Archive for June, 2010

29
Jun

The death of a senator disrupt the U.S. financial reform

Posted by admin

The death of U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd could lead to a postponement until mid-July of the final adoption of the draft law reforming financial regulation in the United States, forcing the Democrats to seek further support.

The future of the bill now depends on the decision of a handful of senators after the death Monday of Robert Byrd, at the age of 92 years, denying the Democrats a voice in favor of the 60 needed to deprive Republicans delayed by a battle of adopting the text amendments.

The Democrats could expect that the governor of West Virginia named interim successor to Robert Byrd, but the appointment could take several weeks.

To ensure some additional support, the Democrats may have to change the text.

"If they need to review the bill and make concessions to secure additional votes (…), the text will emerge strengthened, not weakened," warns Barbara Roper, who heads an advocacy organization of consumers.

This bill, which President Barack Obama made one of his priorities, would launch a reform of financial regulation unprecedented since the 1930s.

The text aims to cut without a ban, the risky activities of banks, to establish a new process of liquidation for companies in financial difficulty, or to impose a tax credit on the largest financial groups, on larger groups to finance reform.

The House of Representatives should adopt the text Tuesday or Wednesday. But before being submitted to the presidential signature, originally scheduled on July 4, the text must also be approved by the Senate.However, due to the death of Robert Byrd, the Senate could defer their decision on July 12, after a week of leave, said a legislative assistant.

"We expect that this overhaul of banking legislation wins approval in U.S. House of Representatives, but the situation is complicated in the Senate," admits Brian Gardner, a political analyst for investment firm Keefe Bruyette & Woods.

THE MARKETS IN WAITING

If the vote of the law should dispel the uncertainties surrounding the bank stocks, the implementation of the text still has many question marks, analysts said Goldman Sachs.

Among outstanding issues is the appointments that the U.S. president should proceed, including the new head of the agency responsible for regulating mortgages, credit cards and other financial products.

Some clauses of the text should weigh on profits and growth of the largest banks, but have been relaxed during negotiations between representatives and senators, after a marathon negotiating session last 21 hours that ended Friday in the dawn.

For now, Democrats are thus seeking to support their cause some moderate Republicans like Olympia Snowe, and Senators Scott Brown, supported the text but rather reluctant to introduce a tax credit.

It aims to prevent the bill strikes the U.S. public finance more.However, according to the Congressional Budget Office, an independent monitoring and evaluation of public accounts, expenses related to the reform in ten years, estimated at $ 26.9 billion, should be offset by as much revenue.

The vote Democratic senators Russ Feingold and Maria Cantwell, who voted against it last month, claiming it was not sufficiently binding, should also be courted.

Russ Feingold, however, already assured Monday that he would not change his opinion. Maria Cantwell for studying the issue and it still has not yet decided, said a spokesman.

27
Jun

BP at the center of bilateral talks between Obama and Cameron

Posted by admin

U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron agreed Saturday to say that nothing positive would come out for the damage to the oil company BP reported a member of the British delegation.

The two leaders met in Toronto on the sidelines of the meeting of the G20 countries.

On Friday, the head of the new British government had requested more clarity on the costs that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico exposed the British oil company.

Action BP fell Friday to its lowest level in fourteen years since the accident last April 20 on the platform Deepwater Horizon, the company's market capitalization has shrunk by $ 100 billion.

The British employers as well as pension funds and other shareholder groups have called for Cameron to take BP's defense against criticism of Obama as being too severe.

The subject has been discussed by Cameron during a bilateral meeting Saturday, the first of the two men since the leader of the Conservative Party succeeded last month in Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street.

"Both agreed that nothing good would come out of the damage to BP, reported a member of the UK delegation."Both agreed that BP would meet its obligations to plug the leak, clean it and pay the costs of legitimate compensation," he added.

BP said they paid $ 2.35 billion since the beginning of this oil spill is unprecedented in the history of the United States.

The company also announced the creation of a special fund of 20 billion dollars expected to cover the costs of the environmental and economic disaster.

BP, formerly British company essentially is now a company whose capital is split into two main groups: 40% of its shareholders are based in Britain and 40% also in the United States.

