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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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While the European equity markets are struggling. But the values related to the construction sector underperforming the broad market on Tuesday. In case, a warning from the Irish group CRH: the largest producer of asphalt in the United States said it expected eventually to a 10% drop in profits for the year 2010 due to the fragility of the U.S. economic recovery.

Obviously, the penalty was not built until the stock market: shares tumble 16% HRA on the square in Dublin. And in its wake, Saint-Gobain and Lafarge, respectively dropping 5.43% and 4.94% and position themselves behind the curve on the CAC 40. Bouygues sold him, 3.65%. In Switzerland, Holcim loose 2.3%, while the pan-European Stoxx 600 index sector yield 4.2%.

Tough competition

Myles Lee, the CEO of HRA, said that the performance of the U.S. economy are "not good", but anticipate relapse into recession. "The economic news from the United States are disappointing and below expectations. It now seems clear that the economic recovery there, even if it occurs, will not be as strong than expected, "he said on Irish TV channel RTE.

Its chief financial officer, Albert Manifold, said his side as the weakness of the commercial construction activity and delayed investments of state and local governments in the United States had generated sales below expectations July and August, usually two months porters.

In addition, pressure on margins is increasing, so that several competitors are trying to reduce their prices, "said HRC.

Commodity prices and budgetary discipline

Harry Sebag, an analyst at Saxo Bank, explains that "businesses have impacted their margins and cut prices to gain market share." Already weakened, companies are also facing the weaker euro and higher commodity prices, driven by demand from emerging countries, which darken the outlook for the sector. Fiscal rectitude who moved to Europe and hence lower investment in construction, does shoved a bit more nail.

For the construction specialist in Europe, Euroconstruct, the sector should not resume until 2012.Particularly affected by the gloomy atmosphere, Ireland, Spain, and Portugal.

In France, since the beginning of the year, Lafarge has won over 37% in stock, Saint-Gobain, 24%, French Cement declined 19%, Vinci, Bouygues 14% and 12%.

A monitor, tomorrow, Wednesday, sales of new homes in the United States, which fall in the afternoon. On Tuesday, the bad news on the front sales of existing homes of great concern.

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A Virgin store in the heart of a Carrefour hypermarket? As of August 25, the sign of cultural goods will fetch the radius culture Crossroads Venissieux, a suburb of Lyon. "It installs a true Virgin of 300 square meters, which is the format of our stores in train stations and airports, says the Figaro Jean-Noel Reinhardt, CEO of Virgin Stores. The furniture is furniture Virgin, SEO will be managed by our own sales force. "

Virgin does not just manage the music department, as revealed in early July challenges.fr. The competitor Fnac will turn all the knobs. Carrefour will be delegated as 100% concession for the management of the entire radius culture (books, music and video) off the video games. Virgin and Carrefour have talked for eight months before signing the partnership. "We give a year, said Jean-Noel Reinhardt.If it works, we can decide with Carrefour to deploy the concept in other supermarkets. "

The approach, which aims to "re-enchant" the hypermarket, will allow Carrefour to boost its sales in non-food, fell 5% last year. Such a partnership will allow Carrefour to unload a radius deemed difficult by assigning responsibility to a specialist.

Discussion with SFR

"It's a win-win solution for Virgin and Carrefour, said Jean-Noel Reinhardt. We bring the legitimacy of our brand that appeals to young people. Carrefour, meanwhile, makes us very important benefit of the flow of its customers. "

Along the same lines, other "stores in the store" could be introduced in Carrefour hypermarkets.According to our information, Carrefour declined to comment, and discussions are well advanced with SFR, which could establish phone shops. Other partnerships could be concluded in the arts of the table, with the leader Arc International, or in video games, with Micromania.

