Wall Street continues to evolve without much conviction

U.S. stock markets opened without direction, on Monday. The Dow Jones lost 0.12% to 11,393.50 points and the S & P 500 was down 0.04% to 1222.73 points, while the Nasdaq Composite advance of 0.08% to 2582.23 points. On Monday, in the absence of macroeconomic news, Wall Street has ended the session on a hesitant note. The Dow Jones lost 0.33% at 11,406 points, the Nasdaq rose 0.04% to 2580 points while the S & P500 fell 0.21% to 1223 points.

Previously, carried by the support measures by the Fed to the U.S. economy and the Republican victory in the elections of mid-term, the S & P 500 had jumped 3% during the last week and over 16% since the beginning of September. But now Wall Street has some difficulties to continue unabated.

The dollar continues its momentum

The event promises to be significantly reduced this week at the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, November 11th is holiday in the U.S. for the Veteran's Day. On Thursday, the NYSE, NYSE and Amex Nasdaq will be open, but bond markets will be closed. Stagnation is also reinforced by the expectation that the G20 will be held in Seoul on Thursday and Friday.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro was still down against the dollar late Tuesday morning, moving around the threshold of 1.39 dollar because of concerns about the fiscal health of some countries in the euro area.Around 11:00 am in Paris, the European single currency was worth 1.3921 dollars against $ 1.39 the previous evening.

The side of values, Bank of America (Bofa) (-0.06% to 12.59 dollars) will sell more shares BlackRock (-2.02% to 165.68 dollars) than initially announced the first manager assets worldwide, on Tuesday before the opening of Wall Street. Bank of America will sell 51.2 million shares, or 2.4 million shares of more than initially envisaged. The bank would thus be able to earn about $ 8.3 billion at the time of disengagement.

Sanofi-Aventis (+0.42% to 35.66 dollars) on Monday urged the leadership of the U.S. laboratory Genzyme (-0.04% to 71.03 dollars) to forego protective measures against the takeover bid at 18 , 5 billion which it launched in early October, calling to let shareholders decide "for themselves" the fate of this offer pay day loans.In response, Genzyme reaffirmed that the price of 69 dollars per share the offer was not the "appropriate starting point to begin discussions."

The U.S. conglomerate General Electric (GE) (+0.42% to 16.78 dollars) announced Tuesday that it plans to invest more than two billion dollars in two years in China, especially in research and development.

AOL is considering a merger with Yahoo

AOL (0.94% to 26.35 dollars) confirmed it had appointed Bank of America to consider several strategic options, including a possible merger with Yahoo, according to sources familiar with the matter. The idea of a rapprochement between the two groups would still in its infancy and that there was no guarantee that it leads to an agreement.

Microsoft (0.81% to 27.03 dollars) will launch tomorrow in Europe KINECTS, its new tool to do without any accessory on Xbox 360.The U.S. giant is the last of the three console manufacturers to try their luck in the detection of movement after the Nintendo Wii in 2006, which opened the market to the general public, and the Move by Sony in September 2010.

The CEO of U.S. computer Oracle (+0.41% to 29.16 dollars), Larry Ellison, said Monday at four billion dollars the damage caused by an acquired company a few years ago by its German rival SAP, TomorrowNow. Testifying at a trial in Oakland, California, Larry Ellison said that since TomorrowNow had unlawfully appropriate technologies Oracle, SAP was able to make it easier for customers.

Ambac has filed for bankruptcy

The troubled monoline Ambac (-55.73% to $ 0.23), a victim of the financial crisis, said Monday it filed for bankruptcy and put himself under the protection of the bankruptcy law.He was unable to raise capital that would allow it to meet its obligations.

Also note, the group Amazon Web (+0.52% to 172.89 U.S. dollars) Monday announced an increase of fees it pays to newspapers and magazines available on its Kindle digital library. The latter will receive 70% of revenues from December.

The price of tobacco increased by 6% on Monday

New outbreak of labels in civets. Cigarette packages will sell on average 30 cents more starting Monday, up about 6%. The ministerial order determining the increase, which comes almost one year to the day after the previous increase, was published Saturday in the Journal Officiel.

