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Wall Street awaits jobs figures

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:48:08 +0000

The rebound from last night seem to be prolonged unless the unemployment figures contradict. Around noon, the index futures Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq 100 advanced 0.27% to 1057.40 points and 0.27% at 1794.5 points. The Dow Jones itself could open up 0.22% at 10,069 points.

Yesterday, Wall Street's rebound has been sketched primarily due to buying cheap and the results of Toll Brothers and American Eagle Outfitters, welcome. The Dow Jones climbed 0.20% to finally 10 060 points, while the Nasdaq took up 0.84% to 2142 points.

The U.S. Department of Commerce on Wednesday, new home sales in the U.S. for the month of July 2010 have yet to set seasonally adjusted rate of 276 thousand units, the lowest in history, against a consensus site close to 340 thousand.Orders for U.S. durable goods for the month of July 2010 have certainly increased 0.3%, but the consensus was expecting 2.5%.

Jobless claims Thursday, Friday and GDP

If new jobless claims expected today will likely affect the opening of Wall Street, prompting him to be careful, tomorrow, Friday, the indicator most crucial will be unveiled: the second estimate GDP growth in the second quarter.This risk, with a sharp drop early in the indices plunge into turmoil.

On the corporate side, Ford could respond to a current size: the two groups comes as U.S. automaker to announce, with the Japanese Mazda, an investment of 350 million dollars (273 million euros) via their joint venture AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT), for the equipment of a factory in Thailand pick-up of new generation.

Wal-Mart Stores, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stop a massive partnership action brought by female employees, court documents show Wednesday.

Novell Inc. will release its results after market. And Tiffany, in the night.

Gay employees paid less

admin — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:12:17 +0000

Wage discrimination between men and women has been the subject of numerous reports. That between heterosexuals and homosexuals had never been studied. Until today. Two economists from the University of Evry have considered this matter and found a gap of 6.5% on average in the private sector and 5.5% year on public Liberation reported Saturday. A result based on a sample of 904 cases.

This difference was found "all things being equal", the newspaper said, that is to say, qualifications and duties equal, in businesses of similar size, etc.. "After dismissing all the biases that could distort the results, we arrive at a pay gap is said unexplained", explains Thierry Laurent, co-authored the study with Ferhat Mihoubi. Only males are affected by this discrimination. The lesbians do not suffer any apparent loss of wages "unexplained".

This discrimination does not affect all gays with the same force. The less educated and the young could be less discriminated against, while the widening gap with the qualifications and experience. As a percentage of the "visibility" of an employee within the company, analyze the two economists. The young staff are more secure, with little "visible" for competitive examination.

"Marriage premium"

The results of the study are close to the observed differences in wages abroad, but it must include "marriage premium" observed in France. A married man will win because on average 4% more than a single. Homosexuals can not have access to marriage, they are doubly penalized.In the U.S., according to a study published in October 2007 and based on the study of 91,000 cases, a gay employee earns an average 23% less than heterosexual married counterparts.

In France, these wage differentials are explained, the two authors argue, by homophobia. "A CSA poll conducted in March 2009, said Liberation, revealed that 28% of private sector employees do not feel" very comfortable "with the fact that their colleague is gay.

Alcatel-Lucent meets its quarterly

admin — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:48:07 +0000

Alcatel-Lucent continues its annual forecast, after presenting its results for the second quarter. The telecoms equipment maker has finished the past three months with a net loss of 184 million euros, equivalent to a net loss per diluted share of 0.08 euro. This net loss is worse than the result recorded in the same period a year ago, which then displayed in the green, to 14 million euros. But the quarterly net loss marks a clear improvement over results reported in the previous quarter, during which the group had lost 515 million euros.

Alcatel-Lucent is delighted especially to see its operating profit return to equilibrium. Adjusted data, it is 28 million euros, or 0.7% of revenues.In published data, it remains negative, at -45 million euros, against 130 million euros a year ago, and -263 000 000 euros at the end of first quarter 2010.

