Archive for April, 2010

30
Apr

The BOJ reassures Asian market

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In the wake of americans markets reassured by the progress of the case Greek, Asian markets were changing all the green around 7:00. The Tokyo stock market closed Thursday, evolves, this Friday, up 1.45% to 11,083.67 points, Hong Kong climbed 1.13% to 21,013.28 points, ahead of South Korea 0.77 % to 3666.52 points, Australia rose 0.48% to 4808.80 points, India is up 0.69% to 17,623.88 points and Singapore grants itself an increase of 0.40% to 2970.80 points.

The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Japan decided Friday to leave its rate unchanged at 1%.Shortly before the country announced nippon over one year to March to lower consumer prices by 1.1%, up 4.4% of household consumption, an increase of 0.3% industrial production and a slight increase in unemployment from 4.9% to 5% cash fast online. Only Taiwan displays a small decrease from 0.01% to 8053.51 points.

As for values, but the South Korean Samsung Electronics posted an operating profit up 643% to 3.99 trillion won (2.7 million) in the first quarter of 2010, and a number of business up 21% to 36.64 billion won (24.8 million euros). The group was expecting an operating profit of 4.3 billion won (2.9 million euros) and a turnover of 34 billion won (23 million euros).

26
Apr

The clouds are gathering over Goldman Sachs

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The case Goldman Sachs has taken the weekend of 24 and 25 April, a new political era with the publication by the U.S. Senate emails embarrassing for the bank, accused of having enriched in 2007 by betting on reduction of financial products that the bank had itself sometimes sold to its customers.

Larry Summers, the Obama economic adviser, declined Sunday to comment on the case Goldman Sachs, except to state: "This highlights what is at the heart of the president's vision (in the reform of finance) : the importance of transparency. "

Shocked that unpacking before the opening of public hearings Monday in Congress, Goldman Sachs categorically denies having violated the law.It maintains its role as an intermediary to serve institutional clients with differing views on the trend of the real estate market forced her to speculate for a fall on some securities to cover its risks also taken on other positions.

If they prove nothing of fraudulent e-mails made public Saturday by the Senate show that the bank on Wall Street reveled during the crisis, earn so much money, thanks to its derivatives betting on the fall of subprime housing market, while its own customers – including European banks – in poorer inverse operations.

"We will make a big pile of money!"

In July 2007, David Viniar, chief financial officer of Goldman Sachs, learning that the bank had already won $ 51 million by betting on falling subprime reacted in an email: "It gives an idea of what might happen to those who not a big short position in low fee pay day loans. "

In October 2007, while the housing market plunge, a trader from the bank sent an email to his colleague: "It seems we will make a big pile of money!" The answer: "Yes, we are well positioned … In 2007, the bank led by Lloyd Blankfein has achieved record profits of 11.6 billion dollars that enabled him to pocket a bonus record of $ 67.9 million.During the same period, rival banks, including Morgan Stanley, suffered massive devaluation of their assets.

On Monday, Lloyd Blankfein and six of his colleagues were summoned to explain himself before the Senate subcommittee charged with investigating the financial crisis. Among them, Fabrice Tourre, a French 31 years, accused of fraud by the SEC, the gendarme of the U.S. financial markets. There is theoretically no link between the two surveys. But they are on the same subject: conflicts of interest of Goldman Sachs derivatives markets of mortgages.An email signed by Fabrice Tourre in 2007 shows his pessimism about the products he elaborated: "This market is completely dead and the poor little subprime borrowers will not be long." Fabrice Tourre will even be compared to Frankenstein for creating products that will turn against their owners, by precipitating the collapse of the U.S. housing bubble and the global financial crisis.

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26
Apr

Embarrassing emails for Goldman Sachs

Posted by admin

The case Goldman Sachs has taken the weekend of 24 and 25 April, a new political era with the publication by the U.S. Senate emails embarrassing for the bank, accused of having enriched in 2007 by betting on reduction of financial products that the bank had itself sometimes sold to its customers.

