- November 10, 2011

Indecision on the Paris Bourse. After losing 2.17% below 3100 points yesterday, the CAC 40 opened down sharply, falling more than 2% in early trade. He then did an about face and moves from 0.12% to 3078.02 points, around 10:20.

As on Wall Street and Asian stock markets, doubt seized investors, who are now considering the worst: a contagion of debt in the eurozone. With the center of these concerns, the situation in Italy, including the implementation of austerity measures remains uncertain. The announcement yesterday of the upcoming departure of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has in fact added to the uncertainty, as evidenced by soaring rates of the Italian Treasury ten years by 0.5 percentage points to 7.20%.

Unison concerns of investors, Brussels found the Italian debt situation "very worrying".Ditto for the International Monetary Fund: its director Christine Lagarde said today that "lack of political clarity" in Italy supplied the uncertainties, according to Reuters. Similarly, managers of U.S. Pimco, the largest bond manager in the world, estimated that "6% and 7% interest rate, the country will fail to stabilize its debt, which will become uncontrollable ".

To this distrust Rome, plus doubts about the ability to bounce back from Greece after the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou announced his resignation Wednesday. It did not cite the name of his successor, who will not be released until Thursday.

Consequence of this climate morose, oil prices were down Thursday, though the announcement on the eve of an unexpected fall in U.S. oil stocks managed to halt the downward trend.

Exchange: 216 billion euros went up in smoke - October 3, 2011

The market decline occurred in August and September did go up in smoke the equivalent of 216 billion euros over the market value of CAC 40 companies since January 1. During the one day of 22 September, falling 5.25% of the benchmark index of the Paris Stock Exchange has removed 40 billion euros, as much as the market capitalization of the size groups of EDF and L'Oreal!

Today, all forty major French companies weighed on the stock exchange the equivalent of 794 billion euros. This figure may seem high to the uninitiated, but it is actually little more than the book value of assets of companies entering the CAC 40.The fall in prices has reached such proportions that the largest industrial groups in the rating on the stock exchange deal at the price of factories, stocks of goods or land on which are built warehouses or stores.

The difficult conversion of athletes - September 25, 2011

Leaving a few weeks ago his book "When I was Superman," the former professional rugby player Raphael Poulain thought might not meet such a promotion for his first work. His testimony, however, echoes the experience of dozens of former athletes who have not managed early enough or seriously enough after their career. While attempting an acting career, the former player of the French stage is always at RSA …

Carefree, career fantasy, sports drink business … there are many pitfalls to a successful second career. "The Transformation of an elite athlete must be thought as soon as possible, even if the training choices that we made 18 years are not necessarily the same as the desires of end of career," insists Bruno Martini Former goalkeeper of France handball and now general manager of the Paris Handball.

"As soon as possible"

Do nothing in a hurry: the board is now accepted by all players around athlete (coaches, associations, consulting companies to sports, some agents). Many entities are trying to build bridges between the world of sport and of the company. Renault, official partner of the XV of France, has just launched with Proval (union of professional rugby players), a program offering a career to former professional players. One type of initiative more often the values ​​of the sporting world (fighting spirit, a taste for effort …) are highly valued in the business world.

In fact, the discourse is much more difficult to move among young people, especially in sports most media, such as football."Today a young footballer aged 15-16 in the training center already won 500 to 600 euros per month and turned professional at 18, with a nice salary," explains Sébastien Pampanay, director of the Ecole des sports occupations professional, working with football clubs on the training of young athletes. "Even in lesser-known individual sports such as tennis, table tennis a young age of 16 wins in the good clubs from 3500 to 4000 euros net per month. After that, go ask them to pass the exam! "Adds Thierry Maudet, executive director of the National Sports Institute, expertise and performance (INSEP), which trains and prepares high-level individual sports.

Social responsibility of clubs

The less publicized sports such as handball and volleyball are in turn more favorable to a successful conversion.Less concerned with early and huge income, keep young athletes' head on his shoulders. " Especially as their media visibility weaker does not help sponsors and advertising contracts very generous. "Clubs are beginning to understand they have a social responsibility on the support of their post-professional players," said Bruno Martini, 80% of its players are trained parallel.

