The French plébiscitent more than ever the Livret A. At the end of 2009, there were no fewer than 59.3 million savings books (and blue, distributed by Crédit Mutuel), nearly 65 million inhabitants! If one adds the 600,000 booklets initiated by associations, there are nearly 60 million savings books (59.9 million to be exact). That is 10 million more than 2008 (49.69 million booklets A and blue).The current 60 million books, however, must be qualified because, contrary to what the law says, many French people have more than one account.

The widespread distribution of the Livret A, 1 January 2009, has allowed this very old investment (born 1818) to learn a new youth. "The interchange has resulted in strengthening the collection, especially during the first quarter of 2009, in a context it is true in favor of regulated savings," said Christian Noyer, governor of the Bank of France and President of the Observatory regulated savings. For the record, between August 2008 and February 2009, Book A reported 4% net of taxes!

Young people more attracted

In total, at the end of last year, the outstanding Blue Book A and amounted to 183.4 billion euros, up 11%.Of this amount, "153 billion euros have been collected by distributors historical (the Savings Bank, La Banque Postale and Crédit Mutuel) and 30.3 billion from other banks, which for them represents 18% collection, "said Christian Noyer. This proves that, contrary to what some feared, dealers history have resisted the opening to competition.

Disoriented by the chaotic stock market and uncertain economic climate, investors continue to place their savings passbooks regulated, however low returns.

Despite a slump in June, in the first six months of the year, collecting on the book A and book Sustainable Development (ex-Codevi) remained positive at 990 million euros. This trend should continue and even grow in the coming months.Generally, the higher rates in effect encouraged the French, always very reluctant to risk, to feed their booklets.

In late 2009, 42% of assets were placed on 4.3 million booklets only! In contrast, more than half of the accounts (30 million) were credited with less than 150 euros. Is it because the book A is held mostly by young people (usually minor)? Older people (over 65) it would generally prefer other types of investments, such as life insurance.

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The successful launch of the iPad has sparked a fierce price war among manufacturers of digital tablets. For fifteen days, one after the other, manufacturers revise their prices downwards to counter the shock wave of the iPad. Most recently, Sony announced on Wednesday reduced prices of its readers to 20-50 dollars depending on the model. Its entry-level player, the Pocket Edition is now available at $ 149 U.S. instead of $ 169. Last week, the online bookstore Amazon was the first to respond, bringing the price of its Kindle reader digital format (DX) to 379 dollars, down from $ 110 …! At the same time, Amazon increased the comfort of reading his DX improving its display."With improved contrast of 50% and a darker font, it will be easier than ever to read anywhere, outside in the sun or the low light of the show, welcomed Steve Kessel, an official of Amazon. A few days earlier, the retailer had already created a stir by lowering the $ 60 price of its best-selling player, the average size at $ 189 … The same day, his rival, the American bookseller Barnes & Noble brought the price reader's Nook of 259-199 dollars, and announced a more affordable version yet, to 149 dollars, but connectable only by wireless Internet (Wi-Fi).

Run size

These manufacturers have little choice. Faced with the shock of the trade-iPad more than 3 million copies sold-June 22, they must adjust their rates to stay in the race.Unable to keep the same price range as the iPad (500 euros) which, aside from reading, surfing the Internet, listening to music, watch movies or videos, etc.. From a color touch screen . Faced with the branding of Apple Premium, the price argument remains the only real leverage at their disposal, apart from adding some features (touchscreen, color, play MP3 music files, etc..) . "In the race for size, market share, the price factor is one that can make the difference as shown by the positioning of Dell with its multimedia tablet Streak marketed in late July and announced at least 100 euros" Sylvain Duranton remark, associate director at Boston Consulting Group.

Price also depends on the conversion market niche in the mass market."As long as prices do not fall sufficiently, widespread adoption of such devices will be difficult," says the expert. A psychological threshold must be reached. "Based on our studies, if 66% of French people are ready to go nuclear, they will not do at any price: not more than 150-200 euros for a multi-shelf as iPad and more than 100 euros for a single-function tablet, reserved for reading, as the Kindle. "

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]]> http://knittech2007.com/war-price-on-the-market-for-e-books/feed/ 0 http://knittech2007.com/economists-fear-a-new-recession/ http://knittech2007.com/economists-fear-a-new-recession/#comments Sun, 04 Jul 2010 12:57:13 +0000 admin http://knittech2007.com/economists-fear-a-new-recession/ "If we do not change policy, we will in the wall." Jacques Attali, President of PlanetFinance and author of a book entitled "All ruined in ten years? Public debt: the last chance "does not beat around the bush. After a week when financial markets are worried about the emergence of a new recession, former adviser to Francois Mitterrand and confirms that the government must halt the rise in public debt. And for this, a policy of austerity. "We're on the brink of a global deflation as it has ever seen for a century and a half," he said.

