News – Business & Economi

The Scientific Council of indices for the Paris Stock Exchange has decided to withdraw Dexia and Lagardère CAC 40, which will be replaced by Natixis and Publicis, NYSE Euronext said Friday.

Dexia and Lagardere will be included in the index Next20, ante ACC with Edenred and Rhodia, while Atos Origin and Land Regions are withdrawn over Natixis and Publicis.

These decisions will take effect from the trading session of September 20, 2010, said Euronext, which manages the Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Lisbon, and the New York Stock Exchange now payday loans.

The Scientific Council of indices for the Paris Bourse meets four times a year.It decides the composition of indices taking into account market capitalization, volume and weight of the share float of securities.

Five values also incorporate the SBF 120 – Bull, Faiveley Transport, Medica, Ruby and Sequana, while six are removed – Beneteau, Bonduelle, French Cement, Euler Hermes, Sperian Protection and Vilmorin.

The decline in unemployment for the second consecutive quarter to hope that France moved into a sustained decrease, said Thursday Economy Minister Christine Lagarde.

The unemployment rate as defined in International Labour Office has declined to 9.3% and 9.7% in France with overseas in the second quarter against 9.5% and 9.9% in the first, announced Thursday INSEE.

"This is good news, especially now that a new repeating itself," said Christine Lagarde told Reuters.

"When is two consecutive quarters, there is reason to believe that not only stabilized but unemployment is perhaps past the right side of stabilization.People come, hopefully in permanently reducing unemployment. "

In a previous interview after the announcement of a decline in the number of jobseekers in Class A in July, 25 August Christine Lagarde had referred to "stabilize" trend that is becoming.

Asked to say at what level of growth in France was able to create lasting jobs, the economy minister said: "It is almost certain it was only 2% of net job creation sustainable, but look at the current period, to 1.4% pace of growth was the net creation of jobs.

"The French economy has created about 60.000 new jobs since the beginning of 2010 when it evolves at a rate of 1.4 to 1.5% growth, so somewhere between 1.5% and 2%, the French economy created jobs .

"What is important is that we can maintain this trend of declining unemployment and net creation of jobs," she added.

The government forecasts economic growth of 1.4% this year and 2.0% in 2011.

Warren Buffett has filed a formal offer for the purchase by Berkshire Hathaway of its 19.9% stake it does not already own in Wesco Financial.

Wesco, which is headquartered in Pasadena, California, is run by Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway.

The transaction in cash and stock should be around 500 million dollars (390 million euros) on the basis of book value at Wesco dated June 30His actual amount will be determined on the basis of the carrying value of the company at the time of the closing of the transaction Warren Buffett hopes that it will happen this year.

In a statement, Wesco said it had established a committee of three independent directors to consider the offer from Berkshire fast cash.There is no guarantee that the transaction is concluded, says the company is mainly active in insurance, furniture rental, and steel.

Warren Buffett, who is aged 80 years, has announced its intention to redeem the remaining Wesco August 26, which has resulted in a leap of 11.8% per share this year.

Wednesday, the stock closed up 46 cents at $ 363, giving the 19.9% stake coveted by Berkshire market capitalization of 514 million.

Berkshire had acquired 80.1% stake in Wesco there are more than 30 years. Charlie Munger, aged 86, is CEO of the group since 1984 and has parallel Vice-Chairman of Berkshire since 1978.

The Nikkei closed up 0.95% Friday, pending action by the Japanese authorities to stem the rising yen.

The Nikkei index closed at 8991.06 points and the broader TOPIX, took 0.96% to 819.62 points.

At midday, the Nikkei had yet descended to a lower conference room of 16 months.

According to Kyodo News, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan was to hold a press conference Friday to outline the measures taken by the government to control the sudden appreciation of the yen.

The exporters, who are particularly affected by the rising yen, have therefore taken the colors, Honda Motor TDK and Advantest winner respectively 1.63%, 2.79% and 1.72% at closing.

Nissan Motor announced Wednesday that he still thought to exceed its goal of worldwide sales this year despite fears about the U.S. economic recovery, but he also warned against the effects of the current strength of the yen on its results.

"The stronger yen has a big impact on us.We will adopt measures to minimize cons-impact, "he told Reuters Insider assistant general manager, Toshiyuki Shiga, outside the auto show in Moscow.

He said that the cons-measures envisaged included an increase in imports of automotive components.

"We still do not change our earnings prospects but there are headwinds: the raw material costs rise, the yen appreciates (…) We have taken into account in our budget to a parity of 90 yen per dollar He is now at 83 yen, "he added.

While investors are hoping for a response from the Japanese authorities to contain the strong yen, Nomura Securities estimates that a rise of the yen against the dollar would result in a decrease of 0.9% of current earnings of major Japanese industrial groups fiscal year 2010-2011, which ends in March.

Nissan, the third Japanese automobile manufacturer, hopes to increase its market share globally this year with a growth of about 8% of its sales to 3.8 million vehicles, thanks to new versions of its small city Micra / March in his "crossover" Juke and other new models.

