Posts Tagged ‘finance’

Food prices at the highest since 2008

Saturday, January 8th, 2011

New record for the food price index of the FAO. Each month the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) measures changes in prices of a basket of 55 products including cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar …

For the month of December, this index performed worldwide stood at 214.7 points, up 4.22%. It is now above its previous record of 213.5 points in June 2008, the year of riots in several developing countries. "Prices were boosted by higher prices for sugar, cereals and oilseeds," said Abdolreza Abbassian, economist at FAO.

In detail, the biggest increase oilseeds, especially palm oil and rapeseed. Their index has climbed 7.5% to 263.0 points last month. The sugar price index soared more than 6%.An increase in the same order as that which affected the grain. Their index rose 237.6 points, its highest level since August 2008.

Buyers in Asia

But what most worries the FAO, is the duration of the phenomenon. "This is the sixth consecutive month that increases our index, notes Abdolreza Abbassian. However, unlike 2008, oil prices are much lower and crops have been sufficient in many countries, such as Central Africa and East, "added the economist. In Tanzania, for example, maize production is largely self-sufficient. In Niger, the country posting the best grain harvest last twenty years.

However, if this phenomenon continues in the next two to three months ahead, it could have inflationary effects and create tensions among people in poor countries. And nothing suggests the next stop of this upward spiral.Demand continues to grow. Despite the 245 euros per tonne of wheat today, there are still buyers in Asia, the Middle East or North Africa. While the offer on cereals is particularly tense. "There are six times more climate events than fifty years ago," says Michel Portier, director of consulting firm specializing Agritel. Floods in Australia, the drought in Argentina and the heatwave in Russia testify. "This creates an extreme market stress," says Olivier Duval, agricultural supply and demand. Contrary to what one might think, farmers, especially farmers, are not at the party. The president of the FNSEA, Xavier Beulin, expects a first half of 2011 "very difficult" because of price volatility.

Greek growth: IMF worst

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

The Greek economy is doing less well than hoped the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The organization led by Dominique Strauss-Kahn said Friday night that revalued downward its growth forecasts for Greece in 2011. While she has just released the third tranche of the loan in May of a $ 2.5 billion, it now expects a decline of 3% of GDP next year, against 2.5% previously. And in 2010, GDP should have declined by 4.2% against 4% so far, said the international organization. Submitted by the IMF and the European Union to a drastic austerity plan, the Greek business should not move upward "before the end of 2011."

Some factors may even help to slow further this dynamic.The IMF is particularly concerned that a stronger contraction of domestic demand, or a contagion from other countries in the periphery of the eurozone, are not counter the efforts implemented by the government to redress its finances public. To the credit of Greece, the international organization, however, cites a declining inflation, and a COMPETITIVENESS being improved.

Elongation of the Greek debt

Weak growth is likely to undermine the country's repayment capacity. The IMF and the European Union had in fact committed last May to lend 110 billion euros to Greece, then subjected to astronomical levels if it wanted to borrow on the markets. This amount was to be repaid from 2014 to 2015. But as early as last October, Dominique Strauss-Kahn tried to prepare markets for a possible rescheduling of debt Greek.And now trying to convince the European Union, which funds 80 billion on 110 billion, to consent to such extension. On Friday, a European minister questioned even in the margins of the EU summit on the mediterranean country's ability to repay its debt someday.

Despite these difficulties, the IMF on Friday expressed satisfaction with the measures already taken by the Greek government to reduce its deficit to 7.4% of GDP in 2011. "The program supported by the Fund continues to have good results, and we must congratulate the Greek authorities for their determined implementation of macroeconomic policies and structural reforms difficult and challenging," said assistant general manager of the Fund, Murilo Portugal.However, the IMF considers that "given the weakness of public sector and the appreciation of investors still negative, comprehensive reforms undertaken at the right time and are still essential" to implement.

Bonduelle Green Giant would swallow

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

Bonduelle would be watching on Green Giant. In any case, this suggests that the newspaper Les Echos on Wednesday morning in his columns. According to the newspaper, if the U.S. company General Mills, the parent company of Green Giant decides to strengthen in the dairy rachetantYoplait currently for sale, he will want to separate from vegetables.

And the first on the stroke would Bonduelle, who is interested in doing more in the United States, anticipates Les Echos. "But not at any price," warns Christophe Bonduelle, CEO of specialist vegetables.

