News – Business & Economi

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is opposed to programs to support economic activity in Europe but it is ready to discuss a strengthening of the European Investment Bank Investment Bank (EIB), she says in an interview published Wednesday in the daily Hamburger Abendblatt.

She explains that in his view, the growth can not depend solely on stimulus costly for public budgets.

"It is important that we distance ourselves vis-à-vis the idea that you should always spend money to get economic growth," she said, according to excerpts from the interview released before its publication. 

"Sustainable growth is based more on education and research and innovation capacities of SMEs."

Germany, who had fought the 2008-2009 recession with a stimulus package of 81 billion euros, took the lead of states shifting the focus to fiscal austerity measures against ; the sovereign debt crisis.

But an increasingly hostile public opinion and certain officers to austerity in several countries in the euro area has reopened the debate on the advisability of measures to support growth . 

In France, the favorite for the second round of presidential elections, the socialist Francois Hollande, wants to engage if elected Sunday a renegotiation of the European fiscal pact meant facilitate the reduction of deficits. It also advocates that the European Central Bank (ECB) do more to support economic activity.

Angela Merkel warned against any relaxation of the fiscal pact, it is preferable to consider measures mobilizing "political courage and creativity more than billions."

She argues for including the removal of barriers to youth employment and the strengthening of vocational training systems, to further open the labor market. 

Repeating remarks already held the last weekend in another interview to the press, she told the Hamburger Abendblatt that Germany was in favor of strengthening resources EIB, the financing arm of the European Union in the field of investments, as well as a more flexible use of EU structural funds.

Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who chairs the Eurogroup of finance ministers ruled Monday as possible an increase of 10 billion euros from the EIB's capital.

Human Genome Sciences announced Thursday it had rejected an unsolicited offer of his longtime partner GlaxoSmithKline that values ​​around 2.6 billion (2 billion).

GSK's offer, to 13 dollars per share, represents a premium of 81% over the closing price of 7.17 dollars for action Human Genome Wednesday night, but the U.S. group believes it does not reflect its intrinsic value.

In pre-market Human Genome soared over 100% to trade at just over $ 15, a sign that the market is betting on a bidding war in this new battle that promises to within a pharmaceutical industry recently marked by a wave of consolidation. 

Human Genome, American laboratory that specializes in gene isolation and identification of their function in the development of new drugs, said banks have mandated Goldman Sachs and Cre Swiss said the counselor.

First British pharmaceutical company, GSK said he was disappointed in a statement of rejection of his offer without discussion. The group confirmed its offer, stating that the proposed price of $ 13 would be paid in cash.

He also said to expect the transaction provides for the realization by 2015 at least $ 200 million of cost synergies, and that it will be accretive to from 2013.

If GSK has been a tendency in the past not to buy out partners with whom he works, the rumor of an offer to GSK on its U.S. partner ran long, the two companies already collaborate ; over several treatments, including Benlysta, the first new drug against lupus in more than half a century.

Navid Malik, analyst at Cenkos Securities, indicates that GSK extremely knowledgeable Human Genome and must point to a potential value in excess of one Benlysta. 

Both groups are also working on a project called darapladib treatment of heart, now in the third and final phase of experimental tests.

If product development is going to an end, analysts see it as a "blockbuster" possible multi-billion dollar per year, although the molecule is also accompanied by a high level of risks.

A banker in the health sector considers the offer of generous and GSK believes that certain shareholders of Human Genome could accept it.

Others, however, prefer to wait an increase of the price. They know the appetite of big pharmaceutical companies for biotech in their search for new growth after the expiration of patents on several of their blockbuster drugs.

As recently as Wednesday, the American Illumina rejected a hostile bid of 6.8 billion dollars (5.2 billion euros) of the Swiss laboratory Roche Holding.

Wall Street opened Friday declined amid concerns related to persistent budgetary situation of Spain and slowing growth in China.

In early trade, the Dow Jones dropped 0.46% to 12,890.00 points. The Standard & Poor's, wider, yielding 0.47% to 1,379.40 while the Nasdaq composite retreated 0.48% to 2725.50.

Performance of public debt to 10 years Spain has exceeded 5.9% after the publication by the ECB shows that Spanish banks have been steadily increasing their borrowing at the ECB in March.

Moreover, the gross domestic product (GDP) of China rose 8.1% annual rate in the first quarter, the lowest figure recorded in nearly three years.

"The number of Chinese GDP is weaker than expected while anyone had used it as pretext to rise yesterday," said Peter Boockvar, equity strategist for Miller Tabak & Co. 

Bank stocks are also oriented downward despite better than expected results published by JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo.

Both titles lose respectively 1.18% and 1.88%.