"Based on current trends, we can exceed our goal of global sales (3.8 million vehicles) if the market remains stable but the U.S. recovery is not expected to change very positively," said Toshiyuki Shiga.

Moreover, the CEO of Nissan in Russia, Francois Goupil de Bouille said it expects to double sales of the manufacturer on the Russian market to 100,000 vehicles this year, while all the Russian car market could reach two million units, after falling in 2009.

In late July, the Japanese group, in which Renault owns 43%, maintained its forecast of annual results due to uncertainties surrounding the outlook for global demand, despite the publication of its best quarterly operating profit for over two years.

While the earnings season ends business in the United States, optimism about the earnings outlook for the third quarter gradually eroded as investors fearing that the weak demand reflected by the indicators Macroeconomic weigh on sales and margins of listed companies.

While only a handful of companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 has not yet submitted its accounts, the average growth index of profits in the second quarter stood at 38.4% compared to the corresponding period of the Last year, according to data from Thomson Reuters.

Such performance is unlikely to be equaled in the third quarter.The estimates, which are currently still at the level they were in early July, predicting earnings growth of 24.9% over one year.

"It could well be one of the last quarter for which the results are as good as mine.There is already, for example, they slow down or they're to move downward for 2011, "said Pankaj Patel, analyst at Credit Suisse in New York.

If 75% of the S & P 500 have exceeded estimates in the second quarter, compared to an historical average of 62%, many observers believe that profit margins could well have peaked.

Productivity has in fact declined by 0.9% over the same period, suggesting that companies may well find themselves unable to maintain their level of profitability.

ESTIMATES TOO OPTIMISTIC?

The average margin for the S & P 500 was 8.9% in April-June, against 6.2% a year earlier, according to Howard Silverblatt, an analyst at Standard & Poor's.

The disappointing economic indicators published in recent weeks, particularly on the employment front, began to be integrated into the course: the S & P 500 has a 0.7% drop since July 12, the start of the season results .

"There are many headwinds (…) and if you start to take them into account, we see that some numbers may be too optimistic," said Alan Lancz, president of Alan B. Lancz & Associates, an investment consulting firm.

The second part of the earnings season has been worse than the first.Of more than 2,000 U.S. companies announced their accounts, more than 70% have exceeded analysts' estimates during the first half of the period of publication, but this ratio fell to 66% by the end of the season, according to analysts at the company Studies Bespoke Investment Group.

For the third quarter, the estimates should not change much more until early October.

"Unless exceptional economic event (…) a major change in numbers is unlikely" for at least several weeks, Judge John Butters, head of U.S. monitoring results, Thomson Reuters.

The restatement of financial results of listed companies has been a major driver of the rebound in the S & P 500 from the lowest 12 years hit early in March 2009 and since then, the index rose by 58%.

Axa announced Wednesday better than expected financial results for the first half performance in line with its objective to give priority to the recovery in margins rather than the development of its turnover.

Net income for the second European group of insurance by market capitalization stood at 944 million euros, a figure well above the 623 million approached by the consensus of analysts conducted by the editor of Reuters.

"In the first half of 2010, we focused on optimizing our margins on all our business lines," said a statement from the Group CEO Henri De Castries.

If the result is displayed down 28% over the same period last year, this drop is due to the supply of 1.478 billion euros spent by the group following the sale of some of its assets in the United Kingdom.

Without this extraordinary loss, net income would increase by 81%.

The decline in operating income of 3% to 2.082 billion euros, a performance superior to 1.884 billion as planned by Reuters, while turnover has increased it from 1% to 49.925 billion euros.

The band's performance "We will strengthen our ability to rebound when the economy will become clearer," said Henri de Castries.

Axa has not commented on the offer of 11.5 billion dollars from the National Australia Bank on its subsidiary AXA Asia Pacific.

The subsidiary has announced a profit of 219.2 million Australian dollars for the first six months of the year, a figure in line with market expectations.

The offer, which clashed with the Australian authorities to the competition runs until August 31.

The title Axa lost 10.9% since the beginning of the year, while the European index DJStoxx insurance is up 3.16%.

Sanofi-Aventis could make a first offer around $ 70 per share to acquire U.S. biotech Genzyme, analysts said.

Some consider that the French pharmaceutical group may raise its offer to $ 80.

Under cover of anonymity, one analyst said that "70 dollars would be a first offer" and that "at $ 80 it remains a good deal for Sanofi.

Same story for another sector specialist who believes that $ 80 "operation creates value in three years that will follow."

Citigroup, meanwhile, said that Sanofi will likely be the only buyer of American specialist on rare diseases and will pay between 74-77 dollars per share, or 19.7 to 20.5 billion dollars (15.0 to 15 6 billion euros).

Citi analysts consider that "insofar Sanofi may be the only buyer, and that shareholders are aware that Genzyme may fall into the lower half of the range of 50-60 dollars, unless an agreement is not passed the matter will be at 74-77 dollars. "

They add that the French lab could launch a hostile bid if Genzyme resists and present its offer directly to shareholders.

