Wall Street closed higher by U.S. employment

Posted by admin on May 7th, 2011

In the light of an early meeting smashing, with the Dow Jones up more than 1%, the NYSE closed modestly in the green Friday. The Dow Jone gained 0.43% to 12,638.81 points. The Nasdaq index of technology stocks has taken its share 0.46%, to 2827.56 points.

The mood on Wall Street's opening, driven by the release of employment figures better than expected, has been tarnished by rumors from the euro area. Greece had indeed threatened to leave the eurozone, according to the German magazine Der Spiegel, citing sources close to the German government. A ifnormation quickly rejected by the major European capitals and in Greece itself.

U.S. stocks have opened sharply into the green on Friday, strongly supported by the publication at 14.30 good employment figures for the month of April.The Dow Jones advanced 1.10%, to 12,723.12 points and the Nasdaq by 1.09% to 2845.48 points.

Thursday for the third straight session, Wall Street had ended in retreat, investors are unpleasantly surprised by the rise in weekly jobless claims. The fall in commodity prices had also weighed on Wall Street and on most stock exchanges. Asian markets were down this morning.

Oil, for his part ended in the red, a barrel of light sweet crude for June delivery touching down to 97.18 dollars. In one week, falling 15%. This is the largest decline in weekly percentage terms since the week 19 December 2008 when prices fell by 26.8%.

The commodity index had plunged by 5% Friday, its heaviest correction since the 2008 financial crisis and one of the largest in its history.This violent decline in oil and metals weighs heavily on many sectors like oil and steel or producers.

On the foreign exchange market, the acceleration surprise hiring in the U.S. and the turmoil associated mainly in the euro zone have precipitated the rise of the dollar. After passing during the session under $ 1.45, a first for 10 days, the euro traded at 1.4341 shortly before 22.30, down 1.37%.

Kraft Foods profit down

Values ​​to follow

Kraft Foods 2.91% to 34.36 dollars

No. 2 worldwide agribusiness has announced a profit of 799 million dollars in the first quarter, down from $ 1.8 billion last year. The benefit was then boosted by asset sales. Turnover was up 11% to $ 12.6 billion. Organic growth was 4.5%.For 2011, the Group expects organic growth of 4%, against 5% previously announced, and a total growth between 11 and 13%.

Sara Lee: +0.99% to 19.47 dollars

In the same sector, Sara Lee announced a quarterly profit of $ 153 million, against a loss of 336 million last year due to exceptional items. Turnover was up 6.8% to $ 2.22 billion below the $ 2.23 billion expected. Gross margin was down to 33.2% against 37.6%. The group has raised its selling price by 3% on average and anticipates further increases over the next 6 months.

Visa: 0.58%, to 79.16 dollars

Visa has announced his side a 23% increase in profits in the first quarter to 881 million.Net banking income of 2.2 billion, up 15%, driven by higher payments to international and a positive currency effect of 2%. The main uncertainty for the group focuses on the reform sought by the Fed on the fees charged on payments. The new law could reduce the turnover of the group between 11% and 15% and earnings per share of 20%. In addition, the group announced a new share repurchase program of $ 1 billion.

AIG: 1.36%, to 31.21 dollars

The insurance group has achieved for its first quarter 2011 net income of 269 million dollars against 1.8 billion a year earlier.However, the insurer posted a loss of $ 0.35 per share against earnings per share of $ 2.66 last year following the redemption of shares held by the U.S. Treasury for $ 385 million and the additional cost of 427 million related to the redemption of preference shares.

CF Industries: 5.28% to 136.07 dollars

CF Industries announced for first quarter 2011 net income of $ 282 million after a deficit of 4.4 million last year.

Fluor Corporation: 7.27%, to 70.49 dollars

Fluor Corporation completed the first quarter 2011 net income of $ 140 million against 137 million last year.

Microchip Technology: 1.04%, to 40.96 dollars

Microchip Technology has reported for the fourth quarter of 2010/2011 with a consolidated turnover of 380 million up 37% year on year and net income from continuing operations of $ 131 million, up 72% over the year.

