International News

Prevention rather than cure. Monday, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, CEO of Air France, met with unions to prepare them for a more austere than expected return. Deemed "constructive" by the company management, the meeting was to "share" a moody vision of the coming months, which will result in a strengthening economy measures probably formalized in October after the committee Strategic Air France-KLM.

In 2010-2011, Air France announced a cost reduction of nearly 600 million euros. This time, no figures were mentioned. But Monday, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon spoke of "the lack of visibility" on the economic and spoke of the "specter of recession."

No to social at first. A voluntary redundancy scheme has indeed completed at Air France. In two years, the company lost 10% of its workforce.It is not clear that new candidates would raise his finger when a window was open initially. "We should make use of unwanted departures. Now we want to respect the social contract of the company, "said one member of management. Yet behind the scenes, some trade unionists believe that a cost reduction plan will not be enough: "If growth is not to go, plan on removing items from 5,000 to 10,000 is to be feared," stated Monday a trade unionist. Air France has 58,000 employees.

"We will target the fixed-term contracts and temporary contracts and make greater use of outsourcing," lists a spokesman. The hiring freeze, eased in recent months again become very strict.But the recruitment of drivers provided as part of the opening of bases from province to Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and Bordeaux should not be affected payday loans.

Air France will ask all departments to review their budget down. Each manager will be responsible for making proposals in this direction, allowing a second step to calculate the new plan to reduce costs. Another source of savings, reduced capacity of the company, that is to say the removal of flights. After the announcement in late July from a reduction in the growth of long-haul traffic during the winter, is now expected to do the same during the summer of 2012.

In ten days of the announcement of his mégacommande of long-haul aircraft, shared with KLM, the management of Air France said that his austerity plan, however, should not affect aircraft deliveries.

The arrival of Alitalia

A new period of turbulence looks while the current management of Air France to start his estate. The prospective dolphins Pierre-Henri Gourgeon shall take the levers when the profitability of the company has won compared to that of its major European competitors such as Lufthansa or IAG (involving British Airways and Iberia). For its part Lufthansa said on Monday it would sell its subsidiary to British Midlands, which allowed him to gain a foothold in London.

Air France-KLM does not transfer. The Franco-Dutch group is preparing for a majority stake in Alitalia.

ALSO READ:

"The accounts of Air France-KLM are in the red

"The CCE Air France plunges into crisis

"Air France wants to respond to competitive low-cost

After the increase in VAT on the inputs of the theme parks last week, the elimination of rebates on real estate gains promises to be the main divisive issue of the week opens. This provision, very criticized, only affects second homes and rental investment (principal residence remains, as before, exempt from taxes). But it is radical: since August 25, the capital gain on resale is taxed at 32.5%, regardless of the length of detention of the property. Previously, the taxable gain was undergoing a reduction of 10% per year from five years in prison, which made totally exempt from taxes in fifteen years.Delete this reduction is therefore a true revolution that will represent, in 2012, over 2 billion euros in additional revenue for the state budget!

For many members of the Finance Committee, the government was wrong to brutally suppress the abatement system. "This chopper's austerity plan is absurd, asserts the centrist MP Charles de Courson. It will freeze sales. Transfer taxes, which are sitting on real estate transactions and represent a significant tax revenue departments and municipalities, will collapse. "The deputy also fears an increase in under-the-table, in order to limit the most capital gain to report.Many also fear a destabilization of the market for rental investment.

Members of the Finance Committee, under the aegis of their rapporteur UMP Gilles Carrez, have decided to table an amendment that will restore an allowance of 5% per year after five years free online credit report. What can a total exemption from capital gains tax at the end of twenty-five years. They also want to refer to 1 December 2011 or January 1, 2012 implementation of this measure.

But there's a catch: Bercy awaiting the removal of allowances 200 million savings in 2011 and 2.2 billion in 2012. The restoration of a 5% reduction would cost 900 million full year. Aware of the need to preserve public finances, Gilles Carrez proposes to increase the tax on patents."This is a measure anticompétitivité," retorted Bercy where people still say "open to discussion as long as the deficit does not widen."

