Archive for the ‘finance’ Category

Italy strike against the backdrop of austerity

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

General strike, plunging polls and growing skepticism of the markets. It is in this context that the Italian Senate Tuesday began a crucial discussion on the budget bill.

Silvio Berlusconi wants the recovery plan accounts, announced on August 12 but already relaxed, be adopted urgently by senators to advance to the European Central Bank (ECB), which meets on Thursday that the commitments requested by the 'Europe "were held." But the only way to meet this deadline is likely to engage the confidence of his government, he has not yet decided to do. Some in his party, invite him to seek dialogue with the opposition.

ECB and Bank of Italy, however, urged governments to take responsibility for reducing the public debt.Saturday, Cernobbio (northern Italy), Jean-Claude Trichet has urged Italy not to "waste time" to adopt structural reforms "strong and decisive." Monday, his designated successor, the head of the Bank of Italy Mario Draghi, has called on Europeans to "not assume" that the ECB will continue to buy "temporary" sovereign debt. Hans-Werner Sinn, president of the German Institute for Economic Research (IFO), the ECB made a mistake by buying Treasury bills Italian: "Only she started doing that the government of this country backtracked on its policy rigorously, "he lamented in the daily La Stampa.

The assumption that the ECB will reduce or cease its purchases of government securities alarm the Italian political and economic circles of the peninsula. On Monday, the short rate differential between Italy and Germany has set a new record to 327 basis points (3.27%).It was 160 basis points in late May. This means that investors demand a risk premium higher and higher to accept to lend to Italy.

This first day of examination of the text will be marked by a general strike launched by the CGIL. The main union in the country – 5.8 million members – calls for a tax on wealth which the government objected. He denounces a rigor that the popular classes are the costs, while the highest incomes are relatively spared. The abandonment of a levy "solidarity" of 5% on incomes over 90,000 euros and 10% in excess of 150,000 euros adds water to his mill.

Possibility of waiving the rules for dismissal

But most importantly, credible reforms, the government promised to amend the Labour Code a very rigid dating from 1970.Sunday, the Senate Budget Committee gave substance to this commitment by adopting an amendment that relaxes the conditions for termination. If he were finally voted, it would be possible to derogate from labor law, by agreement or even industry company, signed with the unions. Welcomes the employers, but for the CGIL, it is a "diktat intolerable." Other confederations welcome the amendment with more philosophy. For the ICFTU, Catholic, the measure is "inappropriate", but should not overly concerned, "What the union allow a dismissal?" Asks she.

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Wauquiez will help students to stay

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

Laurent Wauquiez said Tuesday the establishment of a guarantee fund to facilitate student housing. Goal? Avoid default and the requirement for students to produce a surety. The guarantee fund as surety in place of the new residence hall occupants.

Initiated by Valérie Pécresse, it has been refined over the summer by the services of Laurent Wauquiez. Main innovation: This fund was set up in collaboration with private banks to replace the young who can not provide security for accommodation in university residences. The project is also to extend this funding to candidates for private dwellings.

A quest that may turn the galley

The announcement comes just a few days or weeks of their return, many students are actively looking for a roof.To facilitate a search that may turn into a hassle, avoid pitfalls and surprises, the CNOUS (National Center for University and school), umbrella Crous, opens a portal to a comprehensive supply Housing in Ile-de-France. In this site are not only offers university residences, but also offers private landlords benefiting from new label CNOUS. For this new label, the organization set up with professionals and students, a questionnaire containing the prerequisites for inclusion in the list of homes approved by the regional Crous (heating, sanitary facilities or a network electrical standards …).The questionnaire four themes: the quality of housing, proximity to centers of education, respect of good practice in relations between the landlord and the tenant and the student price. Indeed, a report by the DGCCRF of August 2010 complained scams that students are the most frequent targets: unfair, inadequate housing, debit authorization of maintenance and repair of the deposit, ban to host friends …

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Tour operators rely on "all-inclusive"

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Buffets and unlimited sports, entertainment for adults, kids club for children … A holiday in the card, no surprises. Everything is organized and paid for before reaching the full support from the airport.