Priceline.com: -1.02% to 528.59 dollars

Priceline.com posted a net profit in the first quarter of $ 137 million, up 57% over one year, earnings per share $ 2.66 $ 2.44 against the dollar and 1.7 expected last year .The turnover amounted to 809 million, an increase of 38.5% over one year.

Public Storage: 0.61%, to 24.80 dollars

Public Storage has announced a net profit in the first quarter of $ 148 million against $ 35 million a year earlier.

Sunoco: 3.44%, to 41.44 dollars

Sunoco recorded a deficit of 101 million dollars in the first quarter against a deficit of 63 million last year. The board of directors also declared a quarterly dividend of $ 0.15 per share.

Wall Street closed at its highest since three years before the Fed

Posted by admin on April 27th, 2011

The New York Stock Exchange ended higher Tuesday, thanks to good business results, and reached its highest since June 2008, as we begin a policy meeting of the Federal Reserve.

Ala closing, the Dow Jones closed up 0.93% or 115.49 points to 12,595.37, while the S & P 500 finished with a gain of 0.9% or 11.99 points , to 1347.24. Both indices hit their highest Tuesday of the year, erasing losses from the month of February. The Nasdaq has meanwhile gained 0.77% or 21.66 points to 2847.54.

The strong quarterly announced Tuesday by Ford, 3M and UPS brought the session. Since the beginning of earnings season, about three-quarters of companies have published have exceeded market expectations.

On Monday, the NYSE has done in a piecemeal, beginning with one week ahead caution particularly busy, with many corporate earnings and a crucial meeting of the American central bank (Fed).

Investors should still be cautious on Tuesday. The week promises to be loaded into effect as macroeconomic and microeconomic levels. United States, some 180 companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 and eight of the Dow Jones must publish their first quarter results, including those from Amazon today, Coca-Cola and Office Depot.

Beginning of the Fed meeting tonight

The U.S. central bank meets from this afternoon and on this occasion could provide guidance on its strategy for ending the crisis so that its measures to support the economy come to an end late June.The U.S. central bank should maintain its interest rates between 0% and 0.25%, a threshold at which they have been held since December 2008 to reinvigorate the economy. On the other hand, the buyback program to $ 600 billion of debt the Treasury launched in November would go to its closure in June, in accordance with the wishes of the majority within the Fed. Markets also expect to see for the first time in the history of this institution almost centenary, the Fed chairman to answer questions from reporters after a meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee.

Prices logementsaux United States continued to decline for the eighth consecutive month in February, 0.2% from January, according to the monthly Standard and Poor's / Case-Shiller index released Tuesday. Conversely, the consumer sentiment left in April after a March in sharp decline.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro rose slightly from 0.21% to 1.4610 dollar.

Oil prices were little higher on Tuesday at the market opening in New York, a barrel of benchmark winning 7 cents to 112 no fax payday loan.35 dollars, still supported by a weak dollar and tensions in the Middle East and North Africa .

Boeing: 0.87% to 75.55 dollars

The side of values, the investigators of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a statement it had found cracks in the fuselage of the Boeing 737-300 Southwest Airlines involved in an incident in early April, and problems on the rivets .

Oracle: +0.40% to 34.97 dollars

The IT group and Oracle software has announced the departure of its CFO Jeff Epstein, whose duties will be assumed by its co-president Safra Catz, who was both his direct supervisor and his predecessor.

Yahoo!: 0.99% to 17.28 dollars

Yahoo! announced Monday the acquisition of very young IntoNow company, which launched on January 31 an application for iPhone to connect to family television programs we are watching. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but the news website TechCrunch specialized evaluation between 20 and 30 million dollars.

General Electric: 1.10% to 20.10 dollars

The U.S. Department of Defense has terminated a contract from General Electric and Rolls-Royce for a replacement engine for fighter jets F-35.