25
Jun

Christine Lagarde calls for a break in gas prices

Posted by admin

Christine Lagarde wants a "pause" in gas prices until January 1 next time an audit determines the relevance of the new method of calculation applied by the Regulatory Commission (CRE).

CRE authorized Thursday GDF Suez to raise gas tariffs from 1 July, after an initial increase of nearly 10% from 1 April. Higher rates for individuals oscillate between 2% and 4.7%.Since the start of the year, gas prices have increased by about 15% in France.

"I hope that the CRE do an audit of this formula because I'm quite surprised at the speed of execution and I wish that as a result of this audit, we determine if the formula is good," said Minister of the Economy Friday on France Inter.

"By then, I hope the prices remain unchanged, that is to say that until January 1, we make a full break in considering any further action until the audit results are not provided, "she added.

The CRE noted Thursday in a statement that his tariff had been an audit on which it will deliberate by September.

The CRE and GDF Suez justify rising gas prices by higher oil prices, which are indexed to gas prices and the weaker euro, which significantly increased imports of oil, sold in euros.

"The crisis is not behind us," explained Friday government spokesman Luc Chatel, RTL, noting that gas prices "have fallen by about 11% last year.

23
Jun

Areva announces a new supply because of the Finnish EPR

Posted by admin

Areva announced an additional provision of around 400 million euros for the Finnish EPR OL3 because of new construction delays.

The Finnish power company TVO said in early June that the new-generation nuclear reactor would begin producing electricity until early 2013, is almost three and a half years later than originally planned.

Areva had recorded 2.3 billion euros of provisions before it announced Wednesday.The group's president and CEO Anne Lauvergeon had publicly described the level of "comfortable" in early March.

Because of the new provision announced Wednesday, the group said in a statement that its operating profit "should register loss in H1 2010.

The reactor Areva Finnish EPR is the first to have been initiated in Europe.

The French group has also reported that its talks with EDF on the conditions for stopping the Georges Besse enrichment plant in a Tricastin (Drôme) continued.

The dispute over the uranium enrichment plant is on the possible orders of EDF in 2011 and 2012, the last two years this site until the entry into service of the Georges Besse II site.

"Outside additional provision OL3 and potential impact of shut-down conditions of the Georges Besse plant 1, the group's operating margin should be around 4% in the first half of 2010, Areva said.

THE BACKLOG IN NET INCREASE

Net income group share the first six months of the year, however, incorporate the added value of 1.3 billion euros achieved in respect of sale of the Transmission and Distribution (T & D) tandem Alstom, Schneider and record as a "significant increase" compared to first half of 2009.

The group's backlog at June 30 for its part should reach over 43 billion euros, an increase of one billion a year and 500 million over the end of 2009, while sales of the first half will move forward "on the order of 2%" over the same period of 2009.

"For all of fiscal 2010, the Group confirms its expectation of a significant increase in backlog and revenues," said Areva.

"Operating income is expected to improve, before the provision, gains on dilution and possible impact of closure conditions of the Georges Besse 1. Finally, net income Group share up sharply compared to the fiscal 2009, particularly through the most gain on the sale of T & D. "

22
Jun

The reform of consumer credit is finally passed

Posted by admin

Folder

How to fight against indebtedness

14
Jun

Paris and European stock markets down in early trading

Posted by admin

Paris and European stock markets are falling sharply in early trading Monday in the wake of New York and Asian stock markets after U.S. employment figures disappointing trial amid lingering fears about possible negative effects of the crisis debt of the eurozone on the global economy.

Around 9:05, the CAC 40 index, which opened in low of 1.69%, losing 1.61% while the euro hit a four-year low this morning in Asia. The Paris index, which fell 2.86% on Friday, could go to fill the gap opened on 26/05 at 3348.64 and go test area supports 3276, said Alexander the Drogoff, technical analyst at Aurel BGC.

No value of the CAC 40 is up.

London drops 1.16% 0.98% and Frankfurt.The European indices, EuroStoxx 50 Eurofirst 300 lost 1.28% and 1.16%.

The euro remains under pressure and is trading around 1.1947 dollars after hitting a low of 1.1878 to four years. On Friday, he finished at 1.1936, his fall was caused by fears of debt crisis in Hungary.

