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Wall Street retreats sharply

The U.S. stock markets move sharply lower on Monday. The Dow Jones lost 0.84% ​​to 12,551.25 points, the Nasdaq 1.02% to 2830.66 loose points and the S & P 500 drops 1.08% to 1329.34 points. On Friday, the New York Stock Exchange ended down, undermined by employment figures disappointing compared with analysts' expectations.

Hiring remained stalled for the second straight month the U.S. in June, with only 18,000 net new jobs and the unemployment rate rose to 9.2% of the workforce.

Alcoa opens the ball in quarterly results

The trend, however, should be fragile before the beginning of the season half-year results. As usual it is Alcoa (-2.32% to $ 16) which will open the show of quarterly, as soon after the close of Wall Street Monday.JPMorgan Chase will be the first major U.S. banks to issue, with results expected Thursday, the same day as Google, which will set the tone for the technology. Investors will know very quickly if the U.S. financial sector has suffered from the decline in trading activities. These results also give a taste of the figures will be announced later by European banks.

According to Thomson Reuters data, the results of listed companies on the S & P 500 should show an average increase of 7.3% compared to second quarter 2010. But this increase could be higher if a majority of companies beat the consensus.

The euro dropped to $ 1.40

On the foreign exchange market, the euro was digging its losses against the greenback on Monday.Mid-afternoon in Paris, the single European currency was worth 1.4050 dollars against 1.4258 dollars on Friday night, falling to levels seen for two weeks.

On the macroeconomic front, the United States, negotiations between Democrats and Republicans over raising the debt ceiling is again blocked, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican John Boehner, who announced that he would not find a comprehensive agreement with the White House.

In the process, the U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner gave assurances that the U.S. would not default on their financial commitments, while Barack Obama announced he would hold a press conference Monday at the White House.

Always on the side of values, Sanofi (2.49% to 80.35 dollars) today announced positive results in a phase III study for Lemtrada, a drug for the treatment of multiple sclerosis developed by Genzyme's new subsidiary. Sanofi put his hand in April on U.S. biotech Genzyme for more than 20 billion. In addition, Sanofi said on Monday the sale of its Canadian dermatology Dermik to Valeant for $ 425 million (300 million) in cash, in order to focus on priority activities in the United States and Canada.

In the same area, the Swiss company Lonza, specializing in life sciences, announced Monday the acquisition of the U.S. Arch Chemicals (11.24% to 46.91 dollars), a company active in biocides.The cash offer to 47.20 dollars per share values ​​the company at $ 1.4 billion, which represents a premium of 36.7% over the share price on the last thirty days.

In addition, the U.S. aerospace equipment Precision Castparts Corporation (0.79% to 164.07 dollars) will strengthen the sector by buying aero Primus International Society for $ 900 million in cash.

Also note, the Financial Times, the fund Blackstone (-3.12% to 16.48 dollars) sold its shares in the Chinese Dili Group, while the group would not be able to freely adjust its prices .

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Wall Street expected slightly lower

The U.S. stock markets, should the open down on Wednesday. Future of Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq 100, respectively, in fact retreating from 0.24% to 1333.50 points and 0.14%% to 2368.75 points. Tuesday, Wall Street ended the session in a disorganized manner. The Dow Jones lost 0.1% to 12,569.87 points while the Nasdaq 100 has been 0.35% to 2825.77 points. For its part, the broader index S & P 500 yielded 0.13% at 1337.88 points, in a low volume of trade.

Lowering the debt rating of Portugal four notches by Moody's is expected to weigh on investor sentiment on Wall Street.The rating agency has no confidence in the program "ambitious" in the words of the new government which includes to reduce the country's deficit from 9.1% to 5.9% this year, and 3% of 2013, and believes it is likely that Portugal needs a new aid in addition to 78 billion decided last May.

Also on the front of the public finance crisis in Europe, major international banks and insurers have an appointment in Paris today to discuss again the terms of their expected participation in the next plan of aid to Greece.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro fell sharply against the dollar on Wednesday, weighed down by renewed worries about the economic health of the most fragile countries in the euro area.Around 11:00 in Paris, the single European currency was worth 1.4359 dollars against 1.4418 dollars late Tuesday.

Warren Buffett eye on the activities of consumer credit from Citigroup

On the macroeconomic front, investors will be watching in the U guaranteed pay day loans.S., the ISM index of activity in the service in June in 16 hours and the weekly inventory of crude oil after half an hour.The main highlight of the week, however, is expected Friday with the employment figures.

