2011, bad year for the Japanese economy. But less bad than expected. The gross domestic product (GDP) of Japan fell 0.2% in the fourth quarter of last year, bringing the decline in growth throughout the year to -0.7%. The Japanese government initially expected a decline of 0.6% between October and December, which would have increased to 0.9% GDP growth over the twelve months.

Struck by an earthquake and tsunami March 11, 2011 which were 19,000 deaths, Japan saw its number of damaged plants and encountered severe disturbances on its electricity production. At this natural disaster were added the slowdown in global demand, a stronger yen and floods in Thailand where many Japanese companies are based, in particular the automobile cash advance to savings account.

Today, the Japanese economy remains fragile. The government and the central bank of Japan (BoJ) hope however dig us out of slump with a series of measures introduced to boost consumer spending, business spending on support by providing funding solutions, and contain the surge of the Japanese currency.

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This is a bad sign for the fledgling market for electric cars. The General Motors has decided to suspend production of its Volt plug-in hybrid for five weeks, the time to "align production with demand." This is an embarrassing decision for the manufacturer, which launched in late 2010 this car with a small engine used to recharge the battery of about 200 kg.

While rising fuel prices at the pump becomes a concern for motorists, the Volt should instead be of great interest. The high price of the vehicle with respect to its performance remains a problem. The sedan costs $ 41,000, not including a tax credit of $ 7500 awarded by the federal government, which wants to promote this technology in the name of reducing pollution. But GM has sold only 7,671 Volt last year in the United States, against 10,000 planned. Since the beginning of the year, just over 1,600 were purchased. The first deliveries of the European version, the Opel Ampera, should start soon.

Purchase long to return

The first American automaker plans to launch a national advertising campaign to boost sales of a vehicle denounced by some as an illustration of a public subsidy "politically correct", without consideration of market reality. GM, which the federal government is still the largest shareholder, was saved from bankruptcy in 2009 by an injection of public funds of $ 50 billion. Despite regular promotions elected by the Democratic Party, sales of electric and hybrid vehicles in the U.S. represent less than 3% of the market.

The main rival of the Volt is paradoxically the Cruze, another vehicle of the Chevrolet brand and look identical. With a conventional gasoline engine but more economical than previous generations of vehicles in this category, the Cruze costs almost twice as cheap. Consumer Reports, an independent private authority, believes it takes six years to the owner of the Volt to recover the sacrifice he had to agree in preferring the new technology rather than the Cruze. This period is far too long to allow the Volt to generate significant interest in the U.S. market.

The Volt was also hurt by a controversy. Protection of its large battery had to be reinforced after the discovery of spontaneous fires in cars immobilized for several days after a violent collision. Besides the surge in gasoline prices and the upcoming advertising campaign, two other factors are expected to boost sales of Volt in 2012: first orders of General Electric, which manufactures loading terminals for its fleet of company vehicles, and secondly the new California regulation: on motorways, expressways reserved for cars carrying more than one person at peak times will also be open to electric cars, even if they are occupied by only one person …

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This is the new sensation of the Web. Pinterest is a social network dedicated to the passions of its users. Launched just two years ago in California, the service meets today nearly 12 million unique visitors per month according to Comscore. He topped the 10 million users faster than any independent site before him. This performance earned him today to have the attention of technophiles warned, brands and websites.

Atypical among rising stars in the Web, they are housewives, brides and others have cross stitch who rushed on the first Pinterest. Its advantage: a simple and aesthetic. Its members "pin on" a click of fashion images, decorating and cooking, gleaned from the Web, on a "virtual corkboard". Clicking on the picture, the user is returned to the original site. These collections can be shared with other users who sign up as a Twitter following. In short, the Twitter blog simplified by reducing the notes to short messages of 140 characters and Twitter today Pinterest simplifies by replacing the text and images.

The founders of Pinterest, Ben Silberman, Evan Sharp and Paul Sciarra, is "to connect the world through the objects they find interesting." While services like Facebook play on social ties between people, the founders of Pinterest believe that "a book, a toy or a recipe may be a common bond between two people." The two services are complementary, Pinterest offering content to share with relations built on Facebook paydayloans. Since the launch of an application for Facebook in January, Pinterest saw its daily audience from Facebook to rise by 60%.

15.8 minutes per day

Above all, playing the card of interests, Pinterest wowed an audience engaged and quality. A study by the agency Modea, two thirds of users are women. 28% of members belong to a household whose annual income exceeds $ 100,000. They spend an average of 15.8 minutes per day on Pinterest, is already more than Facebook (12.1 minutes).