Baroin confirmed by the Minister of Budget, mid-September, this translates into higher prices for the state by 660 million euros in additional tax revenue per year. Thus, according to Bercy, the state revenue under the law of tobacco (excluding VAT) are expected for the first time in 2010 exceeded 10 billion euros.These funds are all allocated to social security budget and will be distributed among various funds.

An increase in "moderate and reasonable"

For Baroin, responsible for registering price changes desired by manufacturers, this increase is "moderate and reasonable" and therefore consistent with the Cancer Plan 2 of President Nicolas Sarkozy. An argument is unconvincing associations fight against smoking, that an increase of less than 10% has no effect on consumption, and therefore on public health, then that smoking causes 60,000 deaths a year France.

On its website, right of nonsmokers (DNF) even asks the government and the president of preferring "an increase of 60 cents every two years" rather than "small increases of 30 cents per pack of cigarettes each year. "French Office for the Prevention of Smoking (OFT), "this increase requested by the tobacco industry is calculated to the penny so as not to reduce consumption."

Tobacconists fear yet the impact of this increase in tobacco prices. According to them, it's not just a "dance labels. With this increase, "it is a network that could pitch," said the Confederation of tobacconists. For the profession, rising rates could "restart the procurement of cigarettes outside the formal network. That is to say across borders (Spain, Belgium, Germany) where cigarettes are 20 to 30% cheaper in a hurry or on the Internet.

Fears tobacconists

According to Pascal Montredon, the patron saint of tobacconists, "18-20%" of cigarettes smoked in France were not purchased in any of 28,000 tobacconists.He requested a formal study on this phenomenon. For their part, manufacturers evaluate different surveys between 12 and 22% off purchases of the official network.

On 9 November 2009, tobacco prices had already étérelevés about 6% increase already criticized by anti-tobacco as too weak to be effective in terms of public health. This increase was also not significantly changed sales tobacconists who fell by only 0.2% over the first eight months of 2010 compared to 2009. Data dubaromètre health 2010 show that tobacco consumption has increased by almost 2% between 2005 and 2010.

MPs recently rejected an amendment by Yves Bur proposing to overtax the profits of manufacturers. Next step, photos shock will be mandatory at the back of every packet in April. And the government continues to consider a generic package, without any logos or color.

(With AFP)

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France-China: Contracts and Cooperation programmed

The most influential man of the world is today in France.Crowned with the title that has just awarded him the magazine Forbes, which placed it at the top of the world list, ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama, Hu will spend three days in Paris, where he is expected to sign a flurry of contracts and try to find common ground with the head of state, Nicolas Sarkozy.

The President of the People's Republic of China and should buy a hundred aircraft from Airbus, order two EPR reactors and a supply of uranium from Areva, and conclude a lasting cooperation between the ICC and Chinese energy group Total, build a coal gasification plant in China.

These trade agreements are expected to reach a total of several billion dollars, which "will be far more important than in previous visits of European leaders in Beijing, or China's leaders abroad," said the Elysee.Hu Jintao will then continue its journey to Portugal, where he could buy Treasury bills in the country, but the French stage is considered special. In China, the People Daily newspaper said in effect that "France was the first Western power to forge diplomatic relations with China and to establish agreements with Beijing military and nuclear cooperation."

This visit of the Chinese just a few days of the G20 summit in Seoul will also be an opportunity for the French head of state to try to persuade his counterpart to officially open the debate on the yuan.The Financial Times argues that Nicolas Sarkozy will also seek the support of Hu Jintao to promote a reduction in the volatility of commodity prices, and reform of global institutions.

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Taxation: France stands out

The Hexagon can continue to live as an island in tax matters? The issue is acute when reading a study of the law firm Arsene Taxand. In recent years, France has not lowered its tax rate (CIT). His neighbors, though. In Europe, the higher rate of corporate tax fell from an average of 35.3% in 1995 to 23.2% in 2010. Result, metropolitan France, with its rate to 34.4%, holds the palm of the strongest European IS. And in the developed world, only the United States beyond us. Worse, the gap may widen. For, despite the crisis, many governments have always reduce their corporate tax rates. The UK for example will bring his to 24% in 2014 against 28% today. "It is for these States to encourage the company, a source of growth.And it is striking that a country in deep trouble as the Irish budget refuses to reverse its low corporate tax rates, "says Nicolas Jacquot, a partner with Arsene Taxand.