A gesture is expected

Reportedly, the Budget Ministry is prepared to make a move on entry into force of the measure on second homes (which could be a little delayed) and would eventually restore a favorable tax abatement in the time, based on a total exemption from taxation of capital gains after thirty years rather than twenty-five as proposed by Gilles Carrez. Between last-minute negotiations and uncertainties on the position of Members who are not part of the Finance Committee, voting in the National Assembly is uncertain. Not to mention that it could be unraveled in the Senate."No decision of economics can not be accepted in the general joy," says Philippe Marini, the UMP rapporteur of the Committee on Finance of the High Assembly, which considers the extent of the government "justified".

Remain in control at home. Such is the concern of Mark Pincus, founder of Zynga, the leading provider of video games for social networks, such as Farmville, with 232 million active players per month. To retain full authority in his business, despite its forthcoming IPO, Mark Pincus holds a special law, approved by its board of directors. This decision is consistent with her wishes because administrators have been selected by Mark Pincus himself, as his deputy director general John Shappert.

The founder of the start-up in 2007 in San Francisco, won each of its actions has 70 voting rights, according to a company document obtained by Bloomberg.It's better than what was originally planned or what has been practiced for IPO social network LinkedIn for business: 10 votes per share for the co-founders.

Thus, Mark Pincus, holder of 16% stake in his company, he will maintain his authority over every decision. This must still be approved by two-thirds of the shareholders, before September 2.

Then Zynga will take his first steps on the stock market and rising, as envisaged from the beginning of the summer, about one billion dollars. If all goes as planned, its market capitalization should be between 15 and 20 billion. The group would become the company most expensive in the world in video games at Electronic Arts (7 cash advance america.3 billion) and Activision Blizzard (13200000000), controlled by Vivendi.Earlier this year, the company was "valued at $ 5 billion," says an expert from PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Reversal of value

It is a real reversal of the hierarchy: the publisher of games for social networks could surpass traditional publishers of games for consoles and PC. Zynga is very profitable with its free games, such as Farmville, CityVille or MafiaWars, which cost little money to design and generate significant revenue. Proceeds from the start-up, with over 2000 employees, results mainly from the sale of real shadow, like a farm, factory or virtual fruit trees, which help the player to progress in his adventure. This model is thriving, thanks to Facebook as "friends" involved of challenges through simple little game.Therefore, Zynga should display in 2011 a turnover of around $ 1.5 billion, with, the key to a net income close to $ 500 million. In 2010, after three years of existence, the company became profitable, with $ 90.6 million in net profits for a turnover of 597.5 million and cash of close to one billion.

Traditional competitors, Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts, respectively realized 4.44 billion in revenue and $ 3.58 billion.

ALSO READ:

"Zynga wants to raise a billion dollars

The CAC 40, which gained nearly 4% over the last three sessions, was down 0.65% at 3119 points on Thursday on the eve of the intervention (16 hours on Friday, Paris time) of President of the U.S. central bank, Ben Bernanke. He could announce new measures of monetary easing to support the U.S. economy. Or, failing that, to maintain low rates. Meanwhile, despite cost-cutting measures announced yesterday in France, and which could have an impact on some companies, the stock index, which opened up this morning, was up until about 1530, slowly approaching the 3200 points mark. Before turning down, weighed down by various rumors, immediately denied, one on the degradation of the AAA rating in Germany, the other on a total ban on short selling in the country.These rumors have pushed the Dax in Frankfurt ended sharply lower after losing 1.71% to 4%.

On the macroeconomic front, two indicators were expected at the meeting. The morale of German consumers, hit by the debt crisis in the eurozone and the agony of a recession has reached its lowest level since late 2010, announced Thursday the specialized institute GfK. The GfK said its consumer confidence index, which provides for their behavior in September according to data compiled in August stood at 5.2 points and finds its level in November 2010. This is his sixth consecutive decline.

Above all, the weekly jobless claims in the U.S. rose unexpectedly during the week of Aug. 20, at 417,000 against 412,000 the previous week, according to data from U.S. Department of Labor unveiled at 14:30.What foster uncertainty and investor concerns about the health of the world's largest economy, while analysts had forecast 405,000 registrations.

