Business News & Financial News

The party of the presidential majority proposes the opening of branch agreements on legal working hours. For the head of the UMP, Jean-Francois Cope, the output of 35 hours is "inevitable." The national secretary of the UMP Jean-Francois Cope

The UMP will propose at its convention, which opens Tuesday, the opening of branch agreements in areas where the 35-hour "lasting problems arise," said Tuesday the Minister for Ecology Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet on LCI. "Our position, which will be presented tonight is to give the possibility to open branch agreements. There are branches in which lasting 35 hours pose problems despite the flexibility that we have done," said Ms Kosciusko-Morizet.

Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet did not specify which areas were specifically concerned, however, saying that all branches should be able to open negotiations."But there are areas where it is more complicated than others, where the division of labor is much less homogeneous than in others," she said.

In an interview published Tuesday in La Voix du Nord, the Secretary General of the UMP Jean-Francois Cope said that "the crisis, the output of 35h is inevitable, since it secures the purchasing power" .

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The European Union and the United States imposed sanctions on Syria to stop the repression. The Arab League will soon follow suit. But these measures will be effective to bring down President Bashar al-Assad? Not so simple … Demonstration against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Istanbul.

After the United States and the European Union, the Arab League threat of economic sanctions against Syria. The organization includes Saoudi Arabia, Iraq and Egypt imposed an ultimatum: if the power does not stop the violence against his people, the organization will hit the country in the PORTFOLIO. But these economic sanctions have their limits. Explanations.

Imposing the sanctions and how?

So far, it is especially the European Union has shown.Moreover, tourism is affected: it reported 6 to 7 billion euros last year and represents 12% of GDP. "The economic machine is running at 40% of its resources today," said Hasni Abidi, director of the Centre for Studies in the Arab world (CERMAM). The possible sanctions of the Arab League at the end of their ultimatum could further exacerbate an already fragile economy. "States of the Arab League import a lot of fruits, vegetables and grains, Syria has a highly developed agriculture. If you stop overnight, these imports, it's a catastrophe for the country," said the researcher. The situation is so delicate that the Minister of Economy has just imposed a drain of $ 10 on the salaries of civil servants to bail out the state.

The oil services group CGG Veritas said on Wednesday quarterly net earnings above expectations, boosted by strong performance of its subsidiary Sercel and recovery of marine activity.

The specialist geophysical services and equipment for the oil industry recorded a utilization rate of the fleet marine marked improvement, while Sercel, its subsidiary specialized in the production of geophysical equipment, has reported a significant increase sales of land equipment.

"Our results have improved significantly this quarter. They are excellent for Sercel.

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.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has opened a broad investigation into index funds (ETF) to ensure they are sufficiently transparent and do not feed market volatility, said Wednesday a leader of the U.S. stock policeman .

"The Commission staff are conducting a general review of index funds including on the sufficiency of the information provided to investors, the levels of liquidity and transparency of the underlying instruments in which the index products (FTE) invest, the accuracy valuations, the effectiveness of arbitration and the relationship between market volatility and FTEs, "said Eileen Rominger, Director of the Division of Investment Management at the SEC.

According to the text of a planned intervention Wednesday before members of Congress, the official stressed that the survey also aims to "gather and analyze detailed data on specific products."

This assessment is the second SEC investigation related to investment companies, after the commission decided in August to gather opinions on the potential risks of the use of derivatives by mutual funds ("mutual funds' ), ETFs and other structured funds.

ETFs, such as those managed by BlackRock, State Street and Vanguard Group, are financial products reproducing the weighting of an index and therefore its performance.Since their introduction in the 1990s, they took off to about 1,000 billion in assets (724.7 billion euros).

However, certain types of incidents and some ETF market, as the "flash crash" ('flash crash') of 6 May 2010, have fueled concerns of regulators, who fear that these index funds do not contribute to volatility markets and pose problems for the less informed investors.