The Council of compulsory levies, which depends on the Court of Auditors has qualified that statement last year, noting in a recent report that in France the calculation of taxable income is advantageous. So that, despite a high rate, the final tax, which is calculated from the taxable income and not the real benefit is not that high. In addition, there are many tax loopholes for businesses (106 billion after the POC). In total, according Bercy, French companies would be taxed at 22% of their actual profits.But Nicolas Jacquot, this does not change the situation: "Since it is difficult to compare actual charges, international investors are based on rates of IS. And side niches, some countries are not left behind. Korea has strengthened – also – the research tax credit pay day loans.

"Indeed, most countries have lowered their corporate tax rates have supported the measure by a VAT increase," said Nicolas Jacquot. Germany led the way in 2007, lowering its corporate tax rate from 38.7% to 29.8% while raising the VAT from 16% to 19%. The UK will follow this model. Spain, it already raised its VAT from 16% to 18%. Today, France finds itself with a rate of VAT (19.6%) lower than the European average (20.2%) and very close to those of Sweden or Denmark (25%).Enough to leave him room to maneuver … And then the government does evoke no fiscal convergence Franco-German?

Debate on VAT undermined

But it seems that in the short term, this convergence will only reform the taxation of wealth. For France, the subject of VAT is trapped. In 2007, the majority has lost several legislative seats after the idea of a social VAT had been raised. However, this formula which is to fund a reduction in payroll taxes by a VAT increase, has defenders. One of the oldest is Jean Arthuis, president of the centrist Senate Finance Committee. He was joined by Jean-Francois Cope, the owner of UMP deputies who speaks antidélocalisation VAT. In fact, lower payroll taxes increases the competitiveness of French companies, while VAT has the advantage of hitting all consumed goods, including imported ones.But this tax is burdensome for low-income households, which do not fail to emphasize the Socialists. I bet that this debate will lead the 2012 presidential election.

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RER disrupted by spontaneous movements

RATP announced a traffic normal or near normal across its network this Thursday. But it was not counting interventions protesters to disrupt the organization of railroads in the Ile-de-France. Several spontaneous movements have forced the RATP to change his schedule on the RER lines A, B, C and D. While on the E, a second train is scheduled during peak hours.

RER A

Due to the presence of protesters to file Achères, traffic is disrupted on the line A of RER, RATP announced on its website. "Significant delays and losses and changes in service are expected on the branches Poissy and Cergy-le-Haut."

RER B

RATP has triggered security measures related to the presumption of danger on the track. Trains with delays of 20 to 30 minutes.Deletions and changes to service are expected.

RER C

"Due to flooding of the switching station from Paris Austerlitz by protesters, traffic was disrupted on the RER C line," said RATP. Train traffic was halted on the entire line on Thursday morning, but traffic resumed gradually in the late morning.

RER D

Even if only for the RER B line is very upset because people on the road.Trains with delays of 30 to 45 minutes and deletions or modifications are possible feeder throughout the line.

• SNCF

While the looming Halloween holidays starting this weekend, the station announced Thursday for a new and slightly improved traffic and prepare a TGV service near normal for departures on holiday from tomorrow, Friday.

"However, the railway network of RFF (Réseau Ferré de France) and SNCF trains and facilities have been the subject yesterday of malfeasance and obstruction of traffic that penalize travelers," denounces the station.

This morning, shares of blocking traffic and have severely disrupted rail traffic in Ile-de-France on several points in the network RFF (Achères Dourdan Dies, Monceau, Paris Austerlitz), and station facilities in Mitry and Montparnasse station.Similar actions conducted in several regions and cities including Chartres, Metz and Dunkirk make it more difficult commuting on line pay day loans users. These acts are the work of isolated groups, gathering protesters and some railroad, the SNCF said.

To recall, the turnout in the strike against renewed inter pension reform was established yesterday, Wednesday, at 15.68% for all staff, said the executive.

Besides these occasional disturbances, according to a statement from the station, traffic is disrupted on Thursday:

At the national level

-TGV Paris-province: two trains on three

TGV-province to province: a second train

– For B: a second train.Connections with TGV are not guaranteed.

