Archive for the 'technology' Category
AIG makes another important assignment. Delayed several weeks due to fiscal problems, the giant American Insurance American International Group and MetLife onday announces an agreement under which AIG will sell its branch at MetLife Life Insurance Alico for the equivalent of 15.5 billion, the Wall Street Journal.
The acquisition will be for $ 6.8 billion in cash and approximately 8.7 billion shares in MetLife.
Alico, and the Asian subsidiary of Life Insurance American International Assurance (AIA), had enjoyed a special status, allowing AIG to make these two assets as compensation and thus reduce the debt of the insurer to the Reserve U.S. Federal (Fed), although both companies are still controlled by AIG. This also allowed AIG to prepare these two subsidiaries for sale or an IPO.
At the edge of the termination payment in mid-September 2008, AIG was bailed out by the U.S. government who had to inject over 180 billion dollars in its coffers to keep the group afloat, the government now owns 80%.
AIG will make 32 billion dollars by the Fed
MetLife believes that the acquisition would boost earnings by 45 cents to 55 cents per share by 2011.Analysts expect 2011 operating earnings per share of 4.89 dollars.
With the sale of Alico, and after the agreement last week to sell its Asian branch of life insurance, American International Assurance, for 35.5 billion dollars to the group Prudential, AIG could make the Fed's New York 32 billion in cash in the coming months, if both operations are looped as expected by the end of 2010, says the WSJ.
AIG should also repay 19 billion dollars more in coming years, when he sold his shares in MetLife and Prudential.
If only Mickey and friends could all give a little magic wand on sales of Euro Disney! The site operator of Disneyland Resort Paris announced on Tuesday a drop in attendance at its parks by the end of the year: -10.5% in the first quarter of 2009-2010 ended in late December.
Result, the group reported a turnover period of 292 million euros against 326.4 million euros over the last three months of last year. The average expenditure of visitors, however, is stable, thanks to its pricing and promotional strategies.
"The decline in attendance at theme parks reflects a decrease in the number of English and French visitors," explains Philippe Gas, the president of Euro Disney."In the first quarter of fiscal 2009, the economic crisis had not yet fully impacted our revenues, mainly because visitors reserved well in advance of the dates of their visit," says the boss, stressing further that "now visitors reserve later while seeking promotions.
The group, which does not provide a quantitative forecast for 2010 indicates that it plans to launch three new attractions this summer, inspired by the movie Toy Story, Disney-Pixar. The group says the activity will take color "when the economic environment will give signs of improvement."
Title Euro Disney operates in negative terrain on Tuesday, down from 2.74% to 4.6 euros, about 11 hours, giving a market capitalization of just under 180 million euros.
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"Euro Disney: visitors have spent significantly less (November)
"Euro Disney still attracts more (January 2009)
The meeting of finance ministers of the G7 in Iqaluit, in Canada's far north, was the occasion for the great silversmiths to see the convergence of their views against banks."We agreed to work together to ensure that financial institutions bear the cost of their contribution to the crisis", stated the host of the meeting, Canada's Jim Flaherty.
Since the end of 2009, projects of exceptional taxation of banks have flourished, in various forms and with different objectives: punitive tax here, contributing to the effort there, insurance premium paid in exchange for the implied warranty given by the States financial institutions or other taxation of bonuses to limit the activities deemed most dangerous … In Britain and France, is a tax on the bonus above 27 500 euros, which was established. In the United States, Barack Obama wants to apply to larger banks a fee to bring 90 billion dollars in ten years.Now, the bond G7 will legitimize future draft taxation.
Meanwhile, the seven finance ministers, according to American Tim Geithner, reaffirmed their commitment to finding "by the end of this year a consensus on new prudential standards that apply to banking. The Ministers again stressed their higher requirements for capital.
Nearly 500 000 per person
Faced with this increased range of governments, banks are beginning for some, to put water in their wine payday loans no teletrack .This determination in policies comes at a time when financial institutions close their accounts in 2009 – boosted by the profits on contracts for some, undermined by the loss of their portfolios of assets and doubtful debts for other . Also in that time that banks put the last comma on the bonus amounts distributed.