The side of values, the U.S. investor Warren Buffett, through his holding company Berkshire Hathaway, is in line to take over the activities of consumer credit offered for sale by the bank Citigroup, the Wall Street Journal said on its website.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the micro-blogging site Twitter is finalizing a new round of finance which would raise hundreds of millions of dollars and the recovery to $ 7 billion.In December, Twitter announced that it has raised funds "important" from a group of investors who, according to a news site dedicated, focused its total value to about $ 3.7 billion.

Also note, investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley announced Wednesday it had placed with private investors 9.16% of Spanish giant Amadeus travel bookings, to 569.9 million euros.

In addition, DST Systems has announced the acquisition of IntelliSource Healthcare Solutions, a solutions provider operating in the field of health insurance. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

For its part, Pfizer has reported positive results for the phase III study conducted in Japan on Lyrica (pregabalin) for the treatment of fibromyalgia.

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In Britain, the public sector scrolls against retirement at age 66

From our correspondent in London

British Prime Minister David Cameron faces his first big Thursday-day strike in the public sector as opposed to pension reform. Approximately 600,000 employees of which a majority of teachers and members of the Border Police should follow suit, causing the closure of thousands of schools in the country and major disruptions at airports.

Trade unions in the public protest against the passage of the retirement age for all staff to 66 by 2020 (it was already 65 years for men and 60 for women) and against the increase in taxes for pensions.

"This will be the biggest social movement since the general strike" of 1926, promised Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, the largest union of public service.The country will certainly not be stopped during the great miners' strike of 1926 since the work stoppage will last only twenty-four hours and will not be extended. However, the subject of pensions involves all teachers.So much so that for the first time in 127 years of existence, the union moderate the association of professors and teachers in higher education (ATL), which has many contributors in private schools in the UK, called on its members to participate in a work stoppage at the national level.

800,000 new employees in Blair

During the session of questions to Prime Minister on Wednesday in the House of Commons, David Cameron said "there was no justification to strike as negotiations are still ongoing with the unions guaranteed fast personal loans." But the discussions last minute held Monday at Whitehall with the union representatives were far from successful.The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne is absolutely not ready to make concessions on a reform he described as essential to provide the balance of the pension system, weighed down by the recruitment of 800,000 new staff under Tony Blair . The Ministry of Finance has estimated 10 billion pounds (11 billion) the cost to taxpayers of a postponement of the pension reform.

The austerity is, indeed, the slogan of the coalition led by the Conservatives with the Liberal Democrats since last year. The goal that David Cameron has established with the support of the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is to eliminate substantially all of the public deficit by 2015, making 81 billion pounds of budget savings over the period.The drastic reduction of public spending is accompanied by a wage freeze for two years and the removal of more than 300,000 jobs in the public service. The main public service union, Unison, has not joined the social movement Thursday, for procedural reasons but promised a seamless mobilization of its 1.2 million members in July and next fall if the government made no concession.

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"Extending the retirement age spreads

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Lunch with Buffett has sold 2.6 million

Lunch with Warren Buffett this year will cost 2.63 million dollars to the winner of the traditional auction held once per year to a charity. Only two bidders this time participated in the sale held on the eBay website, but the low number of candidates did not prevent the sums involved to reach a record level. The winner has indeed paid 111 euros extra to beat the 2010. The latter, who wishes to remain anonymous, then share the meal with one of the richest men in the world between June 27 and July 11 next, in the famous New York restaurant Smith & Wollensky. It may be accompanied by seven friends of his choice.

Fortune ranked third worldwide after the Mexican magnate Carlos Slim Helu and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, aged 80, is head of investment company Berkshire Hathaway Inc.The idea to donate the money raised at auction for a lunch came to the investor in 2000 when his wife, Susan, now deceased, presented him with the Glide Foundation and its founder, the Rev. Cecil Williams. As in previous years, funds raised for this twelfth luncheon will be donated to benefit the charity, which helps disadvantaged residents of San Francisco. Through these annual lunches, Buffett has managed to raise over $ 9 million.

50% of fortune to charity

Spurred by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, several American millionaires have pledged to donate over 50% of their fortune to charity easy payday loans.This initiative, called "Giving Pledge" ("Pledge") was launched in June 2010 and already has 69 signatories, including director George Lucas, CNN founder Ted Turner, or the co-founder and CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg. "We see tremendous progress in just one year", says Warren Buffett in a statement. "I am delighted that so many people who have done well in America publicly commit and participate in philanthropy."