Also note, the White House lashed out Monday night that U.S. oil companies will announce this week their profits when gasoline at the pump is at its highest in three years.Exxon Mobil advance of 1.39% to 86.42 dollars, Chevron gained 1.24% to 108.75 dollars and ConocoPhillips takes 0.91% to 81.21 dollars.

Goldman Sachs 0.71% to 153.27 dollars, Morgan Stanley: 0.27% to 25.85 dollars

A group of creditors of Lehman Brothers Holdings, led by Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, introduced in turn before the bankruptcy court in Manhattan plan to restructure the bank, the third since the collapse of the facility in September 2008. It provides a recovery rate of over 40% for the creditors of the derivatives business at Lehman, which include the designers of this new plan, and a rate of only 16% for bondholders. The plan is very different from that filed in December by a group of bondholders, led by Paulson & Co. under which creditors would recover only derivatives that 25.7% and 24.5% of bondholders.Lehman has also filed its own restructuring plan, presented as a compromise. It provides a recovery rate of 34% for the creditors of derivatives and 21.4% for bondholders.

The money at the highest in 31 years

Posted by admin on April 25th, 2011

The gold will record after record, but the money flies even faster. Since the beginning of the year, its price has jumped 50%, when the yellow metal has appreciated by about 6%. It surpassed the $ 45 an ounce last week and is now very far from its record high, $ 50, set in 1980. Since 2002, when an ounce was worth less than $ 5, its price has been multiplied by ten. At the same time, that gold has only increased fivefold. "Traditionally, an ounce of silver is about 60 times less expensive than an ounce of gold. Now it is about 30 times, "says Catherine Raw, Natural Resources Specialist at BlackRock.

But as this precious metal has therefore to arouse our enthusiasm? The economic recovery has taken its course upward, because it is much more than gold, used by the industry, eg for mobile phones and solar panels."The industrial applications of silver up about half the annual consumption of the metal," said Arnaud du Plessis, managing commodity shares in CAAM.

But mostly, like gold, silver is a financial investment. Past ten years have multiplied around the world (except France) Exchange traded funds, ETFs or ETF, that replicate the price of gold. Investors can bet in a few seconds on the price of silver. No need to hold the metal itself, these funds are keeping in their vaults. "In recent years, silver prices and stocks of these ETFs have kept pace.A significant portion of the increase of money is related to these investments, "said Arnaud du Plessis fast cash online.

Safe haven as gold, silver prices have soared as the debt crisis was undermining confidence in sovereign states, the war of currencies weakened the dollar and inflationary pressures appear. "The dollar is weak, investors lose confidence in the U.S.. They take refuge in gold and silver, "says Christopher Wyke, commodities expert at Schroders. In the turmoil, the gray metal rises even much faster than the yellow because that market, ten times narrower than that of gold, is more speculative. The courses, more volatile, overreact to news.In addition, since the money is much cheaper than the yellow metal (hence its nickname "poor man's gold"), investors may, with the same capital, to buy larger quantities, thus multiplying their profits .

Central banks invest

While most experts are confident about the continuing rise in gold, opinions are more divided about the fate of the money. "He got too fast, too high. He could now move more slowly than the yellow metal. But I do not see it crumble, "Catherine Raw edge.

Professionals still remain positive. "As long as confidence does not return on currencies and bonds, gold, as money, should continue to appreciate," says Alain Corbani, Managing Director of Commodities AM. Especially as central banks, notably in emerging countries, have decided to invest more of their reserves in gold and silver ….And the production of silver mines should not increase significantly for two years.

Nintendo preparing to unveil the successor to the Wii

Posted by admin on April 16th, 2011

The Wii is going to hand. Consistently cited by many sources, Nintendo is preparing to introduce a new game console, at the latest at E3, the largest international exhibition of video games to be held early June in Los Angeles. The general view, this new console, the ability to display games in high definition, will be significantly more powerful than the Wii, and perhaps superior to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, its competition with Microsoft and Sony .