Although it became the symbol of a financial world that have returned to practices before the crisis, Goldman Sachs has chosen to keep a low profile. The bank is number one on Wall Street, announced this weekend that its CEO Lloyd Blankfein would affect "only" $ 9 million for 2009, entirely in shares. This bonus is not only less than half that received by his counterpart at JPMorgan, Jamie Dimon, for example.It is particularly small in comparison with wild rumors that had circulated a week ago: there was talk then of 100 million dollars!
In 2009, Goldman has made a net profit of 12.2 billion dollars, the same as that earned in 2007 a record year for finance. Employees at large will share more than 16 billion dollars in bonuses in various forms, about 500 000 dollars per person. But thirty frames the higher will be paid in shares, they can not sell before five years.
In the aftermath of its worst session in 7 months, Wall Street is recovering. The U.S. stock market opened higher on very shy, taking the Dow Jones 0.05% to 10,024 points and the Nasdaq +0.37% to 2137 points. The markets reacted rather well to the employment figures published Friday. The U.S. economy still has destroyed jobs in January, 22,000 jobs, but significantly less than in December and the unemployment rate in the United States fell by 0.3 point to 9.7% during the first month of 'year, according to official figures published Friday in Washington.
For the Department, the report reflects on the business of the employment situation "almost unchanged", a sign that the U.S. economy would soon return to the net job creation, as was the case in November.
However, the disappointment is still to go, analysts hoping that the economy would have created at least 5,000 jobs over the month.These figures therefore mixed sows doubts on the speed of economic recovery overseas.
The confusion is also due to the strong upward revision in the number of job losses in all of 2009. Last year, the economy has lost a total of 4.823 million posts. This represents a fall in employment of 3.6%, the most since 1945!
The day before, the Dow Jones made his worst performance since early July, and lost more than 2.6% at 10,002 points, after a passage in the final session, under the 10 guaranteed payday loan .000 Points.
In Europe, the main squares are continuing their sharp fall, including leaded by fears concerning Greece, Spain and Portugal.
Moreover, the dollar continued its rise Friday. The European currency rose to 1.3648 dollars on Friday morning, under $ 1.37 per euro.but after the employment figures, the euro rose back above that threshold.
At the same time, commodity prices fell, oil Thursday evening closing down 5% to 73.14 dollar per barrel. This Friday, oil prices continued their fall, while an epidemic of risk aversion continued to hit commodities, the euro and equity markets, and anxiety remained high in a few hours of report U.S. employment.
Airgas to follow
Toyota should be on the radar screens of investors as the group has apologized publicly.The Japanese auto giant Toyota, which suffered a barrage of criticism and lawsuits after recalling millions of cars affected by technical faults, was Friday denied concealing these issues publicly and said that its cars are "safe".
Kraft Foods has confirmed that regulators had approved its bid for Cadbury.
Airgas has increased by over 42% yesterday on the Stock Exchange after Air Products has offered 5.1 billion dollars to buy its rival.
Nicolas Sarkozy has raised the question of how we can more directly Wednesday in his opening speech at the Davos Forum: what is "the role to be played by banks in the economy?" He should get an initial response today ' hui. The bosses of big banks, mainly American and European, will meet with key leaders of the global financial regulation to settle their quarrels.
"The first challenge is to define what should be the basic name of a bank, has publicly acknowledged on Friday Peter Sands, group CEO of Standard Chartered Bank UK, who also co-chairing the Forum 2010, alongside a colleague European Josef Ackermann, head of Deutsche Bank. The meeting will be informal: to probe the kidneys and hearts of some central bankers and regulators in Davos.Including Jean-Claude Trichet, the ECB president, Mario Draghi, Chairman Financial Stability (a creation of the G20), Jaime Caruana, director general of the Bank for International Settlements, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, director IMF, but also representatives of emerging countries, as Zhu Min, vice governor of the People's Bank of China.
In this case it is private financiers who are the plaintiffs. "A new regulation of financial institutions is inevitable, but a regulatory motivated populist policies would be ineffective and harmful," warns a professional who will participate in face-to-face fast payday loans . This fear is taken very seriously since Barack Obama presented his proposals to ban the operations of market equity for commercial banks.With also the possibility of dismantling settlements whose bankruptcy would present a systemic risk.
