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After the euphoria of Wednesday, the U.S. markets have continued their momentum but at a slower pace frantic Thursday. At the close, the Dow Jones ended up 0.49% to 10,320.10 points, the Nasdaq is 1.06% at 2200.01 points while the S & P gained 0.91% to 1090.10 points.

No big movements, the indices have stagnated at these levels throughout the session. Investors have also learned a pleasant surprise on the side of the job today. Entries weekly unemployment, against all expectations, declined slightly in the United States during the week to August 28, at 472 000 478 000 cons last week, according to the labor department. Economists had expected jobless claims averaged 475,000.

Other good news: the promise of real estate sales have rebounded in July.The index of sales agreements rose 5.2% compared to June, when the 79.4 economists had expected a decline of 1%. The decline in the month of June was revised down slightly, to -2.8% against a 2.6% previously announced.

Statistics mixed

But at the same time, investors learned that nonfarm productivity had declined much more sharply than expected in the second quarter to show its sharpest decline since the third quarter of 2006. Productivity has contracted at an annual rate of 1.8%, instead of a contraction of 0.9% initially announced. Although expectations were counting on a decline of 1.9% over the period April to June, this review again cast doubts on the markets.

Moreover, the increase in orders received by U.S. factories in July was weaker than expected.These have increased – after two consecutive months of decline – from 0.1% to 409.5 billion dollars while economists were expecting an increase of 0.3%.

"It has a low volume of trade, economic indicators rather positive, so it is easy to push the market upwards," said Scott Marcouiller, Wells Fargo Advisors. "It does not happen much on the market," said Lindsey Piegza, FTN Financial, noting the hesitation of the indices during the session. The caution is called for before the publication of the very important report on employment and unemployment in August, tomorrow Friday.

Note that on the foreign exchange market, the euro is up slightly against the dollar, but only to increase its gains amid anxiety.

Burger King flies

On the side of values, the automotive sector should stand today.The month of August has actually been the worst for U.S. auto industry since 1983. Sales declined 21% to 11.47 million vehicles. Ford Motor (0.86% to 11.71 dollars) has reported a sales decline of 11%. General Motors, which is preparing an offering of securities to reduce by nearly 61% of the state capital, reflecting a drop in its sales by 25%.

Always on the side of values, the U.S. computer giant Apple (0.74% to 252.17 U.S. dollars) has unveiled the updated version of its iPod portable should be very surrounded. The Apple brand has also significantly lowered the price of its Apple TV boxes, for playback on a television screen high definition video from a computer.

Burger King (25.08% to 23.59 dollars) has formalized its takeover by 3G Capital at a price of $ 24 per share.The total transaction is valued at four billion dollars (3.12 billion euros).

Warren Buffett has filed a formal offer to repurchase its Berkshire Hataway (+0.38% to 81.22 dollars) for the 19.9% stake it does not already own in Wesco Financial (unchanged at $ 363 ).

General Electric (0.80% to 15.13 dollars) and Westinghouse Electric might spend ten billion dollars (7.8 billion euros) in total to build two nuclear reactors in India, Financial Express reported Thursday.Citing unidentified official sources, the newspaper said the two projects are being finalized in preparation for the planned visit in November, U.S. President Barack Obama.

HP (1.20% to 39.68 dollars) announced Thursday it had raised its takeover offer for 3PAR (2.43% to 32.86 dollars) to $ 33 per share, valuing the company Storage Data to 2.4 billion dollars. In the process, Dell (1.98% to 12.36 dollars) refuses to bid and withdraw from the race.

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Google and Apple do not agree no further time. Already competitors in the mobile and advertising, they prepare to pay back the video on demand (VOD). According to information from the Financial Times, Google "is currently negotiating with major Hollywood studios to launch a video service fee to the card by the end of 2010 the United States. With this enhanced client service, Google would be "neck-and-neck competition with Apple to dominate the digital distribution of films and TV content," the newspaper said.

At Google, renting movies is not entirely new. YouTube has since the beginning of the year. But the catalog is currently comprised mainly of works by independent studios, which attract few users. It should be completed by this time the great successes of the cinema, for rent as they are released on DVD.According to the Financial Times, Hollywood would have been seduced by the arguments of Google, which has a substantial pool of hearing.

Negotiations "in emergency"

These negotiations, which ran for several months, are now conducted "in emergency", as competition increases in the United States. The DVD rental company Netflix has completely redesigned its online service, through a monthly subscription. For its part, Hulu has benefited from the support of its shareholders Disney, News Corp. and NBC Universal to become the number two online video in number of visitors, behind YouTube. The site, which offers since its launch films and series for free, advertising, launched in August a section fee.