In times of crisis more than ever, all inclusive, hallmark of Club Med, like and secure. Most tour operators would be more or less inspired to develop offers "house" all inclusive stays in hotels with different price points.

"The" all inclusive "is part of the DNA of Club Med. It is the heart of our product, said Anne Yannic, executive director of markets France, Belgium and Switzerland at Club Med. In a difficult economic environment, it is a reassuring promise. The formula has developed significantly since the financial crisis of 2008.All tour operators now offer all-inclusive club package. But the positioning high-end all-inclusive Club Med is unique. No one offers such a quality of service, except perhaps a few luxury hotels, but offer user-friendly that is also a hallmark of the Club. "

According to Patrice Caradec, CEO of Transat France (Look Voyages), the number of hotels clubs offered for French customers from 200 to 400 in five years. "Ten years ago, when ten French went in with a beach holiday tour operator, five opted for a formula club hotel, all inclusive, he says. Today is September Eventually, we will not sell more than that! "

Look Voyages already carries 75% of its sales in its 34 clubs Lookéa. These clubs are independent hotels from 150 to 200 rooms.Look Voyages ensures the filling of 80%, by signing contracts with their owners at least three years. Its own teams (10 to 20 people per club) make the animation.

Higher margins for tour operators

"With the Internet, which causes them to spend more and more tour operator, the formula is the most relevant, offering the best quality / price ratio, ensures Laurent Laforest, director of marketing for Look Voyages online cash advance. Club Med, which was once the preserve of the product club (animations, user-friendly, sports, child care), was copied by tour operators and hoteliers themselves. But the concept of club is not regulated, you can find everything and anything.The challenge is how to make its mark as a guarantee. "

This summer, for example, Thomas Cook France sells 72 hotels clubs (27 clubs Eldorador, the brand more upscale, 15 Villages Thomas Cook, 20 Aquatour clubs for customers in northern France, 10 Jumbo clubs, positioned entry ). "In deciding to go on the high end, Club Med has left a very important market segment. We have a lot of customers who come to us because Club Med has become too expensive for them, says Denis Wathier, Chairman of Thomas Cook France. The goal is a hundred clubs in two years. With the emergence of the Internet, tour operators must have something unique to offer. "

Another advantage is that the profitability of the formula."From the moment you sell a concept where you put the value added (animations, buffets, a specific decoration …) you can afford to sell the service more expensive, with higher margins," Wathier says Denis.

According to Laurent Laforest, clubs attract mainly couples (70% of customers) and families with children. "In a travel market in crisis, it is the segment that is resistant to the best tailor-made high-end", says he. "The demand increases and supply the following at the expense of traditional hotels, which are easily found on the Internet without going through tour operators," said Denis Wathier.

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The Fed is concerned about growth

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

After the European Central Bank (ECB), it's time for the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) to dive into the arena. The Central Bank of the United States met on Tuesday FOMC's Monetary Committee. Supposed to be, usually, a meeting classic, this appointment has turned the eyes of the financial world in crisis meeting. It is indeed the first time the Fed meets in public since the beginning of the financial crisis and especially his first public speaking since the deterioration of the financial rating of the United States by Standard & Poor's.

Not surprisingly, it has maintained its key interest rates between 0% and 0.25%. However, she said that this policy would be extended "until mid-2013," sign it receives considerable stress on growth. In fact, she says, "the risks to the economy rose" and growing "considerably slower than expected."

Other measures

"The Fed is playing a tough game with the words, it must show it is taking the situation seriously, without making too much not that the markets are worried about a return to recession," said Philippe Bruneau, Director central bank Neuflize OBC. For the latter, "the only good news for the current crisis is the drop in oil prices, which dropped below the 80 dollars a barrel after reaching $ 115 in the spring. A decrease of $ 10 is equivalent to 0.3 percentage point of growth in addition to the United States. " It is not certain that the message of this evening of the Federal Reserve reassured. Especially since three members of the Monetary Committee voted against the decision to keep rates from 0 to 0.25% until 2013.Evidence that the division now also prevails in the central bank.

