Daily International Headlines

The CAC 40 should remain cautious. Following a meeting that ended with some profit-taking, the leading index is expected to begin in Paris in the red a session that will be marked by the wait. Markets await in fact the first estimate of U.S. GDP in the second quarter to be announced this afternoon across the Atlantic. This Friday in Asia as investors remained on the defensive. Thursday already on Wall Street, the markets had signed a febrile very bearish session.

Besides GDP, the U.S. will publish the index of consumer sentiment and Chicago PMI. In Europe, German retail sales and GDP of the area will also be published.

Moreover, this last week's meeting will again be marked by a series of major business publications.

Alcatel Lucent revenues of 3.813 billion euros in the second quarter, up 17.4% sequentially and down 2.4% from the second quarter of last year. The group reiterated its outlook for 2010, including an adjusted operating income of between 1% and 5% of its revenues.

JCDecaux announced Friday a net profit in the first half of 65 million euros compared to 4.4 million euros over the same period in 2009. The group anticipates a change in organic revenue for the third quarter less than that of the second with a cash flow of 119 million euros, compared with -1.7 million euros in the first half.

Lafarge reported a sales increase of 2% to 4.43 billion euros in the second quarter. The group now provides a variation of the demand for cement between -1 and +3% in 2010 compared to 2009.Lafarge expects a reduction in capital expenditure to less than 1 billion euros in 2011.

EDF has announced a net profit group share 1.7 billion euros including a provision for $ 1.1 billion on its North American operations easy payday loans. Moreover, the EPR Flamanville, who has two years late, should produce marketable electricity in 2014, with construction costs re-estimated at around five billion euros.

EADS announces first half net profit of 185 million euros and a turnover of 20.3 billion euros. Adjusted operating income is 406 million euros. Its subsidiary Airbus raised its target for gross orders in 2010 to more than 400 aircraft. For Eurocopter, the sales increase for 2010 should exceed 44 billion euros.The adjusted EBIT target is maintained at one billion euros despite negative currency effects that are cumulative outstanding in the first half.

Schneider Electric releases a turnover of 8.57 billion euros in the first half (+10.5%) of which 4.661 billion (+18.5%) in the second. The group expects an increase in organic revenue in the second half "broadly comparable" to that of the first half and is now an EBITA margin of around 15.5% before restructuring costs and the impact of consolidation of distribution areva , against 14% previously.

Renault posted a turnover increase of 23.1% for first half of 2010 to the same perimeter, to 19.668 billion euros.The manufacturer profitable again, the latter standing at 823 million euros over the period cons net loss of 2.712 billion euros a year earlier.

PPR announced a net profit after minority interests rose 86.8% to 407 million euros in the first half. The turnover was 8.139 billion euros, representing organic growth of 1.7%.

Imerys has reported a net operating income rose sharply to 122 million euros (161%) in the first half with a turnover of organic growth of 16%.

Michelin and Total must follow.

ArcelorMittal blows hot and cold. The steelmaker displays uninviting outlook for the third quarter, but he nevertheless kept his goals in the second quarter.

ArcelorMittal plans a third quarter slowed, with lower operating performance. The group on a table and a gross operating surplus (EBITDA) of between 2.1 and 2.5 billion dollars. ArcelorMittal explains that the period will be marked "by a combination of seasonal factors and the effects of economic slowdown in China." The goal of a 10% increase in global demand in 2010, described by the group earlier this year, now seems difficult to achieve.On the other hand, the group's factories, which have operated in the second quarter to 78% of capacity against 80% expected in late April, are expected to slow to about 70%.

Long awaited on the subject, ArcelorMittal also said: "For the second half of the year, the challenge will be to pass all cost increases to our customers."

More encouragingly, the world's largest steelmaker has managed to keep its goals in the second quarter. The steelmaker has unveiled an operating surplus in line with expectations at $ 3 billion after an increase of 150% compared to last year. The net continues, as expected, grow, and was 1.7 billion dollars against a loss of 792 million last year. "The improved second-quarter performance is consistent with our expectations and reflects the continuation of the slow and gradual recovery," said Officer.

An independent company for the stainless activities under study

Turnover was slightly below expectations at 21.65 billion dollars against 23.1 billion expected by the consensus of analysts.

Finally, ArcelorMittal said currently evaluating the possibility of creating a separate company (spin-off) of its stainless steel business. "We have confidence in the future of the stainless steel business and believe that creating a separate company will create further added value for all shareholders," said the group.