Larry Summers, the Obama economic adviser, declined Sunday to comment on the case Goldman Sachs, except to state: "This highlights what is at the heart of the president's vision (in the reform of finance) : the importance of transparency. "

Shocked that unpacking before the opening of public hearings Monday in Congress, Goldman Sachs categorically denies having violated the law.It maintains its role as an intermediary to serve institutional clients with differing views on the trend of the real estate market forced her to speculate for a fall on some securities to cover its risks also taken on other positions.

If they prove nothing of fraudulent e-mails made public Saturday by the Senate show that the bank on Wall Street reveled during the crisis, earn so much money, thanks to its derivatives betting on the fall of subprime housing market, while its own customers – including European banks – in poorer inverse operations.

"We will make a big pile of money!"

In July 2007, David Viniar, chief financial officer of Goldman Sachs, learning that the bank had already won $ 51 million by betting on falling subprime reacted in an email: "It gives an idea of what might happen to those who not a big short position. "

In October 2007, while the housing market plunge, a trader from the bank sent an email to his colleague: "It seems we will make a big pile of money!" The answer: "Yes, we are well positioned … In 2007, the bank led by Lloyd Blankfein has achieved record profits of 11.6 billion dollars that enabled him to pocket a bonus record of $ 67.9 million.During the same period, rival banks, including Morgan Stanley, suffered massive devaluation of their assets.

On Monday, Lloyd Blankfein and six of his colleagues were summoned to explain himself before the Senate subcommittee charged with investigating the financial crisis. Among them, Fabrice Tourre, a French 31 years, accused of fraud by the SEC, the gendarme of the U.S. financial markets. There is theoretically no link between the two investigations. But they are on the same subject: conflicts of interest of Goldman Sachs derivatives markets of mortgages.An email signed by Fabrice Tourre in 2007 shows his pessimism about the products he elaborated: "This market is completely dead and the poor little subprime borrowers will not be long." Fabrice Tourre will even be compared to Frankenstein for creating products that will turn against their owners, by precipitating the collapse of the U.S. housing bubble and the global financial crisis.

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A "golden boy" among many other French

Goldman Sachs sued by shareholders

Goldman Sachs is preparing his defense

23
Apr

Greeks protest against new austerity measures

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While the markets were panicking on Thursday, Greece, she was idling. The whole public was mobilized for the fourth time since the beginning of the year against the austerity measures imposed by the Papandreou government to reduce the deficit. Boats and ferries were nailed to the port of Piraeus, judicial officials absent, schools closed and shows postponed and actors to doctors, the National Movement has won the Employee of the private sector such as tourism, some of which blocked access luxury hotels in the capital.

Acropolis closed

Many tourists found themselves before an Acropolis closed to the public as most national museums and historical sites. In the streets of Athens, the mobilization was less important. "We've had enough of disaster scenarios," says Emilio, a tax inspector."We see the men of the IMF over the reins every week, we announced that the borrowing rates explode and he'll have to tighten their belts still no teletrack payday loan. How far do we go? Today, people are angry, but they are afraid to go down the street, "he says. The government is trying to appear confident and delaying the application for EU funding, but he struggles to reassure the public. According to Petros Leantros, Institute of Work, "state failure" is no longer a taboo word. "Greece will have to suffer the actions of the IMF because it is unable to pay 13 billion euros per year (5% of GDP) to repay the loan rate debt," stresses said.Meanwhile, Greek authorities will therefore have to contain the anger of the street while trying to persuade European partners and markets their ability to clean up the country's economy.

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22
Apr

The meteoric rise of John Elkann

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His first thoughts as the new chairman of Fiat was to his grandfather, the legendary Avvocato Giovanni Agnelli: "How I wish he could be here." John Philip Elkann Jacob took over the destinies of the industrial group the age of thirty-four years. Giovanni Agnelli was forty-five when he did in 1966.