Taking note of the slowdown in action, the Fed said "consider further steps to promote stronger economic growth." But without saying more. "Ben Bernanke was forced to send a message to investors and told them that he will continue to support the price of U.S. government bonds, weakened by the S & P's decision," said Antoine Brunet, director of AB Markets.But by not precise commitments, Ben Bernanke shows how the scope is narrow to implement this new policy unconventional.

China, the first lender in the United States which it holds more than 1.3 trillion dollars in debt, is fiercely opposed to these measures, particularly in quantitative easing, which is for the Fed to directly purchase U.S. Treasury debt. "To walk the printing press allows the U.S. to go into debt on the backs of low-cost external creditors," a summary of the economists of HSBC. Moreover, "it keeps the dollar at low levels and put pressure on emerging currencies, including the yuan." The Chinese authorities find themselves faced with an alternative: let their currencies appreciate or prevent this movement, which requires in turn create the currency.Action inconsistent with their goal to fight against inflation (see cons below). "In one way or the other, China is losing, 'the experts of HSBC. The previous quantitative easing campaign was very unpopular in China. A new one could cause actual casus belli. With the key threat by Beijing to stop buying U.S. Treasuries.

Difficult to recover the "AAA" when it was lost

Sunday, August 7th, 2011

S & P is the second rating agency to downgrade the American note, after the Chinese – less powerful – Dagong, others – mainly the U.S. Moody's and Fitch French – for the time remaining in triple A. Now rated AA + long term debt of the United States remains in the investment category of "high quality" and joined the second and third world economies, namely China and Japan, as well as Belgium, Spain , Israel, Taiwan, or even oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

But it is possible to recover the triple A when it was lost. Canada, Australia, Denmark, and Sweden Finande did. Of course, the United States will do everything to return to their "AAA" precious. But the task will be tough, as it will maintain over the long term, strong pressure on fiscal discipline while scaffolding better understanding at the political level.

Political consensus to find absolutely

Indeed, in the case of their Canadian neighbors, the return of Triple A in 2002, had been lost – again by S & P – in 1992 on its debt denominated in foreign currency, was possible thanks to the introduction of fiscal measures severe that the subject of a strong national consensus, which seems far from possible for the United States.

Similarly, three Scandinavian countries also known for their ability to consensus politics have seen their efforts to improve public finances crowned by the return of a "triple A" lost year 1990: Denmark 2001, Finland in 2002 and Sweden in 2004.

Australia is one model may be more difficult to imitate. This country has lost in the 1986 'AAA' rating assigned to its foreign currency by S & P, to find him in 2003.During these 17 years, Canberra has demonstrated fiscal discipline inflexible, stopping in 1997 to increase the amount of its debt in dollars. Growth has surged with the transformation of the economy, modernization of the financial system, deregulation of many sectors that had lost their competitiveness and development of a powerful mining industry has benefited from China's economic takeoff.

Economy to restart

Jean-Michel Six, chief economist for Europe Standard & Poor's has expressed in the columns of Le Figaro, six months ago that the economic figures released in the United States show that the country remains fragile, particularly at the front of the employment and real estate. "In the U.S., including employment prospects are very disappointing."While yesterday (Friday), the figures – the United States have created 117,000 jobs in July – have eliminated any disaster scenario on the U.S. labor market, performance is modest. As for household consumption, "it is significantly weakened by the debt levels of Americans," added the specialist. Overall, "the year 2011 should result in a 2% growth, which is very disappointing for the U.S., where the pace of activity is generally much higher than in Europe."