The transition to HD will adapt games from the PC and other consoles, says the site Game Informer. If the Wii has distinguished itself from the competition with its motion sensing controller to the Wiimote, it has been hampered by a lack of quality games developed by third-party publishers, other than Nintendo.Last fall, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata admitted that the links with these game developers were too stretched. Thus, nine of the ten best selling games on Wii have been developed internally by Nintendo.

Nintendo have this time sought to be exemplary. The Japanese company would have involved its partners well in advance, so they start early game development, which would explain the passage the amount of leakage of information. In addition to saving power, the technical architecture would approach that of the Xbox 360, including the development tools are known and appreciated by the editors, outlines 01net.The new console will also adopt a Blu-ray, for storing sets of larger size, and always read the old games on the Wii thanks to backwards compatibility.

A touch pad as a joystick

According Computerandvideogames and 01net, the new console will also be accompanied by a new kind of controller. This unique accessory will take the form of a touch pad with a diagonal of around six inches, which will incorporate a front camera and replace the Wiimote. Each equipped with their own shelf, so players will have an individual screen, in addition to the image displayed on the TV. They will be able to deploy new strategies, out of sight of their opponents.

With this new controller, Nintendo KINECTS to replicate Microsoft's and Sony's Move, which focus only on the recognition of movements, in line with the Wii.The accessory will also be a response to smartphones and touch pads. A study by Google found that users of tablets used it primarily to play, before the Internet search and found the emails. According to a study released Friday, sales of games and Android iOS in 2010 accounted for 8% of U.S. income sector.

These speculations about a new Nintendo console arise while sales of Wii seriously slow. In the U.S., sales in the first quarter were halved in a year, according to data released by the NPD Friday. With over 80 million units sold worldwide, the Wii has largely outpaced the Xbox 360 and PS3, which exceeded the 50 million sales, but whose life will be longer.The output of the Wii's successor could come at the end of 2012.

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Economy: the suggestion box iconoclastic Nicolas Hulot

Posted by admin on April 13th, 2011

Nicolas Hulot, who had to declare candidacy for president on Wednesday morning that the economy is disconnected from reality. "I try to ask again and again the question of an economic model compatible with the physical reality of the world," he declared last December. The standard is not abundance but scarcity ", contrary to prevailing economic theories.

Created 20 years ago, Hulot Foundation for Nature and Man published in recent years of economic policy recommendations. The rhetoric to concrete action, these works are now a genuine box idea for an environmentalist candidate.

The instigators. Nicolas Hulot likes to say he knows nothing about economics. This is less true.He has surrounded himself in recent years of senior economists, like Patrick Criqui, an expert in the fight against climate change, or the founders of the consulting firm Carbone 4, Jean-Marc Jancovici and Alain Grandjean, advocates of "development sustainable. " Last December, he sent to Paris for a conference Tim Jackson, a British economist reference advocating a reduction in consumption.

"Desecrate GDP". "An infinite growth in a finite world is hopeless: there must be a fool or an economist to believe it," said Nicolas Hulot last December at a conference, paraphrasing the economist Kenneth Boulding. We must therefore evaluate the progress that otherwise simply by gross domestic product (GDP), which measures the creation of wealth by a country. Hulot Foundation for enthusiastic and alternative economic indicators, such as carbon footprint, or welfare no fax pay day loan.And welcomes the passage Stiglitz report commissioned by Nicolas Sarkozy on the measurement of social progress.

A large loan to finance "green economy". Education, training and research, "clean technology" energy saving … Hulot Foundation has calculated that France needs to invest 600 billion euros by 2020 in sustainable development. To avoid digging all the public debt, the state must borrow from the European Central Bank "to zero or very low." Economists of the NGO out the measurement in a technical appendix of 20 pages. Nearly 100 billion euros should be invested for example in the construction of 500,000 new homes, advocates the foundation.

Radical reform of taxation. Staunch defender of the carbon tax, Nicolas Hulot has apparently failed to disarm it.Its foundation therefore recommends to "pay more in energy consumption and reduce taxes on labor." Through the establishment of a climate energy "tax on energy consumption enterprises, governments and households," says the foundation in a document dated June 2009. This tax would be offset by a universal allowance climate for smaller households and less polluting.

