International News

The European debts go back under the yoke of rating agencies. Moody's has announced this Thursday morning having degraded by one notch the debt rating of Spain, who is now at "Aa2." The note could be further downgraded in the future, since the rating agency maintains a negative outlook on Spain. Moody's explained its decision by his doubts about the ability of Madrid to redress public finances, given the weak growth outlook for the country. Furthermore, measures to clean up the Spanish banking sector would cost more than expected and would increase the country's debt, according to the rating agency.

The Spanish economy minister has expressed his "differences" with the Moody's analysis on the cost of restructuring the banking sector.But Elena Salgado's statements should not prevent a new outbreak of foot on interest rates from Spain to climb again on Thursday, after reaching new levels yesterday, while those in Italy beyond the 5 %, the first since November and that the Portuguese rate stood at a level considered critical by analysts. On Wednesday, the interest rates paid by Lisbon ten years has exceeded 7.5%. And two-year bond were issued at an interest rate of nearly 6%, where the country was paying 4.09% in September, for the same maturity. Economists estimate that the refinancing conditions become difficult to bear for the country free instant credit score. Yet Portugal should emit at least 20 billion debt this year to finance its expenditures.Experts estimate that the country would be about to seek aid from Europe to solve its budget problems, despite repeated denials by the authorities.

A highly anticipated Eurogroup

"Portugal is in the financial and economic emergency," said last night the Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva, in his inaugural speech. "The state funding continues to be abnormally high, which affects the functioning of the Portuguese financial system and our economy."

The Heads of State and Government of the eurozone, which meets tomorrow, should examine the situation in Portugal, says Reuters. The summit of the Eurogroup will focus on "economic policy measures that Portugal is to address its financial difficulties," said the Elysee.

The seventeen heads of state and government should also "discuss strengthening the coordination of national economic policies in the euro area." But many doubt that the summit came to an agreement.

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This is a first in the middle of the car. Citroen has launched this week the first site of services for organizing trips run by a manufacturer. Citroen named Multicity, this site allows you to organize the weekend and stay long term, buy a ticket or train and book a hotel. Not to mention renting a vehicle anywhere in France for a period ranging from several hours to several days.

The site has nothing to envy to the travel-sncf.com or Expedia.fr. The manufacturer has indeed relied on industry experts as GoVoyages and lastminute.com to set up his project. Result: the services provided are as complete as those of operators."Whether it's a journey of everyday life, a professional meeting or organize your holiday in France or abroad, with Citroen Multicity build your route from door to door and book immediately" Can we read in the section of the site presentation.

Competitive Rates

From bus to subway, boat to the aircraft via the bike, Citroën offers a search engine to find the best route "custom tailored to your budget and your schedule." The manufacturer also promises very competitive rates for car rental (from 22 € per day and for only 14 euros, our valet pound down to you "). Train tickets are those of the SNCF, Eurostar or Thalys trains and flights covering 1000 destinations. For hotels, the offer is very wide, with 60,000 establishments proposed worldwide.

The brand customers enjoy perks such as buying online mapping to update their GPS or download a map of speed cameras.

Operation Diversification

With this remote reservation terminal, Citroën is clearly the turn of diversification. This strategy had already materialized with the launch of a site rental vehicles in September. But a few months of summer vacation, the manufacturer has chosen to go further: "Today, travel is not always easy and it requires a good knowledge of the various means of transport possible to achieve these trips, "says the manufacturer in the columns of Le Parisien on Saturday.

Citroen still promises to expand its range "in time" to "promote mobility. Objective: to become profitable within two years to come. "

Madame Figaro continues its transformation. Starting today, it is available in both "pocket" that will remain on newsstands throughout the week, while the larger version will pack integrated into the weekend, with Le Figaro, Le Figaro Magazine and TV Magazine.