Low activity in China

The group's turnover was slightly lower on a year. In fall of 2.4% over the second quarter of 2009, it stood at 3.813 billion euros, or 17.4% more than during the previous three months. The effects of consolidation and exchange rates were favorable to the group on the quarter. Adjusted data, the turnover of the second quarter is apparent down 6.9% year on year, but it remains up from the previous quarter (+11.8%).

"The momentum has been strong in North America with a double-digit growth and the trend has improved in the world, lower income there is much less marked than in the first quarter.The revenue decline in Europe has remained the order of almost 10%. Finally, Asia Pacific has experienced a double digit decline, due to low activity in China, partly offset by significant growth in India, "the company said.

An improvement in adjusted gross margin

The group's adjusted gross margin rebounded to 36.1%, an improvement of three points over one year and by 3.5 points compared with the margin achieved during the first three months of 2010.

Alcatel-Lucent is confident for the second half. Ben Verwaayen, the CEO of Alcatel-Lucent, promises to "maintain a strict control of costs and expenses." He anticipates a "second half of 2010 supported, thanks to a growing backlog.Additional benefits are expected in the coming quarters. "

The group believes that "despite the shortage of components that still impact our supply chain, demand for telecommunications equipment and related services is recovering." He believes that the growing market for telecommunications equipment will be between 0% and 5% this year. In this context, Alcatel-Lucent intends to achieve an operating profit Adjusted between 1% and 5% of its revenues.

Starcraft II: old-fashioned and new recipes

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:32:34 +0000

The Zerg, Protoss and Terrans are back. The three races battling in the legendary game of real-time strategy StarCraft landed Monday on PCs around the world after twelve years of absence. Fnac des Champs-Elysees the game will go on sale 22 hours. The first version of this futuristic war of the worlds had sold 11 million copies.

The publisher Activision Blizzard (Vivendi) is certain: Starcraft II (sold $ 60) will also be a success. During a meeting with analysts, reports the Wall Street Journal, Bobby Kotick, chief editor, said that Starcraft II was one of the "seven pillars of opportunity" of his group. Each of these "pillars" should generate between 500 million and 1 billion dollars during his life.

If Activision Blizzard does not want to reveal the cost of developing new work, the game should be very profitable thanks to increasing revenue. Beyond the 60 euros of the sale price of the base game, players will be encouraged to buy add-ons (weapons, missions) throughout its progress in the game All this, via micro-transactions online.

"Captive audience"

The advantage? "This results in recurring revenues and customer becomes captive, publishers building online communities around their titles, decrypts Richard Beaudou, video games analyst at Natixis. "This model comes from Japan and invaded Europe in two years." Gross margin games designed on this model reaches 50%, against 15-25% for conventional.

The launch of Starcraft could however be overshadowed by a lackluster.Video game sales fell 6% over the first five months of the year in the United States, according to the institute reference NPD Group. Activision Blizzard executives remain confident. "StarCraft II will not fail to customers," he assured Bobby Kotick at the E3 video games fair in Las Vegas. "Several million people are still playing the first version of the game when it was released just over ten years."

Cows

Activision Blizzard hopes to replicate the success of World of Warcraft, Call of Duty or Guitar Hero, all blockbusters. These securities have become over time real cash cows, each new version is proving to be a commercial success.The latest edition of World of Warcraft and Call of Duty have enabled the group to see its turnover soar 33% in first quarter 2010, against the current market.

On Monday in early trading, Activision Blizzard title earned 1.54%, to 11.91 dollars at the NYSE.

Sanofi-Aventis eyeing the American Genzyme

admin — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 05:48:07 +0000

The pharmaceutical group Sanofi-Aventis, seeking a major acquisition, would have approached the U.S. biotech Genzyme understands the Wall Street Journal on its website. In early July, the French had been the subject of market rumors about a proposed acquisition of U.S. $ 20 billion.

"Discussions are still in their infancy and there is no agreement expected in the immediate future. Issues such as price and management have not yet been addressed. " Both groups refuse to aAny comment.