The Obama plan goes to school
However, these recommendations appear to be in school politics. David Cameron, leader of British Conservative Party, arrived Friday in Davos, it is stored too. In turn, the technical authorities do nothing to minimize the issue of reforms to come. As Jean-Claude Trichet, at a panel on public policy interventions: "On both sides of the Atlantic, governments have had to receive 25% of GDP in the form of guarantees, recapitalizations and buyouts of securities to prevent the collapse of the sector.It would not forgive us if the system does not become more resilient in the future. "
The delegation of bankers in which American Brian Moynihan (Bank of America) and the European Josef Ackermann appeared to play a leading role, is far from presenting a seamless front. Everyone agrees to request a "harmonization of national regulations" (a level playing field in the jargon), but without going to unify the laws of each place.
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At Davos, Sarkozy denounces the excesses of capitalism
"Obama prohibits banks market activities
The Paris Bourse started the week in the green, having closed sharply lower Friday. The Cac 40 was opened on Monday, up 0.42% to 3971.17 points.
This morning the Asian seat ended in a steep downward trend. The Nikkei lost 1.16%. The disappointing results from JP Morgan affect the morale of investors who doubt the health of the banking sector. Friday, Wall Street had already set the tone by closing on a negative note. On Monday, the U.S. places are closed due to holiday.
No macroeconomic statistics that could reverse the trend is expected.
Renault under the microscope
As for values to follow, Renault is expected to turn.Group CEO, Carlos Ghosn, announced Saturday that the new Clio 4 will be made to Flins (Yvelines) and Turkey, without giving further details on the distribution of production at both sites. The reaction of Peugeot will also be expected.
According to the British press, GDF SUEZ is considering a reconciliation with Britain's International Power. The transaction details are not mentioned.
Louis Welsh, CEO of EADS Sunday welcomed signs sent by the client countries of the military transport aircraft Airbus A400M.The France had announced it planned to discuss the cost overruns of the project therefore would not be abandoned.
Air France KLM would react Exchange after publication in the Japanese press of a rapprochement between Japan Airlines (JAL) and Delta Air Lines, which should lead JAL to join the SkyTeam alliance, which includes Air France-KLM.
According to the Tribune, Axa interested in a stake in the giant Russian Aluminum Rusal, which is listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and Paris (Euronext) next week. Rusal hopes to raise 2.6 billion dollars (1.8 billion) through its entry into the market.
Accor CEO Gilles Pelisson said in an interview with Journal du Dimanche that the group should not be separated from its brands Sofitel and Motel 6.He said the resumption of the hotel market will slow in the first quarter of 2010.
The luxury goods group Compagnie Financiere Richemont announced Monday before market turnover exceeds expectations in the third quarter of 2009/2010. The latter rose 2% to 1.585 billion euros, while analysts expected a decline. For the current year, Richemont gave no forecast
Aeroports de Paris (ADP) after market must publish its traffic for the month of December.
Casino has been in trouble in Venezuela. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday ordered into effect the expropriation of the hypermarket chain Exito, a subsidiary of Casino, accusing him of having increased its prices so speculative.
At 18h, Casino and Mercialys publish their figures for the fourth quarter while Soitec unveil his own in the third quarter.
Although there is no major publication of Monday, the growth of imports and Chinese exports significantly exceeded expectations in December, boosts the confidence of investors on Wall Street where the Dow is up 0.19% to 10,638.30 dollars and the Nasdaq 0.34% in 2323, $ 85.
Oil opened sharply higher in New York also boosted by the good figures of China and its growing interest in the black gold that has even reached a new high since October 2008, 83.95 dollars. The barrel of "light sweet crude was trading at 83.52 dollars against 82.75 cents Friday.
The euro continued to rise against the dollar Monday, settling beyond $ 1.45.Vers 15h, the euro bought 1.4528 dollars against 1.4404 dollars on Friday.
Friday, despite the bad figures of unemployment and consumer credit in the U.S., the Dow Jones gained 0.10% and 0.75% on Nasdaq.
Alcoa (2.47% to 17.02 dollars): the group must publish its fourth quarter results after the close, signaling the start of the earnings season.