For brands, this is a gold mine. Overseas, more than a hundred have created a page on Pinterest. They will present fashion collections (Gap), recipe ideas depending on the season (Whole Foods) or albums more unexpected, like the collection of "literary tattoos" assembled by the publisher Random House. In referring to commercial sites, collected images generate sales and, potentially, affiliate income for Pinterest. This is the strategy already chosen by the competitor Pinterest, TheFancy.com.

Revenue side, there is no urgency for Pinterest which raised $ 27 million in October 2011, bringing to $ 37.5 million in funds raised since its inception. These rounds were an opportunity to enter the capital of eminent members of the "PayPal mafia" like Max Levchin, the cofounder of the online payment service, and Kevin Hartz, one of its investors.

Defender said most of the nuclear in government, Eric Besson was not afraid of being labeled a provocateur. This is not just a few hundred of the four reactors at the Japanese central Fukushima Daiichi destroyed by the tsunami on March 11 that the Minister of Industry on Tuesday reaffirmed that "France continues to believe in the future a nuclear with the highest standards of safety. " At the invitation of the Japanese Minister of the Environment, the young Goshi Hosono, Eric Besson is the first member of a foreign government to visit the site of the plant.

After two hours of visit, the French minister said he was "reassured by the overall situation." Precautions taken to this particular field trip, as Le Figaro followed, give a first impression otherwise. First, stop sign at the entrance to the perimeter evacuated twenty miles of the plant, the J Village. The training center of the football team of Japan has been converted into a basic life for 3,000 workers who work day and night at the bedside of the atomic plant. Village of J, departure by bus, duly equipped with a white suit, two pairs of gloves, shoe covers as many plastic full mask and two dosimeters.

No lethal dose

First observation of the Minister of Energy, "there is no strong radioactivity around the plant," he relativized. During the visit mainly by bus, with two stops, one at the foot of reactor number 4 disemboweled, Eric Besson has received a dose of 0.033 millisieverts (mSv), about 140 mSv if he stayed all year. The equivalent of seven times the annual dose permitted for an employee of nuclear power in France, and a still higher threshold to 100 mSv, above which the risk of cancer were found no fax needed payday loans. This reassured the Minister in relation to what he expected dosimetry is reduced in some villages in the forbidden zone. Mayor Kawauchi has asked the government authorization of the return of its approximately 2000 to 3000 administered at home.

Other ground of relief to Eric Besson: health outcomes unrelated to the "astronomical figures that have been circulating." If the tsunami of March 11 caused about 20,000 deaths, not one worker has received a lethal radiation dose, Akio Komori confirmed, a director at Tepco, the plant operator. Twenty-eight have received over 150 mSv, which "some more 500mSv". None of this symptom to date, according to Akio Komori. The 3000 employees who are working to ensure the cooling of reactors have restored the control of the situation. However, Akio Komori fears the consequences of a new powerful earthquake on spent fuel pools, not yet secure. Tepco said the head of three challenges: the treatment of contaminated water, soil remediation throughout the area and dismantling of the reactors.

In the situation room installed since March 11 in an earthquake-proof building of the plant, Eric Besson has launched a hundred busy workers behind their screens: "Your job, in difficult conditions, is important for the future of the sector. "A future, he added, that does not exist" without the confidence of the people. " In Japan, despite the persistence of "divers" of Tepco, that confidence has been permanently shaken.

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Visa Europe and MasterCard compete imagination to make their cards more attractive. Thus, Visa deploys a program of benefits for some 4.2 million Visa cardholders Prime. They now benefit from price reductions in a list of partner stores (Sephora, Lapeyre, Opinion …) by simply presenting a coupon to download on the Internet (visa.fr). April 1, this program will be expanded to Lenotre, ready-to-wear or Bensimon to Nature and Discovery. "Historically, the world of credit cards was rather that of the travel and leisure. Now the goal is to approach the everyday consumer, "says Catherine Soubirou, partnership manager at Visa Europe. MasterCard, meanwhile, has developed an online shopping mall which also offers discounts to holders of the Gold card.

But for the most prestigious cards, these benefits are not enough. The 150,000 holders of a Visa Infinite card will then be offered, to April 1, new services very chic. As Jet Taxi, which for 2200 euros an hour, take four people in Le Bourget to the destination of their choice. Or the opportunity to attend events are difficult to access (the Grand Prix of Monaco Formula 1, the Cannes Film Festival …).

Extensions guarantees

Open doors to places or events was the confidential trademark of the very VIP Centurion Card from American Express. The same idea will wow now the holders of other cards. MasterCard has already embarked on this path, imagining private parties for its Platinum card holders who dream of visiting a quiet art exhibitions or attend concerts circle Payday advance. A taste for the Parisians, what awaits them when Paris will join the Priceless Cities program, launched by MasterCard in New York last summer and launched from London and Toronto. It offers cardholders Platinum – but for some offers, a Gold – privileges: previews or priority seating for events to, in the highest rated restaurants

.

