

"Every Socialist candidate's flagship economic measure