The formula of the concession, in which Carrefour Virgin donate a percentage of its revenues, will allow Carrefour to reduce its costs and thus improve its performance. Incidentally, it will also give him the opportunity to redeploy staff to other departments or even reduce the staffing of the culture, both in stores and at headquarters of the distributor, where hundreds of people working on the offer non-food.For its part, Virgin is a way to revitalize its network (30 megastores and six stores in train stations and airports) by increasing sales at lower cost. "The company has developed a range of creative hobbies more interesting than the Fnac, is Thoumine Lawrence, a consultant at Kurt Salmon. But the initiative of Carrefour is presented more as a response to cultural spaces Leclerc, growing steadily for 10 years and the concept works pretty well, an attack against the Fnac. "

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The retraining is an obstacle course. It essentially said that a study by the Agency for the Use of Frames (APEC) published on Wednesday. If managers are increasingly likely to want to retrain mid-career, the process does not become easier for all. Indeed, beyond the speeches that are encouraging businesses, often plebiscite adaptability and motivation of atypical careers, recruitment always leave the spotlight on "cloning profiles," said the APEC.

"Today it is virtually impossible for a framework to achieve what professionals call the diagonal support: change both business and enterprise," said the APEC. Businesses, especially in times of crisis, most want is to secure their recruitment, and thus become more timid, more reluctant to hire people without experience on the job.Consequence: it is now much easier to convert internally, rather than changing at the same time employer. The mobility is viewed positively as a tool for employee retention, and a way to reduce uncertainty in hiring a person unknown.

A passion for the trades "ethical"

Some trades, however, are more open than others to atypical careers. This is especially true for businesses that engage in general skills, such as managers, consultants, sales representatives or heads of human resources (HR). "For people who do that are more and framed by" the shift is easier because it does not require highly technical skills, says a recruiter. However, positions that require some experience.

However, the desire for conversion especially managers aged 35 to 45 years, more inclined to question their journey. "The desire to change jobs is often associated with a need to reduce the dissonance between everyday work and personal taste," says Apec. "I wanted to take my dismissal to give meaning to my life," reflects his side a frame. As a result, trades are often considered ethical on a roll with these candidates for change.

The content of these trades, however, tends to change. While teaching, journalism and social work were acclaimed a few years ago, today it trades on Sustainable Development and Trade Fair that get the prize for ethics in the eyes of managers.Takers.

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It is a ranking Chinese perfectly at ease, quoting Voltaire, Montesquieu, Hugo and the Palace of Versailles, which opened yesterday the forum on cooperation and investment Franco-Chinese organized by MOFCOM (Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic), the France-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris.

Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of National People's Congress of China, which was received late yesterday afternoon by President Sarkozy is on an official visit in France until July 14 to seal the reconciliation between Paris and Beijing. Accompanied by more than one hundred business leaders, he will also travel to Lyon, Bordeaux and Marseille.

Forgot the Dalai Lama, forgotten criticism on human rights. Place business.But behind the smiles, Wu Bangguo, who also prepares the programmed displacement of Chinese President Hu Jintao in France before the end of the year, has three messages to convey.

For Westerners who criticize the Chinese to keep their currency, the yuan, undervalued to help their exporters, the Speaker said that his country, despite its tremendous growth, is not rich. "Some of my foreign friends asked me even though China was still a developing country," he joked before answering: "China is and will long remain in the primary stage of socialism."

Market economy

The income gap between cities and countryside, 10 million peasants that break every year in cities, the backlog in education, health care, social security are challenges ahead."The prosperity we have achieved is still a low level of prosperity, incomplete and unbalanced. 150 million people live on less than a dollar a day, "says Wu.

China is also lagging behind technologically, insists the chairman of the Assembly. His "independent innovation capacity is still insufficient," he says to make it clear that if France has invested in some 4000 projects on site, the "great economic power has, in turn, of obvious advantages in science, technology, human resources, management and marketing "and it is time extending them to Chinese.

This great power, said Wu Bangguo, should also be the messenger of China in Europe.Beijing was "with a functioning market economy, marked by greater protection of intellectual properties," says the chairman of the Assembly. "The general level of tariffs has increased from 15.3% in 2002 to 9.8% in 2010." China is a member of the WTO (World Trade Organization). It is therefore necessary that the European Union "as soon as possible recognize the market economy status," says number two China.A statute that the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzec, still does not want to hear.

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Better than expected.

Job center will provide 18 hours tonight the numbers of jobseekers registered.

In the Eurozone industrial orders in April showed the strongest gain in 10 years: +0.9% over March and 22.1% compared to April 2009. This last figure is the highest since May 2000, according to statistics released Thursday by Eurostat.