In rugby, the professionalisation of sport sometimes lose their heads to the younger generations, but those who experienced the period amateur took the lead. With varying success. Kémana Spa, the spa center of Serge Betsen, former International XV of France, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year for lack of sufficient involvement in the management of his company he acknowledges himself.Not enough to scald his brothers studs, "who do not know offline realities professionalism," said Miguel Fernandez, players' agent. " Of the 30 French rugby parties in New Zealand, 14 have a side like Lionel Nallet (mechanical parts), Imanol Harinordoquy (clothing brand) or Vincent Clerc (Team One Group: event and sports marketing).

However, despite the good will, training remains a matter of priorities, and even sacrifices. His 30-year well underway, Bruno Martini had to change twice before finding a club in Nimes framework laid him to spend his degree club manager.

Fault lines as sports

Overall, fault lines affect the earliness and quality of the preparation of a post-career.Whether you are male or female, international sports or not, and in a team sport or individual management of retirement sports varies widely. However, the main difference between the high-profile sports and the more confidential. In the first case, the financial gains will promote a higher awareness of the athlete against the importance of rapidly forming a capital, and form. "In France, only 150 players on the 2000 working professionals do not have to worry financially for a second life project, warns Sébastien Pampanay. However, thinking of his conversion is still not part of the natural gait of a professional football player, unlike other sports where the mentality is different. "

For example, the judoka Décosse Lucie, triple world champion and European champion four of his discipline follows a parallel training as a journalist with the CFJ. A woman in an individual sport, the economy far less developed than that of football or rugby would be aware of any financial potential of his career. But exceptions exist, such as media Mickaël Landreau, footballer and current goalkeeper of the club Lille LOSC, now in training (master of management).

Ultimately, the issue of supervision and training of the athlete according to his discipline are crucial. "There is not a sport, but sports, with different realities, warns of Insep Thierry Maudet. The current problem is that we have cloned the same mode of organization for all disciplines.A gymnast has a volume of training equal or even greater than that of a footballer, to operate in a sport to the economic model does not exist! ". From this point of view, the family and the maturity of the sport often make the difference. "Too many young athletes are not yet aware of these constraints. They dream to come true in their sport, "career" and to live, says the head of school sport. We must make them understand that their responsibility in the field, it should be taken also in life. "

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Cac 40: a first difficult for Safran - September 20, 2011

The least we can say is that Safran has not chosen the best time to join the benchmark index of the Paris. In two and a half months, the CAC 40 has lost a quarter of its value. For its first listing, Safran lost 1.14% to 25.99 euros. However, the boss of aerospace equipment is intended confident. "It is recognition of the work, said Jean-Paul Herteman, in an interview with Echo on Monday. Our visibility will increase. In particular, this could help us recruit the talent we need. "

"I wish all the best at Societe Generale"

As individuals, concerned with the character "short-term approach" taken by the Exchange, turn their backs on stocks, Jean-Paul Herteman thinks otherwise and tries to reassure investors. "The stock market does not prevent us from conducting a long-term strategy," said he guaranteed online personal loans.Market volatility currently registered by the financial markets do not frighten him. "Safran worth three times less than today on the stock market three years ago, says the head of Safran. In such a short time, our fundamentals have not been processed yet so profound. It is sometimes said that the market is always right, but not every day. "

In a difficult environment for banking stocks that continue to be attacked on the stock market because of their exposure to Greece or Italy, Jean-Paul Herteman also address a small message for them. "I wish all the best at Societe Generale and the French banks," said he.

And just about banks, Natixis is that Safran replaced in the CAC 40 in early September, the index came in just a year ago and had lost more than 40% since April.

The luxury cars are unaware of the crisis - September 16, 2011

Car manufacturers ultra-luxurious living on another planet. The downside risks, of concern to general groups, do not seem to disturb them. Concessions in the Ferrari, "consumers are not worried about a recession. The last I saw did not look desperate, "said Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat, at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Prancing Horse brand also provides for a new record this year by selling 7,000 cars, against 6,570 last year. Ferrari is also counting on a profit before tax "significant", following an increase of 23% in 2010 to 302 million euros. "I'm not worried because we have quality, exclusivity, a strong brand and innovative technology," said its president, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo.