With this new pocket-sized, already widely adopted by other women, Madame Figaro hopes to broaden its distribution and its audience, especially among readers from 25 to 45 years. "One way we confront the issue sales in another way," says Marc Feuillée, general manager of Le Figaro. There is a real potential for a new "pocket" upscale."Tests conducted late 2010 showed that over one third of the buyers pocket size never read Madame Figaro and they do not know the brand," said Jean-Guillaume d'Ornano, director of the division Madam within the group Le Figaro.

Sold at an introductory price of 1 euro for three weeks, the "pocket" will then be offered 1.30 euros, up 1.50 or 1.70 euros for special issues. This launch will be supported by a promotional campaign, including TV (TF1 and Canal +) and retail outlets.

"2 million will be invested in this new product is a first for us," says Marc Feuillée.This significant investment demonstrates our commitment to strengthen our publications and take initiatives in a highly competitive environment. "The initial implementation will be 207,000 copies.

Additional territories

Associated with the weekend package, Madame Figaro is already the upscale women's most powerful with 429,079 copies paid France in 2010, according to OJD.

The objective set for Madame Figaro Pocket is to increase the combined sales of 5 to 10%, or 30,000 to 40,000 extra copies.

"The" pocket "does not cannibalize the" Madam, "says Jean-Guillaume d'Ornano. Instead, it will explore additional territories. " First at the distribution level because it will be present in the medium and large food stores, where the pack weekend is almost absent.Then, at the level of readership, since it should appeal to younger readers, urban and active.

Finally, in advertising, the weekly exposure of the title should appeal to existing advertisers and attract new ones.

The contents of the "pocket" will be exactly the same as that of large size. "The idea is to make the world more accessible luxury and avant-garde on which Madame has built its legitimacy," said Anne-Florence Schmitt, executive editor of Madame Figaro. The output of the "pocket" is accompanied by the provision of an application for iPad (0.79 euro download), after the launch of a new version of the website in December.

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Shortly before the opening of U.S. stock markets, the Nasdaq 100 index futures and Standard & Poor's 500 index retreated 0.62% respectively at 2289.25 points from 0.60% to 1297.70 points. The Dow Jones was due in part to its decline from 0.44% to 12,041 points.

What foreshadow a third straight session of declines. Yesterday, the Dow Jones had however managed to reduce its losses throughout the day to finish on a slight decline of 0.9% to 12,105.8 points. The Nasdaq, which fell 2% in session was also limited the damage, finishing on a withdrawal of 1.2%. The Standard & Poor's 500, after losing more than 1%, did ultimately crumbled by 0.6%.

The escalating violence in Libya andthe outbreak, more vivid than ever, oil, continue to weigh heavily on markets, on both sides of the Atlantic.Especially since Libya has suspended exports of gold and black as the risks of contagion to other exporting countries is not excluded.

In this tense international situation, which could be added on Thursday, some concern investors face early elections in Ireland, macroeconomic indicators of the day will they manage to weigh?

Durable goods orders, new housing and unemployment

On the agenda on Thursday are expected, from 14.30, orders for durable goods in January, enrollment to unemployment benefits. Thereafter, at 16.00, new home sales. The weekly petroleum stocks are finally known, at 17:00.

Orders for durable goods are expected up 2.8% or 0.5% excluding transportation. 405,000 new jobless claims are also expected.The FHFA index of house prices should receive a decrease of 0.1%, while sales of new housing could fall by 7.3%.

GM and AIG publish their figures 4th quarter

On the corporate side, General Motors (GM) will announce its results for the fourth quarter before trading, while AIG to sacrifice the performance after market no fax cash advance.

Investors may also keep an eye on Procter & Gamble, whose chief financial officer, Jan Moeller, participates in a Consumer Analyst conference in the afternoon.

Sears Holdings has reported a quarterly profit decline because of poor sales from the department store chain that bears his name.

Limited Brands announced Wednesday night a 27% increase in earnings for the fourth quarter thanks to healthy sales of its lingerie brand Victoria's Secret.The group posted net earnings of 452.3 million dollars, or $ 1.36 per share, against 356.1 million ($ 1.08) a year ago.