Clamp finance. Hulot Foundation believes that "limiting the ability of banks to finance operations without social interest" in limiting the borrowing capacity of investors who speculate. It proposes to limit operations to leverage and lead the hunt for tax havens.

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Iceland will not pay for banks

Posted by admin on April 11th, 2011

After Ireland and Portugal, Iceland could be the third country to experience a major diplomatic or political crisis, directly resulting from the economic and financial crisis of 2007 and 2008. On Saturday, some 230,000 Icelanders go to the polls have indeed voted in a referendum against the agreement Icesave, the name of the online banking subsidiary of Landsbanski, the second Icelandic bank nationalized in 2008 after going bankrupt.

Since March 6, 2010, the date of an initial consultation, the question arose on the repayment to Great Britain and the Netherlands of compensation paid at the time of their nationals Icesave victims (about 340,000 savers). Totaling over $ 3.9 billion. A financial burden that Icelanders have refused to take in view of the first results of the referendum held Saturday, April 9.

"No problem to solve our debts"

According to figures virtually definitive, non prevail widely, with 59.1% of the vote, against 40.9% of voters in favor of yes. Certainly, the rejection is much less massive than a year ago, Icelanders have been 92% to vote against the assumption by the State for damages caused by international private banks. However, the consequences seem equally or even more complicated for the government in place since 2008. Iceland had indeed engaged in December last year to repay the Netherlands and Great Britain, all amounts advanced to their injured citizens.To plan would run from 2016 to 2046.

Already, even before the final election results, the Dutch Minister of Finance Kees Jan De Jager said he was "very disappointed" by the decision of the Icelandic people do not accept the agreement between the three countries to try to resolve a situation that has become almost inextricable. For British and Dutch side, no question that the matter ends there, whereas the two countries now that the litigation must be brought to justice.

In London and The Hague, the respective Ministers of Finance are studying the possibility of litigation to settle the case before the EFTA (European Free Trade Association). A first procedure had already been initiated by the Netherlands to that authority, then stopped to allow the three countries to negotiate the terms directly agreed.With the refusal of the Icelandic people Saturday "the negotiation stage is over" said Niels Redeker, spokesman for the Dutch Ministry of Finance. He thus echoes the English Treasury number two, Danny Alexander, who considers "disappointing" that the negotiated settlement with Iceland is either resulted in a release.

"No problem to solve our debts"

Therefore, the EFTA will resume in the coming weeks the record in hand. And Iceland may be worried because the authority was already acknowledged in 2010 that the amounts claimed by the Netherlands to Iceland and they were well due. The arrival of the United Kingdom in the proceedings, which examined the possibilities Sunday "to join it" could further complicate the task of the Icelandic government.Because if it believes it has "no problem to pay its debts" in the words of Steingrimur Sigfusson, his Finance Minister, is it always that the Icelanders are still refusing to pay the slate of private banks. More for foreign citizens. Therefore politically difficult to Reykjavik to meet its promises after two resounding rejection of his countrymen.

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Greece: dreaded return of the IMF and the EU

Posted by admin on April 6th, 2011

In early spring, a group of experts from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund is once again in Athens. For a week they will examine the preliminary draft budget triennial Greek (2012-2015), which will be unveiled at the end of the month and includes estimates for large departments, linked to continued structural reforms.

The fifth installment of the loan of 110 billion euros granted by the IMF and the EU is not directly involved this time. But the enforcement of austerity measures remains a priority for creditors became suspicious. And for good reason: the Greek government has revised upwards its deficit for 2010.The figures will be formalized by Eurostat on 26 April, but already, George Papaconstantinou, the Greek finance minister, admits he will not but at 9.4% to 10.6% of GDP.