Source: Bonduelle.

Asian markets in positive territory

Monday, November 22nd, 2010

The announcement of the plan to help Ireland pushed the Tokyo Stock Exchange Monday at the close, the Nikkei gaining 0.93% to 10,115.19 points. The Topix index, largest, rose 0.69% to 875.48 points. Gains were however limited by profit taking after a rise in the index by over 9% since the beginning of November.

The European Union and the International Monetary Fund has responded positively to a request Sunday night called to help as much as 90 billion euros for Ireland, which will become the second country in the eurozone this year to benefit support after Greece. Portugal, after Ireland considered as the next country at risk in the euro area, welcomed the plan Sunday night in Dublin with considering it "alleviates fears, reduces uncertainty and enhances market confidence ' .The Portuguese Finance Minister Fernando Teixeira dos Santos said that "it is undoubtedly a positive for the stability of the euro area".

On the foreign exchange market, the euro gained against the dollar (1.3755 dollars) Monday in Tokyo after the decision of the European Union and the IMF while the greenback was trading at about 7 pm to 83.41 yen.

In the rest of the area

Elsewhere in Asia, the trend is generally green, amid relief of global financial markets. The S & P / ASX Sydney wins 0.31% to 4643.50 points. In New Zealand, the benchmark index of the stock market allows itself to 0.87% 3296.63 points.In India, the Bombay SE rises from 0.79% to 19,740.10 points.

However, the Singapore Straits Times was down 0.15% to 3192.66 points, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong fold from 0.36% to 23,521.10 points but the ISC Shanghai gleans 0.28% to 3187.90 points .

Tensions in China can be explained by fears that higher reserve requirements for banks slowing China's growth. For the second time in two weeks, the People's Bank of China announced Friday that it was within half a point required reserve ratio of banks from 29 novembre.C is the fifth time this year that the China's central bank meets this coefficient.

This announcement, in conjunction with another rate hike last month, shows that Chinese authorities are anxious to absorb excess liquidity circulating in the economy.Wall Street downturn was part of last Friday for much of the session, this property has worried investors.

But on Monday, according to the Reform Commission of China, Beijing's ability to control inflation while maintaining economic growth. "The conditions in China are totally united to preserve price stability," said she.

Businesswomen's most powerful

Thursday, November 18th, 2010

According to Forbes in October, the Financial Times ranking of his book's most powerful women on the planet. The business daily meanwhile confined its scope, as every year, to the sphere of business. 50 women entrepreneurs from top flight were handpicked and classified according to criteria chosen by the FT: The size and performance of the company they run, the economic environment and the degree of competitiveness of their sector, some biographical … Finally, the 2010 vintage of women in business in the most powerful "women at the top" – gives pride to Americans, who captured 19 seats.After the Indian Indra Nooy, CEO of PepsiCo, which monopolizes the top of the list for the second consecutive year, American Andrea Jung, Avon cosmetics patroness of, rises in second place.

The Chinese operate a breakthrough

Only 10 seats expire in contrast to Europeans, including French Lauvergeon Anne, patron saint of Areva, is the first representative in 15th place payday loan. If the Financial Times does not comment on this small selection, he stressed that his classification reflects the breakthrough of China on the world stage, with five women in these rankings, one (Dong Mingzhu, President and CEO of the Chinese company Gree Electric) fifth place.

An annual ranking of which justifies the economic daily existence by the need to fuel the debate about women's place in the sphere of business."When the gender balance at this level of governance will be more fair to point the finger at the leaders of successful companies at the top level will be worth full to be mentioned. When that time comes, we will be the first to congratulate them, "says the editor.

"The first five businesswomen in pictures:

.

The tobacco price increases of 30 cents per pack

Monday, November 8th, 2010

New outbreak of labels in civets. The packets of cigarettes are sold on average 30 cents more from this Monday, up about 6%. The ministerial order determining the increase, which comes almost one year to the day after the previous increase, was published Saturday in the Journal Officiel.

Baroin confirmed by the Minister of Budget, mid-September, this translates into higher prices for the state by 660 million euros in additional tax revenue per year. Thus, according to Bercy, the revenue of the State under the law of tobacco (excluding VAT) are expected for the first time in 2010 exceeded 10 billion euros.These funds are all allocated to social security budget and will be distributed among various funds.