Bank of America was sued by investors who require it to redeem their mortgage loans which are backed by over $ 1.06 billion of securities they hold. Net income for the fourth quarter fell to 374 million dollars (3.43 dollars per share), against 430 million dollars (3.74 dollars per share) a year ago.

Magna International announced yesterday that it returned to profit in the fourth quarter, production and sales of cars continues to increase worldwide. Net income for the automotive stood at $ 216 million, or 88 cents per share.A year ago, the equipment had suffered a loss of $ 139 million or 62 cents per share over the same period.

Moreover, airlines, including American Airlines (-6.55% at the end), United (-6.8%) and U.S. Airways (-7.5%) should still pay the price, this Thursday, Arab crisis and soaring oil prices running.

Hewlett Packard (-0.6%) for its part will probably be very guarded today, having been severely punished after publication of its results.

The Pentagon is expected to unveil on Thursday its decision on the mega contract for refueling tankers to the U.S. Air Force, for which Boeing and Europe's EADS are competing for several years.

The redemption price would be fixed in April, and the report advocating the "right price competitive" known until mid-March. According to the Journal de Dimanche (JDD), the findings of this report, ordered the former director general of INSEE Paul Champsaur, "are ready and recommend the price of 39 euros per megawatt hour (MWh).

The new law on the organization of the electricity market (prefecture), which shall enter into force on 1 July, stipulates that EDF, the incumbent electricity, must yield to its competitors – GDF Suez Direct Energy and other Poweo – up to 25% of the electricity produced in nuclear power plants. The selling price must be set by ministerial order. This new mechanism is expected to boost competition in an industry dominated by ultra-EDF.More than three years after market opening to competition, the French are indeed remained mostly faithful to the regulated tariffs.

Reflect production costs

EDF had voted for a rate set at 42 euros per MWh, Henri Proglio, CEO of the group, believing that selling below this limit would mean the "looting". Alternative suppliers, including GDF Suez, hoping for a price closer to 35 euros per MWh.

To fix the wholesale rate at 39 euros, experts have focused on the impact that the price on your household. The increase for the public, would be at least 35% over five years with the wholesale price of 42 euros asked by EDF business cards design. It would be 30% at 39 euros, a level considered more reasonable by the Champsaur report, according to the JDD, or 5% per annum by 2015.Difficile to go below, however, according to the report."If the government does not overly increase the rates for individuals, it should not set a price too high for manufacturers," said a relative of Paul Champsaur quoted by JDD. Nome law specifies that the award should reflect "economic conditions of production" of nuclear power plants and it will be "consistent" with a specific tariff to business, Tartam (transitory regulated tariff for market adjustment) .

Friday, Energy Minister Eric Besson had told AFP that "nothing was adjudicated" and that dialogue "continue."He said that this price would be fixed "by a decree signed in April, after an arbitration of the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister."

(With AFP)

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Angela Merkel changes course. Reluctant for months about the idea of "muscle" financial rescue fund for the euro, it is now endorsed. But it sets the conditions by imposing Germany as a model for future European discipline and embracing the method – dear to Nicolas Sarkozy – an "economic government" to own the euro area.

The price of rallying German competitiveness is a pact designed and detailed in Berlin on behalf of European integration. It grows stronger and far beyond the code of conduct economic, fiscal and social Europeans update every bout of weakness of the euro.Implicitly, the Chancellor and his finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, stressed what passes for evidence in Germany: if Germany pays for others, it is entitled to set the rules of the game

Wages, pensions, deficits

The new pact, finalized Wednesday by the German coalition government, promises to be the decisive contribution to political debate, far more technical, the strengthening of the European financial stability. To counter the next market turbulence, Berlin agreed to increase the capacity for effective intervention to 440 billion euros, against 250 billion today. But it would be at the cost of a course of orthodoxy Pan: indexation of wages, raising the retirement age, leveling of taxation and the establishment of constitutional limits on deficits of the German model.The whole may be accompanied by penalties.