Delta Airlines (-1.20% to 12.32%): A source close to the case reported Sunday that any decision on a possible partnership of Japan Airlines, with one of two U.S. airlines could be taken that after the inauguration of a new management team.
Citigroup (0.97% to $ 3.63) Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, owner of Kingdom Holding and shareholder of the U.S. institution said Monday he expected a "stabilization and profitability" for the bank in 2010.
American Express (-1.20% to 41.43 dollars) the shareholders of financial services group should halve their position on the title after the sharp increase since March, believes the stock market weekly Barron's in its latest edition.
Dec
23
It must be with Air France, it will be finally on Tuesday with Trenitalia. Reportedly, the group Veolia is about to conclude an agreement with Trenitalia, the division of passenger transport operator of Italian public Ferrovie dello Stato, to ride the TGV in France in early 2012.
Neither partner can share in the unknown. The French group had initially started this project in 2008 with Air France before the airline waives last October. Veolia provides fruit and a year of joint discussions with Air France on the subject and plan of attack ready. For its part, Trenitalia is the first foreign operator to take advantage of the opening of international passenger traffic last December 13 to seek paths in France.The group is preparing to roll its TGV spring between Rome, Milan and Paris.
The liberalization of international trade makes it possible for an operator to run its trains in France if they have a path between two states. It is possible to make the Milan-Paris via Lyon and compete with SNCF on the Paris-Lyon section.
To ride the TGV early 2012, both partners are ready to draw: it takes at least six months to conduct the tender for rolling stock and nearly two years the builder to honor his order. Veolia should take over the project developed with Air France. It revolved around three TGV lines. An axis Brussels-Paris-Lyon which allows both to compete with the Thalys between Brussels and Paris and SNCF from Paris and Lyon. A Paris-London Eurostar rival but also competing with SNCF Paris-Lille.And finally, a Paris-Strasbourg line with after the Alsatian capital, a branch to Frankfurt serving lines Mannheim and Karlsruhe, and a branch to Basel with a stop in Mulhouse.
Ambassador of the French high-speed
With operating costs 30% lower than the station simply because of the social system of railway, Trenitalia Veolia and could become the low-cost airline of the TGV. Initial projections of rates which were estimated with Air France aimed at a Paris-Lyon to 30 Euros in second class cons 41 to 63.10 euros for the station (ticket Leisure in normal times), a Paris-Nantes to 22 euros second class cons from 36.50 to 56.80 euros for the SNCF and the Paris-Lille 19 euros against 25 to 38.90 euros for the station.
For Air France, this project means that the ally of yesterday will become a new competitor for its domestic flights.For the station, this is the end of a monopoly and the beginning of a battle that will necessarily lead the public company to lose market share.
For Veolia, the project is a first step since the group aims eventually to answer calls for tenders TGV abroad. The French would be very good in the role of ambassador of the French high speed in the world alongside the manufacturer Alstom. "To export the TGV, Alstom suffers from not being associated with an operator, said a close case. SNCF does not because she is not willing to take risks and cost of revenue abroad. "
U.S. traders are hoping that this Friday will be "black." Black Friday is the nickname given to the Friday following the Thanksgiving holiday would. This weekend three days in the United States marks the beginning of the season's shopping season. Last year, 172 million Americans had flocked to the malls during the seventy-two hours after the feast of Thanksgiving. The profession wants them to be as many this year, despite higher unemployment for twenty-six and a credit crunch.
The leading retailer for low prices, Wal-Mart opens a large number of its stores 24 hours of 24 on this occasion. Its rival Target is ready to welcome the hordes of customers at 5 am. Just as Best Buy, the number one electronics distribution. Kmart opened as early as Thursday, Thanksgiving Day.All these giants know that this year more than ever the buyers are looking for money sacrificed. Hence the importance of bringing many people into their stores to offset the lower margins.
Important factor: the weather, with a rather mild weather throughout the year, they will be favorable. But according to surveys, 93% of Americans intend to spend "less" or at most "same" as last year. In addition, 80% say they'd prefer to pay in cash. If consumers keep their resolutions and resist the temptation to use their credit cards, merchants' earnings will be significantly limited.