In alarm that has not failed to react as President of the European Central Bank (ECB). "I do not think the risk of a recession.Globally, it is clear that we are in a recovery phase, confirmed particularly in the emerging world, but also in the industrialized world, "said Jean-Claude Trichet. That did not stop to be careful. "Growth is not written in the industrialized world, it depends on the ability of countries to strengthen the confidence of households, firms and enterprises," he says.

Grand European loan

Europe is not doomed to stagnation. According to economists, big bosses and politicians gathered in Aix-en-Provence Economic Forum for the Old Continent has to reform, reduce deficits and build on innovation. "Without policy change, the growth potential of Europe for the next ten years will be around 1.3% to 1.5% per year.We would then take years to regain the levels of unemployment pre-crisis, "says economist Christian de Boissieu.

For this, the Circle of economists in favor of a large loan eueuropéen, referring to the one established last year by Nicolas Sarkozy. The idea is, like its sister French, invest in innovation, green technology or education. "Innovation and services are crucial. The deindustrialization of the United States had no areas of very high technology, because they have attracted the intelligence world, "says Louis Welsh, president of EADS.

"Place of Culture and Tourism

The question is how to articulate these priorities, fiscal consolidation and sustaining growth -. Hence the idea of an overhaul of EU policies.In short, Europe must "change the growth model," according to former Prime Minister Alain Juppe. "The EU lacks coherence between its short and medium term focus on reducing deficits, and the long term that seeks to promote investment in the knowledge economy," says economist Agnes Benassy-Quere.

Far from being able to display growth rates comparable to those of emerging countries, Europe has every interest to agree on next steps. Otherwise it will be reduced to "a place of culture and tourism," says Jean-Hervé Lorenzi, President of Circle of economists.

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Thursday evening, the CAC 40 lost 1.2% and has crossed back to the lower threshold of 4000 points. The other major stock markets fell back in unison. In London the FTSE lost 0.86% while in Frankfurt the Dax has yielded 0.81% at closing.Note that the LSE has found its place in the first quarter from a number of European IPOs, according to PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

The concern of financial markets is felt continually faced with the fragility of public finances of several countries, particularly Greece.

Statistics in Europe

According to INSEE, industrial production for the month of February in France remained stable, reflecting continued moderate demand should limit growth throughout the first quarter. The INSEE reported Friday in a stable production after rising 1.1% in January, a figure revised from an initial estimate of 1.6%.

The cost of construction in France, however, declined from 1.05% yoy in the fourth quarter of 2009, after already falling 5.77% in the third quarter and 4.10% in the second quarter, said the INSEE Friday.

In Germany, foreign trade for the month of February will be announced at 8 o'clock. In the United Kingdom, are the producer prices in March which will be published.

In the United States, no statistics major is expected on Friday to share the figures for U.S. wholesalers f?rvrier.

France Telecom provided by the Paris court

France Info radio said the prosecutor of Paris will open a judicial inquiry after the 35 suicides by employees of France Telecom. The action, however, clinching +0.55% at 17, 470 euros in mid-day.

Air France (2.99% to 12.225 euros) showed a traffic increase of 4.7% for the month of March, a first for a year.The group remains to Ryanair. To also monitor the impact on the airline industry's consolidation movement in progress. According to the American press, U.S. Airways and United Airlines are considering a reconciliation. In addition, British Airways and Iberia have finalized their merger agreement.

Areva (2.22%) and EDF (1.59%) would participate in the growth of nuclear power in Italy. Several agreements have to be signed on Friday between French and Italian companies in the sector reported the Financial Times.

The specialist luxury yacht Rodriguez returned Thursday after the stock market success of the restructuring of its debt. The share price rose yesterday by more than 138.97%.On Friday, the shares are still 36.5%.

Renault (0.64%), its Japanese partner Nissan and the Italian energy group Enel signed Thursday a Memorandum of Understanding for the development in Italy of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

Cegid, publisher of management software, announced a 7% decline in net sales in the first quarter to 58 million euros and a gross margin of 87.9% against 87.5% a year ago. In exchange, Cegid loses 1.21% to 22.12 euros.

French Cement (4.25%, to 77.83 euros) announces that its takeover bid for all or part of its 2002 and 2006 private placements to U.S. investors is now closed. French Cement will then redeem all shares tendered at a price of 1 065 dollars for each security with a face value of 1 000 dollars.The funds to purchase securities were placed at the disposal of the company and its subsidiary Italcementi Italcementi Finance.

They are not only two signs that are preparing to light.Speculation is also rife on the Web according to PCWorld magazine. Taking advantage of the predicted shortage, some simple pre-booking their offer to $ 100 on sites like Craigslist, others have started their iPad on eBay at $ 700 instead of 500. These deals seem even more doubtful that Apple, as usual, organized the launch of its latest gadget in the greatest secrecy. The employees, including technicians to repair the supposed object in case of failure, had still not seen the tablet this week.