According to the latest figures on U.S. growth, GDP grew by only 1.3% annual rate. Economists expected a 1.8% increase. Worse, the growth of the first three months of the year, previously estimated at 1.9%, was revised sharply downwards to 0.4%. And the largest economy in the world did she not really recovered from the 2008 crisis.Fears of a slowdown in U.S. growth, and global markets have panicked the last ten days.

Fiscal side, the U.S. accumulated a debt exceeding GDP are: since August, the debt ratio exceeds 100%, as is the case in Japan or Greece.

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HSBC will eliminate 30,000 jobs by 2013

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

New cold shower for employees of large international banks. After Goldman Sachs, Lloyds Banking and Intesa Sanpaolo, HSBC is about to turn to give a serious tightening in its workforce: the British giant plans to eliminate 25,000 jobs worldwide within two years, in addition to the 5000 already announced in Latin America, United States, Britain and France.

Institutions are trying to adjust to their new regulatory and economic environment heated, that undermine the profits of their activities and investment.

HSBC did not identify the countries involved in the wave of savings.But the new leader of the group since January, Stuart Gulliver, had clarified its intentions with the publication of its strategic plan in May: he wants to return to the strategy of geographical expansion at any of his predecessors, will focus its efforts to on Asia.

In 39 countries, the bank has planned to scale back or even shut down some businesses, as it did for its retail banking in Russia or Poland. In the U.S., it will sell 195 branches to First Niagara for one billion dollars. In total, approximately 10% of the HSBC will be affected by the wave of savings. "A brutal restructuring plunging thousands of employees in limbo," according to the union Unite.The purpose of the institution is to reduce by two years its fixed costs at least $ 2.5 billion.

New regulations

The markets expressed their good report: in a very depressed market environment, the title of the bank surged 2 online payday advance.19% Monday. Investors greeted the passage of publication of interim results of good quality, marked with a taxable income of $ 11.5 billion (8 billion), up 3% year on year.

The HSBC savings plan should also prepare the institution to banking regulations in the future. More demanding in terms of mobilizing capital and liquidity, the new rules have encouraged banks to lower their activity levels. The gloomy global economic outlook, fueled by the debt crisis, also pushing the leaders to be cautious.Especially for the upturn, the schools had massively hired two years ago, in trading activities, in particular.

Since the spring, the banking industry have frequent announcements of job cuts. Goldman Sachs will separate for "economic reasons" about a thousand employees in September. Barclays would have eliminated 600 jobs in its investment banking division, BarCap and 2000 in its retail operations, since the beginning of the year. His compatriot Lloyds Banking Group is preparing to offload 15,000 jobs in order to focus on the United Kingdom. Allied Irish Bank Irish plans to turn to go from 2000 employees. German Commerzbank has already eliminated 7,400 positions. Credit Suisse expects 2000 job cuts in its investment bank, Intesa Sanpaolo 3000 …

Debt: U.S. lawmakers have reached agreement

Sunday, July 31st, 2011

The world can breathe a little. After long weeks of negotiations, Republicans and Democrats have finally reached an agreement to raise the ceiling of U.S. debt, according to U.S. television, ABC News, citing unnamed sources in Congress. The debt ceiling would be raised until the elections of 2012. The plan includes spending cuts of over 1 trillion dollars over ten years and the establishment of a new panel of members of Cingrès, which will provide recommendations on additional measures to reduce the deficit of more than 1000 billion dollars.

As stated on ABC's website, this agreement is only "temporary" and must still be approved by Congress. If the information was confirmed by Washington, would mean that the U.S. can continue to borrow on financial markets.Good news for Barack Obama in less than a year of presidential elections. After a long back against the long struggle between Republicans and Democrats, the White House had decided Saturday to get involved again in the negotiations. Return ardently desired by the Republicans who seems to have paid off.

As a result, optimism had returned to the side of Parliament. The head of the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, Harry Reid, who previously showed pessimistic, recognized the progress in negotiations with the White House. "Negotiations are taking place in the White House to avoid a catastrophic failure to pay the national debt," Reid said late Saturday.Same story on the Republican side: "I think we have a chance to do," said Mitch McConnell Saturday, head of the Republican in the Senate.