An increase in "moderate and reasonable"

For Baroin, responsible for registering price changes desired by manufacturers, this increase is "moderate and reasonable" and therefore consistent with the Cancer Plan 2 of President Nicolas Sarkozy. An argument is unconvincing associations fight against smoking, that an increase of less than 10% has no effect on consumption, and therefore on public health, then that smoking causes 60,000 deaths a year France.

On its website, right of nonsmokers (DNF) even asks the government and the president of preferring "an increase of 60 cents every two years" rather than "small increases of 30 cents per pack of cigarettes each year. "French Office for the Prevention of Smoking (OFT), "this increase requested by the tobacco industry is calculated to the penny so as not to reduce consumption."

Tobacconists fear yet the impact of this increase in tobacco prices payday advance online. According to them, it's not just a "dance labels. With this increase, "it is a network that could pitch," said the Confederation of tobacconists. For the profession, rising rates could "restart the procurement of cigarettes outside the formal network. That is to say across borders (Spain, Belgium, Germany) where cigarettes are 20 to 30% cheaper in a hurry or on the Internet.

Fears tobacconists

According to Pascal Montredon, the patron saint of tobacconists, "18-20%" of cigarettes smoked in France were not purchased in any of 28,000 tobacconists.He requested a formal study on this phenomenon. For their part, manufacturers evaluate different surveys between 12 and 22% off purchases of the official network.

On 9 November 2009, tobacco prices had already étérelevés about 6% increase already criticized by anti-tobacco as too weak to be effective in terms of public health. This increase was also not significantly changed sales tobacconists who fell by only 0.2% over the first eight months of 2010 compared to 2009. Data dubaromètre health 2010 show that tobacco consumption has increased by almost 2% between 2005 and 2010.

MPs recently rejected an amendment by Yves Bur proposing to overtax the profits of manufacturers. Next step, photos shock will be mandatory at the back of every packet in April. And the government continues to consider a generic package, without any logos or color.

(With AFP)

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Sanofi-Aventis does not give face to Genzyme

Friday, October 29th, 2010

Chris Viehbacher, the CEO of Sanofi-Aventis, is unwavering. Just last week, Henri Termeer, CEO of U.S. biotech Genzyme, tried to demonstrate that its new forecast results justify a valuation of up to $ 89 per share or $ 22.7 billion. An amount far below the 69 dollars (18.5 billion) offered by Sanofi in its hostile takeover bid.

"The financial goals of Genzyme ignore market realities and the current situation of the company, said Thursday Chris Viehbacher. Some of them confirm our assumptions and some others seem quite unrealistic. On the merits, we have heard nothing that would lead us to change our offer of 69 dollars per share. "

Investors either, it seems.Despite allegations of Henri Termeer, who said last week it was in talks with potential buyers, the stock price Genzyme, 72.20 dollars Thursday in the afternoon, hardly changed since.

Sanofi-Aventis will continue to be "patient" and "disciplined," said Chris Viehbacher, reiterating its wish to discuss with leaders from Genzyme. Sanofi can take the time, even longer than one or two months the expiry date of its offer, set for December 10, feel more familiar with the matter.

In addition, a third of the shares is held by Genzyme investors positioned themselves after the early rumors of interest from Sanofi quick payday loans for Genzyme. They are a quick profit, not a long period of uncertainty on this issue, noted near the laboratory.On the French side, so we continue to believe that the operation can be fastened to less than $ 75 per share.

Acquisition in China

Sanofi announced Thursday a quarterly profit of 2.5 billion euros. Increased sales in emerging markets (+13%) allows it to compensate for "loss of over 500 million euros in turnover due to generic competition." The launch in July of a generic Lovenox in the United States are down by 50% because sales of this flagship drug from Sanofi. Across the Atlantic too, the health reform is expected to cost $ 100 million to Sanofi. The laboratory reviews yet on the rise between 0% and 2%, its forecast growth in earnings per share from continuing because he enjoys "a strict cost control, bringing his savings on a year to 1.2 billion euros.Sanofi announced Thursday the purchase for $ 520 million, the group's consumer healthcare BMP Sunstone Chinese.

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Next week looks even stirred

Monday, October 18th, 2010

A new day – the sixth since the beginning – of demonstrations and strikes is scheduled next Tuesday, October 19. The day before the vote by the Senate of the text on the pension reform.