Google's main rival in the video rental property remains yet Apple.On Wednesday, Steve Jobs is expected to announce the arrival of television shows on iTunes for rent payday advance. Each episode would be 99 cents suggested by the American press, or the same price as a piece of music, and could be viewed for 24 hours. Until then, Apple proposed that these series as sales, two or three times more expensive. The choice of location, most popular, was reserved for movies.

For both IT groups, the issue is not simply to increase their income with online video, but also to make their devices more attractive to take a position in the salons. The iTunes videos are playable on Mac and PC, iPod, iPhone and iPad. A new version of Apple TV, the box that connects to televisions, is also in preparation.In front, Google is also preparing a range of appliances connected to TVs, with the help of Sony and Logitech.

"It's hard to convince the French suppliers'

According to the Financial Times, the Google service "would probably be launched first in the United States before being extended gradually to other countries. Negotiations abroad take effect in time. Apple has more than two years before proposing, in April, a few thousand movies for sale and rent in France.

Unlike music, Internet rights are often held by television stations and local media. "By outsourcing their content to Apple channels lose the freedom to set their prices and the relationship with their customers.Difficult to convince the French suppliers, "said Frederic Sitterlé, former Director of New Media and founder of the Figaro service VOD MySkreen independent. Conservative channels have preferred to have their VOD services. While discussing the opening of a joint French platform.

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The last day of the week rhyme with caution. The CAC 40, which opened on a drop of 0.42% to 3460.35 points, still yielding 0.29% to 3464.81 points shortly after noon. The German Dax loose just 0.07% to 5908.72 points while the FTSE in London fell by 0.10% to 5150.67 points.

Markets follow the footsteps of Asian stock market this morning, had a very volatile sessions. In fact, dominates the wait before the publication of the second estimate of U.S. GDP in the early afternoon and the index of consumer sentiment across the Atlantic.

Add to this the intervention of the President of the U.S. central bank, Ben Bernanke.In a speech that will be closely watched by global markets, it will review the state of the global economy.

On Wall Street Thursday, the two markets already anticipated bad news, including a possible downward revision of GDP and a speech even more pessimistic than previous ones in terms of bad statistics released in recent weeks. The surprise drop in unemployment registration Weekly announced yesterday was not enough to support the Dow Jones finished below 10,000 points.European shares managed to stay in the green but have erased some of their gains late in the day.

Side currencies this morning, the euro was rising against the dollar (0.17%) to 1.2722 dollars in morning trading but came down a little mid-day at 1.2708 euros.

Publications honored

Essilor (-2.24% to 47.120 euros) issued before market net income group share down 1.3% to 197.5 million euros.The world leader in ophthalmic optics, however, confirms its growth target of 5 to 7% of its turnover this year, and a stable operating margin over the rate of 18.2% achieved last year .

Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhone (APRR: + 0.04%) will release its second quarter results after market close on Friday.

Several groups have also published their results Thursday after market:

Lagardere (-1.43% to 28.86 euros) has raised its target of annual operating profit on the basis of a continued upturn in the advertising market.Arnaud Lagardere also said that Canal + France would be introduced on the stock market probably in early 2011.

Stallergenes (1.69% to 57.13 euros) published interim results up and confirmed it expects for 2010 a growth of over 10% of its business and a "significant increase" in operating margin , which was 16.7% in 2009.

Formageries Bel (3.31%) reported sharply higher results in the first half but warned that the rising price of milk in France contribute to the decline in operating margin in the second half.

Bongrain (-0.04%) announced that has released its interim results were up sharply but warned that second half was not as favorable.

Etam (3.24%) reported Thursday a jump in operating profit in the first half thanks in particular to China, but also an increase in its debt.

La Poste wants to join Vivendi

The Post announced Thursday that entered into exclusive negotiations with SFR, the telecommunications subsidiary of Vivendi (1.67% to 17.655 euros) to launch a mobile telephony offer under its brand.

GDF Suez (-0.08% to 24.32 euros) will find a new site to build a power plant in Chile, a project of approximately 865 million euros questioned because of the proximity of the initial site with a nature reserve.

Atos Origin (-1.05% to 30.245 euros) Thursday announced the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Venture Infotek, a leading company operating in the Indian market for means of payment.