Google also declined, its quarterly earnings above the consensus being overshadowed by a further deterioration in the profitability of its advertising links. The action gives up 2.8%.

A 10.8% of the workforce, the unemployment rate in the euro area in February reached its highest level in fifteen years. An employment agency in Malaga. Spain has an unemployment rate above 20%

This is a direct consequence of the crisis and the lack of growth. The unemployment rate in the euro area in February reached its highest level in fifteen years, to 10.8% of the workforce, according to data Monday from the EU statistics office, Eurostat.

According to Eurostat calculations, 17,130,000 people were unemployed in February in the euro area, or 162,000 more than the previous month. This level ever since the creation of the euro area exceeds forecasts of analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires who had forecast an unemployment rate of 10.7% in February, as the previous month.

This is the tenth consecutive month in which unemployment has reached or exceeded the threshold of 10% in the euro area. Result: the euro zone now has 1.476 million more people unemployed than a year earlier.

Throughout the European Union (EU), the unemployment rate rose to 10.2% in February against 10.1% in January. This is also setting a record, said Eurostat. Once again, Spain is the bad boy of the EU with an unemployment rate of 23.6% followed by Greece with 21% (where the latest data refer to December), Portugal (15%) and Ireland (14.7%). In Italy, unemployment reached a record high of 9.3% in February.  

In contrast, the unemployment rate the lowest were recorded in Austria (4.2%), Netherlands (4.9%), Luxembourg (5.2%) and Germany (5.7%) .

The Parisian house prices are falling for the first time since 2009. This trend can it last? The responses of Sébastien de Lafond, President of MeilleursAgents.com. Paris Real Estate, Second District, Point Trigano.

After the delirium, appeasement. The Paris property prices are going down, all professionals are unanimous, including notaries. The period October 2011 to January 2012, the price per m2 of housing in Paris and has declined slightly, to 8340 euros/m2, instead of 8370 euros previously. This represents a 0.3% decrease. The capital rappoche so the trend throughout the Paris region (-0.6% over the same period). Certainly, the decline is limited, but it denotes with previous years of sharp increase. The notice of Sébastien de Lafond is President of MeilleursAgents.com.

What do we see on the Paris market?

The Paris market has long been an exception to the French property market. If you look at the figures for previous years, between the third quarter 2009 and third quarter 2010, prices rose by 13.8% in Paris. And in 2011, the increase was 15% for old apartments. Result, the price per m2 in Paris reached 8,344 euros. The left bank has skyrocketed. First explanation: the exploding demand, strong excess relative to supply, fueled by several factors: historically low interest rates, a preference for stone instead of the stock market, investors have never been as many ( 26% of buyers, against 16% in all of France). All in a context of shortage of housing. In Ile-de-France, we need 70,000 homes a year to meet demand, then we do not built for that half hour. Another factor increase: foreign demand, which influences prices in many districts, the first in the eighth arrondissement, the 16th-but also and especially on certain types of property high-end or central ashore. This is a customer with high purchasing power, thus likely to distort the market structure high-end. Still, foreigners account for barely 5% of buyers.

The price on the Paris market have they peaked?

Today, no doubt, this market is cooling and has been since last July. The last six months, prices in Paris intra muros lost 3.5%, even lower in the inner suburbs and it is around 5% in the outer suburbs. Similarly, the transaction time is 50 days in Paris twice a year ago and 40 to 80 days in the Ile-de-France. In nine out of 10 districts, prices declined in the fourth quarter of 2011 versus the third quarter of that year. The volume of property transactions fell 15% in Paris and 20% in small and large crown.

How can we explain this decline?

On the one hand, we lost 30% of buyers from last year. First reason: the prices in Paris and the Ile de France have reached very high levels. For proof, from June 2009 to June 2011, they increased by 29%. Given this rise, many buyers say "stop". Another reason to be bullish: the banks are much more restrictive in terms of access to mortgages since the Greek crisis. Now, exit the small arrangements if you are on probation or if you have a low intake. Have a permanent and present a contribution of 5 to 10% is the rule in any bank. Moreover, the monthly credit shall not exceed 1/3 of disposable income of the borrower. Finally, we lost about 10% of buyers due to the suppression of PTZ + in the former, which was included last year in 40% of real estate transactions in the former.

On the other hand, the decline was due to the 20% of sellers and less. The sale is generally followed by a purchase. But in an economic context is not conducive to going into debt over twenty years, coupled with a fear of the future and an uncertain economy, people are more cautious. Finally, the election deadline pushes the real estate project.

The decline in the market Ile can it continue?

