It is a repudiation for the Competition Authority. The institution, which had inflicted 385 million euro fine in September 2010 with the main banks operating in France on their pricing of check processing, has seen its decision questioned by the Court of Appeal of Paris. In a ruling Thursday, the latter took the view that in this case, "the grievances of Understanding (…) can not be accepted" and that the banks concerned "should therefore be exonerated ".

The case dates back to the early 2000s, when banks have embarked on the computerization of processing checks. They are then granted to establish interchange fees, naturally passed on to end customers.

Fines must be repaid to banks

Banks have justified the introduction of these fees, which were abolished in 2007, the cost that they accounted for the modernization effort of check processing. One argument considered to be unfounded by corporate treasurers, who saw the impact fees.

In September 2010, the Competition Authority found in favor of the latter, and denounced an agreement on final prices. A vision not shared by the Court of Appeal of Paris, sought by banks complained, BPCE, Post Bank, BNP-Paribas, the National Confederation of Credit Mutuel, Crédit Agricole, Crédit du Nord, CIC, LCL HSBC France, Societe Generale.

In its reasoning, it considers that the commissions were "directly related to the new system paperless exchange of checks, public interest project neutral in terms of competition law …". It also believes that the Bank Agreement does not constitute "an agreement on final prices."

The Competition Authority may lodge an appeal. When asked, a spokesman said the institution consider what action would give the matter. Fines paid to the Treasury must be repaid to the banks.  

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PSA announced this morning its annual accounts. The group recorded an operating profit of 1.31 billion euros, against 1.79 billion a year earlier. The net profit is not apparent at 588 million euros, against 1.13 billion euros in 2010. Meanwhile, turnover rose by 6.9%, to 59.9 billion euros.

Peugeot loses money on its core business, namely to build and sell automobiles. To be precise, the industry grouping of PSA Peugeot Citroen and recorded an operating loss of EUR 92 million in 2011. In the second half, the deficit in the division has even approached the 500 million euros. Outside this perimeter, the Chinese subsidiary is profitable but it remains small (404,400 vehicles sold).

After a brief stint in the green, the action has continued to sink throughout the session. At 16 hours, as the same fall of 6.9%, to 14.07 euros.  

Peugeot said it plans to open the capital of its subsidiary Gefco, specializing in logistics. He also plans to sell the walls of his Paris headquarters. This is to return cash to the group. It is perhaps this aspect that worries investors.

These efforts include a major program of asset sales of 1 instant payday loans.5 billion euros. This amount includes the sale (completed in February) of the car rental company to quote an American group for 440 million euros, the IPO of the highly profitable logistics subsidiary Gefco, which PSA could take about 560 million, and dispositions of real estate assets – including the walls of the Paris headquarters of the Avenue de la Grande Armee – to 500 million.

Vague and cautious outlook from Moody's

Beyond the figures, investors are sensitive to the perspectives of PSA. THERE is no forecast of operating margin. It is unclear whether Peugeot will be profitable this year. The group expects a 5% drop in sales in Europe, including a 10% decline in France. Growth should be at the rendezvous in emerging countries.

For its part, Moody's placed under surveillance in his note on the group. If the rating agency's rating deteriorates, Peugeot would be in the category of junk bonds.

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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.

For a time, Athens can blow. After a meeting in Brussels, the seventeen ministers of finance in the euro area have given their approval for the payment of the sixth tranche of aid to Greece. At a cost of 8 billion euros, it should help support the country, public debt has recently passed the threshold of 160% of GDP. Initially, Greece will receive 5.8 billion from the euro area, yet the remainder dependent on the approval of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Eagerly awaited the release of the envelope is part of the plan of 110 billion euros agreed in May 2010.This decision allows especially on track to the second rescue plan prepared in late October, to be finalized between the Greek Government and private creditors in early 2012 best payday advance.

A sign of confidence

For the new Greek government, this decision is also similar to a pledge of confidence in the euro area for the implementation of austerity measures which the aid was conditional. Athens has also worked hard ahead of the meeting date. In a statement released this afternoon, Evangelos Venizelos, Greek Minister of Finance, has assured that "all the necessary conditions" for the new aid program had been met.

It must be said that the release of the tranche was delayed several times.

The atmosphere is still gloomy at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. The Dow Jones was down 0.68% in early trade to 11,494 points and the Nasdaq 0.83% to 2499 points. Signs of slowing global growth are increasing for several days. On Monday, the downward revision of U.S. growth in the third quarter, Wall Street had won. U.S. markets would still blame the shot after the announcement of a further slowdown in the Chinese economy my credit score. Preliminary PMI Manufacturing activity in China, issued by HSBC this morning, recorded in November, its biggest drop since March 2009, to 48 against 51 in October. An index below 50, resulting in fact a contraction of activity.

Slowdown in China …

The country's dependence on exports is the main cause of this fall, analysts said HSBC.

The President of the Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, on the road to Bordeaux, reaffirmed his loyalty to the social spirit of the National Council of Resistance and ran to secure a social model to which the French are "deeply attached". "The honor of France is to have built a democratic and social Republic on the ruins of World War II," he said. And specify that it "does not have it said that the legacy of the National Council of Resistance has been betrayed," but felt that these critics are the ones "who have protected the French credit by mortgaging the future of their children and grandchildren without telling them. " He explained that he wanted to open a debate "calm" on the financing of social protection, as it takes "to reform permanently" the system to "adapt" because "the status quo is a danger guaranteed online payday loans."