In France, unemployment figures and job seekers for the month of July will be released after market close at 6:00 p.m..Labour Minister, Xavier Bertrand, warns that unemployment figures "are wrong as were those of the previous two months."

Side raw materials, oil prices rose Thursday to open in New York a barrel of "light sweet crude" for October delivery was trading at 85.99 dollars, up 83 cents from the previous day.

Sharp decline in quarterly profit of Crédit Agricole

On the corporate side, the ball of the results continues.

Crédit Agricole: + 4.81% to 6.511 euros – largest increase in the CAC 40 to BNP Paribas (2.74% to 34.36 euros) and Societe Generale (3.44% to 22.13 euros).

Crédit Agricole has published a net profit down 10.6% to 339 million euros in the second quarter 2011, due to a charge of 640 million related to Greece.In addition, the group could spend 1.5 billion euros to recapitalize its subsidiaries in Southern Europe including the Greek bank Emporiki, according to the Letter of expansion without citing sources.half-year results of companies, including Credit Agricole and Edenred, the branch of Accor Services.

Edenred: + 1.58% to 17.70 euros

Edenred announced interim results and annual targets in line with analysts' expectations, the strong activity in Latin America continue to boost the profits of the group.

Alstom: – 0.91% to 30.485 euros

Alstom has signed two contracts for more than 100 million euros to supply equipment for controlling the air quality in the Middle East.

Cellectis: 12% to 6.72 euros

Cellectis has entered a development agreement and license with the American Recombinetics on "the creation of transgenic large animals" such as pigs, sheep or cattle.

Schneider Electric – 0.18% to 89.14 euros

Schneider Electric announced that its takeover bid for Telvent Git SA expire 30 August instead of September 12.

Gemalto: + 6.33% to 31.41 euros

Gemalto has reported a strong growth in its half-yearly sales, thanks to the strong growth of its secure transactions that are now the most profitable activity of the group.

Bureau Veritas: + 1.14% to 53.89 euros

Bureau Veritas announced adjusted net income up 10% to 164.2 million euros in the first half, operating margin declined 70 basis points to 16.0%, and confirmed predict a sharp increase in the number and business results in 2011.

This is the kind of evening that annoys the purists. Last June, the Becca Cason Thrash wealthy Texan, Vice President of "Friends of the Louvre" U.S. and international, organized a charity gala in the largest museum in the world. The guests – celebrities such as Albert of Monaco and actress Fanny Ardant – were welcomed with a cocktail in the apartments of Napoleon III, before dinner – a sacrilege to some – among the sculptures in the Cour Marly. All these people then went under the Pyramid, transformed into a nightclub for a private concert by Janet Jackson. Fee, the event has raised 700,000 euros to restore the decorative arts galleries of the eighteenth century.

Henri Loyrette, the Louvre for ten years, of course, attended the festivities. The Conservative education devotes much of his time raising private money.It is, apparently, difficult to resist the charm of this man of culture nearly 2 meters. A boss of a U.S. real estate company said that the French, he was invited to spend a weekend at his home in Cincinnati, has enchanted by the couple's conversation about opera and architecture of the city, and has even cracked a speech to the local art museum. "At the end of the weekend, I gave him a check for $ 50,000," says the boss at the magazine Business Week.

Henri Loyrette unashamedly claims this fundraiser activity. And for good reason. The state reduced its funding by 5% in 2009 and again from 5% in 2011. Governments subsidize just over half the budget of the Louvre, against 70% in 2001."To finance its activities with a cultural, but also – more than in the past – educational and social, in a context of declining public subsidies, the Louvre has no other choice but to increase its own resources," he assures, noting that the establishment is not intended to generate profits. His office does not resemble that of an entrepreneur. In the room with ocher walls adorned with classical paintings, with windows overlooking the Pont du Carrousel, every corner is occupied by piles of files and books.