Berlin can claim to have weathered the crisis better than others payday lenders. She also cleaning the support of Paris for the first time Angela Merkel gives up his plan to enroll within the EU to twenty-seven. Left to cringe at Brussels, Germany opted for the euro area, even the few major countries that are prepared to follow. This is precisely the approach that the French president had in mind when it launched in 2009, the idea of an "economic government" of the euro, considered more effective than injunctions Brussels.

Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy will defend the new assembly line Friday at an EU summit in Brussels. The German pact is subject to ongoing discussions, confirm what we in Paris. It will be discussed between Angela Merkel and Jose Luis Zapatero on Thursday in Madrid.The long awaited return of "directorate" Franco-German, could be expanded to other large euro as Spain or Italy, cast already concern in the ranks. Belgium, champion of the indexation of wages, fear of having to waive such as Luxembourg, Portugal and Malta. Ireland and Slovakia are concerned about having to raise taxes on corporations, their weapon of seduction in the eyes of multinationals.

The puzzlement is especially palpable in the Barroso team, always convinced that it must prevail in the recovery of the EU and the euro in the period. "Wanting to act outside of established European institutions is clearly a step backwards," said a senior Commission official.

Congress cools the financial markets. After opening slightly higher, breaking the 12,000 points mark, the U.S. stock markets operate in an uncoordinated manner. The Dow Jones lost 0.05% to 11,971.40 points, while the S & P 500 ahead 0.27% and the Nasdaq rose 0.55% to 2734.07 points. Tuesday, after changing course several times in the morning, the NYSE closing slightly lower.

The side indicators, investors will monitor including U.S. weekly oil stocks as well as new home sales for the month of December. After the close of Wall Street they will also review the press release of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of the United States (Fed).

The Fed should decide no surprise to keep its arsenal of state support for the resumption of the U.S. economy.The leaders of the institution should certainly take stock repurchase program of additional U.S. Treasury bonds that the FOMC was launched in November. Considering the recent statements of several of them, the Committee should confirm that the Fed expects to have repurchased $ 600 billion of these bonds at the end of June. Considering the recent statements of several of them, the Committee should confirm that the Fed expects to have repurchased $ 600 billion of these bonds at the end of June.

Tuesday evening, held on policy speech said his State of the Union of Barack Obama. In his speech, Bush asked Congress to exercise fiscal innovation without abandoning efforts to reduce the deficit.

New burst results

On the foreign exchange market, the euro was changing the balance on Wednesday afternoon. By mid-afternoon in Paris, the euro bought 1.3681 dollars against 1.3682 dollars late Tuesday, after the dollar rose to 1.3722 in the morning, a new high since November 22 paydayloan.

The side of values, Wall Street investors expect another round of results. United Technologies, Xerox, Boeing, ConocoPhillips must indeed publish their results for the fourth quarter.Also note, the Macworld San Francisco grand annual gathering of fans of the U.S. computer group Apple to open its doors today and will run until January 29.

Yahoo!: -3.25% to $ 15.50

Always on the side of values, the U.S. internet group Yahoo! posted Tuesday a net profit doubled for both the year and for the fourth quarter, but with a turnover of patina, displayed down 2% for 2010 and still looks disappointing the first quarter. The annual net profit appears to 1.231 billion, while quarterly earnings totaled $ 312 million.The turnover 2010 was, however, slipped 2% to 6.324 billion dollars, with a particularly sharp fall in late: -12% to 1.525 billion dollars.

Boeing: -3.02% to 70.06 dollars

For its part, Airbus said Tuesday that the final report of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on U.S. aid to Boeing will demonstrate that its competitor has received substantial aid illegal and said that Europe could claiming $ 45 billion in compensation.

Juniper Networks: 7.02% to 37.27 dollars

The telecom equipment maker Juniper Networks has announced a profit of $ 190.2 million, slightly below expectations. The group's turnover is 1.19 billion dollars against 1.13 billion dollars expected by consensus.The operating margin was 24.5% against 24.1% in the third quarter.