According to the U.S. daily, officials from Genzyme, which specializes in products for the treatment of orphan diseases, are studying the amount that Sanofi would pay.In Stock, Genzyme capitalization stood at 14 billion dollars (10.8 billion euros) but the group can require a significant premium given its portfolio of drugs. "If we take as a starting point the figure of 20 billion dollars that has been discussed before, this puts Genzyme to $ 75 (per share)," said Michael Yee, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets.

Blow to Lovenox that will have to battle against a generic

In exchange, the action Genzyme has skyrocketed 15% to 62.52 dollars a barrel on Wall Street. And during transactions unofficial title continued to grow.

Faced with competition from generic drugs, many pharmaceutical companies are looking for external growth.And the more that Sanofi-Aventis has paid this Friday a blow, with the approval by U.S. health officials the first of its generic anti-coagulant Lovenox star, his second top-selling drug in the world. "The FDA today approved the Administrationa first generic version of Lovenox, the FDA announced in a statement posted on its website.

This product is developed by the Swiss Sandoz, the generic arm of Novartis, Momenta and American society.Sales of Lovenox, a drug derived from heparin and more complex to copy a traditional chemical molecule had reached 3 billion euros worldwide in 2009, including $ 1.8 billion in the United States.

In the first quarter 2010, sales of the drug was 769 million euros, which was still the second largest group of drug sold in the world.

The sales of Sanofi made in the USA by its anticancer Eloxin fell sharply after the launch of generic versions, while its other cancer drugs, Taxotere, will drop its patent to the public in November in Europe and United States.

In late June, Sanofi announced the acquisition of American TargeGen for 560 million dollars (458.5 million euros) in order to strengthen the fight against cancer.

The Fed is considering measures to support the U.S. economy

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:56:08 +0000

On this day a national holiday in France, the economic future clouded for the United States. Retail sales fell 0.5% in June after falling 1.1% in May, and import prices fell 1.3% last month. Some due to a 2.3% drop in auto sales, others because of falling oil prices and rising dollar. All these indicators disappointing in addition to reserves of crude continue to decline. Only bonen news: the budget deficit continues to decline. If Congress sees an encouraging sign, he is aware that the United States enjoy the benefits of its rescue plan and the increase in assets held by the Fed.

In these circumstances, the Fed seeks to be less optimistic about the United States.Within minutes of its monetary policy meeting in June released Wednesday, the Fed has lowered its forecast for growth in the U.S. this year. U.S. GDP is expected to be between 3% and 3.5%, while three months ago, it was a growth from 3.2% to 3.7%.

Consequently, the Fed anticipates a slower decline in unemployment this year. The unemployment rate should be between 9.2% and 9.5%, between 8.3% and 8.7% in 2011 (against 8.1% to 8.5% projected earlier) and between 7.1 % and 7.5% in 2012 (against 6.6% and 7.5%).

Fear of deflation

The deteriorating outlook led the U.S. central bank to consider further action on monetary policy to support the U.S. economy. Its leaders have already agreed a policy accommodative, ie a decline in interest rates was not necessary."The committee would need to consider whether further support could be appropriate if the outlook were to worsen significantly," we read in the minutes. He added: "A small number of participants cited a risk of deflation."

Anyway, it is clear that the maintenance of low levels of interest rates does not seem to be enough to revive the U.S. economy more vigorously. The meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee of 22 and 23 June had maintained the interest rate the Fed close to zero, in hopes of boosting up the credit and economic activity.

Wall Street plunges into the red

The markets have been quick to respond to these new expectations: having moved solidly in the green mid-session, the NYSE has quickly sunk into the red.Around 8:40 p.m., the Dow Jones lost 0.40% to 10,321 points and the S & P 500 retreated 0.46% to 1090 points, while Nasdaq was flat at 2,242 points.

Pensions: the first passes of weapons Assembly

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:12:07 +0000

Photographers, cameramen, and around 70 MPs, including several tenors Socialists (Francois Hollande, Jean-Marc Ayrault) belonging to other committees, however … The Social Affairs Committee of the Assembly, Eric Woerth who auditioned Tuesday, just after presenting his plan to reform pensions in Cabinet, had on Tuesday an unusually busy. She was visibly much at the media-political context and the importance of the bill to the agenda. The audience was also gradually scattered throughout the session … And if the Left has repeatedly expressed its disapproval loudly – a ruckus usually reserved for the Chamber – is inside the text she attacked.