– To Corail trains: four out of ten trains

– For Intercity trains: almost a second train

– Téoz: more than four out of ten trains

– Traffic and Paris Nice Paris Nice: the normal night of October 20 to 21.

Transiliens

– Six out of ten trains at peak. Additional trains are likely to be put into circulation. Traffic on the RER A is normal.

At the international level

– Eurostar: Normal

-Thalys: near-normal service

– ICE TGV (France-Germany): Normal

-TGV Lyria (France-Switzerland): normal traffic

– To Italy: A roundtrip Paris-Milan will be provided for the daytime traffic.

Traffic-other international trains uninsured.

– Traffic Lunea night: no traffic on the night of October 19 to 20.

SNCF said that while ticket lines will be valid during the period, board any train traveling on that day about the relationship in question.Customers preferring to cancel a trip with a reservation for a train of the period may do so without charge at the counter, whatever the price.

• Information

http://www.sncf.com

http://.infolignes.com

http://www.abcdtrains.com

http://www.ter.sncf.com

The site-by-station mouvement.com also serves to check the billboards (departures and arrivals) from the station of his choice.

• Hotlines

0.805.90.36.35 to Outline (TGV), TER Téoz and Intercity

0.805.70.08.05 for Transilien

sncf.mobi for real-time access to information on mobile.

Station radio: One point traffic every 15 minutes from the SNCF Direct application on smartphone and all station websites (www.sncflaradio.com)

The CAC 40 is expected to show hesitant

It should not be this time too. The CAC 40 should again remain below the psychological threshold of 3800 points. A bar in Paris that the index has exceeded more close since May (3,828.46 points on May 3). While only the industrial production for the month of August is expected on Monday, investors should remain cautious until the meeting of the U.S. central bank Tuesday night. This morning, while the Tokyo Stock Exchange was closed, the stock exchanges in Shanghai and Hong Kong continue to rise, reaching as Hong Kong a high of two years from mid-day.On the currency markets, the euro continued its march forward, and slowly but surely closer to $ 1.40: in the morning, the euro stood at 1.3971 (+0.32%).

As for values, EADS holds its annual targets despite the strengthening of the euro against the dollar, said Chief Financial Officer Hans Peter Ring in an interview with newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on Sunday.

Constellation Energy Group has withdrawn from an agreement on building a nuclear reactor third generation in the State of Maryland with EDF, which should probably put an end to this multi-billion dollars.Areva, which designs the PRT, said to remain "reasonably optimistic", ensuring that "negotiations are continuing."

The production capacity of the refinery at La Mede, Total has been reduced by more than half Sunday and could completely stop production on Tuesday or Wednesday due to lack of stock, it was learned Sunday from union leaders.

Suspended Friday, the listing of Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhone (APRR) resumed on Monday, said the AMF. The Court of Appeal of Paris ordered the suspension of the bid for the delisting of Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhone filed by its shareholders, and Australia's Macquarie Eiffage pending his trial in merits of the application for annulment filed by the department of Saone-et-Loire.

GDF Suez announced Saturday it had signed a contract with China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) for the delivery of 2.6 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG), confirming information reported Friday by a source close to the situation.

Ipsogen publishes its first half results after-hours trading.

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Department: "nearly 380,000" demonstrators in mid-day

The first parades were shocked on Saturday morning. According to the CGT, they are 229 processions which are held across France against the pension reform. At midday, the interior minister counted "nearly 380,000" protestors across France, which "observes a lower participation" to that of 23 September when 410,000 people demonstrated.

This estimate is observed down "even though the number of rallies Saturday morning was more important than 23 September," said the Interior Ministry. 150 rallies were reported Saturday at noon, against 110 on Sept. 23 at the same time of day.

In larger cities, from Paris to Nantes via Marseille or Lyon, the demonstrations were to begin at 2:00 p.m. or 14:30.

Heavy rains in Western

On the morning parade, the record seems mixed.In the South, the figures appeared in line with previous demonstrations. But in the West, heavy rains were due to the objectives of trade unions to mobilize a more family audience.

In Rennes, 20,000 people according to the unions marched through the streets of the city, a significant decline from the previous day of action on September 23 (35,000).The police, who had recorded 18,000 participants ten days ago, was unable to provide figures at 13.00.

A decline of 40% on average was also found in most smaller towns in the area where demonstrations were held in the morning.