Wal-Mart: 0.68% to 57.65 dollars

China has sentenced several distribution groups, including Wal-Mart fined for having lied about the price of their papers, said Wednesday the instance of economic planning.

Winter sales start on Wednesday. With this period of debate resurfaces bargain prices on many brands use interns as sellers. The collective Precarious Generation alarmed again this phenomenon, citing the low pay for trainees. They are paid "on average six times less" than the employee, the group calculates. In addition, these courses are often precarious, with no contract to boot.

"These are clearly disguised employment", says Julien Boucher, an activist in Precarious Generation, a movement born in September 2005, following a strike call and webcast spontaneous. "Teachers prefer to use this option during rush periods such as Christmas or year-end balances, rather than hiring temporary or CSD, they remained on the benches of employment center," laments he said.A trend that has accelerated in recent years.

Companies have "benefited from the crisis"

According to Julien Boucher, "companies have benefited from the massive crisis in recruiting trainees. The number of stagaires would be spent in France and 800,000 in 2006 to 1,200,000 in 2010. An increase of 50% in four years. Since its inception, Precarious Generation campaigns for a stricter training courses and in particular for increasing the salaries of trainees. For its part, the CFDT, which has made youth employment a priority for 2011, proposes to improve the lives of students, said its secretary general Francois Chereque, when presenting his greetings on Monday.

Article 9 of the Act of March 31, 2006 on Equal Opportunity oversees the conduct of business internships.Admittedly, it was amended by Law of November 24, 2009 which established the principle of compensation and minimum mandatory internships for a period greater than or equal to two months instead of three months previously provided by the decree of 31 January 2008. "But nothing is settled. It's always the level of remuneration is the rub, "Julien Boucher shade. If no collective bargaining agreement more favorable, the student must collect at least 12.5% of the maximum hourly rate of social security, equal to 22 euros in 2010. Is 417.09 euros per month for 35 hours weekly attendance of the trainee in the company."The whole, without contributing to retirement or unemployment insurance," said a member of the collective.

A new operation "punch"

This year again, Generation Precarious therefore benefit from the symbolic period balances to publicly denounce "deals made on wages through the misuse of training" and promises a "blitz" on Saturday. At the last such event, held on the opening day of sales in January 2008, members of the group gathered outside the Parisian department stores, Boulevard Haussmann, to distribute leaflets to customers and the Galeries Lafayette spring.

wmode = "opaque"

Singled out, signs are defending themselves contribute to an increase in placements abusive, reports Le Parisien / Today in France in a survey on this subject. "The students represent only 0.68% of our workforce.Their number is steady throughout the year, it does not increase during the sales or parties, "says a spokesman at Fnac daily. "We offer them at the end of their internship, and if they wish, paid positions when we can," says one at the Gap. Finally, Decathlon stresses that students recruited by the group are "compensated".

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The "eCard" greeting has become more successful in France. According to a TNS Sofres poll conducted for the site * CyberCartes.com, the French number two behind the virtual card Dromadaire.com, 14.5 million French people – 29% of the population – at least send an e-card at the end of 2010, against 11.5 million (23%) in 2009. A jump of 26% in one year. "France had a disability at the start, because we sent a lot less traditional paper cards as the Anglo-Saxon," said Rafik Smati, president and founder of Dromadaire.com. Delayed largely filled on the Internet. "We are the world champions of the eCard to the Americans," he adds.

Dromadaire.com, established in 1998, calls itself a world leader in the electronic card.According to the Nielsen survey Médiamétrie-January 2010, the site has captured 73% of audience share sites of electronic greeting cards that month in France. This year, he posted a record audience of 11 million visitors the week before Christmas. "This figure is but a foretaste of what will represent the next two weeks, a period where a majority of users should contact their New Year wishes," says its founder. Last year, 18 million year-end cards were sent via Dromadaire.com, who hopes to surpass the $ 20 million for the 2010/2011 season.