The shareholder Relational Investors, Carl Icahn, who hold respectively 3.8% and 4.9% from Genzyme, could be satisfied with an offer around $ 75 since they bought at 61 and 54 dollars, says Citi.

Sanofi, an agreement would be $ 75 4% accretive in 2011 and 13% in 2013, analysts have calculated the Citi.

At Raymond James, Eric Le Berrigaud doubt that "70 dollars is sufficient.Starting at $ 70, is ready to go up to $ 80, "he notes." And at 80 dollars it is not certain whether all the guarantees of success since c is roughly the level or was action before Genzyme's production problems.

The biotech has enjoyed last year a series of production problems on its sites in the U.S., which continue to weigh on its business.

"SANOFI PREFERRED FINANCIAL LOGIC"

A fourth analyst insists that Sanofi is expected to launch its bid for Genzyme even if it does not create value for the group's objective is to increase its earnings per share.

"For the operation to bring value, it should pay less than $ 70 per share, or about 64 dollars," he says."If Sanofi launches operation beyond, is that the group favors a financial logic in the short to medium term to close down its results and not the logic of value creation."

For him, "the title Genzyme could return to $ 80 after the settlement of industrial problems, but very transient because its treatment of Gaucher's disease could soon be rivaled.

Sources familiar with the case, it said last week that Sanofi intended to send a letter to Genzyme with the terms of its offer.This offer would be like "bear hug", that is to say friendly at first but may become hostile if necessary.

The Board of Directors of Sanofi has authorized a $ 18.7 billion dollars, said last week, sources familiar with the matter. But Sanofi has financial guidelines allowing it to raise its offer, that is to say, to bring more than $ 70 per share, said a source.

The experts, anyway, that Genzyme is a suspect "white knight" to deal with Sanofi.

A spokesman for the Financial Markets Authority said that the French system which requires an initiator to declare his intentions in certain conditions if the rumors do not apply when the target is foreign.In this case, the law of the country in which the target company is applying, "she added.

The action dealt Genzyme Monday up 0.5% to 69.93 dollars in early afternoon on Wall Street. In Paris, the title Sanofi closed at 45.4 euros (1.88%).

European banking stocks were up, supported by the results of resistance tests conducted by the European authorities to restore market confidence.

Investors, who had initially criticized the methodology of stress tests conducted by the Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS), believe that exercise helps alleviate fears about the solvency of banks.

Having suffered in mid-morning on concerns about exposure of Deutsche Bank in sovereign debt, the sector index Stoxx 600 European banks is again on the rise.

Around 12:50, the index has risen by 0.41%.

The Societe Generale and ING shares rose 2.97% respectively at 39.12 euros and 3.08% to 7.1280 euros.

The Santander, the first bank capitalization in the euro area remained stable at 10.11 euros after opening up to the Madrid Stock Exchange.

"The stress tests show that the French banks and European banks in general, are more truly threatened by a solvency risk," notes Simon Willis, NCB Stockbrokers analyst financial in a research note.

"It remains for banks to find sufficient levels of profitability, long-term effort that requires strategic reviews of activity and improvements in their organization," he says.

Analysts at Credit Suisse in turn emphasize that the publication of detailed exposure to sovereign debt will enable investors to better understand the needs to recapitalize banks and credit risks in the event of default on the debt of a State.

Of the 91 banks in the European Union subject to the tests, only seven property – five Spanish, one German and one Greek – have failed and could therefore be forced to raise 3.5 billion euros of equity.

Others were successful only just like German or Italian Deutsche Postbank Monte dei Paschi di Siena.

DEUTSCHE BANK ASSENTED

French banks BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, Credit Agricole and BPCE have all passed the test of successful resistance, which allows securities to outperform their benchmark.

BNP Paribas gained 0.86% to 50.22 euros, Crédit Agricole 0.94% to 9.44 euros.

The Franco-Belgian Dexia, which has also passed the tests, scores 2.6% to 3.39 euros.

In Germany, Deutsche Bank, which also passed the tests, is punished by investors for failing detailed its exposure to sovereign debt.The title and yielded 1.24% to 49.13 euros.

The Committee of European Banking Supervisors will also ask the German banks to explain why they did not give details Friday of their holdings of sovereign debt.

In conducting these tests, CEBS and the European Union have sought to ensure that large EU banks had sufficient capital to cope with a deteriorating economy would be worse than expected and new shocks.

Learning from the Greek debt crisis, the tests also incorporated discounts on the value of certain bonds held by banks.

Noting a marked turnaround that after months of sluggish demand, Lufthansa is optimistic about his chances to reach its profit target by 2010.

"Despite the first negative quarter and the closure of airspace early April, the developments in recent months has reinforced expectations of a higher operating profit in 2010 than last year," reads a statement released Monday by the airline before a meeting with investors.

In May, Lufthansa had already confirmed its 2010 target of a higher operating profit to 130 million euros generated in 2009.

The company also revised up slightly its forecast for the fuel bill this year, seeing now to 5.3 billion euros against 5.2 billion previously.

About 10:40 GMT, Lufthansa advanced 1.10% to 11.91 euro, making a little more than the index values involving the airline and travel industries (0.57%).