Privatizations

For Yannis Stournari economic think tank IOBE, "from 15 to 10.6% of GDP deficit in one year is a good thing. But the government will soon be at an impasse if not privatize as quickly as some public enterprises, "he warned. The impasse is the debt restructuring, but the EU still denies such a possibility.

Meanwhile, international creditors imposed on Greece a privatization program of 50 billion euros by 2015, "which is entirely possible and desirable," says Yannis Stournari, "but we need the Prime Minister change in philosophy.The Greeks are bled dry by the rigor, and they said they will soon have more taxes and more cuts than revenue payday advance. Only the stimulus will help them relax a little. " Indeed, the announced new austerity measures by the end of the year, in order to save 4.2 billion euros, angered and worried the Greeks. If they show less and less in the streets of the country, many of them strikes multiply the zeal and slow pace of work. Others simply give up.

In 2010, more than 55,000 businesses have gone under the door and the Forecasts for 2011 are not encouraging. To counter the recession, the Greek government decided to facilitate business creation. "Until now, to create his company, he had to go to eight different administrations and wait over a month.Some would even give a small envelope to the employee so that his case should take less time, "says Akis Skertzos, political advisor to Minister of Development. Personally responsible for coordinating this initiative, he is confident of his success: "Now it takes an hour and only one place to start his business. This is not a matter of time, it is also an effective way to fight against corruption and in fact against tax evasion, since the system is connected directly to the Ministry of Finance, "adds it. Greece hopes to move from 149th to 83rd in the standings, which measures countries according to ease procedures for new businesses.

The real estate market finds the reason

Posted by admin on March 27th, 2011

Visit the first bank to harass her be on time, spend a few sleepless nights and decide under the pressure of fear of missing out on a property. In two words: make haste, for fear of not doing. That was the motto of the buyers and sellers last year could play in pushing their prices higher on tighter markets. Since the beginning of the year, the pressure eased. A certain calm has returned to the estate agents and sales offices promoters. The first months of the year are traditionally little agitated and this year is no exception to the rule. "The market has stabilized. Everything has become calmer, more thoughtful, transactions take place in calm, "said Marc Foujols.After the rush of year-end investors who wanted to enjoy tax reductions related to Scellier before they become less attractive, it does not surprise anyone. The Chamber of Notaries of Ile-de-France finally estimated 17.5% higher prices to central Paris last year. A change a little lower than the 20% mentioned in the first instance but still atypical. Just as rising prices in some major cities. And fortunately! The market can not reasonably continue to grow at such rates, buyers' budgets are not infinitely expandable.

The year 2011 promises to be more reasonable. Bouygues Immobilier, it provides a stable market for housing in 2011. And no observer expects another year of crazy prices, even in the capital. A market would grow 20% a year would not be healthy.Christian Lefebvre, President of the Chamber of Notaries of Paris, which refuses to forecast long-term "too random", made a vow: "That prices continue to obey this downward spiral upward, which reached limits economically and socially difficult to cross again. "

The year began quietly

Last year, prices have evolved very differently in different regions and cities. In some cities, they stood still, and in others they decreased. And this year? "The price increase is expected to continue because of an offer structural deficit, at least in the tense areas. Overall, the need is 500,000 units per year while it built about 350,000 on average.In the tense areas, prices could well increase in the first half before stabilizing later, "suggests Stephen Imowicz, CEO of Land Bank Property. For many experts, the rise should be limited, the market needs to catch his breath, and buyers too. In 2011, the housing market should once again see mingle price increases and decreases. The national average (2-3% increase expected by Fnaim in 2011) will therefore not very representative.Many are betting on a further year in two stages, a good first half and more attention to the latter, especially as the approach of an election year, traditionally rhymes with less activity.