Even the optimism among competing site CyberCartes.com, who recorded "25 million hits on the last greeting and expected to grow 50% this year."According to its president, Jean-Pierre Fanni, the big trend this year is the "personalized card," which notably allows to insert pictures into a video, or "talking card". "The success of virtual cards is even more intense as more and more cards are sent via the new media like social networks and smartphones," he notes.

The "new media" missed

CyberCartes.com site has created its own application for iPhone, which since late November, allows users to send a video card from the mobile Apple to choose from hundreds of proposed maps. "To date, we recorded nearly 70,000 downloads of our iPhone application that was immediately acclaimed. She has climbed into first place ranking in the class the Appstore entertainment, "the president welcomes the site.Moreover, CyberCartes payday advance lenders.com created two weeks ago his Facebook page that has already captured about 50% of items of virtual cards. "These new media boost our circulation because they facilitate the sending of greeting cards by allowing the use of all possible media."

Dromadaire.com has also made the page. "The e-card has rejuvenated through social networks and smartphones, and we believe that several million cards this year will be sent via these channels," says Rafik Smati. "These are very important growth driver for us." The site, which already had a Facebook page, has also developed an iPhone application, launched last December 10. "This application integrates all the features of the iPhone. For example, you can send a card with a snowball, which could be rocked and rolled animate.It can also blow on the screen or scratch, according to the type of card sent, "explains President Dromadaire.com, who said that" this new tool it enables us to be more creative. " Facing the tidal wave of e-card, the traditional paper map is struggling to resist. In 2009, it represented only 3% of the market for greeting cards, according to the National Union of Printing and the Professional Union of the postcard.

* Study carried out on 8 and 9 November 2010 on a nationally representative sample of the French population aged 18 and older (950 respondents in total).

The French champions of the electronic card

The poll by TNS Sofres, 61% of users of virtual greeting cards throughout the year are women. A proportion that rises slightly to 62.5% for year-end cards."The French are champions of e-card," says Jean-Pierre Fanni, CyberCartes.com president, for whom the study was conducted. "They are almost twice as likely as men to send cards later this year." Women use the electronic card as a mark of attention to all kinds of opportunities, outlines the study: send their Christmas wishes wish a happy birthday to a friend, make a nod to their office colleagues, thanking their families, saying "I love you" to their spouse or their children laugh. A trend even more pronounced in French over the age of 35, which are 70% to send cards at Christmas, against 30% for those under 35 years.

Source: TNS Sofres

This should be one of the great events of the winter semester. Microsoft probably will benefit the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, to introduce these two new tablets in Windows 7. Steve Ballmer's firm could make the first presentations of Windows 8, in a format suitable for tablets. However, this new operating system should not be marketed until a few months.

Good start for Google

Microsoft shelves should be produced by Dell and Samsung, according to The New York Times. That Korean should be even with a sliding keyboard: enough to make it a perfect compromise between the tablet and the notebook with no guarantee of success so far.

It's been ten years since the U.S. giant has, at various times, tested the way the touch pad. Without success.This summer, Steve Ballmer had said he intended to market its own shelves "as soon as they (would) be ready." Meanwhile, Apple iPad, launched in April, was awarded 83% of global market share in this segment, according to Deloitte. In 2012, Apple's market share fall to 44%. What remains a performance, since all the competing tablets, including those coming in Windows, would share the balance, while competition is growing.

Tablets Android (Google) have a very good start, especially the Galaxy Tab Samsung sold a million copies in just over a month. For Microsoft, the current challenge is not to be leading the shelves than to simply be present. Indeed, sales of these products should soon overtake those of laptops, according to Deloitte.She also cannibalize sales of computers, laptops or not, and those of games consoles. Consequently, sales of software should also be affected.

A few months behind Apple

It's much less opportunity for Microsoft, especially for Windows. In addition, the software company has missed the start of smartphones. Accusing nearly three years behind, he struggles to impose its solution Phone Windows 7 against the iPhone and Android devices.

Finally, launching in early 2011 the new shelves, it will "only" a few months behind Apple and could hit the market at about the same time as the iPad 2.

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