Thirty fundraisers

The Louvre, however, is not complaining. With 230 million euros last year (against 80 million in 2001), the institution has resources comparable to the Metropolitan in New York. Another reason for satisfaction, ticketing, clean source of income, has good prospects.The 8.5 million admissions in 2010, 5 million charge, reported 41 million euros. Attendance, up 70% since 2001, should continue to increase. The Louvre, which has raised interest rates from 9.50 to 10 euros in early 2011, taking advantage of the influx of tourists from emerging countries. If France makes a third of visitors, including foreigners, Brazilians ranked third last year behind the Americans and Italians.

Despite their popularity, the former royal palace could not offer a program as rich without its sponsors. The latter brought him 25 million euros last year, more than a quarter of own income. To attract them, the Louvre was created in 2003 a commando no equivalent in France: a team of thirty people dedicated to raising funds. They offer companies to fund projects until end 2013.This may include, for example, to affix its logo on the poster exhibition. Cost: between 100,000 and 400,000 euros for one of the Forbidden City, scheduled in September. Other possibilities, the redesign of the website or with the acquisition of a work of German Romantic painter Friedrich. The Department of Islamic Art, which opened in 2012, it should be 75% funded by the private sector. Saudi Prince al-Walid brings 17 million euros 100 million.

Tax benefits

Fundraisers of the prestigious institution have a strong argument: a tax system that allows the 2003 tax cuts equivalent to 60% of the expenses of artistic patronage, and even 90% for the purchase of a work art classified national treasure. However, they must scrap more than before the crisis.Main challenge, competition of social projects, popular with company employees. As a result, "we propose projects crossing artistic and social dimensions," says Hervé Barbaretta, deputy head of the Louvre. For the exhibition of ancient Macedonia in the fall, Total organize and discovery tours of the museum for troubled youth. To "preserve the scientific credibility," Henri Loyrette ensures that sponsors are funding projects already "tied". This applies to the exhibition "Paper Work", which indicates that the poster is presented by "the Louvre Museum and Canson." Exposure of the watchmaker Breguet in 2009 was cringe, with texts considered too partisan.

In exchange for their support, businesses are entitled to privileges such as the availability of spaces.Other firms pay dearly for these benefits: 100,000 euros for a night under the Pyramid. Unlike donors, they do not have their name engraved for eternity on the "wall of patrons" in the lobby.

Buoyed by the announcement of a burst of mergers and acquisitions, Wall Street on Monday confirmed the rebound that started in last weekend. In limited volumes, it will erase all its losses from last week. All indices end in green: the Dow ends up sharply from 1.87% to 11,479.65 points. The index had opened up 0.48% to 11,323.44 points and continued to grow during the session. The Nasdaq index also closed with a gain of 1.87% to 2554.79 points.

Markets reacted to a volley of announcements of mergers and acquisitions. First, Google (-1.16% to 557.23 dollars) has announced the acquisition of the mobile phone manufacturer Motorola Mobility (55.78% to 38.12 dollars) to $ 12.5 billion in cash.Time Warner (-0.81% to 64.98 dollars), meanwhile, reached an agreement to buy the cable operator Insight Communications to Carlyle for $ 3 billion. Finally, Cargill will acquire the French specialist in animal feed Provimi to 1.5 billion euros.

As in Europe, investors are upbeat on the eve of an important meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the reform of the governance of the euro area. They should discuss ways to implement to prevent contagion problems of sovereign debt to the rest of the region.

But Germany has already warned investors: this meeting will lead to "nothing spectacular"."It will be a working meeting on the governance of the euro area in line with European decisions taken in late July," said the spokesman of the Ministry of Finance. The latter also confirmed the skepticism German, joined by France, in respect of Eurobonds. These ads have already resulted in demoralizing the European investors.

In Asia, the announcement of a contraction much weaker than expected Japanese GDP has also reassured the markets.

Morale builders stable

The statistics published on Monday in the U.S. are, however, bleak. Manufacturing activity in the New York area declined for the third consecutive month at -7.7, 3.9 points lower than in July.

In real estate, the NAHB index released on Monday shows that the morale of the manufacturers was unchanged in August, close to its lowest historical levels.

