News – Business & Economi

Hannover Re has refrained from any forecast for 2012, citing the possible IPO of Talanx, the German insurer which is its majority shareholder.

Talanx owns 50.2% of the third global reinsurer.

Hannover said Wednesday he planned to pay a dividend of 2.10 euros per share on the results of 2011 against 2.30 euros in 2010, when net income was integrated ; a capital gain tax.

Net income for 2011 is 606 million euros, according to preliminary results published on 13 February and well above its target of at least 500 million .

The Tokyo Stock Exchange ended down Monday on profit-taking after gaining 3.7% during the previous two sessions and over 17% since the beginning of year.

The Nikkei lost 39.88 points (0.4%) to 9,889.86. Topix abandons 3.43 points (0.4%) to 845.28.

The Nikkei has reached in a meeting peak of 10,021.51, the highest since August 2011.

The values ​​of the day Friday at the Paris Bourse, where the CAC 40 closed up 0.04% to 3501.17 points, while he had not completed beyond 3500 since die ; goal in August, after a week marked by the second operation of loans to three years of the European Central Bank (ECB).

Over the whole week, the CAC 40 gained 0.98%:

* Values ​​BANK supported the coast, always carried by the second massive injection of liquidity to three years of the ECB, especially as their valuations remain low despite their strong rebound since the first of LTRO mid-December.

SOCIETE GENERALE took 1.34% to 25.395 euros, Credit Agricole 4.945% to 0.86 euros and BNP Paribas 1.50% to 37.915 euros. 

Dexia has won 5.32%, largest increase in the SBF 120, to 0.297 euro. Dexia Credit Local, its French subsidiary, launched a takeover offer for 700 million euros of subordinated notes issued in November 2005.

* Veolia Environnement won 4.74%, largest increase in the CAC 40, to 11.050 euros, having continued its flight after a gain of 14.86% yesterday in anticipation of a recovery group of utilities.

WestLB raised its recommendation from "neutral" to "accumulate".

Its major competitor SUEZ ENVIRONMENT has won 3.51% to 11.800 euros.

* Vivendi has lost 0.97% to 14.360 euros, the second biggest drop in the CAC 40 index, behind EADS (-1.43% to 27.650 euros). The title had already fallen by over 10% yesterday on the prospect of two turbulent years ahead. JPMorgan cut its rating to "overweight" to "neutral". Barclays, Cheuvreux, Deutsche Bank and Nomura have lowered their price target.

* AREVA has gained 4.73% to 20.020 euros, despite mixed results in 2011, after confirming its targets for the period 2012-2016 in a difficult global context.

* NEOPOST rose 1.77% to 52.420 euros after a turnover in 2011 better than expected and the prospect of further growth this year.

Gilbert Dupont raised its target price from 55.60 to 57.90 euros.

* IPSOS, lost 3.32%, largest drop in the SBF 120, to 26.170 euros, having continued to decline from the previous day (-1.33%) after a disappointing forecast operating margin rational 2012, of the order of 10%. Cheuvreux is no longer for sale.

* Technicolor has won 5.73%, largest increase in the SBF 120, to 2.305 euros, while Barclays raised its price target to 2.19 euros.

The Swiss watchmaker Swatch plans to create 1,000 jobs worldwide and generate a turnover of 8 billion Swiss francs (6.64 billion euros) this year, said Sunday its CEO Nick Hayek told Der Sonntag.

Nick Hayek regularly manifests its opposition to the strong Swiss franc, which penalizes exports Helvetic.

"We want as close as possible to the threshold of 8 billion francs," he told the Sunday newspaper.

"This will be possible if there is no economic or political disaster, and that exchange rates remain stable or improve."

In early January, Swatch Group announced a turnover of more than seven billion francs, after a double-digit growth in sales of watches and jewelry division.

The main European stock markets opened on a rebound Friday in the wake of Wall Street and Asian markets, investors anticipating an abundant liquidity injection of long-term European Central Bank (ECB) the next week.

Around 9:15, the Paris Bourse gaining 0.53% to 3,465 points, Frankfurt and London takes 0.86% 0.18% advance. The pan-European Euro Stoxx 50 index rose 0.62%.

In Paris, Technicolor was down almost 5% after the announcement of an EBITDA down 5.9% in 2011 to 475 million euros. The action is Eiffage it head increases the SBF 120, the construction group has forecast a rise in net profit in 2012 after declining in 2011.

Banks are among the highest increases in Europe sector (0.86%). Deutsche Bank and Barclays gained 2.8% 1.4%. The Paris BNP Paribas and Societe Generale gaining 1.4% and 1.9%.