There is an analogy of destiny in the Agnelli family. In a slight difference: the little son-burning steps faster than his grandfather. It did not take more than six years to take all the power in the dynasty, while the hall Avvocato had for twenty years under the tutelage of a trust manager, Vittorio Valletta.

He is now head of the three levels of command. President of the Family Partnership "Giovanni Agnelli and Co, when the current owner Gianluigi Gabbetti, a close family, will conclude his term in MayPresident since 2008 of the holding company Exor, the holding company controlled by the family. And now chairman of its main industrial participation, Fiat in this case.

Between U.S. and Europe

This course Emeritus, John Elkann was accomplished with a reserve and discretion authentically Turin, and casual air of one who "does that happen." Those who have followed him have still yet noticed that the young man knew where he went and made every effort to do so.

Born April 1, 1976 in New York, he has five when his parents divorced, the writer and journalist Alain Elkann Franco-Italian and the daughter of the Avvocato, Margherita Agnelli. With his brother Lapo and his sister Ginevra, he spent his youth between the U.S. and Europe, attended high school in Paris where he passed his baccalaureate at the Lyc?e Victor Duruy science.In 2000, he graduated from Polytechnic of Turin, nursery managers of Italian industry.

Without dwelling on trivialities like his grandfather had done after the war, he joined in 2001 at General Electric, as statutory auditor. Two years later, here he is already in IFI, the holding of a family: now associated with the first plan to revive Fiat, along with his uncle Umberto Agnelli. He succeeded in 2004 as vice president, at his death.

His cousin, Giovanni Alberto, the son of Umberto, was the designated heir to the head of the clan. His sudden death in 1997 at age 33, victim of cancer, created a vacuum. In December of that year, the Avvocato set foot in the stirrup to John by naming him director of Fiat.

In 2004, few were betting on its survival in a group adrift.Fiat collapsed under a huge debt, the family clan was divided, and cherry pie, General Motors threatened to seize the manufacturer. Several Agnelli were ready to pull out of the car.

Family unit

Near Gianluigi Gabbetti, the young Elkann took important decisions. He restored the family unit around an ambitious rescue of Fiat, the convincing to grab the wallet. On the other, it gave carte blanche to a manager of emergency, the Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne, supported by a family friend, Luca Cordero di Montezomolo named president. Understated but always present, he gave the endorsement of the clan in terms of a merger with Chrysler, which marks a new stage in the history of Fiat. Like his grandfather, John Elkann closely follows the exploits of Juventus. A "enough is enough" dry in 2008 lead to oust managers involved in a corruption scandal.He is also a sailing enthusiast and expects to complete another project dear to his grandfather to attend a race around the world. He told the skipper Giovanni Soldini, the task of representing him in October 2011 in the "Volvo Ocean Race with VOR70" Italia ", purchased with his own money.

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21
Apr

The title Bic flew to Paris Bourse

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Bic has published its results on Wednesday the first quarter of 2010. Its turnover in this period reached 378.3 million euros, representing growth of 22.7% compared with the first three months of 2009 as reported, and 8.8% at constant scope and constant exchange rates. Net income group share of EUR 35.4 million was up 32.3% yoy.

The normalized IFO margin (excluding restructuring charges and capital gains on real estate) totaled 14.2%, against 11.8% a year earlier.Operating income increased 31.7% to 47.8 million euros.

Good results are mainly explained by Bic 12.3% increase in sales of consumer business (stationery, lighters, razors) and 107% for those in advertising and promotional products business cash loans Guaranteed approval ".

Mario Guevara, its director general, said: "We will continue to focus on growing our sales and profitability while maintaining our financial discipline. We also continue to invest for the long-term research and development, in supporting the brand and sustainable development. "

Investors appear to have been very sensitive to these good results. The title Bic to the Paris Stock Exchange was trading at 61.50 euros at 8.62% up to 9:50 on Wednesday.

20
Apr

Toyota recalls all its Lexus GX 460 in the U.S.