On the macroeconomic front, new jobless claims in the U.S. declined for the first time in three weeks, more than expected, according to official figures released on Thursday, and identifying the deposit of 457,000 new applications for grants from 13 to June 19 cons 476,000, said Thursday the Labor Department.

Furthermore, new orders for durable goods fell for the first time in six months from May to include the down purchases in the aviation sector, official statistics show on Thursday.

The Commerce Department reported a decline of 1.1% of these orders, to 192.008 billion dollars, after rising by 3.0% in April.

Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast an average decline of 1.4% in May after rising 2.8% announced in the first estimate for April.

Areva accrues $ 400 million more

The Group accrues 400 million euros more because of the further delay of the EPR. These delays have already cost the group 2.3 billion euros nuclear. And this new supply will cause the accounts into the red in the first half.

Vinci: -0.59% to 37.26 euros The company has signed an agreement for a proposed road tunnel in Vietnam, worth an estimated $ 600 million.

Publicis: -0.34% to 34.74 euros Interpublic does not need to merge with Publicis, according to its CEO, Michael Roth.The fourth group in terms of global advertising revenues has been speculation about a possible merger with French group.

L'Oreal: -1.81% to 81.82 euros, L'Oréal held yesterday, a presentation on New Markets, on their growth potential, based on affordable innovations, development of new product categories and the acceleration of globalization. Natixis Securities appreciated and raised price target on the value of 92-97 euros.

Societe Generale: -2.93% to 35.74 euros, the bank claimed Kerviel to 4.9 billion. This sum is claimed as damages, the commitments of the former alleged fraudulent trader.

Banking sector is doing well this Thursday after being bottom of the list of the CAC 40 over the past two sessions.The President of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet said in an interview published Thursday that the reform of financial regulation are on track and that a number of important decisions will be taken in November, during G20.

Axa: + 0.07% to 13.55 Resolution eurosL'assureur UK announced Thursday the acquisition of its French rival Axa Life insurance, savings and pensions in the United Kingdom for up to 2.75 billion pounds (3.3 billion euros).

Vivendi: + 0.06% to 17.45 euros without, however, that the word "relax" is heard, the prosecution had asked for any penalty against former executives of Vivendi Universal. From the first day of the hearing, Jean-Marie Messier, former chief executive, expressed a mea culpa about its "excessive communication."

Casino: + 0.33% to 63.75 euros latest episode in the war of Nespresso.Nestle has obtained the high court in Paris to send bailiffs in Folliet and Vegeplast, the two suppliers to the manufacturer Casino pods compatible with Nespresso machines.

Air France-KLM: -2.73% to 10.87 euros 4,390 people have left the company without being licensed, by March 2013, according to an internal document quoted by La Tribune, on its website.

Company Alps: -4.28% to 23.02 euros Compagnie des Alpes announced Thursday the launch of a capital increase of around 100 million euros, with retention of preferential subscription.

The leisure group has also announced a refinancing of its debt in advance through long-term, secure the liquidity of the group for five years.The increase in crude inventories reported in effect a weakening demand.

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As demonstrated by these matriochkas high 13 meters, which will adorn the entrance to Grand Palace, the visit of Vladimir Putin, started Thursday night in Paris, sacrifice largely Franco-Russian folklore. It was under the canopies of this symbolic place of French culture that the Prime Minister and his Russian counterpart, Francois Fillon, will open Friday morning a "Russian national exhibition. Previously, the strongman of the country will have breakfast at the Hotel Bristol with Jacques Chirac, then lunch with Nicolas Sarkozy. Fifteen Russian regions, including the turbulent Chechnya will be represented in Paris. A gathering of Russian masters, especially from the aerospace, automotive or pharmacy, will accompany Vladimir Putin.

France, the ninth largest trading partner of Russia

Unlike the two previous visits of Russian leaders in the capital – in November 2009 and March 2010 – no significant agreement should be concluded. In recent months, Moscow and Paris live on their laurels: the future participation of EDF and GDF-Suez in the pipeline South Stream and Nord Stream, the cooperation of the manufacturer Safran construction project of Sukhoi Superjet 100, the Alstom entry in the capital of the manufacturer of trains, Transmashholding. No room for complacency in the face of inroads by Russian companies in Italy and especially Germany.France is the sixth investor in Russia and the ninth largest trading partner countries.