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Essilor International shows a rebound in sales of 15.8% in the first half to 1,926 billion euros. The world of ophthalmic lenses has seen its sales boosted by several acquisitions such as U.S. and Signet FGXI Armolite. In all, Essilor has acquired or increased its stake in thirteen companies in the first half, representing an additional turnover of approximately 80 million euros.

Excluding currency and acquisitions, growth in turnover is 5.9%, "in line with its annual target," the company said in a statement.

The Group's net profit was down slightly from 1.3% to 197.5 million euros. The group is penalized by the provision of 41.5 million euros to pay the fine imposed by the German competition authority (Bundeskartellamt) for formation of cartels.Adjusted for this provision, net income reached 238.8 million euros, an increase of 19.3%.

Essilor confirms its annual targets

"In the second half of 2010, in a context of renewed activity still fragile, Essilor will pursue the strict implementation of its strategy of growth based on new products, geographical expansion, acquisitions and organic conquer the environment range, "the group said.

This confirms target for 2010 sales up 5% to 7%, excluding currency and strategic acquisitions, and margin contribution stable excluding acquisitions and strategic change IFRS. In the first half of 2010, the margin of Essilor has eroded slightly over the same period in 2009, yielding 0.1 percentage points to 18%.

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LG Electronics has just been invented the first mobile phone with touchscreen, the LG Prada, launched before the popular iPhone, the "chaebol" in South Korea suffered severely in smartphones. The reverse is so severe that the heart of summer, Chang Ma, Vice President Marketing of LG mobile phones, announces the method to return the game "At the end of the year to compete with our rivals, we launch ten smartphones, "said the official, the Wall Street Journal. These smart mobile phones will be launched under the brand Optimus, already used for several months, which will benefit from a dusting. The first aircraft, which will work with the Android OS from Google, will be offered in September. Called Optimus One, it should be distributed by 120 operators worldwide.This will be a smartphone that will allow customers to traditional mobile phones to get into the deep end of the mobile Internet, the official said. With these new products, LG hopes to sell 5 million of its smartphones by the end of the year in the United States.

The major challenge is the world's number three mobile phones that had succeeded, in 2009, establishing itself as the second mark on the U.S. market. In the second quarter of 2010, the dynamic segment of smartphones, which increased 50% to 61.6 million units, its market share was only 1.2% of the second quarter, according to research firm Gartner.

Above all, not a wide enough range, "the average revenue per mobile phone from LG has declined 27.8%," said Carolina Milanesi, analyst at Gartner. The group of Seoul has sought to gain market share at the expense of margins.This strategy has not worked. The division in mobile phones from LG has posted its biggest loss in eight years, in the second quarter, which has plunged to third profits of the chaebol.

Offering more than iPad

And for all mobile phones, LG has shown a decline in sales volume (from 30.5 to 29.4 million units) and market share (10.7% to 9%). The group has suffered, in addition, poor strategic bet. LG had, in fact, intend to become the leading partner of Microsoft. But LG has played the wrong horse: Google has more than RIM and Apple in the United States.

In addition, the market share of Windows Mobile has been halved over one year, falling to 5% of smartphones, say the experts.The weight of Microsoft could again later in the year with the launch of a next version.

Meanwhile, like HTC, Samsung, Motorola and SonyEricsson, LG focuses on Google's Android. The software group in Mountain View will also be used for its next internet tablet, promised for the end of the year. It will have "new functions" compared to the iPad, including "video editing and content creation," the official said the Wall Street Journal.

For now, KT, the largest operator in South Korea announced Friday that it will market in the coming days Enspert Internet tablet developed by a South Korean company specialized in September and that of Samsung. The Apple iPad should be proposed before the end of the year, such as LG.Most manufacturers are penalized by the late arrival of Microsoft in operating systems for low cost internet tablets.

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In one country, Japan, where exports boost growth since late 2009, the sharp rise of the yen in recent weeks is shocking. Nissan, the third largest Nippon, said he was "very worried" the peak of the national currency against the dollar. The yen traded at a record 85.43 yen to the dollar. What start the competitiveness of the archipelago.

For three months, the dollar has lost 9.48% against the yen. A worrying trend: according to calculations by the OECD, a 10% appreciation of the yen would cut growth by 0.2 points in year one and 0.4 the second and third year. "The impact is not significant when the forecast is 2-3% growth per annum over the next two years," relativized in a note Takuji Okubo, senior economist at Societe Generale IPC.