Lloyds Banking Group ahead by 1.3% after yet warned that its net banking income would decline in 2012, suffering, like his counterpart Royal Bank of Scotland, a heavy loss in 2011.

BASF takes 2.8% after announcing Friday that its results and its turnover increase this year thanks to a rebound in the second half.

Many analysts believe the weakness of the European economy will force the ECB to continue easing its monetary policy. The market is expected to lend some 500 billion euros to banks at its second financing package to three years scheduled for next week.

European shares ended lower Tuesday as investors pocketed their profits after a second agreement on a plan to help Greece to dispel the specter of a dice ; be next month, but not to solve all the country's economic problems.

On profit taking, the Paris Bourse has sold 0.21% (7.30 points) to 3,465.24 points. The pan-European index Stoxx 50 fell 0.34%, the German Dax is 0.58% and 0.29% FTSE UK.

Trading volumes on the pan-European FTSEurofirst index was 22% thinner than usual, a sign that investors have not rushed to the exit after obtaining a agreement on Greece, much preferring a wait.

The agreement, torn by the euro area at night, after thirteen hours of negotiations, plans to reduce Greece's debt to 120.5% of GDP by 2020 through a new program of public loans of 130 billion euros and a restructuring of debt held by private creditors.

Highly anticipated by the markets, the plan is not a miracle cure for all ills of Greece. Strangled by his austerity measures, the country will return to growth until 2014, after four years of recession that have reduced the gross domestic product (GDP) 17% believe senior European officials.

Meanwhile, the aid package to Greece may yet derail and Greek debt explode to unmanageable levels by 2020, according to a confidential report prepared by "troika" of the country's international creditors.

Yields on debt issued by the 'peripheral' countries of the euro area eased in favor of the agreement. Sign of an easing in the bond markets, Spain issued in the morning 2.5 billion euros of debt in three to six months, with yields down by sharp the previous auction of this type.

The euro rose to 1.3270 dollars around him after reaching 1.3292 to the dollar after the announcement of an agreement on the Greek plan.

Signs that debt problems are not confined to Greece, the European Commission will propose Wednesday to suspend payments from the Cohesion Fund for Hungary from 2013, due to lack Budapest progress in reducing its budget deficit, shows a document of the EU executive.

CGT plant ArcelorMittal proposes to transform the site into electric arc furnace. Since its closure, Grandrange is regularly pointed to by the left as one of the failures of Nicolas Sarkozy.

CGT plant at ArcelorMittal Gandrange (Moselle) presented Friday a draft EAF, which the union could "save" the site where a mill still operates steel supplied from Germany. "We offer ArcelorMittal to invest 120 million euros in the construction of an electric furnace to supply the local mill," said Jacky Mascelli to reporters, one of the leaders of the CGT at the factory Grandrange. "To produce the steel that we now come to Duisburg (Germany), we propose to use the scrap produced in the region, notably by the automotive industry," he said.  

For the CGT, the factory "integrated" (steelmaking-continuous casting-rolling) "will guarantee the sustainability of the site Gandrange" which still employ about 350 steelworkers, against more than 1,000 before the closure of the steelworks in March 2009 . The project presented Friday by the CGT looks like that the union had presented in March 2008 and which already provided for the construction of an electric oven "scrap all" to enhance the mill crowns and bars Gandhinagar, one of the only active for long products in Europe. The draft will now be "carried" by the Left Front, several representatives were present Friday in Lorraine.

Since its closure, the steelworks Grandrange is regularly pointed to by the left as one of the failures of the quinquennium of Nicolas Sarkozy. February 4, 2008, following his marriage to Carla Bruni and after a highly publicized visit to the factory Moselle, the president pledged to support the state "all or part of investment required "to keep the mill operating.

The pump price rose further, setting a new record. A slight decrease is expected, however, thanks to milder weather.

The price of gasoline in service stations continue to soar and reach new highs that could revive the debate on the control of labels at the pump with the approach of presidential elections.

According to data released Tuesday by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, the price of a liter of unleaded 95 euro rose to 1.5787 at the end of last week. That of unleaded 98 (whose sales are much lower in SP95) rose to 1.6184 euro. Both well beyond their previous records set only a week earlier (1.5640 euros / liter and 1.6022 euros / liter). Gas oil meanwhile rose to 1.4180 euro per liter Friday against 1.3960 the previous week. But it remains below its high of the year (1.4240 euro on Jan. 13), and its record in spring 2008 (1.4541 euro). These sales prices are national averages calculated by the Directorate General for Energy and Climate (DGEC) from data provided by service stations.