40% of total annual
Last year, while the financial crisis precipitated a collapse of activity, the mad shopping Thanksgiving had still spent an average of 372.57 dollars per person.Was 7.2% higher than in 2007.
But the season is long. A good weekend of Thanksgiving does not necessarily translate into strong sales until Christmas. We saw him in 2008 for the first time in over a generation, Americans have finally spent less than last year. This decline of 3.4% of purchases had traumatized the profession. From late November to late December, the department stores carry up to 40% of their annual turnover. While their association anticipates a further decline in sales in the 2009 season, but of lesser magnitude. The marketing channels such as Macy's and Nordstrom noted for example the collapse of the morale of Americans from October to November. But they also know that the reputation of Black Friday is overrated. The days of greatest influx of buyers are usually on the weekends before Christmas.The Americans, by calculation or by lack of preparation, expect more and more the last minute to buy gifts.
Oct
27
The good news of the day there doing nothing. The Paris market was unable to maintain the upward course of the opening. He finished in the red, sealed by the misdirection of Wall Street in early trade. Between the quarterly expectations of higher U.S. giants Microsoft and Amazon, and up 9.4% of resales of existing homes across the Atlantic to its highest since July 2007, there were nevertheless subject to rejoice. But after the recent record annual markets need to blow and the arrival of the weekend favors profit taking. In addition, uncertainties remain about the timetable for recovery.
Paul Volcker, former head of the Federal Reserve, said that "recovery is rather slow, too slow to reduce unemployment quickly."He said more manufacturing production and exports would be the best medicine to prescribe, rather than increased consumption for overcoming the crisis.
Moody's Investors Service said that if the U.S. failed to control its public finances, they could lose their Aaa sovereign rating by three or four years. The budget deficit reached 1.417 billion dollars (944 billion euros), representing 10% of GDP for the period ended September 30 and the current administration anticipates deficits of more than 1,000 billion dollars the next two years.
Automobile and banking Featured
Bank stocks were the first places trust the document acknowledging the success of increased capiral BNP (2.09%).The group said said its capital increase of 4.3 billion euro, launched in late September to reimburse the aid of the French state, has been oversubscribed to the tune of 2.5 times. The demand was about 10.9 billion euros. Societe Generale jumped 1.6%. Credit Agricole gained 0.45%.
motor values were also well oriented after trimestriesls exceed the expectations of the Swedish Volvo. Renault took 1.65% and 1.4% Peugeot.
The turnover of Saint-Gobain (+1.51%) in the third quarter amounted to 9.720 billion euros, down from 13.9% at actual exchange rates. In nine months, he stood at 28.435 billion euros (-15% at actual exchange rates).
Danone (-0.84%) reported a turnover of 3.78 billion euros in Q3, up 4.1% in comparable data.The group expects growth in sales on a comparable close to 4% in the second half.
Prime Minister of Belgium Herman Van Rompuy, announced in Parliament that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Belgian State and GDF Suez (-1.44%) on an annual contribution from 2010 to 2014, to be located between 215 million and 245 million euros in return for extending the operation of nuclear plants.
The cost of voluntary separation scheme, proposed by Air France-KLM (+0.04%) and on 1684 people, would rise between 150 million and 160 million euros, La Tribune reported Thursday on its website.
Jean-Marie Messier, the former boss of Vivendi Universal will meet before the Correctional Court of price manipulation and abuse of social goods.The title Vivendu lost 0.71%.
Home chilly for the results of Havas and Icade
Havas fell by 6.97%, signing the biggest decline on the DRS. The group posted revenue of 326 million euros in the third quarter. The band recorded 1.131 billion euros in net gains on budgets nine months, including 328 million for the third quarter.
Icade lost 0.22%. The real estate group achieved a turnover of 1.089 billion euros at September 30, down 5.5%.
In the first nine months of 2009, Areva (unchanged) shows sales of 9.7 billion euros, up 4% on a comparable basis.
Ingenico (-0.39%) now provides an annual turnover of between 6% to 8% compared to pro forma revenues of 780 million euros in 2008.It previously expected a decline of between 4% and 8%.
Inter Parfums has announced a turnover for the third quarter 2009 unchanged at 72.8 million euros.