"Exclusive offers, which consumers aspire today," says Francois Gandon, marketing manager of MasterCard France. Thus, the card interest is not limited to insurance they offer … even if they are perfected. Visa is for example to review his.  

The foreign assistance was not playing in the event of natural disaster? This exclusion has been removed. Children of divorced or separated parents received guarantees only if the parent traveling with the cardholder? They are now protected even if they move without him. "The goal is to avoid maximum disappointment of our customers, guarantees on misunderstood or exclusions that surprise them," says Emmanuel Robert, head of product offers from Visa Europe France.

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An annual net income of $ 41 billion, up 34% over one year for the staff of the majors. The American Exxon Mobil in 2011 remained the world's leading oil company. The results reflect an exceptional year for all of the hydrocarbon industry driven by a barrel of Brent posting a record annual average price of $ 112.

Altogether, the net results of the ten important are around $ 200 billion. These figures however do not prevent spectacular analysts point several concerns about "Big Oil", the nickname of Western majors. The first production. That of the leader Exxon declined 10% (400,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day), that 3% of Chevron. "BP has also disappointed," said Luca Baccarini, an analyst with Energy Funds Advisors, an investment advisory firm specializing in the oil market. "The Western majors are struggling to renew their reserves and production, he says, and position themselves increasingly to natural gas."

These are national companies of producing countries that have the greatest potential for oil production, adds substantially Luca Baccarini. And example is the Brazilian Petrobras, Russian Rosneft or Colombian Ecopetrol, companies controlled by their respective states but publicly traded. Petrobras, including a woman, Maria das Graças Foster – unprecedented in this masculine world – just take the reins, saw its annual net profit to decline by 5%. At issue: the rising costs of exploration.

Chinese acquisitions

Chinese companies for their part, became for some years now the leading players, CNOOC, PetroChina and Sinopec continue to show strong growth primarily driven by acquisitions.

In addition to slower production of international companies, analysts point out the poor health that suffers refining in Europe and the United States of overcapacity and insufficient margins. "If you are in the upstream, to drill for oil, you make money, says James Williams, WTRG Economics quoted by the Los Angeles Times. But if you are in the downstream in refining, you lose. "

In 2012, the results of the oil companies should continue to be powered by a barrel high, around $ 100 (Brent crude exceeded $ 117 Friday), especially if tensions around Iran persist. And despite a forecast of weaker global demand anticipated, depending on the monthly report of the International Energy Agency on Friday. This should increase by 0.9% in 2012, of 800,000 barrels per day, 300,000 barrels less than in the projections published in January.

Bernard Tapie and his son, Laurent, are never where you expect. Two years ago, they had hit the headlines by launching an online shop called simply bernardtapie.com. They promised to very significant reductions (-40 to -50%) on a variety of products (cars, insurance, clothing …). A concept that has not done much about him since.

Today, the colorful businessman, actor and son return to the front of the stage. Their new project? Redeem the U.S. site online poker, Full Tilt Poker, which was still number two global market last year with 4 million active players, half out of the United States. "It was then after-tax profits of about $ 150 million," says Bernard Tapie in Figaro.

Attention GBT (Groupe Bernard Tapie) would not be alone in this.It would provide only 5 to 10% of $ 80 million needed to use this company. The other shareholders are primarily interested in American casinotier diversify into online poker. Financially, Tapie have the means to their ambitions. Longer insolvent, the former president of the OM was compensated in 2008 to 220 million euros in the case that pitted for fifteen years at Credit Lyonnais in connection with the sale of Adidas. And now his fortune is estimated at 260 million.

However, the case against Full Tilt Poker is far from complete. "In one month to six weeks, we will decide with our partners if we acquire this site," suggests Bernard Tapie. This file is exceedingly complicated. The site has been closed since April 15.

"It's a real passion about." This finding of Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, the environment minister, marked the launch of Focus on the railway in September. This long-term thinking on the proposed liberalization of the rail system should lead to concrete proposals in January. For the railway unions, the project poses a threat of "dismantling of the public rail service" and is "a real danger to the railways in Europe pay day loans." They called for the strike on Tuesday to oppose it.

The gradual introduction of competition in the rail, particularly in regional transport, has long been claimed by the National Federation of Transport Users (FNAUT). "The regional express trains (TER) and the balance of the territory Trains (TET) are not operated by the SNCF," Judge Jean Sivardière, its president.

