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While the debate between plans and rigor stimulus facilitated the markets in recent weeks, the attention of analysts and investors will again be focused on the financial performance of companies from Monday. Indeed, the U.S. giant Alcoa aluminum ball will open the second quarter of publications in the U.S., after market.

If analysts have recently lowered their forecasts for the group in front of the lower aluminum prices, Alcoa will announce earnings for the second quarter, against a loss last year. The title Alcoa ended Friday at 10.94 dollars, up 2.05%. The volley of U.S. results will continue this week with the technology companies Google, Advanced Micro Devices or Intel, and banks JPMorgan and Bank of America. Citigroup and General Electric will unveil their findings Friday.

Renewed investor confidence

Pending these publications, it is time for optimism in the U.S.. The Dow Jones closed up about 0.57% Friday at 10,197.19 points while the Nasdaq advanced 0.97% to 2196.45 points. Among the good news that restored investor confidence late last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised its forecast for global growth for 2010 at 4.6% against 4.2% estimated in April.

Analysts polled by Reuters predict the results of the groups listed on the S & P 500 will emerge up 27% for the second quarter, more than the 22% increase posted during the first three months of the year. "We are seeing one of the occasions of the highest profits in history," said David S.Bianco, chief strategist for the United States at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, interviewed by The New York Times. According to him, he must go back to the Great Depression of the 30s to see such a rebound.

Markets should also respond well to the results to be published in Europe, where the decline of the euro against the dollar is favorable to businesses. "Like the U.S., figures released by the European companies will be rather positive," said Vincent Treulet, head of investment strategy at BNP Paribas AM. "The second quarter was dynamic on both sides of the Atlantic, compared to the second quarter of 2009." Figures released this week will quantify this improved profitability. And reassure the markets, accordingly.

The speeches of leaders scrutinized

In this context, however, uncertainty haunts the minds of economists. The expected rebound in profits he heralding an improvement on the employment front, at a time when companies continue to cut costs to improve their productivity? "We can expect that the outlook announced by the companies are more optimistic that the sentiments expressed by employees and households," said David S. Bianco.

Beyond the quantitative assessments of companies, are the speeches of leaders who will focus the attention of investors and dictate the trend on stock markets. And this, in the U.S. and Europe. Some experts expect however that these comments remain rather vague. Companies may place more emphasis on the lack of visibility."It could indeed disappoint the markets in the medium to long term," according to Vincent Treulet.

Analysts too optimistic?

Especially as the expert anticipates a slowdown in growth for the second half of 2010. In addition, many operators believe that analysts, encouraged by the good figures for the first quarter of 2010, advance estimates too high for 2011. "The consensus view that corporate profits would exceed the peak reached in 2007, which seems overly optimistic," says the strategist at BNP Paribas AM.

Businesses now report what scenario they anticipate. In France, the dance of publications of the second quarter and first half will open July 22, with STMicroelectronics. Some companies, however, reveal their sales figures this week, including L'Oreal on Monday after the close of trading Thursday and Carrefour.

A wedding in pain. Negotiated for eleven months, the acquisition by the cooperative group Sodiaal Entremont Thursday overcame obstacles essential to its realization. The government, very involved through the Ministry of Agriculture and the Interministerial Committee for Industrial Restructuring (Ciri) has obtained the agreement of both creditors Entremont Alliance and its current owner Unifem instant payday loan. A company behind which is associated with the NPC holding the Belgian investor Albert Frere-and majority-group Unicopa.

A new kind of club opened Thursday in Clermont-Ferrand. Bridge? Tennis? No, DIY! Members buy a card that gives them access to 20 000 references sold on average 30% cheaper than in traditional supermarkets specialized. This offer is based on the concept of DIY Factory, a store 4500 m? (1500 m? outdoor) that tests the independent channel Bricorama (117 outlets in France).

The price of the card, 19 to 149 euros, depends on the period chosen by the customer (7, 30, 90 or 365 days). For example, a project started in spring and completed in early summer, a handyman can do some shopping Sunday for 90 days with the card paid 49 euros.Among the proposed rates: a jar of 500 ml of lacquer painting sold Dulux Valentine 9.55 EUR 19.10 EUR against average in a large area of traditional crafts (-42%), or a sink with Hansgrohe shower proposed 144 70 euros, against 209 euros elsewhere (-31%). Lower prices can reach up to 60%.