It is the only one to be extremely confident.Rolls-Royce (BMW Group), whose boss, Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, said he was "optimistic" about prospects for its niche, also wants to exceed its historical performance of last year (2711 cars). The luxury brand will invest 11.4 million euros to expand its plant in Goodwood English and plans to increase its network from 85 to 100 outlets.

Buyers richer

Sales of the major European luxury brands (Maserati, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin) are expected to jump 19% this year to 28,100 vehicles, and increase by 13% in 2012, according to a study by IHS Automotive. "The rich are becoming richer, and the number of millionaires in emerging and growing. It is a very positive trend "for specialists in this niche, says Erich Hauser, an analyst at Credit Suisse agency quoted Bloomberg.For him, "should things go really bad" for the champions of this market find themselves in difficulty.

The ultra-premium segment should be able to pass through an economic downturn better than in the previous crisis, which saw sales of certain brands to collapse, says the CEO of Rolls-Royce. "This market has been growing steadily since its low point in 2009" but "we are aware that there are risks," acknowledges, however, Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini's boss. But for now, the Italian brand of the Volkswagen group does not seem to fear a decline in the purchasing power of its wealthy clients. It will produce 20 Sesto Elemento for early 2013. Their price: 1.6 million euro.

The gold buckles, Wales reopen its mines - August 22, 2011

The mining industry in developed countries is not quite dead. Yet the crisis of 2008 had seemed to him a fatal blow, after years of attrition caused by the scarcity and soaring costs of extraction. But today, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada … mines reopened thanks to soaring commodity prices.

Chibougamau camp, north of Montreal, had not survived the collapse of prices and had to close in 2008 after fifty years of activity. But the soaring price of copper (+47% in one year), gold (+40% in one year) and money (113% in one year) has to hope René Galipeau, CEO of Nuinsco: "Hundreds of children left when the production was closed after years of operational and financial problems.But work on only two mines could lead to the reopening of the Chibougamau camp … and the return of minors to accelerate the revival of the region. "

Nuinsco group is not the only one who had this idea. Many investors would like to reopen the largest gold mine Bontddu UK (Wales). It must be said that the price of gold rose from $ 250 per ounce in 1999 to 1850 dollars lately!

Local authorities are sometimes hostile

"When we closed the mine, it had become too expensive to operate but with the rising price of gold, we are considering reopening the Clogau mine," Wales said Ken Jones, manager of marketing Clogau Gold jewelry company which owned the rights to the mine.

Other metals are benefiting from soaring prices.Thus, the largest silver mine in the United States will also open in Texas as well as the Chino Mine (copper) in New Mexico. In Britain, the last tin mine, South Crofty Mine, closed in 1998, remember to return to activity. The metal price has increased fivefold over the period (+51% over the year).

Nevertheless, we are still far from the great return of the mining industry. Two challenges are needed to interested investors: the financing of such a project (Nuinsco believes that it would require 40 to 50 million dollars to revive the Chibougamau camp) and agreement with local authorities, sometimes hostile projects. This is the case in South Crofty in England, where the community wants to build a recreation center on the site.

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Why Eurobonds are gaining ground - August 16, 2011

How to stop the contagion of the crisis of debt in the euro zone? European leaders are working on the subject while, after Greece, Ireland and Portugal, the budgets of Spain and Italy still worried. Among the options considered: Eurobonds. Berlin does not want to hear about it, Paris does not show much enthusiasm either. However, this proposal is increasingly cited as the most credible to stem the crisis.

What Eurobonds?

Eurobonds (in English or eurobonds) are bonds issued by all 17 Member States of the euro area and subscribed in their common name.The rate of these bonds would be an average for the various member countries, now very different depending on the health of national economies: while German interest rates to 10 stood at 2.62%, those of the Greece nearly 15%.

The creation of the Eurobond, which would mark a greater economic integration in the euro zone, would be to pool the debts of member countries.

What are their advantages?

"If there had been the 'Eurobonds', we would not have today's crisis," says the Italian Minister of Economy, Giulio Tremonti. Such titles would indeed to most indebted countries to borrow at rates lower than those applied to them today. And so break the current vicious circle: with interest rates high, they struggle to refinance markets.