The fate of the Pension Reserve Fund has attracted the most virulent attacks.Introduced by Lionel Jospin and supposed to help pass the peak of demographic imbalance between contributors and pensioners, beginning in 2020, the FRR will finally be used to offset deficits in coming years, pending the promised balance by the government in 2018. "Your reform is shortsighted, accused DSK.The holdup on the Pension Reserve Fund is to penalize future generations. "

PS She also found that the device "hardship" (starting at age 60 with full rate, subject to a disability of 20%) returned to "say people who are disabled or sick are entitled to be found invalid or sick " instant payday loan no TeleCheck.

"A good balance"

Labour Minister regretted the "distortions" and recalled that this device, combined with the long careers (early departure for those who started working before age 18) should cover 100,000 people per year in 2015, a new retiree on about six.Earlier, Eric Woerth was held, in an interview Capital.fr that the threshold of 20% was a "good balance", seemingly closing the door to a significant change – and potentially costly – on this point.

Not a word left, however, to challenge the alignment of the contribution pensions of officials on that of private sector employees.

The majority, she has power, supporting a reform considered "essential," "urgent," "fair" and "effective". Jean-Luc Préel however, raised a question: "I have some doubts about the economic forecasts that seem optimistic," said the member of the New Center.

Meanwhile, unions have reaffirmed their opposition to the reform, gathered before the Ministry of Labour hundreds of activists, including Bernard Thibault (CGT), François Chérèque (CFDT), Alain Olive (UNSA) and Bernadette Groison (FSU).

Peking and Taiwan signed a framework agreement

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 22:48:04 +0000

The leaders of Taiwan and mainland China signed Monday in Chongqing, Sichuan, a free trade agreement that will profoundly change the relationship between the two countries. Called framework agreement on economic cooperation (ECFA), it plans to introduce preferential tariffs on 539 products exported from Taiwan to China, the island being provided by 250 Chinese products. More favorable to Taiwan and in Beijing, however, it divides the citizens of the island. They fear that China, which does not recognize the Republic of Taiwan and considers it a renegade province, one profits to strengthen its hold on her and never grows to become like Hong Kong, part of its territory since 1997 .

Naouri: "Casino suits the morale of its customers'

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 06:00:14 +0000

The morale of French households do not seem to favor a clear recovery in consumption. In the first quarter, sales of Casino in France and have fallen 0.9% after falling 2.7% in 2009. Although the strong growth recorded by the distributor Stéphanois abroad (10.2% in the first quarter, after 5% last year) largely offset this decline, the group must respond. Jean-Charles Naouri, its CEO, shares his strategy in an interview with Le Figaro.

LE FIGARO – The morale of your customer shops is it affected by the crisis?

Jean-Charles Naouri – Many signs show that pessimism has worsened. He returned in September 2008, at the peak of the crisis. Because of the crisis of Greek and that of the euro, the fear of job loss has increased and concern about the standard of living reached a record high since 2007.The French prefer the job security of their purchasing power and their careers. This general pessimism is, however disconnected from the real economy, which seems to gradually resume. France is no longer in a situation of danger of deflation, the interest rates are permanently lower a guarantee for the future, and the weak euro is an element of recovery. The figures, including our own business performance, there are better a couple years.

Consumer behavior change it?

We found two relatively recent trends Firstly, in an environment seen as more complex, consumers no longer want it decides for them. They want to regain control over product quality, origin and value for money in particular.Similarly, while far to the client, other consumers were at best indifferent and at worst seen as troublemakers, he now draws more and more choices to their preferences and ratings. This horizontal communication facilitated by the Internet, this new proximity, we must reflect and inspire us to develop relationships with our customers in and outside the store.

How are you adapting?

