* However, banking stocks suffer from persistent market fears about the financial position of the peripheral countries of the euro area, the performance of Spanish debt in ten years being spent at above 6% for the first time since the start of the year.

BNP PARIBAS leaves 3.55%, largest drop in the CAC 40, followed by Crédit Agricole (-3.28%) and SOCIETE GENERALE (-2.5%). The index Stoxx European banking yields 0.93%. ACC off, DEXIA (-11.54%) shows the largest decrease of the SBF 120 and Natixis were down 2.43%.

In addition, Citigroup cut its price targets on several French banking stocks.

* ENERGY SECTOR's is up at European level (+1.6%) while VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS jumped 18.49%, two Chinese groups planning to launch a takeover offer for the Danish manufacturer wind turbine, the newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

Technip (3.83%) signed the largest increase in the CAC 40, MAUREL ET PROM was up 2.76%, 2.55% of CGG VERITAS and TOTAL of 1.96%.

GDF SUEZ wins 3.06%. The group announced the acquisition of 30% International Power (0.73%) that did not already own for 6.8 billion pounds (8.3 billion euros). He announced in the wake that it was within its target of recurring net profit CEOs for 2012 at between 3.7 and 4.2 billion euros, against 3.5 to 4 billion previously.

* DOLLAR VALUES are oriented correctly, the euro had hit a two-month low against the greenback, investors reducing their exposure to the euro area. EADS rose 2.7%, 1.29% and STMICROELECTRONICS ZODIAC AEROSPACE of 3.42% (largest increase in the SBF 120).

* Illustrating the continuing investor concerns for the situation in Europe, defensive stocks are sought. Air Liquide wins 1.96%, 1.5% or Pernod Ricard ESSILOR 1.38%.

* RENAUL PSA and win respectively 1.99% and 1.34%. According to trade publication The Letter VN Auto K7, orders for new cars in France saw their slow decline in March.

* INTERNATIONAL GECI remains suspended until Tuesday. The aerospace engineering company said it had been informed of the lapse of a memorandum of agreement to finance the project of French aircraft Skylander, and said it was exploring new ways of financing.

The project Skylander is grossly under-funded in its current setup and would require tens of millions of euros of additional investment, according to an expert report that Reuters was able to consult.

Difficult to see clearly in the statistics of China's foreign trade. After recording a record trade deficit in February, the Middle Kingdom has a surplus of 5.3 billion in March.

Even if Chinese firms continue to suffer from the debt crisis in Europe and a hesitant recovery in the U.S., exports of the second world economy grew by 8.9% yoy. Not so bad. In March, sales abroad of China totaled 165.66 billion dollars. For their part, imports reached 160.31 billion dollars, up 5.3% year on year.  

"The surplus in March is quite low so that the deterioration occurred in foreign markets since last year has continued to affect Chinese exports," he told AFP Liao Qun, China economist for Citi Bank International. This return to a surplus as a surprise to fifteen analysts polled by Dow Jones agency, who on average expected a deficit of $ 3.2 billion. Indeed, the latter provided stronger imports. But they have slowed in March, mechanically inflating the trade balance.

"Domestic demand continues to slow," said Qu Hongbin, chief China economist for HSBC. However, outside of this effect that disrupts the development of the trade balance, China remains competitive. In 2012, the projected growth in foreign trade of the world's leading exporter is about 10%. This remains higher than expected growth in world trade (6%).

While trade with the EU skate, China has many other growth. In the first quarter, its trade with the United States and Southeast Asia grew by 9.3%. Bilateral trade with Russia, meanwhile, has jumped 33% year on year.

Finally, the slower growth of foreign trade does not affect all regions of China in the same way, while some inland provinces are beginning to catch up on the coastal provinces, which until now focused exporting companies . While exports of Guangdong (south), which ranks first provinces to trade with abroad, rose only 5.4% in the first quarter, those of Chongqing (Southwest) and Henan (center) have respectively increased by 150% and 140%, according to Customs.

The strength of exports is vital for China must maintain a solid growth to contain unemployment and social discontent. Friday the country should publish the number of growth for the first quarter. Analysts polled by the business daily Diyi Caijing Ribao (China Business News), GDP growth should be limited to 8.4%, against 8.9% for the fourth quarter 2011 and 9.2% for all last year.

