Business News & Financial News

General Motors announced Monday the retirement of Nick Reilly, current head of the European activities of the group and its replacement next year by Karl-Friedrich Stracke.

The latter will take office as president of GM Europe on 1 January while retaining his current position as CEO of Opel.

General Motors had appointed in March the former head of engineering at the head of the European manufacturer Opel.

The Government will meet throughout the weekend to decide on a new set of anti-deficit. The announcement will probably be Monday at the end of an extraordinary cabinet meeting. Minister of Economy and Finance, Baroin, and budget minister, Valérie Pécresse (here on the benches of the National Assembly on 6 September 2011)

The government will hold meetings arbitration throughout the weekend before the announcement, probably Monday, a new set of anti-deficit measures which a light could be a new day of solidarity, has said on Saturday a government source. "Conciliation meetings will be held the weekend before the ads are likely to take place Monday even if it is not yet confirmed," it was said the same source.Announcement of details of the measures occurring after a cabinet meeting postponed to Monday exceptionally due to preparation of the G-20 summit last Wednesday.

According to reports in the Journal du Dimanche, a government source confirmed a second day of solidarity is under consideration. Founded in 2004 after the 2003 heat wave, the first Solidarity Day is a day of unpaid work whose fruits fund the care of elderly and disabled. Originally set for Monday of Pentecost, that day, which reported 2.4 billion euros in 2010, has since 2008 organized "a la carte".

Other measures to be announced Monday include the raising of the reduced VAT rate, from 5.5% to 7% for the restoration and renovation of housing.

With 5.12 billion euros of order intake in 2010, the French arms exports experienced a sharp drop from the previous year, when they had reached 8.16 billion, announced Wednesday the Departments of Defense and Foreign Affairs.

In a "difficult situation", France has retained last year's fourth largest exporter behind the United States, Britain and Russia, reads the report to Parliament on the exports of arms of France in 2010.

The main customers of France were Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India and Malaysia.

In the preamble to the report, the defense minister, Gérard Longuet, welcomed a "success" of France in a crisis.

He sees an encouragement "not to relax our efforts and to continue our work for our exports to strengthen the industrial and technological base defense of our country and preserve the 165,000 jobs that the industry has."

Over the period 2006-2010, the Middle East is the top destination for exports with 27%, followed closely by Latin America 25%, thanks to contracts with Brazil.

Asia represents 18% of the market, and expected success with India could advance this figure in years to come.Finally the percentage of world market share in Europe is 17%.

The contract for the sale of two ships Projection and Command (BPC) Mistral class in Russia for an estimated $ 1.2 billion was signed in June, and is not accounted for in 2010 .

The two helicopter carriers are built by the French shipyard DCNS, contractor on the contract, and STX, in collaboration with OSK.

DCNS, a public company, is controlled to 25% by the defense electronics group Thales.The Korean group STX, owner of the shipyards of Saint-Nazaire, is also involved in the construction of the Mistral.

As for the ongoing negotiations with several countries including Brazil and the United Arab Emirates to sell for the first time outside the Rafale combat aircraft from Dassault Aviation, they have not yet been completed.

Over the decade 2001-2010, the United States, Britain, Russia, France and Israel have shared 90% of the arms market.

List of values ​​to follow on Wednesday at the Paris Bourse.

* BANKS. The International Monetary Fund is considering taking part in a special investment vehicle that would be created by the European Financial Stability (EFSF) but has not yet taken any decision, officials said Tuesday the euro area.

* PSA Peugeot Citroën has revised down its forecast Wednesday after the third quarter of 2011 marked by lower volumes and increased competition on prices in Europe.

* AIR LIQUIDE confirmed target improvement in net profit in 2011 "in a normal environment," despite a slowdown in sales growth in the third quarter, still worn by the emerging markets.

* Bouygues.Morgan Stanley initiated coverage of the value with a board underweight and a target price of 32 euros.

* Saint-Gobain confirmed its 2011 objectives despite the deterioration in economic conditions which could lead to slower growth in the fourth quarter of the group.

* STMicroelectronics.Kepler Capital Markets lowered its recommendation on the way to reduce, retain cons.

* Ingenico found that the turbulence in the economy does not question its forecast for 2011, thanks to particularly strong sales growth in emerging countries and Europe, but the manufacturer of payment terminals has remained silent of 2012.

* MERSEN confirmed its 2011 objectives, supported by strong solar activities and Asia, but expressed cautious for 2012 due to economic climate remains uncertain.

* LAFUMA confirmed its performance targets for 2010-2011 following a growth of 1.7% of its turnover in respect of the fiscal year.

European shares closed up Monday, supported by the hope of a settlement of the debt crisis in the euro area and reassuring economic data from China.

The pan-European Eurofirst 300 index took 1.11%. In Paris the CAC 40 gained 1.55% (49.12 points) to 3,220.46 points, its highest since Oct. 12.

In Frankfurt, the Dax gained 1.41% to 6055.27 points. The Footsie has meanwhile been 1.08% on the London.

The mining, including Antofagasta, Kazakhmys and Rio Tinto have reached the market, winning all over 7% on the right numbers of Chinese manufacturing activity.STOXX index of European raw materials ends up 5.63%.

"Markets are likely to be very erratic until the EU summit on Wednesday night," warns Thomas, however, Kleb, head of equity sales at SG CIB in Paris, noting also that transaction volumes remain extremely limited.

