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At nearly $ 120 million, a version of "Scream" by Edvard Munch became a work of art the most expensive ever sold at auction. Sale by the businessman Norwegian Petter Olsen, identity is unknown to the buyer. The sale of the Munch allowed Sotheby's to beat its previous record for an evening auction of impressionist and modern art.

A version of "Scream", the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, was sold Wednesday night for 119.92 million dollars in New York, becoming a work of art the most expensive ever sold at auction. The sale in the crowd of Sotheby's lasted only 12 minutes, sometimes climbing the auction of more than 10 million in one minute. In an electric atmosphere, seven buyers were hotly contested this work lighthouse, which was estimated at 80 million.  

The pastel made in 1895 and representing a man shouting, hands on ears, bloody sky background in Oslo, was the only one of four versions of "The Scream" still owned by an individual. The sale ended to loud applause, while the auctioneer Tobias Meyer announced a "world record". No detail was given on the buyer, in the center of much discussion after the sale, but the seller, businessman Norwegian Petter Olsen, said he was "very happy" to have become man such a record, at a brief press conference.

Between 1893 and 1910, Munch, expressionist painter (1863-1944) had made four versions of this table over the years become a symbol of universal anxiety. Wednesday night that sold during the sale of impressionist and modern art at Sotheby's for 70 years belonged to the family Olsen, Petter Olsen holding his father Thomas, neighbor, friend and protector of Munch. She had the particularity to include, in red letters inscribed on the frame of light wood, the poem that inspired this work among the best known in the world.

The other three versions of the table belong to the Munch Museum in Oslo (2) and the National Gallery in Oslo (1). Welcoming a "historic evening", Simon Shaw, head of Impressionist and modern art at Sotheby's, emphasized the universality of "Scream", the "key to the modern consciousness". The painting, which was the subject of countless books, films and studies, and has been declining over the years on mugs, calendars, t-shirts and other objects of daily life, is "one of the few images that transcend the art and history to reach the international conscience, "he stressed before the sale.

Only eight works had previously exceeded $ 80 million at an auction, and none had reached 100 million under the hammer, which was the case for Munch. The world record was previously held by Picasso, "Nu au Plateau sculptor", sold $ 106.4 million (with fees) in May 2010 at Christie's in New York. In his diary, January 22, 1892, Munch had explained his inspiration for "The Scream": "I was walking on a path with two friends. The sun was setting. Suddenly the sky turned blood red. I stopped, exhausted, I'm leaning on a fence, there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and city. My friends have continued, and I just stood there, trembling with fear. I sensed an infinite scream passing through the universe "

. Wednesday evening, Petter Olsen gave his own interpretation of a work" remain a major force in (his) life "." The Scream shows the scary moment for me where man realizes his impact on nature and irreversible changes that he initiated, making this planet more inhabitable, " he said, paying tribute to the vision "prescient" by Munch. With the revenues from the sale, he planned to build a new museum dedicated to the artist in Norway

.. The sale of the Munch ……. allowed Sotheby's to beat its previous record for an evening auction of impressionist and modern art, which was 286.2 million dollars, and dated from 1990. Wednesday night, the sales of 65 of the 76 proposed lots totaled 330.56 million dollars.

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.

Consumer spending by French households fell 2.9% in March after a similar rise in February. Throughout the first quarter, they increased by 0.2%. Consumer spending by French households fell 2.9% in March 2012 due to lower energy costs.

French consumer spending fell sharply in March, largely due to lower energy bills, losing 2.9% compared to February, said Friday the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies ( INSEE). Consumption expenditure of households had jumped 2.9% in February as a result of the cold wave. Throughout the first quarter, they increased by 0.2%, after rising 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2011, INSEE said in a statement.  

"The decline in spending in March was largely due to lower energy costs and, to a lesser extent, that of food expenditures," said the institute. Thus, food consumption was down 2.3% after two consecutive months of increases. As for energy, INSEE found a "return to normal + + after the cold snap in February."