Creditor banks in Greece will have to accept losses "substantial" in the new bailout of the country, known to be substantially revised over the deteriorating economic situation, warned Saturday the European Ministers of Finance. At a meeting of central bankers in the euro zone on Friday night, "we agreed to say that we had to have a substantial increase in the contribution of the banks' rescue of Greece, as a impairment of their claims, said the leader of European finance ministers, Jean-Claude Juncker.

According to diplomatic sources, the ministers agreed to effectively negotiate with the banks at a discount of "at least 50%" against a target of 21% decided on July 21 with the banking sector.They thus de facto endorsed the conclusions of an expert report which was presented by the troika of donor funds in Greece (EU, ECB and IMF). The paper believes that a discount of 50 or 60% hope to stabilize Greece without having to increase in the amount of gigantic international loans that have already been promised.

A "discount" is the term used in relation to the financial depreciation of the value of loans taken by creditors in this case private banks and investment funds that hold government debt. A discount of 50% of the private sector, the second program of public financial support pledged July 21 to Greece, however, should be slightly revised upwards with government loans (Europe and IMF) to 114 billion euros, against 109 billion euros at the time scheduled.To maintain the envelope of 109 billion euros unchanged, it would bring the discount to 60%, according to calculations by experts.

"It is also an effort by the private sector"

In any event, the second bailout in late July, just after the first amounting to 110 billion euros agreed in spring 2010, will have to be redesigned. "It's pretty clear that we need a substantial discount on Greek debt," also said Saturday the Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg on his arrival in Brussels for a meeting with colleagues from across the EU."We will now work on a new plan in Greek and this new plan is true that there is a substantial effort to Greece again, there is an effort by European countries and will also require an effort of the private sector" said his Belgian counterpart Didier Reynders.

The question is whether the banks that have so far dragged its feet to give the pot, will accept a negotiated settlement does not pass through a default of Greece said "messy" serious consequences. "It's a negotiation s'entame," said Didier Reynders. In return for the effort required on the Greek claims, it is intended to recapitalize European banks to the tune of nearly 100 billion euros.The subject was Saturday in the agenda of the ministerial meeting, before a meeting in the evening between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the EU summit on Sunday.

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Anticipate a future opening up slightly from the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday. Wall Street and should build on the previous day, still driven by hopes of a coordinated European bank recapitalization.

After weeks of dithering, European leaders have taken in hand to avoid a collapse of the banking sector, weakened by the debt crisis, which brought down the French-Belgian group Dexia. The markets were also reassured by the publication of macroeconomic indicators in the U.S. exceeded expectations: job creation in the private sector and the ISM services.

Caution before the employment figures

Investors in Europe and the United States should however be cautious before several major macroeconomic deadlines.On Thursday, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced on Thursday to maintain its 1.50% interest rate, reference the cost of credit in the euro zone, despite the sharp deterioration in the economic and financial crisis.

Investor caution should also be strengthened by the expectation of official figures of employment for the month of September in the United States to be published Friday. Meanwhile, new jobless claims are slightly lift the United States during the last week of September, according to figures released Thursday by the Washington Department of Labor.The Ministry has identified the deposit of 401,000 applications for unemployment benefits in the country from September 25 to October 1, adjusted for seasonal variations, or 1.5% over the previous week, which is consistent with the estimate of analysts.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro reached 1.3331 dollars. A barrel of crude is trading at 102.38 dollars for Brent North Sea and 79.50 dollars for U.S. crude.The ounce of gold is trading in 1644 dollars.

Investors will have their eyes on Apple and Yahoo

As for values, investors will have their eyes on the technology sector.

• Apple should be particularly observed after the announcement of the demise of the group's founder Steve Jobs.

• Yahoo is the subject of new rumors of a possible bid from U.S. computer giant Microsoft, which had tried to capture in 2008 of U.S. internet group.

• Hewlett-Packard should not make further major acquisitions in the software after the acquisition of Autonomy, according to statement from the group's new boss Meg Whitman, quoted by Reuters.

• Boeing received an order for $ 1.1 billion from Ethiopian Airlines for four Boeing 777 freighters.

• Gilead Sciences has granted a license agreement Boehringer Ingelheim for the exclusive rights to research, development and commercialization of an anti-integrase for the treatment of HIV.

• Marriott International has released the third quarter, earnings per share of $ 0.29, up 32% year on year. Turnover was 2.9 billion dollars against 2.6 billion last year. The revenue per available room key indicator in the hotel sector grew by 8.7% on a comparable basis, while prices rose by 5.3%.

Also note Peabody Energy and ArcelorMittal will extend their bid for Macarthur Coal until October 28.