The new store, which replaces a Bricorama deficit lies in a catchment area hotly contested, close to a Leroy Merlin, a champion of "hyperchoice (50,000 references), himself leaning against a giant casino, and another discounter, Brico Depot, the brand's low-cost Castorama, both subsidiaries of the UK group Kingfisher.

Impasse on first prize

DIY Factory offers fewer products than the first radius is not proposing building materials as the second pay day loan lenders.It is also missing several major brands like Black & Decker or Bosch, all present at Leroy Merlin, preferring challenger brands recognized pros. Finally there is no first prizes at the heart of its bid, as at Brico Depot. Finally, the third linear are less than those of a trimmed Bricorama.

"It's true discount, but not the trash: we sell at low prices without making concessions on products or service levels," said Erik Haegeman Bricorama CEO, who is without some mention that discounters it considered it less fussy about quality.

"The signs attract customers with low prices to the minimum quality – on which margins are nonexistent – and hope to catch up on accessories for power tools or decoration," explains Erik Haegeman.Rather than finding an equation of higher margin sales and margins near zero, Brico Factory applies the same level of reasonable profit on its entire supply. It would be about 10%.

This "discount quality" Will it attractive enough for consumers to buy a card? Bricorama, which did not sign up now at low prices, at least fills a void. If the test proves successful DIY Plant, the least profitable Bricorama could pass under the new brand.

Eric Woerth held on time. Like its predecessor Xavier Darcos promised, the new Minister of Labour sent Wednesday afternoon the bill on social dialogue in very small businesses to members of the National Commission of the collective agreement and the Higher Council The probity. This text, which must still be approved by the State Council before being presented May 12 in the Cabinet, sets the conditions for measuring the hearing of unions in companies with fewer than 10 employees, a necessary condition for the law of 20 August 2008 laying down the new criteria for union representativeness is not considered unconstitutional for excluding more than 4 million workers in any election.

'We relied on the letter of the UPA and four trade unions, it says the Ministry of Labour.A letter dated end of January, setting the broad outlines of a trade union representation in the territorial commissions after elections in the TPE.

This bill deals with "three great subjects." First, it imposes in firms with fewer than 10 employees on a consultation list at the regional level every four years from late 2012. "This consultation will be through the internet or by mail, confirm there in the entourage of Eric Woerth. And it will affect all employees of small, except those of Agriculture whose election results, chambers of agriculture will be taken into account.In other words, all employees of businesses with fewer than 10 people will vote on the union they feel able to represent them in the territorial commissions, not the names of candidates.

Deuzio, the establishment of joint regional chambers (and the designation of their representatives) is returned to negotiations or inter-branch branch. The mission of these committees? "Monitoring and enforcement of collective agreements," says Bill.

Thirdly, the government postponed by two years the date of the next industrial tribunal elections to be held no later than at the end of 2015 and not 2013."There are many elections in early 2014 and we also want to allow time to analyze the recommendations of the Richard report," justifies a collaborator Eric Woerth.

"This is not the priority"

The Richard report, to be unveiled in the coming days, should offer new ways of "designation" of judges prud'hommes. One of the tracks would be considered to remove the election to go through an appointment of counsel based on the weight of each union at national level.Delaying the election of two years and has the advantage of allowing adequate time for governments to measure the weight of each plant under the new criteria of representativeness (will not be representative as the plants that, nationally, have a hearing than 8%).

No doubt this bill will meet the four trade unions signed the letter of intent in December with UPA: CFDT, CGT, CFE-CGC and CFTC. And will be fought by the MEDEF and CGPME rating as "excellent" social dialogue in the current SOHO and do not see the usefulness of measuring the audience of trade unions in the TPE.

"This is not the priority," has consistently indicated Laurence Parisot, the president of MEDEF, for several months.Leaves also ignored their signature in April 2008 when, in a common position on trade union representation endorsed with the CFDT and CGT, they referred the audience measurement in the TPE for future negotiations and the MEDEF the GGPME refused to open in December.

The conflict seems to be hardening in Macon, where two officers of the Essex plant have been detained on Wednesday night. The European management of the company, a subsidiary of American Superior Essex, on Friday before the High Court of Macon, hoping to secure the evacuation of the site by force.