How are things going there on the ground since the beginning of the year? The Century 21 network, which publishes twice a year in January and July, the statistics from the data transmitted through its network, has agreed to add a date to this year's calendar and to the point at the end of February for Figaro Magazine bad credit pay day loans. "The volume of transactions during the first two months of the year fell 3% from the first two months of 2010, is a significant development," says Laurent Vimont, president of Century 21. Ile-de-France, where the trends are exacerbated, the same receding volumes of 20% (and 10% in Paris). "The market has stalled. All sellers expect the price increase.But rising interest rates on loans reduces the number of buyers. "There is still a slight price increase of around 2.7% in France, but with" strong regional disparities. " "In Paris, the price increase is 1.45% on the first two months of the year. It is more important in the Ile-de-France, where it reached 5.52%, "says Laurent Vimont, which is again multi-speed markets. According to statistics from the network, Seine-et-Marne, and prices are down an average of 7% at end-February compared to February 2010, while they increase especially in the Val-de-Marne.Sebastien de Lafond, president of Meilleursagents.com, also finds a market downturn early this year in the Ile-de-France.

Regions in the photo is just as contrasting as Century 21, prices fell by nearly 5 to 7% at the end of February compared to February 2010 in Alsace, Aquitaine, Basse-Normandie, Bretagne, Midi-Pyrenees Poitou-Charentes and Pays de la Loire, Auvergne, so they progress (+4.2%) or in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais (+ 5%) and they are stabilized in the Rhone-Alpes (+ 0.8 %). "It is in the less expensive the prices continue to rise, the market is readjusting," said Laurent Vimont.

The rate hike is still bearable

At this point the real estate cycle, a sharp increase in rates could freeze the market. But we're not there. Rising mortgage rates since the beginning of the year is real, but contained.Certainly, borrowers can no longer find the conditions of last autumn, but they are not so badly off. Rates are historically low. According to the broker Meilleurtaux credits, rates on 20 years ranged from 3.80 to 4.20% according to the records, compared to a range of 3.60 to 4% a year ago. The broker believes however that the volume of mortgages should be lower this year than last year (130 billion euros against 158 ​​billion in 2010). A decrease that Christian Camus, CEO of Meilleurtaux says the "virtual disappearance" of renegotiations of mortgages this year.

"The PTZ + should restore the purchasing power of households with first-time buyers, the Scellier him, because of its tax advantage, is still interesting for the rental investor," said Stephane Imowicz however.The new tax data, with tax benefits "planed" to investors (see page 186), coupled with the expansion of the zero-rate loan now distributed without means will it change the balance on the market? It could increase the weight of first-time buyers face to investors. Last year, they have captured the lion's share. They represented 63% of buyers in the ninth against 32% in 2000.

Plebiscite in theaters, the film is not spared from crisis

Posted by admin on February 25th, 2011

It has almost become a habit: every year since 2008, attendance at cinemas French record-breaking 189 million came in 2008, 200 million in 2009, 206.5 million in 2010 … The Year Ahead flow and shows a total unmatched entries since 1967, according to the National Center for Film and Moving Image (CNC). As a percentage of the population, 65.4% French over 6 years, $ 37.6 million individuals have attended at least once in the cinemas in 2010. Thus, more than 35.9 million viewers (63.3%) recorded in 2008, the year of a previous record. At the time, remember that the excitement generated by "Welcome to the Sticks" (20 million viewers) had boosted attendance.What makes it even more remarkable record of 2010, in the absence of a blockbuster from inflating admissions.

The film, immunized against the crisis?

These exceptional figures surprise, because they coincide almost exactly with the start of the financial and economic crises that barely recovering the various economies. One thing not so paradoxical as that. The film, would have antidepressant effect, playing a full-sluggish economy. Coupled with its appearance relatively affordable compared to other leisure (vacations, sports club …), go "to get a canvas" remains one of the favorite pastimes of the French. It would be a "profiteer crisis."

Producers sentence

But if for the cinema, these figures are encouraging, they should not forget that the film industry includes dozens of different actors.And not everyone is as insensitive to the economic environment, far from it. Of course, the NCC highlights an improvement in the situation in 2010, up 31% of approved investments in production, reaching 1.439 billion euros over 261 films.