During the 'flash crash', for example, ETFs have experienced massive changes in the meeting and represented 70% of aborted transactions.This incident prompted the SEC and stock exchange operators to set up a system of "circuit breaker".

The SEC also began to focus on leveraged ETF, used to multiply the gains, ETF and reversed, that achieve the performance opposite to that of the underlying index.

Cigarette packs will cost on average 30 cents more starting Monday. This should bring 600 million euros to the state in one year.

Cigarette packs will cost on average 30 cents more starting Monday in France, a 6% increase sought by the government should have little effect on consumption, but that will bring 600 million euros a year in State to Safely smokers will find it in a package less than 5.70 euros in their tobacconist. For the first time, the Marlboro (the best-selling package with nearly 25% market share) will pass the bar 6 euros to 6.20 euros.The government has allowed manufacturers to revise their prices, anticipating an increase in minimums of perception which must be passed by Parliament in the law on financing of Social Security.

This increase was announced by Prime Minister Francois Fillon, in late August, when presenting the plan anti-government deficit. It should bring 90 million euros this year and 600 million in a full year.

Taxes are 80% of the price of a pack of cigarettes. Most (over 10 billion euros in 2010) goes into the coffers of the social security system. Fillon also announced a further increase of 6% in 2012, without specifying the date. This is the third consecutive year that the cigarettes in the fall recorded such an increase (30 cents per pack), well above inflation.However, sales have never declined so far in the same proportions.

54.8 billion cigarettes sold in 2010

Thus, it has sold 54.79 billion cigarettes in 2010 against 54.98 in 2009, a mere drop of 0.3%. At the same time, the amount of rolling tobacco rose from 7257 to 7598 tonnes (+4.7%). In total, sales of tobacco (including cigars) increased by 0.14% by volume, according to figures from the observatory of drugs (OFDT). Again this year, cigarette sales in late July had declined by only 0.6% in volume compared to 2010.

Value, because of previous price increases, the market is increasing by about 5%. Growth shared by the state (almost 13 billion euros in 2010, including 2.5 under the VAT), tobacconists (8.2%) and manufacturers and distributors (11.8%). The anti-smoking groups believe that any increase less than 10% has no effect on consumption.The Office of Tobacco Prevention (OFT) ironically on Monday up seeing an "application" of the state "to the tobacco industry for agreeing to increase by more than 100 million profit."

Tobacconists and manufacturers recall their part that a sharp increase has an effect on sales in tobacco shops, without lowering consumption, since it encourages smokers to buy abroad or from resellers on the sly. A study of Customs estimates that 20% of cigarettes smoked in France are not purchased in the network of tobacconists, but fraud (5%) or legally (15%) in the neighboring European countries (Belgium and Spain) where the package is sell up to 30% cheaper.

These purchases, which exploded after the sharp increases in tobacco prices in 2003/2004, affecting particularly border trade, result in financial compensation from the state to tobacconists.A parliamentary report issued in early October to the Minister of Budget, recommends "a convergence of prices of tobacco in France and in neighboring states," but also "to reflect on the taxation of rolling tobacco" for "contrecarrrer the substitution effect for each increase in the price of cigarettes. "

U.S. stocks rebounded sharply late in the session on Tuesday purchases with it after spending most of the session in the red.

The Dow Jones gained 1.44% or 153.41 points at 10,808.71 points. The Standard & Poor's 500 benchmark fund managers, was awarded 24.72 points or 2.25% at 1123.95 points. The Nasdaq composite has been 2.95% or 68.99 points to 2404.82 points.

The U.S. stock market at large had lost 18% over the last four months, affected by poor economic growth around the world and concerns about the deficit countries in the euro area.

The magnitude of these losses out of the woods investors on the lookout for buying opportunities.In particular, they set their sights on tech stocks and banking.

"We buy a few shares. We stick to companies with strong balance sheets, or with a global presence in emerging markets, certainly not in the financial services area," said Kim Forrest, an analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group in Pittsburgh.