5 to 6 million sales?

The bookmakers are already on their paris sales volume by the end of the year: 5 to 6 million, maybe more. To entice buyers, Apple has guided the launch eleven new iPad applications on its site, including Safari, Keynote, YouTube, iTunes and irresistible iBooks, which may well dethrone the Amazon Kindle.If even two months ago, we doubted the potential of Apple's latest invention, now we only speak of it. Advertisers flock to the advertising pages of publishers whose applications will be available on Saturday, as Time Magazine, The New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. FedEx has purchased 90 days exclusively on applications of Reuters and Newsweek.

The reviews coming out are largely positive. A few handfuls of journalists across the U.S. have played for a few days in secret with the tablet. For most, the iPad is a single iPod or eBook. The New York Times predicted that the techies will hate but the general public will love.

In any case, Apple continues to generate humor. The tablet on behalf biased in English (mean pad pad) is suitable for two months parodies the most diverse.The latest is a "tablet" Doritos (the chips). A real hit on the Facebook page for fans of the true shelf.

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"The stability pact is a pact that states must respect and when they have not done what has happened? Nothing, "said former Finance Minister. He added: "The truth is that this crisis shows that when the weather is clement, the existing institutions work well enough. But when a storm occurs, such as the global financial crisis, the weaknesses of these institutions is clear. "

The story of "carrots and big sticks"

To ensure greater coordination of economic policies, Dominique Strauss-Kahn chooses metaphors. "If we really want that European policies are implemented, we have carrots and big sticks. If this does not work, says he. We never saw the stick that would really forced the states to do what they should do and to respect their commitments.

"The euro zone should do the housework" (former Latvian president)

Also present on the occasion of this debate, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former President of Latvia, went even further cash advance no faxing. "I think the euro area has some cleaning to do at home. This is the priority. Everyone should have the same discipline.It seems that the sufficiency of which we have seen from the example of France and Germany, as regards the deficit, is also part of the problem.

Former Latvian President and deeply regrets that the member countries of the eurozone use the crisis to push the Greek expansion into Eastern Europe. "Straight talk: Member States of the euro area have not met their own rules. If they really respected the rules of the game, they would not be in the mess they are now, "she said. Latvia has set a target of 2014 to adopt the euro.Last year, gross domestic product in Latvia fell by 18%, the sharpest contraction recorded among the 27 members of the European Union.

Poland, for which the IMF p?rvu GDP growth of about 2.75% in 2010 and 3.25% in 2011, received one of the largest loan ever granted by the IMF, a line Credit called "modular" of 15.3 billion euros on which it can draw at any moment. Romania, where Dominique Strauss-Kahn has to go on Tuesday for his part received to date of 9.3 billion euro loan of 12.9 billion made in May 2009.

Yesterday, the Paris markets have ended on a slight decline of 0.18% despite opening in the green (0.35%). In Asia, the situation calmed after the euphoria of Monday. The numbers of U.S. employment, less worse than expected, to cease their invigorating effect. Monday already, Wall Street closed haphazardly in a sitting motionless.

The wait dominates before the publication of figures and important clues on the weekend.French side, there will be foreign trade figures for January and industrial output (Wednesday), the French deficit figures, the trade balance and the number of weekly unemployment in the United States (Thursday), and finally, the much anticipated index of U.S. consumer confidence (Friday).

Today's meeting will be hosted by the new corporation. Two publications of annual results of companies in particular should lead the market: those of Eurotunnel and EADS, the latter having also announced that he threw the towel in the bidding on ravitalleurs for the U.S. Army .

EADS in the collimator

EADS announced on Tuesday a loss in 2009 of 763 million euros against a profit last year of 1.5 billion.The group expects a 2010 EBIT of $ 1 billion against 2.2 billion (before provisions) last year, and a stabilization of sales to 42.8 billion euros. Furthermore, EADS and its U.S. ally Northrop Grumman said the night they did not submit a bid for the tanker contract from the U.S. Air Force, saying it benefits their competitor Boeing payday advance low fees .

April said Monday up 20% of its net 2009 profit 72.7 million euros. Financial products have more than doubled to 18.6 million. The insurer expects for 2010 a double-digit growth in its gross margin, with a positive impact on its operating margin (13% in 2009).

Total confirmed yesterday the closure of the refinery at Dunkirk and the fulfillment of its participation in the construction of an LNG terminal with EDF.

In addition, the electrician announced a collaboration with Rosatom, the Russian nuclear energy giant, in the development of reactors for third countries. Other partnerships are being negotiated with Russia in the field of electricity and fuel.

Sanofi Aventis and Merck announced Tuesday the creation of a joint venture equally owned in the area of animal health together their subsidiaries Merial and Intervet / Schering-Plow. The agreement created should be finalized within the next twelve months.