Since late 2011, gasoline prices prance record after record in France, powered by a dual effect of geopolitical tensions (Iran, Nigeria …) that keep crude oil prices at very high levels, and the weakening of the euro against the dollar, which boosts the cost of black gold once its converted value in the single currency.

The outbreak has already made waves in its presidential campaign. The Socialist candidate Francois Hollande proposed last month a "temporary blocking of gasoline prices," accompanied by restoration of the TIPP floating. The majority swept the idea of ​​such measures, described as "solution of the past".

Hope to decrease with rise in temperature

Interviewed on RTL on the soaring prices at the pump just before the announcement of the last record, the CEO of Total Christophe de Margerie said Tuesday that the best way to lower gasoline was to invest in finding new deposits. "The more oil, the more prices will be kept low," he said, criticizing the way the idea of ​​a price freeze. "For any product, it's not a good thing to lock in prices" and "this is automatically the state budget will suffer," he said. Total's boss noted that his group controlled a little less than 20% of French stations, and over half of them set their own rates.

He also estimated that prices could fall thanks to the current warm spell. "In the short term it may fall, when it's warmer, prices drop, today one of the reasons among others of higher pump prices, it's climate, weather extremes we known in recent times, "said Mr. de Margerie. "If the euro also firmed, it will drop, but overall as in all businesses, (the solution, note) is to get more raw materials," he said.

Diesel sales represent about 80% of French consumption of motor fuels, the unleaded 95 just under 15% and 98 unleaded around 5%.

Legrand said Thursday that 2012 promised to be a lost year in terms of organic growth but would continue its acquisition policy to ensure its development.

The group's operating margin, which reached 20.2% in 2011, also expected to suffer during the year and down 19%.

"In 2012, faced with uncertain macroeconomic expectations, Legrand holds a target organic growth of its turnover close to zero," the group said in a statement.

In 2011 Legrand has posted organic growth rose 6.4%, slightly more than 5% contained in its annual targets.

If noted the current difficult environment in 2012, the infrastructure specialist electrical and digital nevertheless reaffirmed its medium-term objectives. 

Out major economic slowdown and taking into account acquisitions, Legrand targets an average annual growth of 10% of its turnover and adjusted operating margin averaged 20%.

In 2011, net income of Legrand rose 14.4% to 478.6 million and adjusted operating profit of 7.5% to 856.7 million (+7.5 %).

Legrand has also said he would propose a dividend in 2011 of 0.93 euro per share, up 6%.

European stock markets have reduced their losses Tuesday after the session to finish close to balance, investors hoping for a swift agreement on Greece's second bailout of the country .

In Paris the CAC 40 index managed to stay above the threshold of 3,400 points, taking 0.14% to 3,409,90 points after spending much of the session negative territory. In Frankfurt the Dax gave 0.16%, while the FTSE in London lost 0.03% Pan-European and Euro Stoxx 50 index has been 0.25%.

A Greek government official reported that Athens was finalizing a document that outlines the reforms demanded by its lenders in exchange for the payment of the second plan bailout of 130 billion euros.

On currency markets, this information has boosted the euro, which reached its highest since mid-December.

The Stoxx Europe 600 bank of erased its losses to finish up 0.47%, with gains between 1.2% and 2.1% for BNP Paribas, Societe Generale and Credit Agricole.

Conversely, UBS fell 1.44% in volume fed. The Swiss bank fears a difficult start after reporting lackluster figures for its fourth quarter 2011.

Swatch has lost nearly 4% after announcing an operating profit of 1.61 billion Swiss francs in 2011, slightly below expectations.

On Wall Street, the Dow, the S & P and the Nasdaq composite earn around 0.2% to 1630 GMT.

Bunds have erased their gains on the information of progress towards a political agreement with Greece on the financial rescue of the country.

The Euribor fell to new lows of 11 months in prospect of another massive injection of liquidity into the banking system by the European Central Bank, at its next auction paper to three years scheduled for late February. 

The euro has climbed more than 1% to 1.32708 to the dollar on the electronic platform EBS, its highest level since mid-December.

"The information from Greece to Athens remove an obstacle to alleviate short-term and massive credit risk, which is positive for the euro," noted Boris Schlossberg director of currency research at GFT.

Brent crude rose around 116 dollars a barrel, still carried by the cold wave in Europe, tensions on Iran's nuclear program and turmoil in Syria.