Last week, the European Central Bank (ECB) has disbursed a record $ 22 billion of debt to buy Italian and Spanish, allowing a relaxation of bond yields. But for many, these measures are not sufficient and Eurobonds appear as the most credible to stop the contagion of the debt crisis.

Opposing their creation?

Germany refuses to discuss it. Berlin has in fact particularly low interest rates and would be the big loser of the pooling of European debts. She also fears that the Eurobond release the pressure on states to réquilibrer their finances. Germany wants a greater economic cooperation among member countries of the euro area and the creation of a European institution that would oversee the fiscal policy of each.

Hence the warning before the meeting between Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel on Tuesday afternoon: "We will not cover Eurobonds on our own because it is not, in our opinion, a way desirable or practicable" , said the spokesman of Chancellor allemande payday advance.La France also spoke against the Eurobonds.

"We have a common monetary policy and fiscal policy in each country individually," which results in different interest rates, and "as is the case, Eurobonds are not an option"

Has revived the debate?

The creation of Eurobonds is promoted by long-time supporters of federalism in Europe, including Jean-Claude Juncker.States who suffer from debt interest rates are higher, of course, too, this solution in a positive light.

But even in Germany, the idea seems to be gaining ground: the president of the association of German exporters (BGA), Anton Boerner, has taken a stand for the creation of European bonds, "We need it, and we needed quickly, "he said, calling for the introduction of" golden rules "budget to support their creation.The German daily Die Welt also reported this weekend that the German government began to consider the Eurobonds.

Britain, which has not adopted the euro, has also come out in favor of Eurobonds by the voice of his finance minister, George Osborne: it asked "institutions in the euro area to all that is necessary to maintain stability ", describing the disintegration of the euro as" economic disaster including the UK "." Solutions such as Eurobonds and other forms of security must now be considered seriously, "he added.

Other voices were heard recently in favor of it "Europe needs Eurobonds," said the investor George Soros in an article published Monday by the Financial Times: "Germany and Other countries have AAA in one way or another to create a system of Eurobonds. Otherwise, the euro will collapse. "

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How Facebook imposes its currency - July 8, 2011

Click the preview to enlarge the graphic.

This will be the next revolution Facebook. With nearly 750 million members, the social network is already in the shade to the e-mail to photo sharing sites like Flickr and Google. Today, Facebook is opening a new front, which could result in a "blitzkrieg" on the virtual economy. His weapon: a virtual currency, the Facebook Credits, poised to become the electronic purse of any user.

Launched quietly a year ago and a half, Facebook Credits are required on the site since July 1. Now any game publisher or service on Facebook to provide the currency of the site, in addition to its own virtual currency, like the FarmCash well known to fans of the game Farmville.Credits can be bought on the Facebook site with a card, a Paypal account, payment systems such as mobile Zong, even – as in the U.S. – via physical gift cards sold in supermarkets.

Major industrial

Facebook Credits against such exchange of virtual goods in games like Farmville, PyramidZ and Empires & Allies, or, as suggested by the film studio Warner, against VOD movies. In the U.S., fans of télécrochets as "X-Factor" and "American Idol" can be used to vote for their preferred candidates, replacing the virtual currency of Facebook to Premium SMS.Eventually, all things virtual – an mp3 download, buy a newspaper article online, a coupon obtained by locating in a shop with his mobile telephone minutes of … on Skype – could Facebook Credits currencies.

"The use of Facebook Credits is required, but not exclusive," nuance Codorniou Julien, director of partnerships Facebook France. "This includes the game, but the media as Warner Bros, music, video, box office. This will ensure the liquidity of the currency on all services, "explains Julien Codorniou.Specifically, "consumers will increasingly lead the Facebook FarmCash Credits and less" analysis Michaël Amar, CEO and cofounder of Ifeelgoods, a U.S. company that provides e-merchants to offer Facebook in place of Credits vouchers to their customers.