Note that the currency market, the euro strengthened against the greenback at 1.444 dollar. Oil markets, oil prices closed up in New York. A barrel of "light sweet crude" for September delivery was trading at 87.88 dollars, up 2.50 dollar. Prices had fallen during the European trading, erasing their gains made in Asian trade in a market nervous and still haunted by persistent concerns about global growth and the debt crisis in the eurozone.A barrel of Brent North Sea crude for September delivery was trading at 107.56 dollars on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in London, down 47 cents from Friday's close.

Google swallows Motorola Mobility

On the corporate side, Bank of America (7.93% to 7.76 dollars) has announced the sale of its activities in the international credit cards in Britain, Ireland or Canada.

The food distributor Sysco (-3.93% to 28.11 dollars) announced earnings per share (EPS), diluted to 57 cents under its fourth quarter, diluted EPS of $ 1.96 for all of its financial year, while its quarterly sales reached $ 10.4 billion.

Estee Lauder fell 6.64% to 94.15 dollars.Despite the publication of a net income group share record of $ 700.8 million, up 46.5%, the cosmetics group announced its annual results would be below Wall Street expectations.

Lowe (0.82% to 19.58 dollars) has already reported sales below expectations in the second quarter of its fiscal year and lowered its annual targets for the second time in three months, consumers pushing their development projects until later because of sluggish growth.

Boeing (1.54% to 62.70 dollars) announced it had completed with Air Lease Corp. an order valued at $ 2.5 billion on 14 737-800 aircraft and five 777-300ER.

Pfizer (2.69% to 18.34 dollars) announced Monday it had won before a U.S. court case against Teva Pharmaceutical Industries of Israel, preventing the global generics to produce a copy of Viagra before 2019 .

Transocean (2.97% to 57.26 dollars), listed in New York, wants to buy the Norwegian group Aker Drilling, for a total of 1.1 billion Swiss francs (1 billion), according to a statement Monday. Several large shareholders, representing 65% of the capital, have agreed to the deal, said the Swiss.

The American specialist craft materials Grainger (2.01% to 138.57 dollars) on Monday announced the acquisition of the Dutch distributor of fasteners Fabory Group for $ 344 million (242 million).

Faced with rumors that shook markets extremely volatile last week and some bank stocks are falling, the stock market authorities are seeking a European risposta. Thursday night market regulators in Brussels, Madrid, Paris and Rome have announced a ban on short selling, which takes effect this Friday, for at least 15 days.

Short sales are a complex and risky speculative practice, which involves, initially, borrow securities (eg 10 euros) which anticipates the decline. Then sell it. And finally to buy it when its being dropped (8 euros). By selling what he had not yet acquired by the speculator has pocketed a gain of 2 euros.

This practice is alleged to amplify the declines of the securities markets. Its prohibition is routinely considered during financial crises."Short sales are trading strategies consistent with the rules but they become abusive when they are clearly associated with large and false market rumors," said ESMA, the European regulator of financial markets in a statement.

Eleven French values ​​involved

In France, the AMF has decided to ban short selling of eleven financial stocks which were particularly severe on the stock market due to rumors about the health of the banking sector guaranteed payday loan. Societe Generale is one of them: the bank has seen its price falls by 15% Wednesday due to a rumor of a false information about a bank failure in the British tabloid Mail on Sunday.Crédit Agricole and BNP Paribas are also among the financials involved.

"We deal in various European countries to rumors that are unfounded," noted the president of the AMF. "These rumors can amount to market abuse", by which the MFA refers to price manipulation and insider trading. Finance Minister Baroin has in turn welcomed the decision of the AMF.

In France as in Spain and Italy, the ban is valid for 15 days and may be renewed. In Belgium, where naked short sales (where the investor does not own the loan) were already banned, the new ban is enforced for a period inderterminée.It concerns four titles: KBC Ancora, Dexia and Aegas.

The Dutch financial markets regulator AFM, meanwhile, said he saw no need to ban short sales on the exchanges of Amsterdam.

