International News

Almost non-existent on the high end, Renault plans to return in the race with his partner allemandMercedes, one of the kings of that class. So far, we knew that French was working with his ally on a Nissan platform technique to manufacture both its future high-end, but the Megane compact, and vehicles of similar size in Japanese. But this platform – which targeted 1.5 million cars a year, will be extended to Daimler, the maker of Mercedes. "There will be a common platform between the three: Renault-Nissan and Daimler," said Thursday Carlos Ghosn, the CEO of Renault-Nissan, during a dinner with journalists.

Result, "you move from one platform from 100,000 to 200,000 cars a year" for the high-end Renault, "a platform of 2 million cars.It is no longer the same challenges: cost, quality and performance are not the same, "says the owner of the manufacturer. On this platform, Renault will build the replacement of Space and the Koleos 4 × 4, but also a "range" is replacing both the Laguna and Vel Satis. Laguna does not know the fourth generation: the new vehicle still under wraps, will be greater. These cars are mainly produced in the factory in Douai, France, but also outside Europe, possibly in Korea. They emerge from late 2014 and 2016.

Meanwhile, Renault plans to launch "a vehicle developed with Daimler," on a platform of German, said Carlos Ghosn."I do not think it would be very realistic to say that Renault, which has the ambition to develop a more expanded upper range, will not consider one way or another with some potential collaborations Mercedes for at least one model so ", he had already slipped to Frankfurt Motor Show in September savings account payday advance. Renault-Nissan and Daimler already designing future joint small Twingo and Smart (set in 2014) and a commercial vehicle for Mercedes. The construction of a compact Infiniti, Nissan's premium brand, based on an architecture provided by the group to the star, is also seriously considered.

Amortization of costs

With Mercedes, Renault hopes to succeed where he failed himself. The launch of a vehicle requires high-end development costs very high, particularly disappointing that the volume of Renault failed to dampen.After stopping production in 2009 of the Vel Satis, the diamond was sold last year that 53,000 Laguna, Koleos 39,000 and 17,000 area.

While the three champions of the category-BMW, ​​Audi and Mercedes-emit spectacular margins, the high-end Renault "is the weakest part of our operation, which is not normal," says Carlos Ghosn, who believes that in this area, the French "can hardly do less."

Carlos Ghosn, the partnership between Renault-Nissan and Daimler-each holds 3.1% of the other-is an "opportunity" not to let go upmarket. Daimler, "very smart", is contributing "to the maximum" French in the development of Smart, as the engineers' know we will do better than them. " Conversely, "do not say is that we can do it all on the high end. You must use the skills of Mercedes, "he says.

Wall Street has been won by the pessimism Monday. The Dow Jones ended down sharply from 2.13% to 11.397 points, after rising 4.9% last week. Nasdaq in turn yields 1.98% to 2614.92 points and the S & P 500, wider, lost 1.94% to 1200.86 points.

The New York indexes, which were due up, opened in the red, sealed by the doubts that have entered the European markets at mid-session. The German Minister of Economics Wolfgang Schäuble has indeed warned that the EU summit to be held in Brussels Sunday will not lead to a definitive solution to the debt crisis.

This weekend, the European central bankers have expressed their determination to end the debt crisis at the G20 Finance in Paris. The Europeans have promised to respond "comprehensive and lasting peace" to the debt crisis."Advanced countries will adopt, taking into account their respective national circumstances, policies to strengthen the confidence and support growth and implement measures clear, credible and targeted to rebalance public finances" stressed the finance ministers in their statement. Specifically, they promise to make a decision at the European Summit of October 23, described as "decisive" on Saturday by Minister of Economy Baroin. Attempted to reassure the ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet said the euro was "not threatened", but called on all Europeans to be "extra vigilant" with regard to public finances.

In the same tone, Christine Lagarde, has also shown confidence in the capabilities International Monetary Fund (IMF) to come and play firefighters, as appropriate, to countries in difficulty.In Europe a microphone, the director of the institution determined that its resources were "appropriate" and "in line", sweeping the wish of several European countries to strengthen its capacity in anticipation of a bankruptcy of Athens.