But despite the enthusiasm of the creators of the association "Giving pledge," they are struggling to find recruits abroad. Hoping to make a successful campaign in the Middle Kingdom, which houses a quarter of large fortunes in Asia, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett went to Beijing in September 2010 for a charity dinner party, after which a very small number of guests would have answered the call.The list of philanthropists also contains no French name, despite the presence of four large fortunes (Bernard Arnault (LVMH), Liliane Bettencourt (L'Oréal), Francois Pinault (PPR) and Serge Dassault (Dassault Aviation) in the Top 100 Forbes.

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A threshold of 1 million raised for the tax on high incomes

The reform bill just passed by the Council of Ministers, the debate continues on the creation of the famous tax on high salaries and bonuses. And the question that arises now is that the threshold will be taken.

Always opposed the creation of a new tax bracket, Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the Republic, in effect, gave the green light to Pierre Mehaignerie, Chairman of the Committee on Social Affairs, to think about it the establishment of an "outstanding contribution". Francois Baroin, the budget minister, was then referred to a $ 2 million to 3 million euros as the threshold for application of this new tax. But according to Les Echos this morning, a government source said that this threshold could be lowered.Also according to the business daily, Pierre Mehaignerie advance, meanwhile, the leveraging of income above 1 million euros.

The tax, originally scheduled to be exceptional, should also become permanent. It would be introduced through an amendment to the Finance Act amendment that members must consider from 6 June.

Debate in the fall

Chairman of the Committee on Social Affairs did not give further, creating a new tax bracket. It even has the approach of presidential elections in 2012 to convince the executive.

The battle is announced on this subject for the time referred to in fall. "This debate should be raised but it has its place in more finance law that at the collective (that is to say, the supplementary budget law) on the reform of the ISF, which is well balanced" , said the MP.

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The house bought Jean Paul Gaultier

A symbol of French fashion has changed hands. After several weeks of discussions, the sale of the Jean Paul Gaultier to the Spanish group Puig was confirmed Tuesday. Perfume specialist, this quiet family business Catalan is not a novice in fashion. It owns the brands Nina Ricci, Paco Rabanne and Carolina Herrera, she manages the business of ready-to-wear and fragrances operates. Moreover, this expert also manufactures and distributes toilet waters claws Prada, Comme des Garcons and Valentino. But also the general public perfumes Zara and Mango or artists Shakira and Antonio Banderas. It also manages the luxury cosmetics brand Payot and supermarkets in Spain. Puig has achieved a turnover of 1.2 billion euros last year, and net profit of 130 million euros.

To get your hands on the former troublemaker of French fashion, he spends about 100 million euros, 60 million to take over 45% of Hermes Jean Paul Gaultier. This is a book profit of EUR 30 million for Hermes. The designer, advised by the bank Aforge Finance, Puig also sells 10% of its shares, thus assigning to the control of his home, he agrees to be diluted to 45% of capital.

He remains master of the creation and image. " The remaining investment will be devoted to a development plan by Jean Paul Gaultier, especially in the accessories and distribution in Asia payday loans with no fax.

Manna fragrances

Other candidates were interested in the brand, which PPR (which owns Gucci) and perfumer Coty (Chloe, Balenciaga), who quickly closed the case. Inter Parfums (Burberry, Lanvin) was launched in the race without much conviction.At the finish, Puig has eclipsed the joint project presented by the Chinese group Fung, who has just bought Cerruti and Robert Clergerie, and Japan's Shiseido. The latter, through its subsidiary Parisian Beauty Prestige International, is behind the success of Jean Paul Gaultier fragrances, which are the real gem of the house.

If fashion and haute couture have made 26 million euros in turnover last year, with a slight loss, fragrances, with several bestsellers, representing several hundred million euros in turnover business very profitable. This is manna for the moment at Shiseido, until his contract expired in 2016, when Puig likely want to see it reach its other lines. Among them, Paco Rabanne has become a cash machine. Perfumes represent 83% of revenues Puig.

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Real Estate: Paris exceed 8,000 euros per square meter in June

In real estate, Paris is not France. So goes the refrain sung Thursday by the Higher Council of Notaries. In the capital, in fact, prices never stop rising. Last year, the increase was 17.5% and per square meter was worth, on average, 7330 euros in old housing. The boom continued in early 2011. "From December 2010 to February 2011, prices rose 5.2%, says Mr. Thierry Delesalle, president of the real estate commission of notaries in the Ile-de-France. In twelve month rolling period, from June 2010 to June 2011, we will not be far from the 20% increase. "Soon, the ceiling of 8,000 euros per square meter in Paris will be reached.