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Toyota Recalls endless. It will now add to the list the Lexus GX 460. Having announced Thursday the suspension of sales in the world of this luxury car, the Japanese automaker said in a statement, he will remember 9400 Lexus GX 460. A figure well above the 6,000 vehicles announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Toyota wants and "update program" in the system Dynamic Stability Control (VSC) of vehicles. "Our engineers have conducted tests to confirm the problems associated with VSC, raised by Consumer Reports (the magazine that criticized the reliability of the Lexus GX 460 in the turns, Ed).We are confident that this update will resolve this matter, "said Steve St.Angelo, responsible for the quality of Toyota in the U.S..

Toyota said that all Lexus dealers will have the VSC software by the end of April.

The announcement comes as Toyota has agreed to release another record fine of $ 16.4 million imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the "policeman of the Exchange» U.S. for its slow to reveal the existence of technical defects.

To date, Toyota has recalled more than 9 million cars worldwide because of brake problems or accelerator, including 6 million in the United States.

At the New York Stock Exchange, Toyota lost 0.39% to 79.06 dollars in a market up 0.68% at 11,094 points.

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16
Apr

At Carrefour, the premium absenteeism goes wrong

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At Carrefour, the social climate is far from rosy. Dissatisfied with the management proposals as part of mandatory annual negotiations (NAO), the French unions of the retail giant called for the stoppage of work Saturday, the day of attendance in the group's stores.

In addition to a proposed overall increase of 1% of wages to be too thin, the negotiations foundered on the granting of a premium absenteeism desired by management. At a cost of 100 euros gross per annum, that would be assigned as a collective case of lower rates of absenteeism, store by store. In a supermarket whose average absentee rate is 10% – which is very high – for example, employees would receive the bonus if they manage to bring down the rate of 0.65% minimum.This device causes for the moment the ire of unions, which fear that employees absent from becoming the target of retaliation by their colleagues present.

"The absent?ime is an indicator of stress"

"We are opposed to such stigmatization of employees absent" outraged the CFDT delegate Sauzeau Christopher, who believes that management avoids asking the questions of substance. "Absenteeism is primarily an indicator of stress suffered by employees" says he, regretting the 5,000 jobs it eliminated by Carrefour in 2009. A visibly perceived hostility by management, that could change his tune. The human resources director of Carrefour, Jean-Luc Masset, said it had "saved the union position, and would think about."The progress of negotiations and new proposals likely to depend on the mobilization of employees on Saturday" predicted Christopher Sauzeau. If employees did not get satisfaction, a day of action on a larger scale could take place next April 30, the eve of Labor Day.

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13
Apr

The Dow Jones closed at 11,000 points beyond

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Wall Street started the week in near balance, then moved into the green early interactions. An increase, however fragile, while the budget deficit emerged in sharp decline in March, to 65.4 billion dollars. Down 65% yoy. Analysts were expecting a lower deficit.

At the close, the Dow Jones climbed 0.09%, the Nasdaq is 0.16% and the S & P 500 of 0.18%.

This slight increase still leaves the Dow Jones crossed the symbolic threshold of 11,000 points. The index reached 22 hours, 11,006 points. A first since September 2008. And the S & P to reach almost 1200 points to 1197 points exactly.

The U.S. stock markets have recently experienced six consecutive weeks of increases, an unprecedented series from the lowest 12 years and a half touchdowns in March 2009.On the foreign exchange market, the euro is rising against the dollar after the announcement yesterday by the countries of the eurozone plan the details of aid to Greece.

Oil prices fell for the fourth consecutive session, still affected by an abundant supply and low demand in the United States.On the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), a barrel of light sweet crude for May delivery finished at 84.34 dollars, down 58 cents from the previous day.

Indicators to follow this week

On the macroeconomic front, the week will be marked by several important indicators such as the index of consumer prices, retail sales for the month of March, industrial production, housing starts and the first estimate of the index Reuters confidence-Michigan.

The markets will also follow the hearing of Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, the Congressional Joint Economic Committee on Wednesday and will monitor closely developments in the case of the Greek debt.