The bonds of the core countries of the euro area benefited from strong risk aversion. The German Bund yields to 10-year benchmark euro area, relaxes and drops below 2.6% to 2.57% and the return of the French OAT maturing going well under 3%.

14
Jun

2010 EADS sales may exceed forecast

Posted by admin

The European aerospace group EADS expects its sales in 2010 could be higher than expected due to the decline of the euro on foreign exchange markets, as its chief financial officer.

In an interview published in the Financial Times Deutschland, Hans Peter Ring said that the coverage measures taken by the exchange company will have an impact on revenue projections from 2012.

"But it seems that this will be different about our income because we have more volatility. Therefore, our revenues could be better than what was previously expected," he said.

In its projections for 2010, EADS expects stable results over the previous year based on an exchange rate of $ 1.40 per euro.The single European currency fell back to about $ 1.20.

In the long term, said Sunday the chairman of the board of EADS Bodo Übber in the Welt am Sonntag, a weak euro is favorable to the company as it produces in the euro area (and therefore pays a large portion of its costs euro) and its sales are mainly denominated in dollars.

14
Jun

Renault among the six candidates for the acquisition of Ssangyong

Posted by admin

Renault has confirmed Monday that it submitted a letter of intent for the acquisition of Korean carmaker Ssangyong.

A spokesman for the diamond manufacturer said by telephone that the letter of intent had been submitted jointly with Renault Samsung Motors (RSM), Renault's Korean subsidiary which it holds 80.1%, and with its Japanese partner Nissan .

Ssangyong, the smallest of South Korean car manufacturers and specialize in 4X4, is in administration since early 2009.

The group, for which a Seoul court should choose a buyer in August, said his side last week it had withheld a total of six candidates.

According to the Korean press, the transaction would be valued at between 300 and 500 million (250-400 million euros).

14
Jun

The Paris Bourse opened sharply lower

Posted by admin

The Paris Bourse reduced its decline in mid-day, but remains in the red (-0.62%). At 24:15 (10:15 GMT), the CAC 40 yielded 21.37 points 3434.24 points, in a transaction volume of 1.366 billion euros.

On Monday morning the Paris Stock Exchange opened down 1.73% to 3395.85 points and increased its losses to more than 2% in early trading. In the wake of Wall Street and Asian exchanges, the market suffered from disappointing employment figures released Friday and U.S. concerns about the deficits of European countries. The euro is found at 1.19 dollars, its lowest level in four years

The London Stock Exchange had also opened sharply lower Monday. The FTSE-100 index of major values yielded 71 points in early trade, or 1.39% from Friday's close at 5055 points. The Dax index featuring the Frankfurt Stock Exchange opened down 1.05% to 5876.48 points.In Milan, the FTSE Eb, was down over 2% in early Monday trade.

Athex index of the Athens Stock Exchange lost 3.29% to 1436.01 points on Monday to 0830 GMT, like other European markets.

The Nikkei index of Tokyo Stock Exchange backed off Monday from 3.84% Monday closed at 9,520.80 points, its lowest level in more than six months, including disappointing numbers victim of employment in the United States USA. After a session negative end to end, the Nikkei 225 index of blue chips ended on a loss of 380.39 points (-3.84%). This is its lowest closing level since Nov. 30, 2009.

Other awards in the region have also closed down. Sydney dropped 2.78%, shortly after 0600 GMT, Hong Kong abandoned 2.36%, 1.57% Seoul, Shanghai and Mumbai 1.35% 2.21%.

14
Jun

Sarkozy and Merkel cancel their dinner

Posted by admin

Talks planned on Monday evening of 7 June in Berlin between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have been canceled, officials said the embassy of France.

Mr Sarkozy and Ms Merkel had planned a working dinner prepared especially for the EU summit in Brussels June 17, to discuss European economic coordination, on which they disagree substantially.

Read our article on the subject: Why France and Germany do not understand

The German chancellor had earlier announced the cancellation of meetings with the press. No explanation was immediately available. According to diplomatic sources, the encounter between the two leaders was postponed to Monday, June 14