We have a head start in this area because we have long been close to the heart of our strategy. We could for example indicate, in each point of sale, the preferred products or selling. We already strong commitments on the quality of our products.We reassure our customers, for example about what they buy indicating on the Casino-brand products, in addition to the nutritional use their carbon footprint, or that they are without oil palm and gluten free. We just put in place within the group, a Health Committee attended by several senior experts whose mission is to anticipate health issues and help Casino make good choices on offer. We also test systems dematerialized Innovative allowing customers to share their recommendations.

Hypermarkets Géant Casino continue to lose market share.Are they so essential for the massification of procurement and management of shopping malls you plan to transfer them not to invest in your most promising formats nearby?

I believe in small and medium format hypermarkets (6 000-8 000 square meters), which constitute the backbone of malls. I believe in the relevance of non-food offer in textiles, leisure and household equipment. Casino no reason to separate from Géant. Our superstores are as profitable as those of our competitors, and we set the target that market share has stabilized Géant Casino this year.Remember, also, that 40% of group turnover from international have a double-digit growth in France and the formats most carriers (Franprix, Monoprix supermarket Casino …) know sustained growth, which boosts the overall growth of revenues of Casino.

How is the recovery of your brand discount Leader Price, whose sales fell sharply last year?

This is another priority group in France in 2010. We are very pleased with the sales growth in stores converted to the new concept and we are accelerating the pace of refurbishment of outlets from week to week.

Could you introduce CDiscount stock exchange to accelerate the deleveraging of the group?

This is not the agenda.A listing imposes many constraints on management whose priority now is to continue double-digit growth in turnover. We are the leader, but in a very competitive environment.

Can you imagine Rueducommerce complementarities with the site, which Rally has just 8% of capital?

It is a very minority participation, without presence on the board of directors.

The director of "Titanic" flies to the rescue of BP

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:20:09 +0000

A director known worldwide and 28 International Experts. The cast was humorous in the U.S. where critics of James Cameron announced that Leonardo DiCaprio would save BP. However, it is the director of Titanic, which last week gave the U.S. administration and President Obama a report analyzing the solutions implemented by the BP group to pump oil at the origin of massive oil spill affecting the Gulf of Mexico since the explosion of the platform Deepwater Horizon on April 20 last.

The pumping operation implemented by the British group since the beginning of June can not harvest all the oil leaking from the wells.The report, which Le Figaro has obtained a copy, said however that "BP has put in place adequate resources to address the problem," that "decisions taken by the hour after the incident are good for most" but that "more needs to be done." The panel, composed of military personnel, members of the U.S. administration, senior oil industry, meteorologists and coastguard, is especially worried about the pumping capacity of the facilities put in place and their ability to adapt to cyclones that will not fail to develop the area in the coming weeks.

Restart Operation "Kill Top»

The report therefore recommends "three solutions to medium term. It is proposed to add 8 columns pumping of oil field to the three that have been put in place by the oil group.It would exploit holes already drilled in the framework of Operation "Top Kill" capping the well in late May that resulted in failure. "It would be possible to recover far more oil than is being pumped," the report said. Experts indicate that 11 holes would substantially increase pumping capacity and limit the flow of oil into the ocean.

The vessel there since the beginning makes it possible to recover 15,000 barrels per day and a second vessel connected last week on the damaged wellhead should eventually pump 20,000 to 28,000 barrels per day. Insufficient, while 60,000 barrels daily flow into the ocean.

The second recommendation is to replace the current system of pumping with valves placed in depth by a system with valves on the surface.This equipment would stop pumping more rapidly in the event of a hurricane landfall. The experts also recommend that membership cap recovery connected to the wellhead is strengthened. They said it would send the "epoxy", "hooks" and "cement" in the hat, the high pressure and suction at this depth (1500 meters) will had to take this kind of dough.

The third recommendation is to relaunch the operation "Top Kill" bailout sinks for the butcher. Experts suggest that a second pipe is inserted into the wells, the side of those who pump oil, and that this second "pipe" sends a very heavy mud to plug.According to them, sending mud associated with pressure pumping may this time be successful.

The report finally announced that he will make proposals for "such environmental threats are dealt with more effectively in the future." According to our data the use of explosives could cause a collapse and to cap the well has been studied and could be proposed as a protocol for action in case of "new September 11th green."