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Beware of counterfeit notes of 20 and 50 euros

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

In the first six months of the year, the European Central Bank, through the 17 national central banks in the euro area, has withdrawn from circulation approximately 296,000 counterfeit euro banknotes. A figure down 18.8%. As usual, these are the breaks of 20 and 50 euros that have been copied the most, with respectively 43 and 36% of counterfeit notes detected. Thus, the probability of having one day turn a fake is minimal, since currently, 15 billion euro banknotes circulating in the world with 13 billion in the hands of 330 million Europeans.

How to recognize a counterfeit bill? "First is the button: the ticket must be firm and crack when it is bent, and some inscriptions in relief is palpable. Then you look at it: we mark the traditional watermark, the black security, we detect signs of security by transparency, etc..And then tilts: the band or disc holographic silver toggles the face value and the € symbol, "said Francis Coustin, communications director of the Bank of France, stating that there are eight recognizable security features of immediately, then another series of signs visible with ultraviolet light, which traders often have, and finally other signs that only the European Central Bank and national central banks can detect. In all, there are 63! (See the interactive presentation of the security features of the ECB)

The ECB shall ensure consistently maintain its technological edge on the counterfeiters, who face risks thirty years' imprisonment and 450,000 euros fine. The Bank of France, also a civil party, does not claim a symbolic euro in damages.Within the Eurosystem, work is underway to develop a second series of euro banknotes, the theme will look like the current (see box).

A ticket is damaged, torn, not calcined is not lost

Think again if you think the ticket you just go to the machine, or your child has torn, is worthless. While it may legitimately be refused by your merchant, but the Bank of France, she will be able to replace them. In extreme cases – ticket sales, burned, burned, mutilated, wet, soft, bonded, etc.. – It is always possible to be "paid" but for a fee of 20%.

Francis Coustin the occasion of the exhibition Euro: the exhibition at the Cité des Sciences and Industry at La Villette (Paris XX) until September 4 – which comes in a fun way about the history of the euro, its manufacture, the security features of tickets, etc..- Chronicles the misadventures of people who burned their tickets, ensuring that parts of the Vatican, Monaco or San Marino (Italy) should be retained as they are rare … and therefore valuable, but warns, however, that collecting tickets francs (date of exchange limit, February 17, 2012) does not promise any profit, "they will be worth nothing then strictly."

Euro: the exhibition, organized for the first time in France, the European Central Bank and the Bank of France, has already attracted over 100,000 visitors in recent months in Europe, from Barcelona to Tallinn via Rome or Berlin.

Cotton in the mass circulation

• How does one manufacture a ticket?

To make the paper is bleached cotton fibers (only one note is made of cotton) in a water bath at high pressure and high temperature.The resulting pulp is then passed through a paper machine. To obtain the special paper, called Paper Trust, own bank notes, are incorporated in the paper some security features such as watermarks and security thread.

• Where do we manufacture the tickets?

In Europe, paper is supplied banknote paper to the fourteen high-security printers who print the euro banknotes in the European Union. In France, since 1915, tickets are no longer manufactured at Bercy, in Seine-et-Marne, but Chamalières (print) Auvergne – nothing to do with Valerie Giscard d'Estaing, who became finance minister from 1962 to 1966 -, and Vic-le-Comte (stationery). A year earlier, the Paris site was briefly occupied by the Germans, hence the decision to relocate the "safe" to an area less exposed.

• How many tickets are made in France?

In 2010, 2.45 billion tickets were delivered by the Manufacturing billest which 1738 billion euro, central banks outside the euro zone commander in France tickets. Every day, these are some 6.7 million tickets that are born in Auvergne.

• Where do the tickets then?

