International & World Report

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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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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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.

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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While Asian markets are changing this Friday morning in the wake of the rise on Wall Street Thursday night, the Paris stock exchange should follow suit to the opening, showing a slight increase. Around 8:10, futures on the CAC 40 displayed on the increase, +0.7% to 4006 points.

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

This Friday, INSEE published before the opening of trading, industrial production for the month of February. The same statistics institute will release the results of its monthly surveys of the European economy for March, at noon. Other indicators monitored by the markets, the index of cost of construction, and commercial rents in the fourth quarter.

In Germany, foreign trade for the month of February will be known, at 8 am No faxing pay day loans.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.

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.

Air France posted 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 that hovers now. 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.

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%.

Renault, Nissan and its Japanese partner 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 earlier.

After closing in the red Thursday, almost all the CAC 40 woke up green this Friday at 4022.66 points, excited by the great increase of Wall Street. And closed, its momentum, to 4050.54 points, up 1.81%, exceeding its peak.

The London Stock Exchange and Frankfurt have also recovered well in the wake of Wall Street, buoyed by an upturn in consumer spending … The London FTSE 100 closed up 1.02% to 5770.98 points. The German Dax closed up 1.26% to 6249.70 points.

Thursday evening, the CAC 40 lost 1.20%. After rising almost continuously since February. The index had been weakened by fears of renewed solvency of Greece.

The lifeline of the ECB

Fears eased by the reassuring words of Jean-Claude Trichet, called "lifeline" by the Greek press.The President of the European Central Bank, rejected any risk of contagion to other countries, like Italy. He also assured that a default of Greece was "beyond question". In fact, the President of the European Union, Herman Van Rompuy, promised Friday that the Europeans are "ready to intervene if the Greeks call" and implement a plan of assistance involving the IMF, which Greece seems to want to avoid. French President Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed: the European Union is ready to activate its plan "at any time" bad credit payday advance.

These incentives have led to a rebound of the euro against the dollar above $ 1.34 this morning, then at 1.3385 dollars this afternoon. Volatility remains a must.After being stretched to 7.5%, the yield on loans to 10 year-old Greek, too, calmed a time, returning this morning to 7.2%. It said Thursday that Athens be able to reduce its deficit by 40% YoY in the first quarter.

The Greek situation remains fragile. The rating agency Fitch has lowered a few minutes from the end of Paris, noted the long-term debt of Greece, from BBB + to BBB-. This could well lead Greece to seek EU aid promised on March 25 …

According to strategists at BNP Paribas, investors await the issuance of treasury bills by Greece on Tuesday to assess the ability of countries to find core funding.Markets await the second season launch of results from U.S. companies, with Alcoa on Monday.

Side values, in Paris, the banks have been resilient, despite their exposure to Greece, to the tune of fifty billion euros. This does not raise "no particular concern, said Friday the governor of the Bank of France Christian Noyer, even if the French regulators monitor" closely "the situation.

The rising price of rubber has instead penalized cars, Michelin (-0.08%) signing the only declines the CAC 40.

Riding the wave of recovery in China, Australia offered a further rise in borrowing costs to prevent a resurgence of inflation. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raised on Tuesday, its main interest rate a quarter point to 4.25%. This is the fifth increase since October. The higher rate, which surprised the market did bounce the Australian dollar to 0.92 U.S. dollar. The Sydney Stock Exchange reached its highest eighteen months of sitting.

Heavily dependent on commodities, the Australian economy is recovering faster than other OECD economies, thanks to strong demand from Asia, notably China faxless cash advance. In 2009, growth was 3%, while the unemployment rate remained at 5.3% of the workforce. But since the beginning of the year, inflation topped 2%.

The stimulus Chinese 450 billion euros to full advantage to Australian orders, even if the exchange rate weighs on exports. Experts expect interest rates between 5% and 5.25% at the end of the year, which explains the attraction for the Australian currency.

While the CAC 40 is left below the 4,000 points on Friday night at closing, and the Asian market is changing globally in green (except the Nikkei) – but basically for local reasons – the Paris Bourse is expected to show hesitant opening on Monday. Especially since now, Friday night, Wall Street has ended without direction.

While Greece is saved, but the helm of the 4,000 technical points should be saved without being highly outdated. For the situation in Europe is not rosy either. The Portuguese and Irish records on the deficits are in the pipeline.

Around 8:20, the index futures on CAC 40 rose slightly, from 0.34% to 4001 points.

On Monday, the news is rather poor.In France, the publication will be more interesting day tomorrow, Tuesday: INSEE unveil quarterly national accounts in detail for the fourth quarter of 2009.

In the euro zone on Monday, the index of economic confidence in March will be released in 11 hours. In Brussels, will meet on Monday the European Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries. Last week, President Nicolas Sarkozy was willing to "a crisis in Europe" saver for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

In the U.S., investors expect the revenue and expenditure of households for the month of March at 14.30.Tomorrow, they watch the housing prices Case & Shiller, and consumer confidence in March.

The energy for

The dismissal of former chief investment officer of TCW, the U.S. subsidiary to 100% of Societe Generale, caused a stir in the U.S. cash advance . The bank believes that this case has "a very marginal impact" to its shareholders.