Especially since the rise of the yen should not continue, says Raymond Van der Putten, Japan specialist at BNP Paribas: "The yen's appreciation is mainly due to poor growth expectations in the United States." Growth probably disappointing euro zone in 2010 and its own weaknesses in the Japanese economy should lead to a stronger dollar in the coming months, says the economist.

The Japanese economy has certainly been a thunderous start to the year thanks to booming exports to China and the rest of Asia. This was a very strong growth which acquired should enable the archipelago exceed the 3% growth in 2010.

The recovery falters

But recent statistics are rather alarming. Industrial production dropped 1.5% in June, after remaining flat in MayUnemployment is up slightly but steadily since January, rising to 5.3% in June And household consumption fell 2.4% in the second quarter.

"The Japanese recovery has entered a critical phase," said in a note Caroline Newhouse-Cohen, an economist at BNP Paribas. "The recovery plan and recovery of companies coming to an end." Finally, the resurgence of inflation after a long period of stagnation in prices could trim the margins of companies that will struggle to pass increases in material first on consumers.

In this context, the pressures on the government to become more insistent that extends the existing measures of recovery. No decision has yet been taken on this issue, "said Minister of Economy Satoshi Arai last week.

See also:

"The stronger yen last fifteen years

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A history of gold? The fund Bridgepoint entered into Friday night to Saturday two agreements to buy the first two channels simultaneously French jeweler midrange, Histoire d'Or and Marc Orian.

If successful, a priori, in October, the transaction remains subject to the advice of two councils and the approval of competition authorities, would bring the delicious result of two brands created by successive Sylvain Krief in the 1980s, and whose networks are geographically complementary.

Histoire d'Or, owned since 2006 to fund Silverfleet Capital, has 200 stores, almost all located in shopping malls on the outskirts of cities. The company is dynamic. Its turnover amounted to 220 million euros in 2009, up 1.1%. In France, its network of stores has almost doubled in size in four years.Elsewhere in Europe, the brand has established in Belgium and Italy. History Gold was also launched in 2007 teaches J'M (six stores), on the same niche, but more likely.

Good mid-range resistance

Located also in the malls, Marc Orian Group operates its side a network of more than 250 stores under the Marc Orian and Treasury, and annual sales of around 130 million euros. The company is owned since 2006 by QUALIUM (formerly CDC Capital Investissement) who bought from Crédit Agricole Private Equity.

The combination of these signs would create a network of over 450 shops for a turnover of around 450 million euros. It has been several years that the funds eyeing the jewelry chains midrange.The sector has grown steadily against the current of a market down 2% last year, mainly at the expense of traditional jewelry stores downtown.

Bridgepoint could benefit from his position of arch-leader to refine the positioning of its various networks, optimize purchasing and address the heart of market towns by launching a new concept.

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"The French prefer silver jewelry, cheaper

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LE FIGARO. – How do you exercise stress test which is to engage Europe?

Baudouin PROT. – The resistance tests show that European banks are sound and well capitalized. They were conducted using a common methodology and from economic scenarios comparable, if not more stringent than the scenarios used in a similar exercise conducted in spring 2009 by the Americans. These results should put an end to a period of unfounded concern about the health of the European banking system. However, it is essential to economic life that banks trust.

What do you think the score of French banks?

They have passed the test with flying colors.Three reasons: they entered the crisis well capitalized, they have weathered the crisis better than others and have significantly increased their capital by allocating a significant portion of their results for two years. In the end, and in the worst case scenario, the excess equity that French banks compared to the waterline defined by European regulators reached 70 billion euros. This is all the more remarkable that almost all French banks have repaid the government aid, while still 180 billion euros in state support in the European banking system.This is good news for France: our banks are more than ever to finance projects of their clients.

What lessons learned, while the Basel Committee on Banking seems to require more capital?

The French banks have for long argued that, compared to the level reached today, a massive build new capital would be unnecessary and inappropriate. The results of stress tests clearly support this point. Europe needs just as much vigor and rigor, when the economy picks up in many parts of the world. It should not be an excessive overinvestment reduces the ability of all its banks to finance the economy and thus stimulate growth. The decisions to be taken in Basel, the Financial Stability Forum and ultimately to the G20 in November in Seoul, are, for me, a historical significance.Europe must become fully aware of its core strategic interests and defend them.

You leave the presidency of the French Banking Federation at the end of a busy year. What are your reasons for satisfaction?