Relying on the promises of sales in the first quarter of 2011 signed, notaries believe the square meter in Paris will average 8,028 euros in June. This will rise to 15,500 euros in even the most expensive neighborhood in the capital, the Champs-Elysees.And this movement does not seem ready to break if we are to judge by the large number of transactions: first quarter in Ile-de-France, they rose 16%.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the graphic.

Fewer foreigners in Paris

Contrary to popular belief, foreigners are not responsible for the rampant price increases because they are less active than before the Paris market: last year, they accounted for 6.5% of buyers against 7.6% in 2009. The result? "We should see the price differences widen between areas traditionally preferred properties such as Paris and those economically disadvantaged in which a decrease has already been committed," said Pierre Bazaille, president of the Institute for Notarial real estate cash advance america. In fact, in the province, the changes are more chaotic.Overall, prices have also increased but less dramatically than in Paris. They set up in 2010 by 4.7% for older apartments and 10% for houses. But since early this year, the situation is contrasted by areas or cities.

In Lille, for example, home prices fell 6% to 170,000 euros on average in Bordeaux, one of the apartments has decreased by 1%. Less than 3% also for apartments in Rennes, where the square meter is now worth 2212 euros. On the other hand, for apartments, in Brest, the price per square foot rose by 7% to 1527 euros per square meter. The increase is more limited but very real (+3%) in Lyon, where the square meter is 3102 euros.

Difficult, with that, whether property prices will rise or decline this year in France. According to Mr. Pierre Bazaille, the trend towards a higher but moderate (between 0 and 3%).A development that will depend on exogenous factors such as rising interest rates on mortgages or advertisements referring to the SP in its program the rent freeze.

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Twitter gets a discount on his taxes in San Francisco

Twitter to keep its territory, San Francisco has agreed to reduce its withdrawals. The dynamic Internet group threatened to leave town if he did not get an exemption from tax assessments. The municipality sold late last week. "The town where we grew up and started our next house will remain," announced on the blog's group communications manager, Sean Garrett.

Twitter threatened to move from Brisbane, a town in the suburbs south of San Francisco, closer to the heart of Silicon Valley, where the headquarters of many groups and start-ups on the web. The CFO of Twitter, Rowghani Ali, believed a move would allow the group to save 30 million dollars in taxes, rents and other expenses over the next five years. "A significant difference for a company our size," said Ali Rowghani.According to eMarketer estimates, the turnover of Twitter totaled $ 45 million in 2010.

San Francisco did not want to lose the company that is revitalizing its image. Twitter has played. "Our growth is able to generate the creation of a true business center in our area," argues Ali Rowghani. The municipality has decided to grant exemptions from social contributions for new employees for companies that locate in certain neighborhoods in decline pay day loans. Twitter, which has 400 employees, plans to have nearly 3,000 in 2012.

Tax on wages

The municipality, it is true, remains unwelcoming financially for Internet groups. It is the only California tax corporations based on employees' income.Companies paying more than $ 250,000 in payroll is subject to a fee equivalent to 1.5% of the sum. Moreover, this tax applies to all forms of income, including profits realized on the resale of stock options, says the New York Times. This form of remuneration is very popular with start-ups and other Internet groups.

After facing the group sold microblogging, San Francisco is now facing demands from other companies. Specialist Zynga games online community, which produces Farmville, complained of this privilege and threatens to turn to leave the city. The New York Times, "legal services in the city now planchent exemption from taxes on wages covering the whole surface of the city."

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Wall Street takes a bit of color

Still cautious various publications, U.S. markets open as expected on a slight rebound. Boosted by better than expected financial results of JPMorgan and rising retail sales in the U.S.: the Dow Jones gained 0.43% to 12,318 points and the Nasdaq 0.62% to 2765 points.

Wall Street resumes are a few colors after a session Tuesday marked by a sharp decline. Investors worried both the reclassification of the Japanese nuclear disaster at the same level as Chernobyl and disappointing quarterly published at the opening of the season results, the aluminum giant Alcoa.

Barack Obama facing the U.S. deficit

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also sounded the alarm about the U.S. national debt, stressing the lack of a sufficiently credible strategy to stabilize it.A lack of strategy could, in the global institution to present a small but real risk of further economic crisis.

According to figures released yesterday evening after the close of trading in Europe, the U.S. budget deficit reached because $ 188 billion for the month of March, 829 billion dollars over the first six months of the fiscal year 2010/2011. The 2009/2010 Budget posted at the same time, a deficit of 49 billion dollars.