Spending on durable goods rose in March (+1.5% after -0.9% in February). Throughout the quarter, they were down 3.3% after rising 2.7% in the fourth quarter of 2011. Despite a recovery in March (+2.3% after -0.5% in February), spending on cars down the entire first quarter (-5.6% after +4.4%). Similarly, those in home equipment increased slightly in March (+0.2% after -0.6% in February) but receding in the quarter (-0.9% after +1.3%).

STMicroelectronics has reported late Monday a first-quarter loss that it attributed to a downturn in sales in the segment of products for mobile phones and the impact of a decision Justice.

Net loss for the first quarter totaled $ 176 million or $ 0.20 per share, against a net loss of $ 0.01 in the fourth quarter 2011 and net income of $ 0.19 per diluted share in first quarter 2011.

An arbitration STMicroelectronics forced to pay nearly $ 59 million to NXP Semiconductors.

The turnover is meanwhile stood at 2.02 billion dollars, representing a sequential decline of 8%. 

"The losses in the segment of products for cell phones (Wireless) have once again weighed on our quarterly results," said CEO of the leading European manufacturer of semiconductors, Bozotti.

For the second quarter 2012, the Company expects an increase in turnover of about 7.5% over the first quarter, plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Gross margin for the second quarter should be around 34.4%, plus or minus 1.5 percentage points.

STMicroelectronics fell sharply Monday on the Paris Stock Exchange after the announcement of an intensified restructuring of its subsidiary, ST-Ericsson.

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.

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.

Altran Thursday confirmed a large increase in operating margin for 2011 following growth of 7.2% of its turnover for the year, and said he was "reasonably confident" in 2012 despite ; economic uncertainties.

Sales of specialist technology consulting totaled 1,419.5 million euros last year, growing "economy" of 8.1% (on a comparable basis excluding the impact of exchange and changes in working days).

This publication dope title to the Paris Bourse, where the action is gaining 4.18% to 3.96 euros, shoulder to shoulder with Plastic Omnium top of the largest increases in the SBF 120 (+ 0.35%). 

"We are convinced and seduced by the strategy and decisions implemented by the new management group," says a note in CM-CIC Securities, the purchase value.

"Certainly, the current should not favor the rapid improvement of the fundamentals of Altran, but we believe that the work done by the new CEO of the group should begin to bear fruit in 2013, both in terms of operating performance and cash as corporate culture, "said the intermediary.

The fourth quarter alone, sales of Altran amounted to 370.6 million euros, increasing by 6% and an "economic growth" of 8, 6%. 

"Despite an uncertain macroeconomic environment, the Group is reasonably confident for 2012," he said in a statement its CEO, Philippe Salle.

Philippe Salle had told Reuters in October Altran, a deficit in 2010 would remain negative in 2011 but would profit in 2012.

A week after announcing falsely lowered the AAA rating of France, the Standard & Poor's has again committed a blunder Thursday when the publication of the new rating improved from Brazil.

In the title of his release, the U.S. initially said he found the note of Brazil to BBB-by the prompt correction. And for good reason, the note of Brazil was already at BBB-and the agency has in fact raised by one notch to BBB.

The world's second largest home appliances Electrolux said Friday he would seek to further reduce its costs, adding an expected decline in demand in its key markets after announcing a drop in quarterly profit.

The group, which owns the brands Electrolux, AEG and Frigidaire, anticipating the year a decline in demand for appliances in Europe of around 1%, not a 1% increase as expected before.

It also expects that the demand in North America fell by 4-5%, against an increase of 3% previously expected.

The group reported a third quarter adjusted operating income of 1.10 billion kronor (122 million) against 1.98 billion a year earlier.

The Reuters gave 1.06 billion crowns.

"Demand has fallen in several major markets (…) southern Europe and the United States, when the cost of raw materials has increased," said its chief executive Keith McLoughlin.

"The third quarter results were affected by the continuing difficult market conditions."

Electrolux said in a statement it would continue to seek to optimize the use of production capacity in North America and Western Europe and also reduce overhead costs.