Laurent Fabius said Sunday that the planned day of action Tuesday against the pension reform would be "the most important day" and called for dialogue to find a solution "while a number of PS Martine Aubry, CGT Bernard Thibault and CFDT Francois Chereque asked the Senate to suspend the debate.

For its part, the government remains firm. This Sunday, Bruno Navy, French Minister of Agriculture said on Europe 1 radio that "reform is in the hands of the Senate." If he "wants to add one point or another, a concession or another in the coming days is for senators to decide (…). There are sacrosanct rules and limits that we do not cross it.The two terminals, it is the age measures. "

• SNCF

SNCF has not yet said whether she was driving his strike Monday, but the French expect. This Sunday, the CGT has counted 26.55% of strikers in the movement against pensions, while management has not provided figures. Saturday late morning, the strike rate was 25.4%, down three points from the previous day.

This weekend, the disturbances are as expected including 2Two three TGV on the Paris-province relations, traffic eased in the south because of local difficulties, and a two Transilien and TER.

The station must provide its Sunday night traffic forecast for Monday.

• RATP (Paris Metro)

This Sunday, the RATP reported a normal or near normal traffic on the networks: Metro, Bus, Tram and RER A (area RATP).

On the RER B, disturbances persist. Especially between North Station and Robinso / Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, where three out of four trains are delivered.

Note that connections with the SNCF at Gare du Nord is not assured.

• Air transportation

Planes taking off from Roissy Charles de Gaulle should finally missed kerosene early next week. The pipeline that supplies the airport in Paris is back in service.

According to the Secretary of State for Transport, Dominique Bussereau, there is "no more concern" for the supply of the Paris airports, and what "indefinitely".

CGT denounced a "violation of the right to strike" cash advance in one hour.

• Road

While specific measures have been implemented throughout the weekend, the movement of the road is expected to go up a notch next week.Sector unions call for employees to vote as of Monday morning on further actions, including possible strikes.

"We will increase inter-union from Monday to decide on actions," he said, adding that "next week will be decisive." "We must expand the actions and participate in demonstrations Tuesday", also called Saturday the CGT federation Transport.

• Gasoline

Bussereau said that nearly 200 service stations in France were "embarrassed" this Sunday, but "no" was short of fuel.Note that there are between 12,500 and 13,000 points of distribution of gasoline in France.

Christine Lagarde, economy minister, has reiterated that she should not panic, "there is no shortage of gasoline, there are stocks for several weeks."

Given the risk of gas shortage, the French are in fact rushed to the pumps, some even filling gas cans as a precaution. Result, fuel sales jumped 50% in recent days.

• High Schools

After the day of action on Tuesday in which more than 350 schools were disrupted, the student movement had yet seemed out of breath: only 135 schools were experiencing difficulties Wednesday. But since Thursday and the call for mobilization of the National Union lycéenene (UNL), the movement has regained strength.

Saturday, few schools have been disrupted.But next week promises to be heckled.

"We count the days until the holidays of All Saints. When the students return, the reform has been passed, "said one minister. "This week, it was mild and bright sunshine. Next week it will be cold and gray, still welcomes it.

This Saturday, October 16 was attended by between 825,000 (Interior Ministry) and three million protesters (unions) in the streets of France. Mobilization less than that of last Tuesday (between 1.23 and 3.5 million French) but almost identical to that of Saturday, October 2.

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Slight improvement of railway traffic

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

Most of the general meeting on Wednesday have renewed the motion for Thursday, approving a third day of strike in the context of a renewed notice Inter. Traffic at the station is still disrupted on Thursday morning, but a slight improvement over Tuesday and Wednesday, according to a statement released Wednesday by the company.

. At national level:

– TGV Paris-Province: four trains an average of 10 between Paris and the provinces, a little better than yesterday (one in three), the axes North East Atlantic and move to even see a train on both.

– TGV from province to province: a train of five.

– For Intercity trains, Coral and Téoz: a train of three is announced.

– Night trains are canceled.

. TER and Transiliens

The network provides average TER train in two, like Transilien, at least during peak hours.

SNCF spoke of an "enhanced service" on lines C, E, H, J, L and N.