For Facebook, the Credits are an industrial issue. In fact, each editor service that offers its users to pay Facebook Credits reverse 30% of the value of the transaction of the social network. For example, on a rented movie for 30 Credits Facebook, or 3 dollars, by a user, Warner will donate 90 cents to Facebook. These commissions will quickly become an important part of revenue from Facebook. "We want to go as soon as possible and as widely as possible to diversify our revenue," said Julien Codorniou.Already, sales are "significant" for Facebook, which still generates most of its revenue through advertising. To get an idea, just look at the business volume of Zynga, a major partner of Facebook and subject, like others, to pay the 30% commission, the publisher has made 850 million euros sales in 2010. Its revenues are expected to reach $ 1.5 billion in 2011.

Social games

It's not for nothing that Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and cofounder of Facebook, has made the article social game publishers during his visit to Paris in late May for the e-G8: "The game publishers have found that people preferred to play where their friends are Zynga and imported the social dimension in the game Why gaming is gone first? Because it is a very social experience at first.I think that other media will follow as music, newspapers, books, "he said.

For now, Facebook provides not want to conquer the physical properties of electronic commerce with its virtual currency. In shops in Facebook, the social network rather "Facebook experience on third party sites." "In the coming months will spread features such as" Shop with friends "(buy with friends), Julien Codorniou details. This is not to create shops on Facebook, but to bring its online store friends of the people. "These purchases on the site of a merchant with his Facebook identity will feed the basis of information available to the social network members, and facilitate its advertising sales.

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Overheating warning of emerging countries Coface - June 30, 2011

The emerging markets are facing a "problem-rich" fight against the overheating of their economies – from 6 to 7% last year – when developed countries are seeking to boost their low growth. "Their macroeconomic management faces a dilemma: keep inflation that accompanies this growth through restrictive monetary and fiscal policies, knowing that increases in interest rates contribute to the massive influx of capital," says chief economist of Coface, Yves Zlotowski. Some countries are better equipped, such as Brazil, the driving force of the South American continent and one of the first to respond, noting early on interest rates and imposing taxes on capital inflows.

Dilma Rousseff, Lula's successor as president, also began to impose fiscal restraint.If the funds continue to flow, growth has slowed down somewhat in the first quarter to 4.2% against 7.5% previously. "Brazil is a highly diversified economy in its exports, with an internal market dynamics. Above all, the country has lead the last ten years important structural reforms, "adds the analyst.

"Institutional delay"

Conversely, the credit insurer is more concerned about the neighbor Argentina, faced with high inflation of 23%, where the industry is operating at full capacity, supported by consumption and fiscal and monetary policy very accommodative personal loans for people with bad credit. Overheating is very important in part masked by a current account surplus driven by exports of soybeans in China. But the landing is likely to be brutal crash.

In Asia, the weakest link is located in Vietnam, with a very open economy model of development with Chinese characteristics, based on the investment, mainly Asian. Iran is benefiting from rising costs in China, resulting in even relocation. This generated a huge credit bubble, whose share in GDP increased in ten years from 30 to 120%. The difference is that it does not have the same cash reserves that China and he is obliged to regularly devalue its currency, the dong. "There is a real institutional delay, the risk is, in a skid, discourage investment, which finance the huge current account deficit," Yves Zlotowski analysis.

However, the restrictions put in place gradually in the large emerging economies – China, India, Turkey, Brazil – should provide a soft landing.The challenge is to develop real consumer markets that go through a reduction in inequalities and a growing middle class and to provide for future growth in developed countries.

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No enlargement of the ISF to works of art - June 8, 2011

The deputies followed the government's view: Tuesday night later, they rejected the amendment, which taxed the works of art to the wealth tax (ISF). Works of art are therefore exempt, as they have since 1982. And, a priori, the Senate, which will examine the end of June the reform of the taxation of wealth, should not return to this point.

The vote closes days of debate that divided the majority. Because the amendment taxing works of art came from the UMP Marc Le Fur. Since its adoption in Finance Committee on Wednesday, the government objected small personal loans. But it is Nicolas Sarkozy himself is mounted to the plate Tuesday, qualifying in front of ministers and leaders of the majority, "triple stupidity" the idea of ​​taxing works of art.

Tuesday's meeting, Marc Le Fur finally withdrew his amendment, which the coup was introduced by the socialist president of the Finance Committee Jerome Cahuzac. But the UMP did so by raising another issue, that of taxation works of art at their sales. Amendments within these charges will be discussed today.