The White House on Saturday called for the unity of the Democratic and Republican parties to restore the economic and budgetary situation of the United States, after the degradation for the first time in their history of "AAA" rating. "We must do better to show our willingness, our ability and commitment to work together to address the economic and budgetary challenges," said the spokesman for the White House, Jay Carney, in a statement.

Shortly before, the only official reaction came from the Treasury and was terse: "an appreciation vitiated by an error of 2000 billion dollars speaks for itself." This release has illustrated the high tensions between the administration occurred Friday Obama and the rating agency Standard and Poor's, crystallized around a miscalculation of 2000 billion.

As tradition dictates, S & P has informed earlier this afternoon the Treasury's decision before making it public. This is usually an opportunity for the government to point out any factual errors. At this meeting, U.S. officials soon discover that the projections of S & P over ten years the budget deficit and public debt do not coincide with the figures of the executive, from the work of the Office of Congressional Budget (CBO).The U.S. public debt stood at 93% of GDP in 2021 instead of the expected 85%, a difference of two trillion dollars.

Standard and Poor's emphasizes the "political risks"

Faced with protests from the government, the rating agency starts with defense. She claims to be part of the work of the CBO, a retaining projection "alternative" of government spending, considered more realistic. After discussions, however, she agrees to return to the initial forecasts. The Treasury advised her to give himself time to review the numbers cold.

Far from judging, Standard and Poor's does not reverse its decision to lower the rating of the United States to "AA +" with 'Negative' outlook. The agency submits a new version of its release to focus on "political risks" to see the country taking insufficient measures against its budget deficit payday loan lenders.In another statement released at night, she explained that the correction of the error has changed only marginally forecasts of debt in 3 to 5 years to come, "decisive" for its decision. "This is a technical error, no serious consequences," says one within the agency.

According to S & P, the political debate on these issues in the United States is indeed not up to the problems caused by a debt of more than 14,500 billion.According to a U.S. government source quoted by CNBC, this episode proves that the decision by Standard and Poor's was taken regardless of the numbers, while revised data showed that the deficit would be sustainable over the next ten years.

"Latest victim of the failure of Obama's economic"

The rating agency had in fact warned in mid-July the Obama administration she wanted a deficit reduction of 4 trillion dollars over ten years to maintain the triple-A, instead of hard-won 2.1 trillion. John Chambers, President of the Evaluation Committee of S & P, also found on CNN that Washington could have prevented the lowering of the notes within the ceiling as soon as the statutory debt.He said the responsibilities were shared by the Administration and Obama, but also "the previous administration."

The political reaction in Washington have shown just block pointed to by S & P. Mitt Romney, candidate for the Republican primary for the 2012 presidential election, has described the downgrade of American "latest victim of the failure of Obama's economic" and the Republican president the House of Representatives "consequence of uncontrolled spending in Washington in recent decades."The Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid, has instead called for "a balanced approach to deficit reduction," with lower costs but also increases targeted taxes, it rejected the Republicans, under pressure ultra-conservative "tea parties" in the recent discussions on the debt.

(With branches)

ALSO READ:

"Standard & Poor's removed the" AAA "rating from the United States

Red Cedar rising from the ashes. The brand furniture and decorating high-end look forward to sign this year a profitable year, after reaching the balance last year. "Our sales have increased sixfold, from 1 to 6 million euros in 2010. We expect a turnover of 8-9000000 euros this year, "said CEO Henry the Minstrel. A great success because, in its heyday in the early 2000s, Red Cedar posted sales barely higher (12 million euros in 2001). And by exploiting ten stores, not two, like today.

The company suffered a severe weight loss, following its failed merger with Le Prince Jardinier in 2006.When Henri Le Menestrel, accompanied by the fund Nextstage already present in the capital (20% today), took over the business in late 2008, the group "was making a million sales and a million casualties," recalls it. He who had just sell its media agency online Lagardère decided to open a shop for a new genre, while preserving the historical site at Châtelet and the brand, much appreciated. "We have broken the codes of high-end furniture, installing Red Cedar Feucherolles end of 2009, twenty minutes drive from the Porte d'Auteuil, in the fields," says its CEO. Having seen that "unlike the fashion industry, the decoration brands have never built their own store and are difficult," he wants a "multi-specialist" and exposes the Fermob chairs, sofas and Marie's Corner sunshades in the "dedicated showrooms."