Barack Obama and his savings plan

Across the Atlantic, investors also await details of the savings plan of Barack Obama. Last Friday, the country's budget deficit reached 8.7% of GDP in 2010-2011, 0.3 points less than in the previous year, according to the Treasury. Knowing that in absolute terms, the fiscal gap widened slightly to 0.4% from fiscal 2010 to rise above 1.299 trillion dollars, making it the second largest deficit the country's history.

In terms of indicators, the United States, industrial activity in the region of New York came out down $ 8 no fax pay day loan.48 in October.A contraction is stronger than expected. Industrial production has in turn increased by 0.2%, as expected.

On the currency side, the euro lost ground against the dollar on Monday after briefly climbed above $ 1.39 for the first time in a month. To 22 hours (French time), the European currency is worth 1.3744 dollars against 1.3881 dollars on Friday night.

For their part, oil prices are down. In New York, a barrel of light crude lost 42 cents to 86.38 dollars.

Values ​​of the day

A salvo of results announcements in the banking and technology is expected this week.

On Monday, banking stocks are tested: JPMorgan Chase 2.67% to 31.04 loose dollars, Bank of America 2.42% to 6.04 dollars. Wells Fargo fall of 8.44% to 24.42 dollars after reporting a decrease of 4% of its turnover. Morgan Stanley 0.26% to nibble 15.26 dollars.

Citigroup lost 1.65% to 27.93 dollars despite the publication of a net profit up 74% in the third quarter, above expectations.

As for technology stocks, Apple lost 0.48% to 419.99 dollars. The company announced the Apple selling 4 million copies of its iPhone 4S. The Canadian Research in Motion, maker of the Blackberry, falling 6.55% to 22.40 dollars.

Kinder Morgan (4.83% to 28.19 dollars): The U.S. company to transport energy products announced Sunday it would buy its rival El Paso (24.81 to 24.45 dollars) to $ 21 billion , about 38 billion with debt, and thus form the largest pipeline network in the United States.Based in Houston, Texas (south), the new company will have an enterprise value of $ 94 billion, Kinder Morgan said in a statement.

Statoil (1.73% to 24.64 dollars): The Norwegian oil company announced Monday the acquisition of the American Brigham Exploration Company (21.05% to 36.75 dollars) to $ 4.7 billion ( 3.4 billion euros), which will allow it to grow stronger in non-conventional hydrocarbons in the United States. This acquisition gives Statoil access to deposits of oil shale Bakken and Three Forks in the Williston Basin in the states of North Dakota and Montana.

British Petroleum (0.73% to 40.17 dollars) Columbiaa The oil company said Monday that he would receive a payment of $ 4 billion in cash from the U.S. Anadarko as co-payments related to the disaster of the Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. stock markets opened sharply higher Tuesday. The Dow Jones climbed 1.61% to 11,231 points and the Nasdaq by 1.54% to 2254 points in early trade.

Monday, Wall Street had already finished in the green.

Since the beginning of the week, investors in Europe and the United States, is won over by a wave of optimism about the outcome of the crisis of sovereign debt. "The beginning of the week is placed under the sign of hope. Investors have decided to give credit to European policy makers and international willingness to find ways to resolve the sovereign debt crisis, "economists observe in Paris broker Aurel BGC. There are "high hopes that one is engaged in the right direction towards resolving the debt crisis in Europe," say experts on their side LBBW. Other analysts, however, want to caution.The strategists of the Crédit Mutuel-CIC believe that "the improvement should not last as rumors seem exaggerated. The expansion of EFSF does not solve the structural problems in Europe, while the challenge is there. "

The spokesperson of European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Olli Rehn, Europe is considering strengthening the capacity of the European support fund for countries in trouble (EFSF). Rumors press also reported a proposed quadrupling of the Fund's lending capacity to 2000 billion euros. In turn, an official of the ECB, the Austrian Ewald Nowotny, did not rule out declines in interest rates in the euro area.But soon, the German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble assured that Europeans had "no intention of bailing out" the EFSF.

Political leaders are still clearly divided on the responses to the debt crisis, while discussions on the payment of a new international loan to Greece, vital to enable it to avoid bankruptcy dragged on. At the same time discontent rises and Athens was again paralyzed Tuesday by a wave of strikes in public transport.