Once made, the tickets are sent to branches of the Banque de France equipped with crates. Then carriers (Brinks, etc.). Come back to supply banks, which themselves carry out their distributors, or retail, which brews each day astronomical amounts of cash, and merchants.

• How long does a ticket?

Tickets and circulate from hand to hand, and come back regularly and the Bank of France, which sorts all tickets at once, to put back into circulation as tickets safe and in good condition. To do this, sorting machines at high speed are used to check in a split second the authenticity of tickets. Notes unfit for circulation are destroyed and replaced.Finally, an average, the average life span of a 5 euro note is fourteen months and that of a ticket 50 euros for three and a half years.

• Some rules to know:

– A merchant has the right to deny him a ticket that looks suspicious, a merchant can refuse to cash more than 50 pieces in a single payment, a merchant has the right to refuse a big ticket for a small purchase: the customer must to the extra-A trader does not have the right to refuse display notes 100, 200 and 500 euros denying a legal tender banknotes is punishable under the Penal Code-If I a ticket printer or scanner, I am off-the-law.

The design of banknotes and coins

• Tickets continennent all a European monument and a bridge. But if some drawings look fiercely at a known site, none really exists.In December 1996 that ended the contest European models of the euro banknotes, which was won by Robert Kalina, designer of the National Bank of Austria. Gaphisme inspired by the architectural styles of seven periods in the history of European culture: the classic notes of € 5, the novel for those 10 euros, Gothic for 20euros, the Renaissance for 50 euros Baroque and Rococo for 100 euros, glass and steel to 200 euros, and the architecture of the twentieth century for 500 euros.

• As for parts, the idea was that they have a common European side (battery) and the national side (face). A European competition was then held to select the number of common sides. The winner was Luc Luycx, graphic designer at the Royal Belgian Mint. And in the end, the 17 countries of the euro area are some 136 different pieces move.The choice of the national side has done differently in each country. In Italy, the themes were selected by viewers of the Italian channel RAI. In monarchies, the effigies of kings were most often represented.

"Join the game" Rally France Euro 2011 for children aged 9 to 12 on www.euro.ecb.eu

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Yahoo upgrades its search engine

Monday, July 18th, 2011

Google's competitors do not want to admit defeat. Facing the giant of online search, which controls 85% of the world, his followers rely on innovation and diversification of uses to snatch half points of market share.

In the summer of 2009, Yahoo and Microsoft and had forged an alliance in online search, the first confident marketing and PPC management to the second search engine. Six months after the agreement, Yahoo had enlisted the services of Shashi Seth, a deserter from Google and AOL, as vice president in charge of innovation search engine Yahoo.

"We launched more innovations and new products over the last 18 months than in the past five years, says Shashi Seth Le Figaro. We have succeeded in increasing the number of searches per session and attracted new users. "A success that Yahoo has replicated several major markets, including France, this fall.

Additional income

By giving Microsoft the technical management of its search engine, Yahoo has indeed been able to free up resources to improve its offer vis-à-vis the consumer. "Our strategy is based on three things: first, we build a search engine that provides answers, not just links, details Shashi Seth. Next, we broaden the horizon of research to not only find information for the user but also enable it to act on it, and finally, we focus on the mobile. "

In March, Yahoo has launched Instant Search in the U.S., which can provide results before they have finished typing the question (Direct Search).To be comprehensive, the motor adds to the Yahoo Web pages from the contents of its information categories (sports, finance, local information …). The group also launched an Internet search engine applications which sends its mobile application unearthed from his computer. Finally, Yahoo is working on customizing: eventually, the engine could explore Facebook and e-mail users, whose data are compiled in an index of private content to customize the search results. "Our role is to help users find information wherever it is. We seek to expand the sources of information in a neutral way, "says the boss of innovation Yahoo Search.

These innovations do not only attract users. They also result in additional income."We focus on user experience: if it is satisfied, he returns, will do more searches and clicks on ads more, analysis Shashi Seth. How to monetize that content also changes: before, they sold mostly text links, now it sells more advertising graphics (display) on the search engine. " A format that sells more expensive than sponsored links.