The paper said it is difficult to say at this stage how these job cuts will be divided between Japan and the world.

The new CEO of Sony, Kazuo Hirai, was ordered to put the group on the road to profitability after four fiscal deficit. 

In early February, Sony, distanced during the last decade by more innovative competitors like Apple or the American South Korean Samsung, said he expected for the 2011-2012 year, ended March 31, at an annual loss of 220 billion yen (2.2 billion euros).

Kazuo Hirai, officially took office on April 1, replacing Howard Stringer, must be about the business plan from Sony on Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial 30 yielded 0.54%, or 71.52 points, to 13,126.21. The S & P-500, wider, lost 6.98 points, or 0.49%, to 1405.54. The Nasdaq Composite fell on its side of 15.39 points (-0.49%) to 3,104.96.

The lower growth than expected durable goods orders in the U.S. in February (2.2% against 3.0% expected) has renewed concerns surrounding the recovery in the U.S. .

In addition, analysts said, the traditional quarter-end purchases seem to subside, which removes a source of support on Wall Street.

The S & P 500, and undergoes its worst session in three weeks, however, shows an increase of 11.4% since the beginning of the year, the benchmark fund managers are well on track to sign its best quarterly performance since the third quarter of 2009.

Cleaning portfolios to "the end of the quarter had probably carried the stock market these days. This factor plays up because if you buy less value today, it will not be settled before Monday so it will not appear in the first quarter figures, "noted Robbert Van Batenburg, head of equity research at Louis Capital

. The S & P grouping the values ​​linked to commodities fell ; of 1.52% and the energy sector has yielded 1.23%

. action number a global mining equipment Caterpillar fell 3.52% to 104.26 dollars, thus showing the biggest drop in the Dow Jones

….. The heavy oil …. ExxonMobil and Chevron also weighed, with declines of respectively 0.88% to 85.86 dollars and 1.07% to 105.89 dollars ..

……. Despite the decline of day, that the S & P 500 is not dropped below the 1.400 points suggests that the fundamental cycle bull bringing Wall Street six months ago are still in place, said Jim Paulsen, Investment Officer at Wells Capital Management.

Oil prices were down nearly 2%, under the double blow of surging crude inventories in the U.S. and the prospect of more countries use their re reservations policy to curb the sharp rise in gasoline prices.

Gold and copper also fell after data on durable goods orders, that interrupt a series of statistics considered positive for the U.S. economy.

During the meeting, Apple has hit a new record of 621.45 dollars. The action ended at 617.62 (0.51%)

In Paris, around 9:15, the CAC 40 gained 0.19% to 3,479 points. The DAX 30 is 0.3% and the FTSE ahead 0.20%. The Eurostoxx 50 is 0.22%.

Values, EADS gained 1.75%. The German government is preparing to buy 12% stake in planemaker taking over the holdings of Daimler and several private banks, it was learned Friday from the German government source.

BOLLORÉ gained 2.7% after announcing a 19% increase in operating profit.

BT gained 4.8%. The British telecoms operator plans to pay two billion pounds into its pension fund as part of a new plan more advantageous than nine years.

The French government raised its economic growth forecast for 2012 to 0.7%, against 0.5% previously, and was lowered to 1.75% for 2013, against 2.0%, said Minister of Economy Baroin.

This announcement follows the revision by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), its growth forecast to 0% in the first quarter and 0.2% in the second quarter of 2012.

Moreover, the overall business climate in France has improved significantly in March, to 95 points, an increase of 4 points, according to INSEE. 

In the U.S., the indicator of home sales in the nine will allow investors to refine their expectations of recovery in the industry and the economy in general.

At first glance, foreign investment has slowed down in France in 2011. 698 with the creation or extension of sites by foreign companies, foreign physical investments in our country have indeed decreased by 11% compared to 2010. And the number of jobs related dropped from 12% to 27,958. But the French Agency for International Investment (IFA) sees nothing to worry about.