The U.S. stock market should be reluctant to take on the leadership on Monday. The index futures are predicting a slight decline in opening of U.S. markets. The index futures Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq 100 fell back in effect respectively by 0.13% to 1099.50 points from 0.04% to 1873.10 points.

On Friday, the NYSE has ended sharply higher, buoyed by another round of quarterly results from U.S. companies of good quality and were reassured on the results of resistance testing in European banks. The Dow Jones gained 0.99% and the Nasdaq 1.05%. On the whole last week, the Dow Jones gained 3.23% and the Nasdaq rose 4.15%.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro steadied against the dollar. In the morning, it was worth 1.2901 dollars against 1.2906 dollars on Friday.

A busy week on the macroeconomic level.Today investors expect the sales figures for new housing. Another highlight, the U.S. central bank should publish its Beige Book Wednesday on the economic conditions. It will be very guarded while the president of the institution, Ben Bernanke said Wednesday before Congress the slow recovery, with no announcement of new funding in the economy.

On Tuesday, it is the Standard & Poor's / Case Schiller home prices and consumer confidence, which will be followed, before investors only look the next day on orders of durable goods. But it was the day Friday with the first estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) U.S. second quarter to be expected this week.This new burst of publications should be followed especially when investors are questioning the strength of new U.S. economic recovery No fax pay day loans.

U.S. companies are still likely to take stock in their accounts this week, including the program six companies forming part of Dow Jones. Tomorrow investors expect such figures CIT and Lockheed Martin and those sitting in the middle of DuPont.

To follow today the title of BP traded on Wall Street. The British press refers to a departure from the CEO of BP, before tomorrow, the date of publication of interim results of the oil giant.

Always on the side of values, General Electric said Friday its increased dividend of 20%, the quarterly dividend from 10 cents to 12 cents.GE also announced a resumption of its share repurchase programs. He had stopped this practice in September 2008. The board gave its approval for an additional $ 11.6 billion. "GE hopes to finish the year with $ 25 billion in cash, including proceeds from the sale of a majority stake in its subsidiary NBC Universal to Comcast" say the analysts at Aurel BGC. Some of this money will be used to buy three billion dollars in preferred shares that the group has sold to the holding company Berkshire Hathaway of Warren Buffett in October 2008.

Also note Friday night, the FDIC, the federal agency whose primary responsibility is to guarantee bank deposits, announced the bankruptcy of six new American banks, bringing to 102 the number of closing establishments since the beginning of year.These six failures will cost about 394 million dollars to its compensation fund the FDIC.

The European Commission has announced the opening of two antitrust investigations against the U.S. computer giant IBM, suspected abuse of dominant position in the server market.

"The European Commission has decided to open formal antitrust investigations against IBM Corporation in two separate cases of alleged breaches of EU rules on abuse of dominant position in the market," said the EU executive in a statement.

"The two cases," she added, "are related to behavior of IBM in the market for central servers," which weighs, equipment and operating systems including about 8.5 billion worldwide, including three billion in the European Economic Area.

The central servers are powerful computers used by many large companies and government institutions in the world to store and process critical information.

The software manufacturers penalized

The first investigation follows complaints filed against IBM by two vendors say emulation technology, the U.S. in Q3 2009 and the French Hercules Turbo this year. According to these two companies, the software giant would link its central server hardware and its own operating system these servers.

IBM, by not allowing customers the freedom to use the systems of their choice on the equipment of their choice, would penalize manufacturers of software to improve performance on computers of other brands.

As to the second inquiry, the Commission stated that it was launched on its own initiative.Its services suspect indeed a "discriminatory conduct" IBM "vis-à-vis its competitors who provide maintenance services of central servers" fast payday loan no faxing."By restricting or delaying access to spare parts that IBM is the sole supplier, American society, Brussels is concerned, could foreclose its competitors from the market.

Two investigations "without merit" for IBM

The U.S. computer giant, IBM, Judge "without merit" the two investigations announced Monday by the European Commission for abusing its dominant position in the market for central servers, a market "for it was dead" until recently.

In a statement, IBM claims that "there are few, experts in high technology and IBM's competitors were pronounced dead at the central server market", and "many companies abandoned it or developing alternatives" .

Conversely, "IBM has taken a crucial decision: to invest billions of dollars" in this technology "to bring him an unprecedented level of speed, reliability and security for the enterprise market," the statement added. He continued: "Today, the central server market is a small niche in the highly competitive landscape of servers," he says.

IBM therefore accuses "some competitors who have not been able to earn their place on the market through investments" to want to do this using regulators. "The accusations against IBM TurboHercules and T3 are driven by some of the biggest competitors of IBM, led by Microsoft, (…) who want to emulate certain aspects of IBM mainframe servers without having to make substantial investments IBM has done and continues to do, "concludes the group. "They thus violate its intellectual property."