Good results support Wall Street

Friday, July 15th, 2011

Wall Street opened up Friday, the good quarterly results published by Google and Citigroup offset concerns over the sovereign debt of both sides of the Atlantic. A few minutes after the opening, the Dow Jones gained 0.5% (62.28 points) to 12,499.40, the S & P 500 took 0.6% (7.87 points) to 1,316.74 and the Nasdaq Composite progressed from 0.97% (26.67 points) to 2789.34. Thursday, Wall Street has ended in the red.

The New York Stock Exchange, however, could be subject to significant headwinds on Friday, with one hand the threat of Standard and Poor's rating on the United States and comments from the Fed that has dampened hopes of new measures support the economy, and the other successful companies including Google, which announced Thursday after the close of figures well above expectations.

The issue of U.S. debt should again be a central concern of investors. The negotiations started on the subject by U.S. President Barack Obama with the Republican opposition are currently deadlocked, Republicans a majority in the House of Representatives refused to vote an increase in attacks and demanding that the deficit .

Finally, sovereign debt in the euro area will remain a central concern.No date has been officially given for the planned summit between European leaders to try to stop the contagion of the debt crisis, a blur that weighs more on investor sentiment.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro has stabilized against the dollar at 1.4140 dollars against 1.4141 dollars last night. The euro rose slightly, however, against the Japanese currency to 112.03 yen against 111.89 yen yesterday. On the commodities market in the current context of heightened uncertainty about the public debt in Europe and the United States, gold is looking for: the metal-King reached a new record yesterday to 1594.45 dollars. It flows back slightly this morning.On the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), a barrel of "light sweet crude" for August delivery traded at 96.46 dollars, up 77 cents from the previous day.

On the front indicators, the index of consumer prices declined 0.2% compared to May, seasonally adjusted data, while analysts expected a 0.1% decline, according to their median forecast . The activity of the manufacturing industry shrank in the New York area in June for the second consecutive month, according to the Empire State index released Friday by the central bank (Fed) remained negative at -3.8. Analysts predicted that this index, which had fallen sharply in the previous month to -7.8, ironed above zero, the boundary between growth and contraction.Industrial production is, it, in line with expectations, up 0.2% in June

Google the center of attention

The side of values, Google announced after the close having recorded an increase in earnings of about 36% in the second quarter of 2011, despite investments still rising in the world's leading Internet search. The title wins more than 11% to 591.05 dollars.

Citigroup (2.49% to $ 40) Friday reported a 22% increase in net profit in the second quarter to $ 3.3 billion (2.33 billion euros) against 2.7 billion a year earlier. The third U.S. bank by assets shows a profit of $ 1.09 per share against $ 0.90 a year earlier, while economists were expecting $ 0.96.

The day before, JPMorgan said it had done for the second quarter net income of $ 5.4 billion against 4.8 billion last year. Net banking income rose by 7% over the quarter and 6% in the first quarter to 27.4 billion. The title gives 0.42% to 40.20 dollars

Always on the side of values, Hyatt Hotels (0.13% to 39.32 dollars) has announced the acquisition of a series of 24 hotels and assets attached for about $ 802 million from LodgeWorks and a group of capital investors. The transaction should generate an increase in operating income for the group of about $ 50 million from 2012.

The Board of Directors of Ralcorp Holdings (-1.96% to 84.92 dollars) has unanimously approved the principle of a split between Post and Ralcorp Foods.In addition, the company said to expect an adjusted earnings per share from 1.13 to $ 1.18 in the third quarter.

Also note, the Advisory Committee of U.S. health authorities (FDA) for oncology pharmacy issued a recommendation unanimously in favor of an accelerated approval process for Adcetris, a drug from the laboratory to Seattle Genetics treat Hodgkin's lymphoma. The title gives up 11.21% to 18.05 dollars.