The euro still progressed and exceeded $ 1.39, on the hope that Europeans will manage to agree on a plan against the debt crisis.

According to a document of the European Union (EU) for the summit on Wednesday, two options should be combined to increase the firepower of the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF), namely an insurance scheme and a special investment vehicle able to buy government bonds.

After the leak on the proposed closure of two blast furnaces in Liege, Belgium, Lorraine ArcelorMittal employees are concerned about their future. Employees of ArcelorMittal at the entrance of the site of Florange, September 9, 2011.

Article first published on LExpress.fr

In shock. Back Thursday night in Lorraine, Edward Martin, the CFDT delegate of ArcelorMittal Florange, found the words to shout his anger. "At noon, I was unable to speak," he admits. Hours earlier, he was still in Luxembourg, following a meeting of the EWC's No. 1 global steel industry. Meeting at which management claimed to have nothing to say to the union representatives, while in Belgium, the Walloon region have learned announced the closure of two blast furnaces in Liege. "The Belgian colleagues were crying," said Edouard Martin.Both blast furnaces were arrested temporarily. Florange such as: one ceased operations on July 6, the other on October 4. "How to extend credit to the word of Mittal who say one day it will not close and decide the opposite the next day? Edward Martin gets carried away. Eric Besson does not doubt the word of Mittal? It is more naivety is complicity! "

A Florange, fear is escalated after the announcement that hit the site of Liege. The area has already seen the closure of the steelworks in Gandhinagar in 2009. Teams know that ArcelorMittal wants to improve the productivity of blast furnaces and focus activity on large-capacity facilities, located by the sea, more profitable (Fos and Dunkerque in France, Ghent, Belgium, Bremen, Germany , Gijon, Spain).Seven sites in Europe are now involved in the activity stops, France, Belgium, Germany and Spain. On September 23, at the investor day in London, the management of Mittal announced an "optimization plan assets of € 1 billion" in the old continent.

"We wondered where it would find one billion, one begins to understand, but this is not enough, loose Edward Martin, furious. We always used the same refrain, the temporary closure. Until punch in the stomach the final decision. It is sure that with the presidential election, it would make a bad impression to announce closure of Florange. But what will happen there in June 2012? ". Segolene Royal after a fortnight ago, François Holland a week ago, Jean-Luc Mélenchon which is Florange this Friday, October 14. "But we are disgusted by the silence of French and European authorities, denounced Martin.Libya is saved, we save the banks, and we? We will not let them kill Florange. For thirty-three years I worked here. This plant is ours. In 1992, there had been 1.5% of payroll to pay for a new galvanizing line. They killed Gandhinagar, they will not kill Florange. Angry? Today, it is not anger, it's disgust. "

Hermes currently finds no sign of spending restraint to its customers despite a darkening economic outlook, said Sunday the manager of the French luxury group on the fringes of Paris Fashion Week.

"At the moment, there is no impact on our sales," said Patrick Thomas told Reuters, adding that think the purchasing power of customers in the luxury had not yet been assigned.

"The fact that it does not see today does not mean it will not happen", he warned, however.

"When there are moments of macroeconomic concerns, it always results in our businesses."

The values ​​of luxury was heckled last week in the markets, amid concerns about the evolution of the Chinese market and the strength of demand for luxury goods in slowing global economy.

Patrick Thomas, however, has sought reassurance about the level of sales of Hermes in September. "September went well," he said.

In addition, the manager of the saddle on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore said Hermes would soon create the family holding to sanctuaries a majority stake in the group face to the appetites of LVMH.

"It'll be soon. There are many administrative procedures," he said.

Maple Group, a consortium of Canadian financial institutions, said Thursday it was extending until Oct. 31 its hostile bid of 3.8 billion Canadian dollars (2.7 billion euros) on TMX Group, the operator of the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The consortium, composed of the four largest banks, pension funds in four of the country and one of the largest life insurers in North America, also said he continued to work to get the go Green regulations for its offer of 50 Canadian dollars per share.

TMX and the London Stock Exchange had agreed to merge earlier this year before the LSE does not waive lack of sufficient support from shareholders of TMX.

Gold was well on Monday to undergo its biggest drop in three days the last 28 years, investors are turning away from commodity markets to protect themselves from the potential impact of a default on the remaining Greek countries in the euro area.

"Gold is one of the few assets that remained in positive territory this year (…), so when investors are looking for money, they sell assets that have underperformed.Basically, gold is a victim of its own success, "wrote in a note Edel Tully, an analyst at UBS.

The price of spot gold was trading at 1,623.19 dollars per ounce to 11:25 GMT, down some 3%.

During the last three days, gold has fallen nearly 10%, its biggest decline in this time interval since February 1983.

"This shows that in times of extreme stress, there is no adequate substitute for liquidity," said Tom Kendall, an analyst at Credit Suisse.

Gold has dropped more than $ 100 last Friday's rebound against the greenback and rumors of liquidation of positions by large hedge funds.

The lack of consensus for a solution to the crisis of sovereign debt in the euro area has pushed gold to new heights this year, reaching more than 1,900 dollars per ounce.

"The increase in the volatility of gold prices was a clear indication that gold was no longer a low-risk assets," said Nic Brown, on commodities strategist at Natixis.