Eurotunnel remained in the black in 2009, with net income of 1.4 million euros but a turnover of 571 million euros, down 16%. Jacques Gounon, Eurotunnel's CEO, recalls in an interview with Le Figaro, his intention to "market share" in the future. The group will pay the same dividend as last year, ie 4 cents per share."The payment of a dividend reflects our confidence and determination in 2010," commented Jacques Gounon.

Vicat release after market close.

"INTERVIEW – J. Gounon, Eurotunnel's CEO comments on 2009 results

The reason for this change of strategy: the loss of confidence in the euro, which no longer seems able to resist the contagion of the Greek debt on other European countries.Greece is central to the nervousness of financial markets, both on the Old Continent as the other major stock exchanges worldwide. And worries extend to serious budget situations Spanish and Portuguese.

Yesterday, Monday, Elena Salgado, Minister of Finance of Spain, and Jos? Manuel Campa, his deputy, flew to London to allay fears: They reiterated their goal of reducing by 3% budget deficit by 2013. It reached 11.4% of GDP in 2009.

The euro has won almost 10% in two months

On Tuesday, around 8:30 am, the euro regained some color since last night, going above 1.37 euros at 1.3728 dollar guaranteed approval cash loans . On Monday, the European single currency remained broadly under that threshold.There is still a week against the euro was trading more than 1.4 dollar.

The d?grindolage actually started last December. The euro was trading at nearly even $ 1.51. It is almost 10% more than two months later. Just this last month of 2009, the euro has won nearly 5%, losing 30 days that the currency had taken three months to win.

By touching a low at 1.3585 euros February 5, the euro has regained its level in May 2009 …. and August 2007.

For some analysts, the slide is not over, and the euro could well return to the threshold of 1.25 dollars, amid U.S. growth stronger than expected.

The political spotlight

Tomorrow, Wednesday, Ben Bernake, will explain why the strategy for ending the crisis that has put in place.Any speech that would imply a monetary tightening will cause the wrath of the financial markets.

Then, next Thursday, it was the turn of Europe to be in the limelight, with the meeting of heads of state of the eurozone.

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On the macroeconomic front, gross domestic product (GDP) of France is expected to grow by 0.5% in first quarter 2010, according to a first estimate of the Banque de France (BdF) on Monday.

The latest forecast from the National Institute of Statistics (INSEE) published December 17, the economic recovery in France will confirm in early 2010 but will be "laborious and delicate, with a growth of around 0.3 % to 0.4% per quarter until midyear.

The government recently revised upward its growth forecast for this year, rose 0.75% to 1.4% in the revised budget.

INSEE has published Friday its first figures on French growth in the last quarter of 2009. The government forecasts a GDP drop of 2.25% over the last year.

The detailed values to follow.

The technology sector has the symbol

More generally, the confidence of elite companies to progress (54% of "opinion leaders" interviewed). Except in France, where it remains at a very low level (37% this year against 36% last year). If the banking and insurance are at the bottom of the table, the technology sector is racing ahead.Nearly 80% of elites trust it globally, and 70% in France. "The elites can not forgive the banking sector's responsibility in the crisis," Journet analysis Isabelle Rahe, president of Edelman France, in presenting the study. "Beyond the economic impact, it is the lack of transparency that is punished quite heavily."

Pessimism about the lessons learned from the crisis

The opacity of the financial system is well and truly under fire from critics. For 67% of respondents in 22 countries, transparency is a major asset in building the reputation of a company to the responsible management of human resources (63%) and civic attitudes (50%)."The elite give more confidence to businesses that engage in society beyond the creation of wealth and employment," says Antoine Harary, director of StrategyOne, the subsidiary of Edelman specializes in studies and assessments Marketing and Public Relations free credit report online .

But transparency and civic engagement are not everything. As stressed in the barometer makers fear that companies will not return to their "old habits", ignoring the lessons of the crisis. They are 68% internationally and 74% in France to expect that the famous "business as usual" make a comeback after the crisis. Pessimism up to nourish the hope that the elite opinion.That's about profound changes in their working methods that companies will be judged in the future.

* The 11th edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer was conducted among 4875 opinion leaders in 22 countries. The "opinion leaders", according to the criteria of Edelman, are graduates, who earn high incomes and are closely watching the news business and politics.

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Companies that have lost or gained the confidence of French in 2009

Edelman StrategyOne France and joined the research institute OpinionWay to conduct a further study with a sample of 1,000 French.These forty companies have found French or international, citing those in which they more or less confident today than in 2008. Notably, the Post is named in both charts.

• Winners

Google: 31%

E. Leclerc: 26%

Post: 26%

EDF: 24%

France TV: 21%

• Losers

France Telecom: 36%

Societe Generale: 33%

SNCF: 32%

Post: 30%

Total: 30%