The Societe generale de financement du Quebec has acquired a 4.5% stake in the video game publisher Ubisoft for an estimated $ 40 million. "The studio was in Montreal is a globally recognized center of excellence including the creation of game concepts of the most innovative and coveted for the expertise of its employees" justified the CEO of SGF Raymond Bachand said in a statement . Ubisoft employs over 2,700 people in Quebec on a total of 6,300.

The deal also further secures the future capital of Ubisoft, uncertain after the departure of its main shareholder, the American Electronic Arts last week. With the sale of 15% held by the latter is the Guillemot family, which became the largest shareholder with a stake in Ubisoft to 11.3%.The FMS and the Guillemot brothers now control over 25% of voting rights.

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The green will not stay very long on Wall Street Wednesday. After starting up in, carried by companies satisfactory results, the markets fall into the red of -0.57% to 10,172 points for the Dow Jones -1.12% to 2198 points and the Nasdaq – 0.80% in 1075 for the S & P.

A reversal following direct speech, much anticipated, Ben Bernanke. The Fed chairman, who delivered his verdict on the U.S. economy before the Senate Banking Committee, said that the takeover of the U.S. economy "continues at a slow pace" and that "the economic outlook remain unusually uncertain" . If no measure of support is mentioned, the Fed is willing to act.

"The market reaction reflects the caution shown by the markets," notes Nick Kalivas, an analyst at MF Global in Chicago."Yet, to some degree, support annocée the Fed would have meant that things were worse than we thought."

These ads are disturbing in any case overshadowed the results published before market trimestreils …

Record earnings for Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo (4.32% to 27.03 dollars) on Wednesday posted a net profit of the group "record" for the second quarter to 2.787 billion dollars, up 12% over a year and above expectations, and reported an improvement in the credit greater than planned. Based on the number of shares, the benefit amounts to 55 cents, while analysts were only expecting 48.Net revenue (turnover) of the fourth largest U.S. bank stood at 21.394 billion dollars, yielding 5% a year.

The U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley (8.05% to $ 24.25) Wednesday announced a net profit group share of $ 1.578 billion in the second quarter, much better than expected, with a turnover also exceeding analysts' forecasts. Per share, net income totaled $ 1.09 and 80 cents without considering the integration of brokerage Smith Barney Citi bought instant credit report.Analysts had expected 46 cents per share excluding special items.

The U.S. giant soft drink Coca-Cola (+2.05% to 54.32 dollars) net earnings up over 16% to $ 2.37 billion in the second quarter, slightly less than expected thanks to higher sales volumes internationally. Reported per share, current earnings is $ 1.02, slightly less than the $ 1.03 expected by analysts, but better than the 92 cents recorded a year earlier.

Apple has released its quarterly after the close of Wall Street. The firm at the apple once again exceeded market expectations in the third quarter of fiscal offset with net income up 78% year on year to 3.253 billion dollars, and sales far beyond forecasts.The securities earn 3.81% to 261.48 dollars.

The U.S. Internet portal Yahoo! posted a group net profit up 51% year on year to 213.32 million dollars in the second quarter, better than expected by analysts, but its sales came out virtually unchanged. The shares dive: -8.88% to 13.85 dollars.

Moreover, the oil giant BP traded on Wall Street Tuesday concluded an agreement with U.S. rival Apache to sell him to seven billion dollars in assets, making a sudden the majority of assignments to which he had hired to offset the cost of the spill. The news was welcomed: securities rise of 3.35% to 36.38 dollars.

Note that the foreign exchange market, the euro retreated against the dollar, traders were playing the card of caution before the release Friday of the results of resistance testing of the 91 largest European banks. In the morning, the euro was at 1.2867 dollars against 1.2881 dollars the previous day.

Growth accelerated to Edenred. The former branch of prepaid group Accor said Monday in a statement up 4.7% of its turnover in the second quarter after increasing 2.9% in the first. The income thus reach the entire first half to 461 million euros, an increase of 3.8%.

The issuance volume of prepaid titles, the key measures for the sector, up by 7.5% to 6.615 billion euros in the first half, in line with the annual target growth of 6% to 14% in the medium term set by the group.

The activity was led by Latin America region, which posts revenue up 4.9% to 181 million euros. "The strong growth in operational activity in Latin America offsets an economic environment still difficult in Europe," notes the group.This region is indeed a cash decrease of 5.3% to 79 million euros over the same period.