In contrast, in the Cotes d'Armor, prefecture and unions reported increased participation in Saint-Brieuc ("over 10,000" protesters, according to the prefecture, and 45,000, according to the CGT), Lannion and Dinan.

In Toulouse, the police had 28,000 demonstrators, unions 125,000. In Clermont-Ferrand, there were late morning nearly 20,000 demonstrators, according to the continuous news channel LCI. In Nice, the procession was almost as provided that during the last day of action on September 23 (7,000 according to police).

In Draguignan (Var), more than 2,000 people demonstrated according to police, more than 2,500 according to organizers, while in Ajaccio, the protesters were, according to authorities, nearly half as many as there are ten days (1,500 instead of 2,800). In Béziers, the parade was dense, collecting nine protesters cash advance today.000 by SGC (23 September 9500 by the same source).

A Mende, capital of Lozere, which has 12,000 inhabitants, 2,000 persons were in the streets according to organizers, 1,400 according to police. Among them, many people working in the private sector, according to an AFP correspondent.

"Significant interest"

The Government is aware that the movement would grow at the start of the weekend. "I expect a substantial stake.This third event is organized in a slightly different weekend so it's pretty consistent there may be rather more people, because people do not work will decide to participate, "acknowledged the Secretary of State for Public Georges Tron, on RTL.

"It does not offend me at all that women and men express a concern and may require improvements," he added. But "you can not save the pension system if we do not pass this reform," he stressed.

Text "improved"

The government change there text based on the magnitude of mobilization? "You can never say that," protested Georges Tron. "We've improved the text each step, there are events or not.(…) In the National Assembly, there were still three or four important amendments tabled which improved the text "and the Senate Committee on Social Affairs," three measures have substantially improved the text "for disabled workers for asbestos victims and the unemployed in late fees, detailed the Secretary of State.

For its part, the secretary general of the CFDT Francois Chereque argued that the movement had the support of "70% of French people," citing a CSA poll for Humanity on Saturday.On the antenna of Europe 1, he said that if the mobilization exceeded that of 23 September that "it will be super win, but it is clear we are in a longstanding trend."

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Arena jerseys change hands

Arena swimwear pass under the American flag. The supplier of the European swimming champion Alain Bernard and Camille Lacourt Riverside was bought by a U.S. fund of venture capital.

Since 2006, Arena, who also sponsored for many years Laure Manaudou, was in the bosom of the investment fund Italian BS Private Equity.

Distributed in a hundred countries, the brand achieved a little over 100 million euros in turnover business card. In 2007, Arena had closed its manufacturing plant French Libourne, transferring production to China, resulting in 161 job cuts.

The group was ordered to pay 4.8 million euros in damages to 96 former employees for "redundancy unfair."

Vuitton stores close earlier to sell less

Louis Vuitton, a victim of its success? According to information published on the website of Challenges, brand group LVMH has decided to close its French stores one hour earlier from Monday and until Tuesday, November 30th to avoid a possible breach of stock before Christmas. Signs located in department stores are not affected by this exceptional measure. When questioned, LVMH refused to comment on the information.

The products most desired by customers are mainly accessories. In the category bag, the model "Speedy", including one bearing the Damier canvas, was also raided this summer, as evidenced by distraught fans on blogs and forums ("And I brainstormed this model for several weeks with the sweet dream of going on vacation with my checkered blue under his arm …").

According Challenges, Vuitton shops are at their maximum capacity. In late July, LVMH confirmed the health of its publishing group sales up 16% over the first six months of the year, coupled with net income of over one billion euros (+53%). If LVMH did not give details, analysts estimate that in turn led Louis Vuitton by Marc Jacobs has recorded a jump of nearly 20% of its sales in the first half.

Recent advertising campaigns have contributed to this performance. Just before the World Cup, the mark had relied on three major figures in football, Zidane, Maradona and Pele, for his promotion.

A recent campaigns staged Bono and his wife for the sale of an ethical bag for the benefit of NGOs.

Fillon revises upward growth

The year 2010 will be better than expected. Prime Minister Francois Fillon has slightly raised the forecast of growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2010, "at least 1.5%, against 1.4% previously guaranteed high risk personal loans. "We should have a growth of at least 1.5% on …