The 80 employees of the manufacturing of copper wire, whose closure was announced in late March, dispute the amount considered "deficient" in their social redundancy. In particular, they require a tripling of the amount of the premium extra-legally granted to each employee, to 120,000 euros each instead of the 30,000 proposed by management.

"No mediation of the state under threat"

While the hope of ending the crisis seemed to prevail among employees Friday morning, the tension is suddenly rise a notch after a mediation meeting with the director of the labor and employment cash advance america. The employees were entrenched inside the plant, shutting the gate using metal buckets. The group's decision to take legal action did not come a relaxed atmosphere.

The Industry Minister Christian Estrosi said he was "deeply shocked by the behavior of a small minority of employees, reaffirming that no mediation of the state in this case was possible under threat.A statement that the employees were immediately countered that it was "more ready to condemn employees and their representatives to address the issue of concern which have been seized since November 2009."

The court is expected to decide Friday afternoon on the outcome of the appeal filed by the direction of Essex.

The U.S. stock markets have recently experienced six consecutive weeks of increases, and a record level since September 2008, continues its momentum. The Dow Jones opened down 0.07% and the Nasdaq 100 0.11%, but the disappointment of Alcoa's results did not last. The eyes are now riveted on the release of Intel's after-hours trade, which will sign a series of results from technology stocks.

On Monday, the Dow Jones gleaned 0.08% to increase the threshold highly symbolic 11 000 points for the first time since September 2008.

On the foreign exchange market, the euro continues to strengthen against the dollar, after surging the day before with the announcement of details of the rescue plan for Greece.In early afternoon, the European currency was worth 1.3614 dollars against 1.3585 dollars in morning.

Oil continued to fall

Side oil, black gold connects its fifth session of declines, traders are concerned about the continuing rise in oil stocks in the United States.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), a barrel of light sweet crude for May delivery finished at 84.05 dollars, down 29 cents from the previous day.The courses, which had exceeded $ 87 last Tuesday in New York for the first time in a year and a half, have lost about three dollars in five sessions.

The U.S. Department of Energy shall broadcast Wednesday's weekly statistics on trends in U.S. oil reserves, and analysts expect the announcement of an eleventh consecutive week of increase in crude inventories.

Palm loses ground after a flight

The week will also be crucial for the U.S. markets with the opening ball of the quarterly results. As usual, the aluminum giant Alcoa (-1.92% to 14.29 dollars) which gave the start of the season publications, Monday after the market closes. The U.S. producer of aluminum remained in the red in the first quarter, however, divided more than double its loss a year.Alcoa recorded a net loss after minority interests of 201 million over the first three months of the year, against a deficit of $ 497 million a year earlier.

Today, the computer chip manufacturer Intel (0.50% to 22.65 dollars) will follow. The next week will be hosted by Google's quarterly results (0.83% to 577.31 dollars), General Electric (0.91% to 18.88 dollars) or JPMorgan Chase & Co (0, 27% to 46.26 dollars).

Always on the side of values, yesterday, the U.S. oil group ConocoPhillips (0.02% to 55.97 U.S. dollars) has announced the sale of its Chinese Sinopec stake in Canadian oil sands project Syncrude for $ 4.65 billion dollars (3.42 billion euros).This is one of the largest investments ever made by China in North America.

The manufacturer of PDAs and mobile phones Palm (-13.08% to 5.25 dollars), would seek a buyer. Bloomberg said the investment bank Goldman Sachs and Qatalyst Partners were commissioned to find a buyer to the manufacturer of smartphones in serious financial trouble. Action Palm and jumped over 17% Monday to the New York Stock Exchange.

It's official! The president of employers' movement Ethic, Sophie Menthon, announced Tuesday on the airwaves of Europe 1, its official bid for the presidency against his current MEDEF Laurence Parisot ruling. Geoffroy Roux de Bezieux bench since its announcement in Le Figaro that he would not seek the presidency of the MEDEF, the campaign was revived with the announcement this morning.

"I want every business in France feel represented by the MEDEF" said one who had resigned just last year the ethics committee of the MEDEF. He added: "This is not the case today. The balance of Laurence Parisot is great, but it must go to the conquest of public opinion. I'm an activist and I will speak in the media. "

The high-profile president of the employers' movement Ethic acknowledged that 2009 has been difficult for the bosses. "They were attacked from all sides.To be closer to public opinion, he must reinstate a discussion now payday loan instant. And for that, it is better to have two candidates. "

"The MEDEF has more need of me than I of him"

On the issue of pensions, Sophie Menthon supports the position that Laurence Parisot has urged the government Sunday to push the legal age of retirement.