We announce a drop of about 5% to 10% of Paris and the Ile-de-France at least until June But this drop will not be sustainable if rates continue to decline as is currently the case in most banks. Because if interest rates fall, prices rise. However, if they increase, prices are revised downwards. This hypothesis is highly possible with the economic crisis in Spain today. The rate of OAT, (the rate at which borrows France over 10 years) may increase. However, if lending rates rise by 1%, prices could fall by 15%.

Beyond these predictions, the basic problem remains, we have a deficit of housing particularly marked in the Paris region market. Given migration, birth rates, etc.., Demand for the stone is too large to attend a substantial fall in prices in Paris, in small and large crown. The new housing shortage keeps prices. It is for this reason that the drop is, and will only be on if the new housing construction remains at this level. Buyers should not expect a substantial fall in prices. Today the market is experiencing a slight decline. This is a good time to buy in Ile-de-France.

But who can still buy in Paris?

In the capital, buyers under 30 have almost disappeared but the secondo-time buyers drive the market. Those buy for resale and are immunized against rising prices. We defined three categories of buyers. High-income couples, 30 to 40 years, may in turn seek apartments from 60 to 100 m2 through debt of 20 to 25 years. The secondly-time buyers who bought there over five years and can make a nice capital gain are now the most dynamic part of the application. But they are experiencing shortages of goods. Finally come the investors with a medium-to long term.

Unemployment in Germany fell in March to 6.7%, its lowest level since the reunification of the country, a decline which heightens the contrast between Europe's largest economy and its neighbors and should support both consumption and wage demands.

The number of job seekers decreased by 18,000 over the past month, its fifth straight decline, returning to 2.841 million according to figures adjusted for seasonal variation (CV) published ; s Thursday by the Federal Labour Office.

This decrease is more pronounced than expected since the 35 economists polled by Reuters had expected a decline of 10,000. 

"The resilience of the German labor market bodes well for private consumption in the first half," commented Carsten Brzeski, economist at ING.

"The mild weather in March and almost unwavering optimism of entrepreneurs seem the main drivers of the improvement of the fall in unemployment announced today."

These figures are good news for the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, whose estimates are based largely on increased tax revenues.

They also enhance the contrast between Germany and France, where the numbers of unemployment in February hit their highest level since October 1999. 

While the German population is nearly 30% higher than the French, the number of jobseekers CVS is now lower than that of unemployed Class A in the Hexagon.

SALARY INCREASES OF POSSIBLE

4%

If the German economy, driven by exports, has recovered quickly from the 2008-2009 financial crisis, it has not escaped the relapse caused the end of 2011, contracting by 0.2% in the fourth quarter due to the debt crisis in the euro area and its impact on global demand. 

It seems to be resurged since the beginning of this year, which led several economic research institutes to raise their growth projections and e ; housing with near certainty the hypothesis of a new recession (two consecutive quarters of declining GDP).

Buoyant labor market in this climate generally heckled favored improving consumer confidence, rising in six of seven months as the barometer of the GfK. 

The decline in unemployment has led parallel to the German unions claim higher wages after several years of rigor in this area: the central Verdi and IG Metall and ask one the other increases of 6.5% for the approximately five million workers they represent.

For Christian Schulz, an economist at Berenberg Bank, wage growth is "inevitable" because of tensions on the labor market.

"While it is unlikely that requests for increases of 6% are accepted, agreements with increases of 4% are possible," said he. "With inflation back to 2.1% in March, wage increases may provide important new welcome boost to consumer spending."

Many economists note, however, that the downward trend in unemployment slows as lessens the impact of reforms implemented in recent years to increase the flexibility of the labor market .

The German government is preparing to take a stake larger than expected 12% stake in EADS, parent company of Airbus, said on Friday German government source, sign that Berlin intends to defend its interests within the European aerospace group.

The German state, through the state development bank KfW, would take over the holdings of automaker Daimler and several private banks, the source said, confirming a report in the German press.

"The draft supplementary budget foresees 1.6 billion euros for this purpose," the source said.

Germany had already indicated that it would buy 7.5% of EADS Daimler. The additional 4.5% will be purchased from the banking consortium Dedalus.

Around 10 am at the Paris Bourse, EADS gained 1.29% to 30.63 euros.

EADS is currently controlled by a partnership between Daimler, the French Lagardère and the French state.

The approach of Germany could weigh in the debate between Berlin EADS on the location of production sites, while the group has already warned Germany against any attempt to engineer ; reference.

The CEO of EADS Louis Welsh defended the project in early March of his designated successor Thomas Enders to domicile a greater number of group activities in Toulouse, where the headquarters of Airbus, attracting criticism from Berlin. 