Some other investors, however, favored the bank. The index of the financial sector, down nearly 30% since the market peak reached on April 29, ended up 4.1%.

The remarks of the President of the Federal Reserve were also able to help cheer the fellows.The Fed, Ben Bernanke said, is ready to take further steps to support economy "almost staggering," clearly referring to the will of the central bank to intervene further to ensure that the U.S. fall into recession.

In terms of values, Apple, including the presentation of the new iPhone has disappointed, ended down by 0.56% to 372.50 dollars. The value has sharply reduced its losses late in the session along with the market went back.

Bank of America, in session after reaching its lowest level since March 2009, ended with a gain of 4.15% to 5.76 dollars.

Citigroup rebounded by 5.5% and Morgan Stanley from 12.3% to 14.01 dollars.The value is down 48.5% this year.

Sears Holdings soared 11.7% to 63.94 dollars.

About 12.9 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the Amex, more than 60% more than the usual daily average since the beginning of the year.

In its hunt for tax evaders, the U.S. Department of Justice is now turning also to Israeli banks, with branches in Switzerland are suspected of helping U.S. citizens evade taxes in their country, we learn from sources close to the file.

The banks involved are Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi le-Israel BM and Mizrahi-Tefahot.

This extension of investigations to Israeli settlements mark an intensification of the fight against tax evasion, which opened in 2007 against UBS and Credit Suisse recently against continued.

However, Israel is a state close to the United States with whom he maintains close diplomatic and military support from more than $ 3.1 billion per year.

Aviram Cohen, spokesman for Bank Leumi in Tel Aviv, said Thursday that "the application related only to statistical data. It appears that these data will be used to an agreement between the Swiss and American. Obviously, the Bank Leumi Switzerland is cooperating fully with authorities in accordance with the law. "

According to the Swiss press, U.S. officials now have statistics of ten Swiss banks suspected of justice by helping their clients based in the United States to evade taxes.

The Deputy Minister of Justice James Cole sent a letter on August 31 asking for statistical information to Swiss banks in September and three Israelis.It gives them until Sept. 23 to provide details of their customers.

UBS has already passed under the yoke of American justice, having delivered nearly 4,500 American identities of customers in addition to the payment of $ 780 million to avoid a trial that had threatened its existence.

Michelin said Wednesday its objectives in 2011, the current uncertainties surrounding the economic time to have any impact on demand, said Michel Rollier, Managing Director of the tire manufacturer, the motor show in Frankfurt.

He also assured that the group's ability to pass through price increases and cost increases of raw materials, natural rubber head was intact.

Michel Rollier noted as such the increase of 4% to 6.5% in Canada on Tuesday announced the prices of passenger and light truck tires.

"Today, our sensors show that sales are conducted properly in accordance with our expectations, sales of winter tires are good," he said during a press lunch."We do not currently an indicator of deterioration."

"We know there are a number of macroeconomic threats, Greece first," he said. "In this case we know that it will be brutal but we will react very quickly."

Michelin intends to build on the experience gained during the 2009 crisis, including the use of a very regular control of the activity of all plants.

Michel Rollier confirmed the target of an increase around 8% of sales volume and operating income growth from one year to another.

Companies in the manufacturing sector have seen a slight decrease their investment plans for this year and now expect an increase of 14%, shows the quarterly survey conducted in July and published by INSEE on Friday.

In the previous survey in April, the business leaders the industry planned to increase investment by 15% in 2011.

Last year, these investments have increased by 1%, says the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, while the April survey estimated the stable.

For 2011, the downward revision of forecasts from one quarter to the other "is attributable to the sector" other industries "(-3 points), especially metal or wood working, and the sector electrical, electronic, computer and machinery (-2 points), "INSEE said.

"For the first half of 2011, entrepreneurs in the manufacturing sector confirm the progress of their investments over the second half of 2010, early in January. For the second half of 2011, they plan to increase their investments over the first. "

Investment in the industry represents about one quarter of productive investment in France.