Sophie Menthon appeared hesitant when she had to clarify whether it would have the 50 signatures needed to be sponsors of the presidential candidate of the MEDEF. "I think so. I am driven by entrepreneurs.The MEDEF has more need of me than I of the MEDEF, "she says.

The campaign for the presidency of the MEDEF was launched last week by its current boss, Laurence Parisot, who is seeking a second term.

Candidates have until May 1 to declare the election to be held on July 1.

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This had not happened since September 29, 2008. Minutes before the close of Wall Street, the Dow Jones surpassed 11,000 points. Ultimately, the New York index closed at 10,997 points, up 0.64%. On the Nasdaq, it rose 0.71% to 2454 points.

Despite an increase in enrollment weekly unemployment and a shrinking numbers of consumer credit, U.S. investors appear to have courage and choose again, these days, for optimism. They show little worried, finally re-emerging doubts about the ability of Greece to honor its debts. Perhaps partly because, unlike the French or German banks, U.S. banks are not exposed directly to the crisis in Greece.Banks also suspects for 18 of them have, over the last 5 quarters, artificially reduced their debt just before the quarter end.

No significant new flag is expected before Monday, except on Friday, numbers of U.S. wholesalers' inventories for February, which rose 0.6% in February, more than expected, according to figures published Friday by the Commerce Department.

Yesterday, while European stock markets in the green-mountain this morning showed an average decrease of 1% of their stars indices, the Dow Jones closed 0.3% awarded in the S & P 500 also, and the Nasdaq Composite 0.2%. One way to greet the rise, much higher than expected, sales of major U.S. retailers: Index by Thomson Reuters, they rose in March by 9.1% against 6.3% expected, the highest since 2000.Taking advantage of some better weather, 28 distributors have seen their turnover increase by over 9% a year, a further sign of improving consumer confidence payday loans. GAP (1.06% to 24.85 dollars) has seen its turnover grow by 11% against 3.7% expected and Kohl's (0.37% to 56.84 dollars), 22.5 % against 12.4% expected. In the luxury, Nordstrom posted sales up +16.8%.

These values should continue to lead the coast on Friday, and Apple (0.77% to 241.79 dollars), which announced yesterday a new version of its operating system for the iPhone and iPad and sales 450 000 iPad since Saturday.

After the markets have reacted positively on Thursday, rumors of merger between the airlines U.S. Airways and United Airlines, the two companies have had mixed fortunes in the New York Stock Exchange on Friday.U.S. Airways lost 3.05% to 7.32 dollars, while UAL, parent of United Airlines has gained 1.33% to 20.50 dollars. UAL is in talks with U.S. Airways for a combination that would create one of the largest airlines in the world, according to The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. This operation would be carried out no exchange of shares.

China's ambitions Tiffany (0.73% to 49.79 dollars), who wants to spend ten to thirty five the number of stores across the Rising Sun could give impetus to the value.

The California oil company Chevron (2.37% to 79.50 dollars a barrel) announced yesterday the results on the first quarter of 2010 as the fourth best in 2009. The group takes advantage of the rising oil prices and a possible improvement in refining margins.The major U.S. must publish its accounts on April 30.

In the pharmacy, the distributor McKesson Corp. (-0.06% to 66.56 U.S. dollars) has announced it will sell its Asia Pacific unit, which provides health services through telephone and Internet, Medibank Private Limited. Giant Australian health services and insurance.

The CAC 40 is expected to start Thursday's session in the red, in the wake of U.S. markets yesterday and Asian stock markets this morning. On Wednesday, the CAC 40 closed 0.67% in decline and ended at 4026 points.

Around 8:15 am, the CAC 40 index futures to predict an opening in April 2010 were down 0.38% to 4014 points.

The Greek situtation continues to worry, with its market "disconnected from reality", according to analysts. Wednesday noon, the Greek rate climbed to 7.176%.

The euro declines further against the dollar Thursday in favor of safer currencies considered as the yen. Around 8 am, the euro stood at 1.3332 dollars against 1.3339 dollars on Wednesday in 23 hours.