Ads should be reserved for the visit of Nicolas Sarkozy Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg, June 19, in the presence of Dmitry Medvedev: Arianespace is about to purchase Russian rockets, and Martin Bouygues person would enter the Board Skolkovo, a project of Sophia-Antipolis in Russian, which arouses the skepticism of business.

Negotiations on the Mistral

The future of bilateral economic relations is first suspended negotiations started for the purchase by the Russian navy, a helicopter carrier Mistral. Russia, which is counting on France to help modernize its economy, relies on the expertise of the hexagon.

But Paris is reluctant to give Moscow a part of the military technology of this building.It would, however, a "good deal for the French manufacturer," says Vladimir Putin. "A helicopter-carrier as it cost around 300 million euros," added the Prime Minister who wants to buy a copy and duplicating the other three shipyards in the country. The Franco-Russian friendship has its limits.

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The soap opera twists rescue Opel has caused a new skirmish in the German government between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives. On Wednesday evening, the conservative chancellor, Angela Merkel, had repudiated his Liberal minister of Economy, Rainer Brüderl, which had ruled against the granting of state aid to troubled German manufacturer. On Thursday, after a meeting at the chancery, the four host plants Opel Länder have pledged to help the manufacturer.

"The four prime ministers have decided to make available to the company for discussions," said the boss of North Rhine-Westphalia, Jürgen Rüttgers, after the meeting. Rüttgers refused to discuss figures.However, the states concerned should increase the amount of their participation in the recovery plan of Opel to save jobs related to les sites of production established on their territory.

Public support of 1.1 billion euros, denied Wednesday Brüderl, should be financed by up to 46% by the federal government, followed by Hesse (29.19%), the North-Rhine- Westphalia (7.11%), Rhineland-Palatinate (5.61%) and Thuringia (2.47%). The Board of Opel has warned that without public support, the parent company, General Motors could eliminate more jobs in Germany as the 4000 dismissal under the current restructuring plan.

Consolidation of the range

Opel employs approximately 25,000 employees in Germany. The factories in Bochum, Eisenach and Kaiserslautern are threatened with closure teletrek No payday advance.Only the maintenance of the center of research and development of Rüsselsheim is guaranteed.

Brüderl had justified its rejection of the application for public assistance from General Motors for its European subsidiary in finding that GM had enough funds to help recover Opel. He made his decision after a meeting of a committee that could not reach a common position after reviewing the request for assistance. GM plans to spend 1.9 billion euros to boost Opel, currently in deficit. The restructuring program includes a 20% capacity of Opel and an overhaul of the range by 2014.

The Liberals had reluctantly accepted, on weekends, a package of measures to save 80 billion euros by 2014 in the federal budget.By refusing the assistance of 1.1 billion, which would have preferred, he said, a builder on the other, the minister wanted to show that liberal ideas were not dead.

However, Angela Merkel warned that Berlin had "not heard the last word in the file Opel" thereby alienating Brüderl, who also refused to grant guarantees for loans to Opel in Europe. The Chancellor, who seeks to preserve its image as a protective mother of the nation, convened on Thursday, meeting with government leaders of regional states concerned to encourage them to increase their participation to fill the hole left after the withdrawal of funds Federal.

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This is an unprecedented initiative in the world. For the first time, a local authority, Ile-de-France, will require full transparency of banks and other financial institutions with whom she wants to work, and this in the context of the fight against tax havens. More specifically, the regional council asked each year to its financial partners an overview of their activities and their relationship with the 18 non-cooperative states listed by the government. So far, only the city of Helsinki had thought about such an initiative without ever materialize.This election promise, launched by Europe Ecologie then taken up by the regional president Jean-Paul Huchon, was confirmed Wednesday, and will vote at the next plenary session of June 17

The resolution provides that before proceeding with financial institutions to borrow money or to arrange a bond issue, the Regional Council will ask them to clarify their relationships with states that refuse to sign agreements of transparency and exchange of information.The first Vice-President of the Regional Council of Marie-Pierre Gontrie (SP) said that "if some banks are choosing to continue their activities in these countries, these items are taken into account in our decision," No fax pay day loans .