Both at the heart of the crisis in 2009 that since the beginning of 2010, French banks have never stopped doing their job, providing their customers with the relationship and funding the economy. If the overall image of the banks has suffered, the satisfaction rate of customers vis-à-vis their own bank remained above 80%. This shows the quality of the device relational French banks, through a dense network of trained counselors. Now they have stopped investing in this device even though it is already higher than other European countries cash advance loan.The pace of 30,000 hires per year in IFA has been maintained in 2009 despite the crisis, and will be again in 2010.

A tough job, with advisers attacked by customers …

These difficulties were at their peak a year ago. Since the relational climate has thankfully subsided in the agencies. And with the executive committee of the FBF, we conducted many meetings with regional business leaders in recent weeks: I also note a positive trend in relations. All this is explained by the fact that growth in France in outstanding bank credit to individuals and SMEs is the best in Europe. In late May, outstanding housing loans grew by 5.1%, those SMEs 3.8%, a record in recent times.The latest survey also shows that Oseo the cost of credit, which was an obstacle to investment for 48% of SMEs in November 2008, the remaining 23% only. French SMEs also benefit from a lower cost of credit watch on the European average.

Financial reforms, on both sides of the Atlantic, you feel they fit well?

French banks are convinced that regulatory changes are needed to draw lessons from the financial crisis. That being said, we must make the right decisions. The Anglo-Saxons tend to give undue weight to the ratios, when the quality of supervision is essential. In France, a single supervisor effective – which is still being enhanced – and bank officials have avoided the bad loans that have cost so dear to the American community.The situation is very different.

The paradox is that U.S. banks, causing excesses, emerge from the crisis stronger …

I note that U.S. banks are the only ones to have massively increased their size in their market after the crisis, with the help of taxpayer elsewhere. The crisis resulted in a wave of bank mergers that made JPMorgan, Wells Fargo or Bank of America mastodons much more impressive than before. At the same time, few European banks have grown. Moreover, while all the 13,000 European banks are subject to Basel II since 2008, U.S. banks do not always apply.It is difficult to accept that capital requirements are influenced by demands of countries we are not sure they apply the rules in the same way that European banks.

Added to the tax systems …

The fact that France, the United Kingdom and Germany are the only ones in the world to impose such a tax on banks that can not be cons-productive to the competitiveness of these countries. French banks, in any case, can not afford both to finance the economy, maintain a buffer of high security into equity while financing the budget deficit.

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On Monday, the opening of stock markets in Europe, banking stocks will be the center of attention. While Friday night, 18 o'clock – evening after the close of stock markets in Europe – results of stress tests reported only seven failures out of 91. That is to say that 92% of the banks examined have managed to maintain a solvency ratio of at least 6% by simulating economic conditions deteriorated.

But among them, banks posted September 10 called Tier One ratios between 6% and 7%. It's like having a BA of 10-11 overall average. Deutsche Postbank, Piraeus Bank, Allied Irish Banks, Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Banca UBI, Bankinter and eight small Spanish settlements are on the list, which will be closely monitored by investors.The four French banks surveyed, BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, Credit Agricole and BPCE have all scored honorable.

On Monday, central bank governors and heads of Supervisors will meet in Switzerland to discuss the reform proposals on the strengthening of bank capital.

But after their success in tests of strength, European banks may find it difficult to argue that they can not apply a stricter financial regulation.

"Banks are ready to begin implementing the new rules are needed to strengthen the capital reserves and liquidity management of banks," also provided Vitor Constancio, Vice-President of the ECB. Basel III could thus move at a good pace.

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Anne-Marie Couderc, the current deputy director with the CEO of Lagardere Active, will be the candidate for the succession of Remy Plflimlin to head Presstalis (ex NMPP). After several days of hesitation and consideration, Anne-Marie Couderc will be the candidate of "consensus" by the Lagardere Group, operator of the largest distributor of media with 49% of its capital, to vote on the board of managers under 28 July. Its mandate should however not be limited to one year despite the change, expected by next June, the governance of Presstalis with the withdrawal of Lagardère.

His appointment is hardly surprising payday advance. Broken to the press, Anne-Marie Couderc has the ideal profile.A lawyer by training, she is vice-president of the Supreme Council Courier Press and knows exactly how it works Presstalis.

A time mentioned, the appointment of former senior official Bruno Mettling, rapporteur of the draft revision of the distributor that is the basis of work today, raised a legal issue. Immediately raised by the addition of competitor Presstalis, the Courier Lyons Press (MLP), which threatened a lawsuit in the event its name to Lagardère.

Anne Marie Couderc, asked the Buzz Media Orange-Le Figaro.

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