Rights and duties

"We can not, we can not afford to get into a spending strategy. The real answer requires a transformation of social policy, "said Nicolas Sarkozy. He wants to rights of insured persons are duties. He confirmed that the beneficiaries of the RSA (RSA) should now work seven hours to the community, as announced by the Minister of Solidarity and social cohesion Roselyne Bachelot, September 22. "It should not be a system but a worthy charity," he added.

He announced the creation of a High Council of the financing of social protection "will have to work before the end of the year," to think about solutions. "A third of our GDP is devoted to social protection.

• On the principle of austerity plan

To: "Rigorous, that means we are trying simply not to spend more than we earn, defended Gilles Carrez (UMP), General Rapporteur of the budget to the National Assembly. This is still the least serious. It's been 35 years since we spend more than you win. "

Cons: Attention Cycle "infernal restraint, lower growth," warned the Socialist Michel Sapin, close to François Hollande.(…) Must be avoided that there is more possibility of moonlighting. "

More broadly, the self-entrepreneurs fear that their services are subject to VAT, which would increase the cost to the customer and complicate their efforts. "If the specific regime of VAT on maintenance, repairs had to be increased from 5.5% to 7% to meet the economic challenges in Europe and that of the euro", the Union of self entrepreneurs ( UAE).

• Taxing more large companies

To: The boss of bosses Laurence Parisot is not opposed to the principle: "It is possible to consider things temporary, exceptional measures, time adjustments. But we must not imagine a device that would be sustainable.

In Athens

"Greece is entering a new era," commented George Papandreou during his press conference in Brussels. The Greek prime minister did not hide his relief in a speech to the nation on Thursday night. Greece was saved at the default. Among the measures adopted at European summits include the release of a new tranche of 100 billion euros and the deletion of 50% Greek debt, "voluntarily" from the private creditors (banks, insurers …). This debt and return to 260 billion euros, its level of 2009. The ambitious program of privatization has also been revised downwards. The objective is to privatize up to 30 billion euros by 2020 instead of 50 billion euros for 2015.

"It will not delay to send us these details," claims Vaggelis Haratsis, CEO of the company financial management Ahepef Beta. Holding a lot of Greek debt, local banks will be hit hard by the discount will be recapitalized and 30 billion to cash in shock payday loans no teletrack. This will involve probably the injection of public capital. "If the banks really are nationalized, it will be the key for several years. In the end, they pay the inability to manage the crisis by politicians, "said Vaggelis Haratsis.

In return for aid to Brussels, Greece has to accept an austerity to 2020 and ongoing monitoring of representatives of the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. Experts to settle in the country to monitor progress with reform and adjust if necessary.Only in this way we can avoid recession and reducing unemployment is at 17%. " It will also quickly overcome the social discontent, motivate the Greeks to return to work, to stop the strikes and occupations of government departments, and not to cheat on their taxes.

The annual summit between China and the European Union, to be held Tuesday in Tianjin (northeast China), will probably be postponed to a later date, according to European sources consistent.

The inability of Europeans to agree on remedies to the crisis of sovereign debt and the prospect of an additional emergency summit in Brussels next week will prohibit the EU President Herman Van Rompuy to honor its meeting with President Hu Jintao and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told the BBC a European official.

The involvement of China and its financial resources in a regulation of the European crisis was one of the issues implicit go to Tianjin.Was the first time that the three European leaders, Herman Van Rompuy, and José Manuel Barroso and Ashton had to go all in China.

The last EU-China Summit was held October 6, 2010 in a tense atmosphere in Brussels, Europe has called on China to let its currency appreciate more and make progress on human rights two days before the announcement of the Nobel Peace jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.

After the events of spring Arab countries that have stirred strong tourism such as Tunisia and Egypt, it is time to first results. As part of the Institute of Economic Forecasting of the Mediterranean world (IPEMED) led by Jean-Louis Guigou, the Mediterranean Travel Association (Meta) published assessments that it may take a little balm to the heart of tourism professionals present in this region.

"The attendance figures, down in the first eight months of from 40 to 50% from a year 2010 already bad, should be better in the second half of the year," said Stephen Pauchant, president of the Meta. According to his calculations, the outlook for 2011 should reflect a fall of 15% of international tourist arrivals (27.3 million) in the area between Morocco and Egypt.However, for the entire perimeter of the Mediterranean, Stephen Pauchant expects an increase of about 2.17%.

The sense of security is "acceptable"

The price reductions, promotional campaigns, the arrival of new customers came from Eastern Europe and Asia do not explain everything: the sense of security has improved in these countries bad credit payday advance. Probing of tourists, the institute noted that TravelSat indices had improved. "Now the feeling of security is considered" acceptable "," said Olivier Henry-Biabaud, president of TravelSat, the index is comparable to some European capitals during a short stay because the stress of city life can be important ".

The fact that in Tunisia, during the Arab spring, no hotels have been attacked, no tourist was concerned, adds to the perception of safety.Important source of foreign exchange, tourism is expected to return in the long term growth. "The tragedies of past attacks demonstrate that the concept of resilience is strongly rooted in these countries, says Maxime Weigert, expert on tourism in IPEMED. Not only tourists return after tragedies such as that of Luxor in 1997 (58 tourists killed), but the learning curve reaches the same level as if nothing had happened. "

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