These figures indicate it believes that France "did better than resist" in a difficult environment. In many projects, this is indeed the second best performance since ten years. And 17% of total European or second only to Great Britain. The Minister of Economy Baroin has meanwhile stressed that it was comparable to a 2010 "outstanding" and "recovery" after the 2009 crisis.

President of the IFA, David Appia, however, recognizes a small air pocket. "The sovereign debt crisis has affected the last quarter of 2011," causing "some restraint of foreign companies" some of which have postponed their investment decision, he said. But this decline would, however, more noticeable today. In other words, the attractiveness of France would not be threatened.

In fact, the amounts invested in France have increased by 18% to $ 40 billion last year, according to preliminary estimates by UNCTAD. This won him to occupy the 10th place worldwide, behind the United States (211 billion), China and Hong Kong (202 billion) or the UK (77 billion). Countries such as Brazil, Ireland, Russia and Belgium are also ahead. But not Germany (only $ 32 billion). Note that the figures for the Unctad include purely financial transactions such as mergers and acquisitions. The Afii, she focuses on physical investment.

Fewer new jobs

The most negative, finally, for job creation by foreign firms. For less than 28,000, France returns to the average for the period 1993-2011. A decrease is explained by the proliferation of small projects, the increasing share of projects in the software field (sector No. 1 selected by foreigners), relatively less intense in job creation, and by prudence investors in a difficult environment. A caution which reads in the fact that extensions of existing sites have tended to grow last year at the expense of setting creations.

Finally, foreign investment in France last year were the result of SMEs (28%) of intermediate-sized firms (34%) and large companies (39%). And they came, in overwhelming majority of developed countries: 60% from Europe, 25% in North America and 11% Asian. Four countries, Germany, the United States, Italy and Switzerland, were responsible for over half (52%) of these investments.

Particularly positive in the debate on the made in France, they focused on activities with high added value or high-tech and concerned for two-thirds the manufacturing sector (including machinery and mechanical equipment).

According to a poll published in parallel by the IFA, France would be considered attractive by 66% of international business leaders interviewed. A proportion that rises to 87% in China and 94% in India. Paradox as investments from BRIC countries, are among the most active in terms of direct investment abroad, are still a small minority. Only 6% of projects in France in 2011. This is particularly regrettable that apparently, once installed, the foreign bosses are even more convinced of the attractiveness of our country trusted by 82% of them.

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Assunção explained Cristas want to restart the operation of unused land while providing incentives that would turn the trade deficit in food surplus.

Portugal is already the world's largest exporter of cork and the seventh largest exporter of wine. Its agriculture, which includes logging and the production of many varieties of fruits, olives and oranges through the strawberries and cherries, represents 10% of its gross domestic product.

But the fertility of its land and its mild weather did not permit him to achieve food self-sufficiency.

Production of the sector remains fragmented mainly because of the small size of many farms, inheritance of land reform following the Carnation Revolution of 1974 after decades of Salazar dictatorship.

Came to power last June in favor of early elections, the majority center-right led by

Pedro Passos Coelho hopes to reverse. 

"Our food exports have great potential even though we still have a trade deficit of 30%," said Assuncao Cristas Reuters.

If he succeeded in transforming its trade deficit in food surplus, Portugal could hope rebalance its overall trade balance, which would be of great help when he e ty forced last year to accept international assistance of 78 billion euros.

In 2011 already, the Portuguese trade deficit narrowed by 25% over the previous year to return to 15.2 billion euros.

This reduction is mainly due to the austerity measures imposed on the Portuguese with its implications on domestic demand. 

Meanwhile, food exports rose 17% last quarter 2011 to 1.2 billion euros. This increase is the second largest after the one recorded on refined petroleum products.

"The prospects for improved trade balance in the food are good, we planted lots of new land, for example, olive groves and vineyards," said the Minister of Agriculture.

"The food industry (…) can really help Portugal when domestic consumption is low."

According to forecasters, the Portuguese economy expected to contract 3% this year and the unemployment rate has hit a record 14%.

The Institute of Frankfurt bought about 38 billion euros of Greek debt under the program says SMP (Securities Market Programme) and these securities are now worth about 50 billion euros. Forego these profits would reduce Greece's debt.