The ECB decision this afternoon

In France, the day will begin with the publication by the customs authorities of foreign trade value in February (at 8:45).The Department of Budget, at the same time, unveil the monthly statement of the State budget through February. Regarding the euro area, 11 hours, investors will pay particular attention to the retail trade, still for the month of February.

But the decision of the ECB (European Central Bank) on interest rates from the European Union will be scrutinized even more closely. If the status quo is widely expected, any change of tone in the speech of Jean-Claude Trichet could be perceived as a sign of a future monetary tightening.

In the U.S., the most watched weekly claims for unemployment benefits, at 14:30, will be published.Wednesday evening, Ben Bernanke, the Fed chief, said the United States are not "derived from business" and that the country will have to make sacrifices "inevitable" to resume a stronger growth.

Lagard?re pressure

On the alliance Renault-Nissan and Daimler, Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler, has welcomed the agreement. With their partnership, both groups rely on synergies and economies of scale to 2 billion euros each. They also intend to expand their cooperation. "It's not good at the right time, and for good reasons," he said Wednesday at a news conference.

Furthermore, tensions are growing between Lagard?re and Wyser-Pratte. The activist investor has scored two resolutions to the General Meeting of April 27.Note that since March 25, when the Franco-American investor said it held 0.53% of the media group, Lagardere's share rose almost 10%.

According to Les Echos, Airbus, EADS subsidiary, has 60 orders since the beginning of the year. Airbus has delivered 122 planes during the period for airlines including three A380s.

Maurel and Prom of 2009 results published in the red but was confident for 2010. The oil company proposed a dividend of EUR 0.10 (cons 0.35 for 2008).

EADS, Airbus's parent company, it going down into the arena against Boeing in an attempt to win a giant contract for 35 billion dollars to supply the U.S. Air Force 179 tanker aircraft? The Pentagon has declared its readiness to extend 60 days of the closing date of the new tender for all EADS decides to apply. The giant European aerospace must inform the Pentagon beginning in May If EADS contributes again, the two candidates have until July 9 to respond to the call for tenders, the Pentagon will render its verdict this fall.

This proposal of the Ministry of Defense, Boeing has missed Thursday comes in the wake of the Obama-Sarkozy meeting in Washington. The two presidents have sought to calm the sceneBarack Obama has promised that the tender would be fair, Nicolas Sarkozy told to trust the President of the United States and found that EADS should respond.

Today, there is no reason to think that the Pentagon will change the 400 evaluation criteria for the tender as Northrop Grumman, EADS ally, was considered biased and cut on able to benefit Boeing and its 767 KC B facing the Airbus A 330 KC. In early March, Northrop decided to throw in the towel and not to compete; EADS had followed.The duo had yet won the contract in 2008 but was canceled.

If the criteria do not change, why it would persist EADS? The stakes are high because Airbus is counting on this contract to settle industrial United States with an assembly plant in Alabama to become a supplier to the Pentagon and a leading market player in the military world.

Therefore EADS can withdraw without having explored all avenues. "The Pentagon is not a political stance: it has opened the door. The question is whether we can rebuild the economy of the project with new partners while meeting the criteria with the best possible price cash advance no fax.This in 60 days, "says one at EADS.

Pentagon Approval

Mission impossible? This time, the group led by Louis Welsh would hand over the project and the allocation of tasks and margins because the Pentagon has agreed to accept as a leader (prime contractor), whereas previously this function was reserved for an American, namely Northrop.

EADS believes can be because it has already proven with the tanker for the Australian Army with the first aircraft to be delivered in Canberra in late 2010. The aircraft systems through the nacelles or the boom, the refueling boom, EADS and Airbus have done everything. Clearly, they have already militarized apparatus.In the U.S., the group would appeal to American partners with specific expertise that does not hold, for example on defense electronics (transmission interconnection between the planes of the U.S. Air Force …). Groups such as BAE Systems, Honeywell or L3com provide a good profile.

As a "bonus", EADS bear more risk, but still would review its pricing policy. In contrast, no question of taking the contract loss. EADS must reach adjust its prices so that its plane, larger than that of Boeing, is competitive. The Pentagon has made it clear he wants the best device whose capabilities are at least those of an airplane that looks like two drops of water in B767 and the lowest price. The Pentagon would not refuse a bigger plane if it did not cost more. The equation is complex.For now, the prevailing consensus within EADS to study the way to the end. But nothing is yet decided.

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