A spokesman for the German Economy Ministry had refused Thursday to comment on the information on the purchase of greater participation by the state revealed by the Financial Times Deutschland, while a representative of EADS also refused to do so.

Nisshin Steel will acquire Nippon Metal Industry as part of a stock deal valued at $ 180 million (136 million euros) to create the number two Japanese stainless steel The Japanese steel industry consolidating domestic market face a sullen and intense foreign competition.

Nippon Steel Corp.. -A number of Japanese steel-and Sumitomo Metal Industries also plan to merge in October.

Nisshin and Nippon Metal, who in November announced their wish to merge this year, said in a statement that they had reached an agreement to combine, October 1, their activities under a holding company to be called Nisshin Steel Holdings Co.

Prior to this announcement, shares Nisshin Steel have closed unchanged at 145 yen.

Nisshin and Nippon Metal Industry said they planned cost savings and other synergies that increase by 13 billion yen (119 million) over five years their beneficial ; current fice.

Union representatives of PSA Peugeot Citroen and Opel / Vauxhall, the two European brands of General Motors, will meet in April to discuss the social implications of the alliance between the two automakers , said Friday FO.

A central works council (EAC) on the alliance is scheduled for April 5, said his side the CFDT. It will follow a meeting of the European group committee of PSA scheduled for 23 March.

"Union representatives French, German and English PSA / OPEL / VAUXHALL exchanged Thursday, March 15 during a conference call coordinated by the EMF (European Federation of Metallurgy). They decided the establishment of a European cooperation and a meeting in Brussels liaison committees of the two groups, under the auspices of the GEF, in April " , said in a statement

. FO PSA and General Motors have announced a strategic alliance in February through the pooling of their purchases and preparing a common platform by 2016

. Both ensure that the alliance has no impact on the issue of overcapacity of the European two groups, that they should be treated separately. But unions are questioning the social and industrial benefits of the project as PSA and Opel ranges were very similar cars.

Together, they produce cars and light trucks in 20 plants in Europe, including 16 in Western Europe: France, Spain, Portugal and Italy next PSA, and Great Britain, Spain and Germany Opel side.

GM and the German trade union IG Metall to have an agreement excluding any job cuts on German soil until 2014.

The European group committee of PSA was originally scheduled for this Friday, but the meeting between unions and management has been postponed due to the absence of the Chief Executive Philippe Varin. 

Representatives of the management of PSA are currently "road show" to provide investors the capital increase of one billion euros to finance planned investments as part of alliance, after which GM will become the second largest shareholder with PSA 7% stake behind the Peugeot family. The capital increase, opened on March 8, runs until next Wednesday.

The Bundesbank (Buba) German has used much of its profits in 2011 to strengthen its protective mattress and its president warned Tuesday the European Central Bank (ECB) against a decision excessive risk in its rules for granting loans to banks.

The German central bank considered it prudent to increase reserves while increasing concerns about the bill that the issuing institutions in the euro zone will have to pay under rescue the European banking system.

The ECB has helped to avoid a credit crunch by injecting in the space of two months 1,000 billion euros in the area banks, through loans and rates 3 years reduced, and by relaxing its criteria for acceptance of collateral. 

The chairman of the Buba Jens Weidmann said he was concerned about the risks to the balance sheet of the ECB and national central banks of the Eurosystem, arguing that risk-taking should be lowered e, for instance by raising the quality of the collateral required for banks wishing to finance with the ECB.

But even if the Bundesbank's balance sheet reflects this concern, Jens Weidmann did not call for an immediate withdrawal of bank support.

"But that does not mean that all measures of crises must be lifted immediately, rather, it means that we, as a central bank, thinking against their abil re to organize the withdrawal of these measures."

One who is also a member of the Governing Council of the ECB played down his differences with the president of the institution in Frankfurt Mario Draghi in monetary policy. He stressed that he did not feel isolated within the council and had a good working relationship with the Italian

. "I do not feel isolated in the Governing Council of the ECB because I see that the arguments that I or others put forward are discussed "said Jens Weidmann at a press conference on the occasion of the presentation of annual results of the Buba

…. ….. He added that there was no predefined camps at voting time on the board. Last week, Mario Draghi also said that the Bundesbank was not isolated within the ECB.

The benefit of the Buba fell to 643 million euros in 2011, against 2.2 billion euros in 2010, due to an increase of 4.1 billion euros of provisions related to credit risk, foreign exchange, gold and other prices, against an increase of 1.6 billion euros the previous year.

"The main reason for the decrease in earnings is higher provisions for risk," said its president.

"The counterparty risk in repurchase program bonds and refinancing operations rose perceptibly due to higher volumes and the high degree of risk," added ; Jens Weidmann.