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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 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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It is almost a trade post for post. In an internal memo, Europe 1 has announced the arrival of Nicolas Demorand its antenna in the coming year. The former host of the morning will be at France Inter radio microphone generalist Lagardère from 18.30. He succeeds Patrick Cohen, recruited by France Inter to replace Nicolas precisely Demoranc morning.

More in a few minutes …

Louis Welsh, president of EADS, is convinced. The decision of the World Trade Organization (WTO), said Wednesday that "illegal" certain EU subsidies paid to Airbus for the A380, "changes nothing" for the A350. "The support for the A350 are not iIn the" scope "(Field, Ed) of the panel that reviewed the complaint of Americans," said Louis Welsh Saturday. He added: "It was explicitly stated that although such aid is not in the" scope ", they were sentenced prior BLES, since the system of repayable advances itself is not contrary to the rules WTO.

Always on the fringes of economic meeting organized by the Circle of economists in Aix-en-Provence, Louis Welsh, assured that Airbus would submit an offer in time with U.S. partners for the bulk tanker contract from the U.S. Air Force."We have reached an agreement with 200 companies amricaines. The Pentagon must decide to fall on the mega-tanker contract enviton estimated at 35 billion dollars. Airbus and Boeing have until July 9 to finalize their proposals. A decision is expected next fall. "I think the nervousness that manifests Boeing in this case and the propaganda campaign that he led for three or four days shows qu'ls fear that we have a competitive bid on the tanker," said Louis Welsh. Ambiance, atmosphere …

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A little respite on Friday in Asian markets. After more than five consecutive days of decline, the most important place on the continent Asia-Pacific represents a reversal of trend. The Nikkei started Friday's session up 0.47% earning 43 points to 9234 points. An advance that the Tokyo market has struggled to keep since mid-session, the majority of gains were erased.

In contrast, Hong Kong, the trend is clearly down because the benchmark Hang Seng yield 1.38%. In Australia, the Sydney Stock Exchange ahead slightly (+0.1%).

The mining stocks rose

In Tokyo, the market is mainly guided by higher mining shares following the downward revision of tax on the profits of these companies decided by the Australian government. This has encouraged new JX Holdings Inc., an oil refiner and producer of copper jumped 3.5%.Inpex, oil explorer, rose 3.2%. Komatsu, the largest manufacturer of earthmoving Asia, gaining 1.5%.

In contrast, the values are auto oriented down significantly, especially for Honda (-1.89%) and Toyota (-2.27%), after the monthly statistics considered disappointing sales in the United States.

Evolution contrast to oil

On the oil market, crude prices were mixed in electronic trading. In morning trading, a barrel of light sweet crude for August delivery gained 18 cents to 73.13 dollars a barrel, while Brent North Sea for delivery in August, yielding six cents to 72.28 dollars. Oil prices fell Thursday in New York on a market worried that sent the barrel under $ 73.

Volatility remains high on the market

Investors remain nervous about the possibility that the slower recovery of the global economy becomes more pronounced. On Friday afternoon will be known monthly unemployment statistics in the United States before the opening of Wall Street. They could reflect a deterioration of the labor market for the first time since December, according to economists.

The indicators Thursday were accentuated anxieties of investors. The ISM index of activity in the manufacturing sector declined more than expected to 56.2%. On the front real estate, the promise of selling homes fell more than expected in May (-30%). In China also, the two indices of purchasing managers showed a slowdown in manufacturing activity in June

Good news for residents of 133 communes in the Ile-de-France. The new contract for water distribution unsurprisingly won Thursday by Veolia provides a decrease in the price of water in the order of 6%.

On its website, the union of the waters of Ile-de-France (SEDIF), explained that the tax price per cubic meter fall under the responsibility of end December 2010 from 1.75 to 1.51 euros or 1.41 euros , following the return or not nine municipalities in the SEDIF. A decrease of at least 14% plus taxes, which amounts to 6% taxes, according to Le Parisien on Friday.

The new contract also provides for the creation of a multi-rate habitat option that will allow residents of an apartment building to "benefit from rates close to those living in individual homes. The union figure to 19 cents per cubic meter of savings for consumption of 180 cubic meters.In return, the affected households will pay a quarterly subscription of 5.72 euros on 1 January 2011.

Other measures under the contract, an amount of 2.5 million euros devoted to households in difficulty should be established. 1% of revenue from water sales will be allocated according to the statement from Veolia. Tariff escalation in the volume of water consumed should also be introduced.

A highly concentrated market

According to André Santini, President of SEDIF and deputy mayor of Issy-les-Moulineaux, is "the price" that made the difference in the manager's choice of water in the Ile-de-France for the next twelve years. For this mega-contract that represents a combined turnover of around 3 billion euros, the offer of Suez Environment has been ruled out from the month of May in favor of Veolia Environment.Leading distributor of water in France, with 24.6 million users, Veolia is already holder of the Paris agreement since 1923 and is now committed until 2022.

Lack of competition in the market for water distribution in France is regularly singled out by the Competition Council. Some cities are returned to management in public ownership (without going through a private company), as Paris at the beginning of the year. Yet, according SEDIF is "the direct competition between candidates" who has achieved this "significant decline" in prices.

However, the issue of price allow the investor indifferent. At the Paris Stock Exchange shortly after 9:30 am, the title Veolia Environnement rose 0.46% to 20.955 euros on a market up 0.44%.

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After a slow start, the Solidarity labor income (RSA) is it taking off for good? Quasi steady in March (+0.1%), the number of beneficiaries has increased again in April to 1.777 million homes recipients, an increase of 1.06% over the month. Now, 1,149,000 households enjoy the "RSA base" (0.5%), the equivalent of ex-RMI and single parent allowance (IPY). And above all, 627,271 receive the "RSA activity" in addition to their earnings. Either a "strong increase" to the "RSA activity" (+2.7% in April, 14,270 additional beneficiaries), which currently affects over 1.3 million people in total.

In March, the caseload had dropped by 12,000, a first since its inception in June 2009.In eleven months, the number of beneficiaries of the "RSA activity" has increased by 51.5% although it remains far from the goal originally posted by Martin Hirsch third of the "target population" in benefits really now, against 90% target by the "father" of RSA.

Same trend in May

Question cost, RSA will cost 649millions euros in April to the community (543millions for "RSA base" and 106millions for "RSA activity") and more than 6.62 billion since its inception, including 15% for "RSA activity, funded by a 1.1% tax on capital income.

The rise of "RSA activity" is "a sign of an upturn in activity or the beginning of the crisis, hopefully it to the government. People are starting to take odd jobs: the very low-paid full-time or part-time.This trend would be "confirmed or accentuated a bit" according préchiffres May.

For the current Minister for Active Solidarity – which has never believed in original intent of scalability of the "RSA activity" – there are two other explanations. "Many people have been slow to apply for RSA business because they did not know they were entitled, because they would not feel stigmatized because it was complicated," says Marc-Philippe Daubresse that present in early July a plan to simplify the RSA. The departments have also been slow to organize the information flow and are currently optimizing their practices. "

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