. At the international level

– Eurostar: Normal

– Thalys: 9 out of ten trains

-TGV/ICE (France-Germany): 9 out of ten trains

-TGV Lyria (France-Switzerland): 9 out of ten trains

International service is normal on the Eurostar to Belgium near normal (9 Thalys in 10). Other international trains are not insured.

SNCF said that every ticket is valid broadly the same day in any train on the route in question and that passengers wishing to cancel their trip can do so without charge at the counter, whatever the price.

Information

http://www.sncf.com

http:// www.infolignes.com

http:// www.abcdtrains.com

The site-by-station mouvement.com also serves to check the billboards (departures and arrivals) from the station of his choice.

Hotlines:

0.805.90.36.35 to Outline (TGV), TER Téoz and Intercity

0.805.70.08.05 for Transilien

sncf.mobi for réerl time access to information on mobile.

RATP provides a normal or near normal traffic Thursday on all networks Subway, Bus, Tram and RER A. With regard to the RER B (area RATP), the RATP 1 set of 3. All trains will have to start and terminate at the station Denfert-Rochereau

More information: http://www.ratp.fr

Freephone:

0.800.15.11.11

Nobel laureate Maurice Allais is dead

Sunday, October 10th, 2010

Maurice Allais, the only French citizen to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics died Saturday afternoon at his home in St. Cloud. He was 99 ½ years. A tribute will be made on Monday or Tuesday by the government. He should be buried in the Invalides Saturday, October 16.

Born May 31, 1911 in Paris, the son of shopkeepers, whose father had disappeared early in captivity during the First World War, was raised by his mother in terms that admitted himself hard. A brilliant student in high school Lakanal Sceaux, then at the Lycee Louis-le-Grand, he is especially fascinated by history.

Travel to the U.S. in 1933

These are the teachers who guide on another track, to the Polytechnic, which he joined in 1931 and he released "Major" in 1933 before choosing the Corps des Mines.Student at the School of Mines from 1934 to 1936, he will also faithful throughout his life as a professor until his retirement in May 1981 and continuing to conduct research and give them during long years later.

In fact, there is no a priori predisposed Maurice Allais to turn to economics. His early work, instead, to guide the science of concrete and fundamental physics experiments on which he also published many books including the pendulum swings and the laws of gravity. Throughout his life he remained fascinated by the science, even though they are his economic theories that earned him to receive the supreme reward.

The story is that his meeting with the economy coincided with his first trip to the United States during the summer of 1933 in the midst of the Great Depression.He is shocked by the disastrous social consequences it causes and the fact that nobody really understands the origin. It is this ignorance that leads him to want to analyze it to try to disassemble the mechanism and prevent this crisis from happening again elsewhere in the world. The troubles of 1936 in France naturally comfortable in this process.

In France, it was in 1988 that the public discovers Maurice Allais, crowned Nobel Laureate in Economics, the only French, yet until now, to have won this award.Upon surrender of his sword academician in October 1993, he also recalled that two days have marked his life: "1943, year of publication of my first book, In Search of economic discipline, the 'pure economics, which decided in my entire career, and whose date is engraved on the heel of the guard of my sword, and 1988 when I received the Nobel Prize in Economics, who has dedicated my work and is called the letter "N" engraved on the hilt of my sword. "

Ironically, five years earlier, in 1983, another French, Gerard Debreu, who had studied economics Maurice Allais, had also obtained the Nobel Prize. However, a naturalized American, he has always been considered a Nobel overseas.

Maurice Allais was not always well understood, far from it."Many players consider him a champion of protectionism," which is "profoundly wrong decision," stressed at the same ceremony, the teacher and researcher Thierry de Montbrial. But it is true that by dint of wanting political union before the economic union, Maurice Allais had emerged as a staunch advocate of a European first pains to ensure its own economic security, which had passed for those who wanted to build a fortress around Europe.

"Liberal Socialist"

Author of over a hundred books, Maurice Allais, who had been the grand cross of the Legion of Honor this year was defined himself as a "liberal socialist".This, he explained that this position made him wish for example, to avoid destruction of agriculture and industry French, restoration of regional preferences in international trade since the wage gap became too important. Collaborating in numerous newspapers, beginning with Le Figaro, and he recalled last year in the magazine Marianne, a "rational protectionism between countries of very different levels of life is not only justified but absolutely necessary." The announcement of his death came as Nobel Academy on Monday to unveil the new name of the winner under the economy.