Barack Obama also will speak in Washington in early afternoon on the subject. An exercise that looks dangerous. In presenting this Wednesday, its solutions against the deficit and debt, Bush will indeed have to refute the arguments of his Republican opponents, while maintaining a careful his Democratic electorate.The budget agreement with the Republicans against the balance of fiscal 2011 has not yet been formally approved in Congress.

Retail sales and the Beige Book Menu

Retail sales rose slightly less than expected in March in the U.S., higher gasoline prices accounting for a significant share of consumer spending at the expense of other purchases, according to data released Wednesday by the Department of Commerce payday loans no teletrack.Les retail sales rose 0.4% from February. Economists polled by Reuters expected a 0.5% increase. This is the ninth consecutive month of increase but also the lowest variation observed since June 2010, when sales fell 0.3%.

JPMorgan publishes its accounts

On the corporate side, banks are in the spotlight: JPMorgan (0.57% to 46.91 dollars) has announced a net profit before trading up 67% to $ 5.6 billion, under its first quarter.

U.S. bank Citigroup (-0.14% to 4.54 dollars) will pay a record $ 54.1 million to a small group of investors who accused him of having misled about the quality of loans' toxic "to local communities. In a decision of the arbitration body, one of U.S. authorities on financial regulation, FINRA, agreed that Citigroup should compensate an investor for 52 years, Jerry Murdock, and a retired lawyer of 69 years, Gerald Hosier, to height by 3.9 and 21.7 million.In addition, the bank will pay $ 8.5 million to an investment fund, Brush Creek Capital, said this ruling dated Monday and Tuesday consulted on the website of the FINRA.

Schneider and Tyco International

According to the Daily Telegraph, Schneider Electric, for its part would have sent a letter in which he manifested his interest in an offer of $ 30 billion on Tyco International, from the perspective of giving birth to the world's leading security systems. Relayed by Bloomberg a few days ago, this rumor was not convinced of market analysts. Some feared that the transaction is too large for Schneider, who, on Wednesday denied being "currently" in discussions with Tyco.

The capitalization of Tyco accounts for about half that of Schneider (31.7 billion euros). Schneider rebounded Wednesday on the Paris Bourse.The action Tyco, which rose from 7.41% late Tuesday on Wall Street could also react. In early trade, she dropped 1.19% to 51.71 dollars.

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The refusal of EU aid is expensive in Portugal

Portugal always pays more dearly for his obstinacy in refusing the help offered her the International Monetary Fund and the European Union. On Wednesday, the country has issued 1.005 billion euros of treasury bills (short term) to investors, who demanded interest rates high. One for the issuance of 455 million euros in 12 months stood at 5.902%, 1.5 points higher than during the previous operation. 550 million in vouchers to 6 months were issued against a rate of 5.117%, well above the 2.984% of the last similar exercise in early March.

Still, the government said for the first time since the crisis began, he was "able to ensure its financial commitments." Resigned, the Socialist Prime Minister Jose Socrates steadfastly refuses to resort to the European financial stability and the International Monetary Fund.And despite a high public deficit and growth conspicuously absent.

Borrow short term

In response, the rating agencies have deteriorated in recent days the debt rating of the country. Fitch and Standard & Poor's have now placed one notch from relegation in the category of "junk" that is to say, very risky. Markets are concerned that Lisbon can not repay large debt maturities in April (€ 4.2 billion) and June (4.9 billion).

To pass these tests without the need for European aid plan and while minimizing the invoice, Lisbon could be tempted to borrow in the short term (due within two years) payday loans with no fax."The Portuguese Treasury has recently presented its program of debt issuance for the second half: he confirmed that he wanted to sell 7 billion euros of bonds, short term, but has not announced anything on the bonds (maturity greater than two years, Ed), "said Cyril Regnat, strategist at Natixis.

Allies Lusophone

Portugal can count on allies to buy its bonds. Brazil has said it would support early April its former colonizer in turmoil. Macao, a former Portuguese property, said March 30 that it buys debt Portuguese (but its means are limited.)Gilles Moec, economist at Deutsche Bank, for its part suspected Portuguese banks under direct or indirect control of the state to be a strong incentive to buy down the national debt.

According to the Economist, the Portuguese authorities might be able to avoid resorting to the aid plan before new parliamentary elections scheduled for June 5. But, he warns, "after that date, Portugal should have much more in its coffers." Perhaps the country he has no time to wait that long. Thursday and Friday, the European Council of Ministers of Finance should, according to Reuters, consider the options "economic and legal" yet on this issue. The opportunity, once again, pushing Lisbon to accept the outstretched hand.

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