The turnover of the financial group fell from 25.6% to 39 million euros, weighed down by "the low level of interest rates," according Edenred.

Chouchou brokers

Edenred, which develops on land Sodexo, Compass Group or Mastercard and Visa, should still jump on the stock exchange after advertising 100% free credit report. Introduced last July 2 at a reference price of 11.40 euros, still have won titles this Monday 1.37% to 13.30 euros, giving a market capitalization of around three billion euros.

The new entity has the benefit of brokers. Most recently, Goldman Sachs who recommends buying the title with a target price of 18 euros."Edenred should long-term growth and profitability linkage, analysts also noted the CM-CIC Securities. The broker Aurel bgc, hailed for its part "the potential for development" on the market for vouchers.

For the second half, Edenred does not change in sight. "It follows the same trend. In Europe, we do not see the restart of employment, which is a trigger of our volumes, "said CEO Jacques Stern during a conference call.

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The end of the nightmare in the Gulf of Mexico may be close. BP wants to believe in all cases: two days after the start of the crucial test of strength of the new funnel, no sign of leakage was observed. "We have no indication that oil or gas escape" of damaged wells, said the vice-chair of Kent Well. Tested since Thursday, the giant funnel that contains the daily flow pouring millions of gallons of toxic liquid into the ocean, seems to hold good.

Uncertainty remains high: the compressed oil, trapped in the wells blocked by the funnel, eventually creating gaps and spread back into the ocean.According to Thad Allen, head of operations against the oil spill administration, BP must conduct further tests because the measured pressure does not allow to draw definitive conclusions about what is happening inside the well.

High pressure would suggest that well resistance is good and there is no leakage. Low pressure instead leave thinking that oil escaping elsewhere. Admiral Allen said that the pressure increased from 0.1 to 0.6 bar per hour, which was a good sign. But Friday, the level of pressure in the well still left casts "doubt on the possible existence of a leak." On Saturday, Vice President of BP, however, that the pressure inside the well had continued to increase."The fact that the pressure continues to mount gives us more confidence that the test works," he added, stressing that the data are "quite" in the range predicted by the engineers.

The extended testing

As a precaution, the oil company said Saturday it would extend the period of initial testing prévuepour last 48 hours. "We continue in phases of six hours each time. If there is a change in the way we do, we will announce it, "said Mark Salt, a spokesman for BP at the end of this period.

If the test proves successful the well will remain closed until the risk of leak is definitely ruled out by injecting concrete through a relief well. An operation could be completed in early August.However, if a leak is detected, the valve will be reopened and the oil will be pumped to surface ships.

"If we decide to reopen the pit, oil drain into the Gulf for some time," said Mr. Wells, the time to connect the pumping lines at the wellhead. This would obviously a major failure for the oil group that tries since the end of April to contain the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

Since April 22, nearly 520 million gallons of crude that would have flowed into the ocean, estimated Tuesday the International Energy Agency. Even if the leak was finally stopped, Deepwater would remain one of the worst oil spills in history (see graphic below), a nightmare to $ 3.5 billion for BP and irreparable ecological catastrophe.

Traveling in Tokyo, Francois Fillon sought to reassure the Japanese business on the situation of France and Europe. Focus on the issues outlined by the Prime Minister.

Rigor

The word is out. Against all odds and for the first time, François Fillon spoke of the "rigor" to describe the economic policy of France. Boasting to an audience of Japanese businessmen, austerity measures launched by Paris, the Prime Minister said: "In every state budgets, the only one who is not subject to discipline, that is the budget of Higher Education and Research. Until now, the executive refused to fully use the term "hardship" may be too unpopular with the French.The economy minister, Christine Lagarde, recently described the French policy of policy of "ri-lance, a neologism describing a mixture of" rigor "and" revival ".

France has pledged to save 100 billion euros by 2013 to reduce its deficit. For now, the government relies on its growth forecasts to find half the sum. Otherwise, the government plans to freeze spending between 2011 and 2013 to maintain transfers to local governments and only slightly increase health spending. The state should also remove the tax loopholes and create a new tax on the wealthiest to raise 3.7 billion euros.

In Japan, the country's debt is colossal. The International Monetary Fund press and the country to reduce its deficit.However, there are uncertainties about the government's austerity policy, weakened by his recent defeat in the Senate elections.