The fifteenth penal court of Nanterre Friday acquitted the former CEO of Vinci, Antoine Zacharias. Prosecutors, who had claimed two years suspended sentence and a fine of 375,000 euros, has appealed the ruling.His annual pension of 2.1 million, his early departure of 12.5 million and earnings of 4.2 million euros in 2005 are therefore assumed to septuagenarian.

Side energy, France is currently working on establishing a consortium of companies responsible for developing a vast network of power lines under the Mediterranean Sea, to deliver solar electricity produced in Africa to Europe.

This project, called Transgreen, bring together suppliers of electricity, electricity grid managers and manufacturers of high voltage equipment under the umbrella of EDF, confirming information from the daily special Enerpresse.

Furthermore, the organization of international environmental advocacy group Greenpeace accused Areva of endangering the health of residents of uranium mines it operates in northern Niger, in a report published Monday.

Finally, according to Les Echos on Monday, Total is in the process of selling the refinery Lindsey, England, in the northeast. "The first offers are expected in the coming days," reads the columns in the business daily. According to el Sunday Times published Sunday, Gazprom or Valero Essar would instantly.

Later results, Korian, Trigano and RATP unveil their accounts.

Torn between U.S. economic indicators mixed, the CAC 40 have seen red, to stabilize at 3927.40 points, down very low, from 0.04% in trading volume expanded slightly to 3.287 billion euros.

After having opened in equilibrium, yet he dressed in green in the middle of the session, rising 0.71% to 3956 points after the publication of figures for retail sales in the United States in February. They rose 0.3% last month, while economists had expected a decline of 0.2%, due to heavy snowfall which hit the northeastern United States in recent weeks.

But in the afternoon, a decline in the index of U.S. consumer confidence in March, calculated by the University of Michigan, was disappointed and weighed on the coast, pushing the CAC 40 in red.It is the second monthly decline in the flagship index of the Bourse de Paris.

A disappointment even greater than the market, reassured by the current finalization of a possible European aid to Greece, waited impatiently the first statistically significant week for orientation. They failed to settle with the caution that has forced the CAC 40 to move all week, within narrow margins, between 3910 and 3940 points.

Values well geared motor

"We have believed, at first, that the markets greeted the indicator of retail sales in February, although it was not extraordinary, and they would go higher, but they were quickly packed said Vincent Guenzi, strategist at Cholet Dupont. Meanwhile, indicators have been revised downward in January, including retail sales, which has thrown markets."Wall Street is finally not rise sufficiently to European markets.

Elsewhere in Europe, the London Stock Exchange closed up, the FTSE-100 gained 0.15% to 5625.65 points. The Dax index of featured the Frankfurt Stock Exchange also gained 0.28% to 5945.11 points.A New York, the Dow gained just before the closure of European markets, 0.15% but the Nasdaq conceded 0.02 %.

In Paris, car values remained well oriented: Renault gained 1.89% to 33.90 euros and Peugeot 1.41% to 21.89 euros.

The title EDF yielded 1.11% to 37.86 euros, penalized by the cancellation of a contract with the United States. Lagard?re has resumed (0.49% to 26.52 euros), following the sharp drop the previous day (over 7%), caused by the announcement of gloomy outlook for 2010. Carrefour has suffered a decline in the recommendation and Credit Suisse lost 3.03% to 35.86 euros.Total yielded 0.53% to 42.70 euros.The SGC Group had indicated yesterday that it would not resume a possible strike in support of employees of the refinery at Dunkirk (North) before the trial of an action by the central works council (CEC) against its closure.

Haro on stress associated with transport. In a study whose findings were published Monday in Le Parisien, Technologia firm specializing in the prevention of occupational risks, points to the adverse effects of increasingly frequent suffered by employees Ile. Saturated lines (lines 1, 3, 6, 7 and 13 are officially), frequent delays (more than 20,000 delays on the single line of busy RERA, in a year), and companies increasingly prompt to relocate their offices in the suburbs for reasons of economy: this is at least enough to increase stress levels of employees affected by these transport commuters daily.15 to 20% of 8 million passengers who travel each day on the Paris network would be affected, according to Jean-Claude Delgenes, CEO of Technologia.

"A triple penalty"

The study, conducted from discussions with employees and more than 150 HR managers, staff representatives or the Committee of Hygiene and Health at Work, underscores the impact of such inconvenience Health employees, and quality of life in the business. "SMEs are the structures whose operation suffers most from these repeated delays, due to their low numbers," says Jean-Claude Delgenes. Employee side, in addition to fatigue, stress and loss of family life brought about by the slowness of some transport is sometimes the career advancement that is hampered by these delays are difficult to predict."For those employees who bear several hours a day on trains or buses arrive tired at work and see their careers blocked, it's triple trouble," says Jean-Claude Delgenes.

Proposals to stimulate discussion

A finding against which the employees interviewed appeared resigned. The firm Technologia, which makes ten proposals (favored by the carpool, or the establishment of an efficient information bound travelers), wants to mobilize otherwise elected on this issue due to the regional elections. A yard more, while companies with more than 1,000 employees will be considered next week by the government, according to their degree of commitment against the psycho-social risks.

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