But in between, the crisis had significantly affected the sector. This explains that despite the upturn in 2010, the investments are not returned to their 2008 levels (1.49 billion euros). As in many other industries, the crisis has made it difficult to access funding. The diversity of sources by which French cinema is certainly enables finance to resist but not to maintain.Thus, in early 2010, the Association of Film Producers (APC) and the Union of Independent Producers (SPI) had pointed to a decline in overall investment in French film production by almost 30% between 2008 and 2009, and a decline of 400 million euros are dedicated to producing works of French initiative, which had gone under the billion euros.

"The most direct impact of the crisis is being felt internationally, explains Juliet Prissard, spokesperson for the SPI. Because the major customers of French works that are, for example Japan, Germany, Britain or the Benelux are also affected by the crisis no faxing payday loan. They buy fewer movies, and at prices lower and lower. "

Structural effects

Beyond these cyclical effects, the sector suffers from structural problems that gradually lead to change.First of which, the film piracy on the Internet. Moreover, cofinancing from the TV as part of their investment obligations in the cinema is changing. "Canal + plays its role as financier of the film, insists Prissard Juliet, with 203 million euros invested in 2009 in French and European films. But the decline in advertising revenue on terrestrial channels leads to a concentration of investment on big-budget films, in a logic with a large audience, including private channels. By domino effect, the public channels (France 2 and 3) investing more and more on larger productions.Finally, the calculation of investment obligations being made on the amount of advertising revenue channels (3.2% of their annual revenues), the absolute amount of money paid tends to decrease, especially with the partial lifting of the advertising the public service channels.

The Sofica give a little air for small players

Consequently, if the big production companies like Europacorp fare better thanks to their diversified profile (production, distribution, rights sales, license etc..) Producers and independent films at low and medium budgets (less than 10 million euros) are struggling increasingly to finance themselves. "It also increases concerns about taking on new talent, says Juliet Prissard. Before making a success like Of Men and Gods, you often experience that a director can acquire if his early films do not see the day. "

Only positive for smaller producers, the success of companies to finance of the film and audiovisual industry (Sofica). These products tax-free investment in films often provide funds necessary for the closure of some budgets, while offering the investor the opportunity to obtain a tax reduction of 40% of the deposit, within the limits of 8640 euros. Established in 1985, the collection of these products for 2009/2010 to exceed 63 million euros, spread over 11 Sofica. The CNC, which co-pilot device with the department's budget, also regularly reaffirms the principles guiding the product: investment in films in small or medium-budget (less than 8 million euros), primarily in the first and second film director, and boost support for independent production.In 2009, Sofica participated in the financing of 166 works for cinema and 25 audiovisual works.

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Ericsson provides $ 5 billion customers mobile Internet

Posted by admin on February 14th, 2011

"We will spend this year the billion customers in the mobile Internet. In 2016, the number of subscribers will be 5 billion, "said Barcelona, Hans Vestberg, CEO of Ericsson, the global leader infrastructure for mobile devices. These two figures explain why the battle that is currently tied in Smartphones and Internet Tablets is fundamental. Those who missed the start of the mobile Internet, such as Nokia and Microsoft, have to find solutions quickly to raise. In the future, it is not certain that the first way to connect to the Internet will be from a PC at home or at work, connected to a fixed line telecoms operator.

"In the next ten to twenty years, we believe in the idea of a limited réseau.Tout which can be connected will be," said Hans Vestberg. The situation is accelerating.While it took a hundred years for the first billion fixed telephone lines in twenty years, the telecom players have captured 5 billion adherents to the mobile phone. In a handful of years, "in 2015, there will be between 7 and 8 billion. This is higher than the population of the earth. Because a person has multiple subscriptions, "added the CEO of the Swedish group.

With the development of mobile uses, the Swedish group has announced in Barcelona, an exclusive agreement with Akamai, a U.S. company specializing in the provision of content and applications online. The two allies want to deliver their solutions in the mobile world. David Kenny, number two at Akamai, said that his firm has been retained by "are the top 30 media companies in the world to deliver their content via the Internet.

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