The euro and yen to each currency's problem

And the Prime Minister was not content to praise the austerity policy of France, he also invited Japanese investors not to "turn away from the euro payday loans. He also promised that the EU would emerge "stronger" of the economic and financial crisis. It must be said that the disallowance of Nippon contractors for the euro area is growing. Proof is the recent A japponais Nikkei business daily, the 30% decline in investment in the euro countries during the first half of 2010. The concerns of the market seem to disappear on the Old Continent.The success of recent debt issuance in the euro area and witnessed the rise of the euro against the greenback, which is currently processing over $ 1.29.

In contrast to the euro, the yen continues to strengthen against the greenback. It operates at its highest level this year against the dollar, to 87.3 yen against the dollar.

Mitsubishi and Areva

At the industrial level, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said France was "open" to the entry of Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in the capital of nuclear group Areva. The Prime Minister has expressed his desire to "see strengthened the association between Areva and Mitsubishi for the particular realization of a new reactor, the reactor TTY. MHI and Areva have forged various partnerships, including establishing a joint venture, TDD, a developer of nuclear reactors of medium power.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries does not hide its ambition to grow the European market nuclear pressurized water reactors. Nuclear is not the only area in France to attract companies Nippon. In 2008, France has 450 Japanese companies employing nearly 57,000 people.

Jean Arthuis, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and chairman of the centrist Alliance, calls for a revision to bottom of the French tax.

LE FIGARO. – Nicolas Sarkozy said Monday he would keep both the tax shield and the ISF. Defend yourself always the opposite?

Jean ARTHUIS. – Yes. I think we should remove the two devices. The shield is a bad answer to a bad tax, the ISF. This shield has too many defects. It is calculated on income tax, not real income. Its beneficiaries are beyond any possible tax increase. This is clearly not fair.

Precisely, the government released the shield fiscal measures to finance the pensions …

Yes, but suddenly the complexity increases. Daring to break the taboos and radically simplify tax by removing the shield and the ISF.To finance this deletion, I propose to create an additional income tax (IR) to 45% and increase the scale of taxation on capital gains and real estate. I will table an amendment during consideration of the budget 2011, in the fall.

This option does not penalized Does not those with high salaries but little fortune?

No. The rate of 45% is a marginal rate, which would apply that beyond 100,000 euros per share. RI takes into account family responsibilities. And there is a 10% reduction on wages. In fact, it is mostly capital gains on shares or real estate, which enrich.

Should we raise taxes?

France can not escape the tax increases. Because the plan proposed by the Government alone will not reduce the public deficit to 3% of GDP in 2013. The growth assumption of 2.5% is unrealistic and inadequate conservation measures.It lacks about 50 billion euros. Besides reducing costs, I propose that VAT in particular the restoration and renovation for housing increased from 5.5% to a rate between 10% and 12%. To restore our competitiveness and combat unemployment, it would even raise without waiting the standard rate of VAT, currently 19.6%. Funding for Medicare and family policy must no longer weigh on earnings. VAT must take over.

At the risk of penalizing low-income households?

Is there any greater injustice than unemployment? By maintaining too high levies on production, is pushed to the relocation. All taxes are ultimately paid by the consumer. For a company that sees its tax increase raises its price. The additional VAT on imported goods will.

Should we cut more in the niches?

Yes.The tax shelters cost 75 billion euros. They are undermining the social compact, by making the tax illegible, unfair and inefficient. In addition, the pricing becomes artificial. Ultimately, we must consider deleting the niches, and especially stop creating new ones. Without the increase of the reduced rate of VAT, the government will have great difficulty in meeting its commitments, that is to say an economy 10 billion in two years. The overall ceiling should be lowered.

The government is strong enough on public spending?

During the hearings the Committee on Finance, I had the impression that some ministers were not always aware of the savings. However, it will be necessary to act with determination.Hack 66 billion in credit assistance amounts to touch on sensitive issues such as individual housing (PLA) or subsidies Réseau Ferré de France (RFF). I would add that it is not easy to force parastatal structures to decrease by 10% of their operating expenses. These organizations, ranging from museums to Météo-France, served as space flight for public expenditure.

Should we freeze the salaries of civil servants?

Despite job cuts, the state's payroll increased from 860 million in 2009. This increase is due to wage concessions and changes of the index. Strict moderation is essential.

As a senator from Mayenne, what do you think the value of blocking the funds that the State grants to local communities? This gel can be leveraged to conduct the review of local public policies.Do we really redo roundabouts standards expensive? Especially, the proliferation of standards must end. Premier promised. Despite this, the agricultural modernization law gives the government a right of limitation on the school lunch menu!

France will she one day a zero deficit?

It must. An overburdened state is in the hands of its creditors and threatens the solidarity between generations. This national independence is at stake.