The idea could swarm

The regional council "will reserve the right to modify and extend this mechanism, each year, given a report monitoring its application," explains Cecile Duflot, President of European Group Ecology and Robert Leo, new regional adviser Greens -EE and former CEO of Caisse des Depots et Consignations."These elements constitute a criterion for the decision to continue or begin to use the services of these banks," they said.

During the campaign, regional, Cecile Duflot was particularly criticized for BNP Paribas' main lender of the regional council ", to" work in many tax havens like the Cayman Islands, Jersey and Guernsey and Hong Kong. "

This innovative device could make small: other regions have expressed interest as the Champagne-Ardenne, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur or the Midi-Pyrénées.

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Brussels is preparing to put his nose in one of the most sensational divorce industry on the European scene: the Barroso Commission is preparing to announce in the next few days the launch of an accelerated procedure against the French Areva and the Siemens of Germany for infringement of competition law, according to European sources well placed.

In this case, it is the folder Areva NP, the ex-Framatome, owned 35% by Siemens and 65% by Areva. The German group announced in early 2008 its decision to exit the venture, after several years of fruitful cooperation.

Areva has taken note of this decision but said that Siemens was unable to compete with it for several years because of an agreement signed between both parties. And it is this clause that Siemens is trying to quash the Commission.A clause also crucial for the French group that tries to turn the cash in order to lower the purchase price of 35%.

Addressing what looks like a cartel, while the separation between the two European giants of nuclear consumed is therefore paradoxical only in appearance. Siemens, unable to compete with its former French partner by one of the clauses of the marriage contract of 2001, seeks in effect to part of a last thread to the leg. Moreover, the German group discreetly that he looks forward to the debut of the Commission.

The shareholders agreement signed in honeymoon Franco-German, January 30, 2001, has never been made public.The clause that is now the competition commissioner, Joaquin Almunia, evoked precisely the scenario of a separation for at least eight years after the divorce, it prohibits Siemens rival Areva to come on the market for nuclear reactors, according to one of the parties in conflict.

Partnership with Rosatom

The decision by Joaquin Almunia opens investigation against "violations" of sections 101 and 102 of the Treaty of Lisbon by Areva SA, Siemens AG and their subsidiary Areva NP. The procedure "does not mean that there are strict proof" of infringement of competition law, but simply that the case will be handled on a priority basis, according to the draft obtained by Le Figaro.

The non-competition, held by Areva and Siemens today denounced, no objection was raised in 2001 during the passage of the shareholders before the European authorities.Has it been so deliberately ignored? Or added a posteriori? In any case, it returns to haunt the two partners.

And because it prohibits the German group to realize its nuclear partnership with the Russian company Rosatom. Siemens announced March 3 – with the blessing of Vladimir Putin – the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for a joint venture with the public group. It is developing the technology Russian pressurized water reactors. This alliance has created a noisy side reaction of Areva, which has denounced "a unilateral breach of contractual obligations" by the German group.

Beyond the bitterness born of a failed marriage, is a cut-throat competition looming on one of the most lucrative markets for decades to come: that of civilian nuclear reactors, each of the two firms in tens of units.Unless he can get Brussels to outright cancellation of the disputed clause, Siemens would like to see at least his initial handicap reduced by several years.

That complex is more of a rebound near. While Siemens sentence actually formalized its alliance with Rosatom – the German press has recently indicated that there would be no breakthrough until 2011 – and rumors have circulated about a possible return behind the German group. So a partnership with Areva reactivated.But recent developments in Brussels show that this scheme will be hard to reappear.

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More than 2 billion euros

How is the participation of Siemens in Areva NP? Estimates are circulating that the French group will put on the table between two billion and 2.5 billion euros. To agree on the amount of the transaction, both groups have appointed an independent expert. No timetable has been set officially, but the findings should be made before the end of 2010. Meanwhile, Areva has singularly need to restore its financial leeway.

For the period 2008-2012, Miss nuclear group has estimated its investment needs about 6.5 billion euros.While a capital increase is planned – up to 15%, through three foreign partners – but the government delayed giving the green light.

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