Oil opened up in New York

The euro was weakening on Tuesday to below $ 1.35. Mileu in the day, the euro stood at 1.3496 dollars, against 1.3523 dollars late Monday.He had fallen in session Monday to 1.3363 dollars, its lowest level since mid-January, prior to recover.

As for commodities, gold has recovered slightly this morning at 1640 dollars an ounce after declining over the last three sessions. Oil falls sharply higher this morning in Asian trade after having dropped more than eight dollars last week. Oil prices were moving up sharply at the opening Tuesday in New York, driven by renewed optimism for the determination of the Europeans to resolve the debt crisis in the eurozone business cards design.On the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), a barrel of "light sweet crude" for November delivery traded at 82.64 dollars, up by $ 2.40 at the close on Monday night.

On the macroeconomic front, house prices in the United States remained stable in July compared with June, according to Case-Shiller survey released Tuesday by Standard and Poor's. The study, however, that over-year, declining home prices for sale widened in July to 4.1%, down less pronounced than the analysts thought.

As for values ​​to be followed on Tuesday:

As for values, Goldman Sachs will intensify its restructuring efforts, after a disastrous third quarter, which could be one of the worst ever recorded by the U.S. investment bank since it went public 12 years ago, says the New York Times.Goldman Sachs will be 1.2 billion to $ 1.45 billion savings goal of operation by mid-2012, the paper said on its website, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

The mysterious tablet that the online retailer Amazon.com Wednesday could present promises to be a star among the products' high-tech "of the season, even though the Seattle group has not yet revealed existence.Amazon Wednesday invited reporters to an event which he kept secret the subject, organized in a video production and music in Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan.

Motorola Solutions is within the scope of an investigation by U.S. authorities, according to the Wall Street Journal, concerning a possible corruption in the course of its business in Europe.

The Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, listed on Wall Street, announced Tuesday it had increased to 49% its stake in Canada's Ivanhoe Mines, the upper limit is included in an agreement between the two groups that intend to operate an entire mine copper and gold in Mongolia.

ONEOK announced expect to achieve a net profit of between 355 and 400 million in 2012, against 325 to 345,000,000 dollars in 2011.For its part, ONEOK Partners expects a net 740 to $ 800 million for the year 2012 against 630 to 660,000,000 for the year 2011, while natural gas volumes processed are expected to increase more than expected.

Also note, Standard & Poor's is within the scope of an investigation by the SEC, the U.S. stock market regulator, who questioned its rating of an issue of structured securities in 2007 just before the market collapse real estate, announced its parent company McGraw-Hill.

Football, video games, magazines, sofas on which to lie down to watch football matches, all swallowing hot dogs and chips at will. The best place of all men … at least according to Ikea. It was at Sydney in the local store's Swedish distributor, that this "Mansland" was born. The logic is the same as for "Smaland" space for day care children present in all the Ikea stores around the world.

Already cleared of toddlers, women will finally be totally alone to shop. Only problem: after half an hour of bliss, a buzzer reminds the ladies half their existence, if they would have already forgotten. Mr. Mrs. So join to challenge his choice of linens, glass and lighting … and why not to pay at checkout.

No planned deployment in France

This solution to rally the spouses who shun Ikea citing another "Stockholm Syndrome" (birthplace of the group) is currently an isolated initiative. The operation took place over four days on the occasion of Father's Day in Australia. "A deployment of this kind of space for men is not in French stores," says Are there Ikea France. The French will have to still support their husbands and vice versa!

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It was twenty years commissions on credit card transactions had not fallen and that the regulator two years campaigning for change that. Following a lengthy litigation, the Competition Authority announced Thursday that French banks got a discount on fees so that they in turn require merchants and consumers for a withdrawal to the distributor or a card payment. This payment remains the most widely used in France and has grown steadily since its introduction, mainly to the detriment of the check.

According to the Competition Authority, which accused the banks to agree to the detriment of consumers, the main interchange fees should drop by 20% to 50%. The agreement will take effect from 1 October and will be valid for four years, with an estimated loss of revenue for banks to 600 million euros a year.