The project won: true destination of family visits on weekends, the store was expanded this summer, for the fourth time, from 700 square meters two years ago in late September 4200. Besides the fifty brands presented, the brands of Red Cedar – tables and mailboxes with Christmas decorations – there are still very place. "With little marks in furniture and decorating high-end customers need to compare really to understand the quality factors and to choose the range that suits them," said Henri Le Menestrel.

Seize opportunities

Same strategy to the shop on the Internet, including a new version has just been put online: the user can learn and even to shop, but it is especially encouraged to move Feucherolles.For if the sign already generates 10% of its sales on the Internet, she wants to see progress especially the number of visitors.

"We feared that the store does Châtelet suffers from the rise of that of Feucherolles, but the opposite is true!", Says the CEO. These good results may prompt Red Cedar to relocate in town to present, for example, one or more product categories in smaller areas. It is precisely to capture "many and varied opportunities" of this type, but also small acquisitions like that of a small specialist light in early 2009, as Nextstage invest in the fall about 2.5 million. A larger amount than in 2008 (1.5 million), a sign of his confidence and that will advance the participation of the fund to 30%.

• Krys up big on Sun's

With Ray-Ban sunglasses, Sonia Rykiel or Armani 20% to 25% cheaper than the competition, the optician's Mon has seduced those who care about their spending, not to mention fashion. The group teaches Krys, an industry leader, was mostly created in 2009 to "anticipate the future perspective" with the rise of Internet players, the price will weigh more in the choice of this product . Fifteen stores Mon's, which also offer own branded glasses, are open this year, bringing the total to 30, while Krys already provides 200 points of sale in 2015.

• Total station experiences cheap

For over a year, the oil company is testing stations at low prices: 35 sites at baseline and 45 today – a fleet of approximately 2,000 outlets in total teaching, both in that city rural areas.Prices are likely to compete with supermarkets. For now, the group has not yet decided whether to extend the scheme. It will decide by the end of the year. The stations are scratched Total test, but it is not excluded that the group, he continues the adventure, is launching a new brand.

• Banks and insurers are betting on the Internet

They reject the term "low cost", but apply much revenue. In recent years, banks and insurance companies through subsidiaries disclaim Internet offerings of financial services at bargain prices and a la carte. ING Direct, the subsidiary of Dutch bank insurer, launched in 1997 this model of online banking. In France, Societe Generale offers a comprehensive range of services via Boursorama. Crédit Agricole target customers for its part with its private banking heritage online BforBank.As for the insurers, Groupama reserves its offer car insurance "Pay as you drive" customers of its subsidiary Amaguiz.

• Renault continues to expand the range of the Logan

Since its launch in 2004, the success of low-cost car for Renault, the only Western manufacturer to attempt the challenge, continues to grow. The group passed last year 685,000 low-cost vehicles, or 26% of its sales. Best of all, they bring him an operating margin above 6%. Logan began with the rustic to 7600 euros, the range now includes six models, the Sandero and the small 4 × 4 Duster. Originally designed for emerging countries, it paradoxically creates a strong demand in Europe, where it is marketed under the Dacia brand, produced in Romania. Tanger Factory (opening in 2012) will manufacture two new variations.Internationally, the range, made locally, is sold under the Renault brand. It is the spearhead of the group's expansion in Russia and Latin America.

• With Transavia, Air France attempting a takeoff in the low-cost

No way to leave Ryanair and easyJet monopoly on flights at bargain prices. Air France launched in spring 2007 its own low-cost airline, called Transavia, which carried 1.3 million passengers last year. From Orly-Sud, Lyon, Nantes and Marseille, eight Boeing 737-800 provide scheduled and unscheduled, mainly to the Mediterranean countries. These destinations are not served by Air France. The group does not wish to organize their own competition in order to avoid any risk of cannibalization. A draft Domestic Transavia has been abandoned.

ALSO READ:

"Orange is embarking on the low-cost for counter Free