Alcoa opens the ball Publications

Palm jumped 17.05%.The group was mandated to advise the banks to sell its business or other opportunities, according to news agencies.

On the side of values, the oil sector drives the meeting Lowest fee payday loans. Friday Chevron (1.22%, to 80.43 dollars), without giving a figure, has announced an increase its refining margins in the first quarter. The band thrives on rising oil prices and a possible improvement in its refining margins.The major U.S. must publish its accounts on April 30.

According to the press, the merger between United Airlines and U.S. Airways (2.73%, to 7.52 dollars) should be performed exclusively by exchange of shares.

The Department of Treasury of the United States announced plans to sell at auction in six weeks, before the end of May, the warrants of Wells Fargo shares were granted during the salvage of the bank in the fall 2008.

Microsoft has unveiled a new phone especially for the youth market of social networking fans, called KIN, developed with Verizon Wireless and Vodafone and manufacturer Sharp.

ConocoPhillips has announced the sale of its Chinese Sinopec stake in Canadian oil sands project Syncrude for $ 4.65 billion dollars.

Just after the close, investors have taken note of the first quarterly results of major public companies. As usual, the aluminum giant Alcoa, which gave the start of the season publications. Analysts expected a return to profit, its first since a year.

Meanwhile, Alcoa shares have been 1.39%, to 14.59 dollars.

The coming week will also be driven by quarterly results from Intel, Google, General Electric and JPMorgan Chase & Co. banks among others.

"Caution should be clear," says Aurel, who says that "the discourse of business remain positive on the merits but there are risks of disappointment on margins or unit on a possible downturn in order books in the coming months." The industry, raw materials, financials and semiconductors are the sectors most at risk.However, the agri-food sector, distribution or energy values could pleasantly surprise.

12
Apr

The CEO of Bourbon exported to China

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Atypical in French capitalism, Jacques de Chateauvieux is embarking on an unprecedented operation to a contractor of the Hexagon: IPO for a Chinese company on the Shanghai market. It includes a case rate the shipyards Sinopacific Shipbuilding, a small empire that makes $ 1.8 billion in sales and whose Jaccar, the personal holding company of Jacques de Chateauvieux holds 23.5% stake.

The public offerings of the company is in the pipeline since 2007 but it met with halting introductions imposed by Chinese authorities in the wake of the global financial crisis. Today, markets are reopened. And according to our information, Sinopacific just dropped his record updated in light of its 2009 accounts, the office of Constable of the Shanghai Stock Exchange.Objective: To be listed this year 2010.

Specifically, the transaction, advised by the Chinese bank Citic, will consist of a capital increase of around 15% to 18% of the capital. It would show a valuation of about $ 1.5 billion. Not bad for a company born in 2003, only the combination of Jacques de Chateauvieux and Simon Liang, a Chinese married to a French speaking, who was educated in France and the United States. The two men met when first proposed to sell in the supermarkets of the second Vietnamese – sold for an activity – the firs … plastic.

53 boats in one year

In 2003, the two entrepreneurs are going into the adventure by buying a naval shipyard privatization in Zhejiang province, then by taking another auction facility, in bankruptcy, in Jiangsu.The addition of the two sites account for the time employees and 1 500 pound … 3 boats a year. Eight years later, Sinopacific advanced to fifth place in the Chinese shipbuilding private and delivers two types of products: large commercial vessels, including bulk shipping, and smaller specialized boats in the offshore (gas, bitumen , …). 53 buildings are out of his workshops last year.

The explosive growth of Sinopia due to several factors. It is obviously correlated with that of China. Shareholders Sinopia also significantly expanded its capabilities.

Finally, Chinese shipyards have found a regular customer to the other great asset of Jacques de Chateauvieux, the Bourbon Group, which owns a quarter Jaccar capital. The world's leading specialist marine services, especially the oil companies, is leading a fleet of 369 ships.Last year, it accounted for a quarter of the order book Sinopia.

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