Effect on customers' bills

In detail, the interchange fees for payment, paid by the merchant's bank to the consumer, are expected to decline by 36%. These costs were strongly disputed by the traders, who thought a large majority "penalizing" according to a survey by the Professional Union scale (UPA). The Federation of Enterprises in trade and distribution was also the source of the complaint filed with the Competition Authority no fax cash advance.

More sensitive to the consumer, the fees charged for each withdrawal by the bank's ATM to that of the cardholder to fall by more than 20%. Currently, most institutions charge a euro each withdrawal at another bank in more than a few transactions. Only the Postal Bank currently fails to puncture such fees."The decline of this commission, now passed to the holders of a majority of banks will most likely be a direct down" on consumers' bills, welcomed the Competition Authority in a statement.

Commissions on levies on the Seletti

In this case, the fear of financial penalty penalizing banks convinced the 130 stakeholders to negotiate with the Competition Authority. In September 2010, the institution has indeed sanctioned eleven banks to the tune of 384.9 million euros for imposing fees on abusive transactions by check.

But the sector is regularly singled out by consumer associations to impose unfair tariffs, has not finished accountable.The Competition Authority also announced Thursday that it will address in the coming months to commissions established by other types of credit cards such as Visa or Mastercard, and those imposed for withdrawals.

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.

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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.

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"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.

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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.

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The race started Wednesday in the Greek Parliament for the adoption of the new austerity plan was completed Thursday. After an initial victory yesterday leading to the adoption of the text by 155 votes against 138, the Socialist government of George Papandreou has successfully overcome the last step: the passage of the legislation implementing the new master plan. The bill received 155 votes against 136, or an absolute majority in parliament, which comprises 300 members.

On Thursday, all the Socialist deputies, more Conservative MP Elsa Papadimitriou, who had made the day before his voice to the government to adopt the master plan of austerity, approved the text "on principle".The 136 deputies present to the opposition of left and right voted against, while five dissidents centrist conservative opposition voted white.

The second text, submitted to MPs, concerned the procedure for implementing conservation measures for 28 billion euros over five years free credit score online. Its adoption was imposed by the eurozone in return for the payment of a new tranche of aid to 110 billion euros developed with the EU and the IMF. A meeting of finance ministers from the euro area, scheduled July 3, will be devoted to the continuation of aid to Greece.

The Greek Parliament has fulfilled the necessary conditions for release of money to Athens to avoid bankruptcy, estimated Thursday the permanent EU president, Herman Van Rompuy, and the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso."The conditions are now in place for a decision on the payment of the next tranche of financial assistance for Greece and for rapid progress on the second bailout", they tried in a joint statement.

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William Multrier, the CEO of Aegis Media France, leaves office. Present since 2005 in the first group of consulting and media buying in France, he was appointed head of the French subsidiary of British group Aegis in 2009. However, the leader, now forty years old, opted to develop its own projects. Indeed, it is the majority shareholder of Webedia group he founded in 2007 and home to sites like Purepeople.com, Puretrend.com, Purefans.com, but Puremedias formerly Ozap.com bought a few months ago M6. This group should post a turnover of nearly 15 million euros in 2011 and "several million" statement business cards design.Guillaume Multrier, "it became indeed difficult to be both at the head of a media agency and several activities in the media."

However, William Multrier should remain in the group until the end of the year. "I want to help customers but also help the group Aegis to organize my estate and to find my successor," he told Le Figaro.

Aegis Media France is the first French media agency, shoulder to shoulder with Havas (Havas Media). It is also one of Aegis Group's main subsidiaries, which totaled in 2010 a total turnover of 1.68 billion euros.

Bibendum does not despair of one day impose a puncture-proof tire. After the failure of PAX, which allowed run flat, but had not convinced the manufacturers, Michelin expects to sell within three years for a tire which sets itself in the event of a puncture.

This innovation, introduced yesterday, is equipped with an inner membrane that comes to fill the holes if needed. The system is effective in cases of perforations of less than 6 millimeters in diameter, or 98% of the holes, according to the manufacturer payday loan lenders.

For manufacturers looking to lighten vehicles, this solution would "remove the spare tire." The group believes that a European driver die on average every 70,000 to 100,000 kilometers in China and India, this happens every 5000-6000 miles.