On the currency markets, the euro retreated against the dollar, traders were playing the card of caution before the release Friday of the results of resistance testing of the 91 largest European banks. In the morning, the euro was at 1.2867 dollars against 1.2881 dollars the previous day.

Asian stock markets closed on Wednesday in a disorganized, Tokyo lost 0.45% to 9258 points, while Shanghai was slightly higher than 0.06%, within minutes of closing.

Accor, Arcelor-Mittal and banking head CAC 40

On the macroeconomic front, the appointment of the day is undoubtedly the meeting between Christine Lagarde, Minister of Economy and its German counterpart, Wolfgang Schäuble, at 12:45 pm.The two ministers would discuss the release of such stress tests, for which Christine Lagarde said he was "totally confident". These relate to BNP Paribas (3.10% to 48.42 euros), Societe Generale (2.35% to 36.64 euros), Credit Agricole (2.64% to 9.07 euros) and Dexia ( 3.69% to 3.23 euros).

Other values to follow, EADS (2.02% to 16.40 euros), at which place the salon Fairnborough (south London) until July 25.Airbus will easily exceed its target of orders in 2010 and could set up 400 orders against 300 originally planned, said Tuesday John Leahy, marketing director of manufacturer, Reuters Insider.

The European Union has also announced Wednesday it would appeal the conviction of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on subsidies provided to Airbus.

The airlines, including Air France-KLM (1.43% to 10.06 euros) will also follow, while five air traffic controllers' unions have called a strike for Wednesday.

World production of crude steel increased by almost 28% over the first six months of the year, but the pace of growth continued to slow in June: +18% over June 2009. Analysts believe the slowdown will become even more acute in the months to come.Investors follow the impact that this announcement will have on companies such as ArcelorMittal (2.64% to 23.92 euros).

APRR (-0.02% at 53.91 euros) indicated that vehicle traffic had benefited in the second quarter of disturbances air and rail, as well as improved economic conditions. The group has published a quarterly revenue, excluding construction rose 5.8% to 491.5 million euros, with vehicle traffic rose 4.5% in the second quarter, in kilometers traveled.

Accor Laureate Award

The ball of results announcements or turnover continues: after-hours trade, Unibail-Rodamco will present its second quarter results.NRJ Group, Mersen (ex Carbone Lorraine), Cegid Sperian unveil them their turnover in the second quarter.

Accor (5.13% to 24.38 euros) has announced a growth of 5.1% of its turnover in the hotel industry in the first half on a comparable basis.The group earned a higher "backed" by its occupancy rate in the upper and mid-range and higher average prices in France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The manager of nursing homes and clinics, Orpea (0.91% to 31.50 euros) achieved a turnover of 470 million euros, representing organic growth of 9.3% and confirmed its objectives Annual 2012.

Manitou (5.31% to 12.30 euros), a manufacturer and distributor of material handling, reported Tuesday a sharp rise in quarterly sales, but said the second half anticipate a slowdown in orders and possible impact of delivery on its turnover.

Hi-Media (-24.9% to 3.35 euros), publisher of consumer websites, has warned that its net profit in 2010 would be affected by restructuring.The group now expects an operating profit comparable to that of 2009 (16.5 million euros).

Vetoquinol (+2.4% at 26.04 euros), the veterinary pharmaceutical company, has published a turnover of 138 million euros, up 15% in the first half. The group expects to raise over 200 million euros to pursue its external growth.

Sword Group (4.54% to 24.66 euros) and reported sales of 47.2 million euros in the second quarter, up 7.8% as organic. The services company confirmed its objectives for 2010.

The recovery of steel distributor by IMS Jacquet Metals (1.93% to 29.6 euros) a share exchange transaction is now effective, IMS announced Tuesday a few days after getting the green light European authorities.The current CEO of Jacquet Metals, Eric Jacquet, has been appointed to head the new entity.

CGI Group, specializing in services in information technology and business process management has signed an outsourcing contract with Computer Systems Group distribution of electrical supplies, Rexel (1.82% at 11 , 45 euros). The contract covering a period of six years is 50 million.

This funnel, called "Top Hat Number 10", should recover up to 80,000 barrels of oil per day (12.7 million liters), against 25,000 now. The authorities are optimistic that based on their assessments, the well lost more than 60,000 barrels per day. The previous dome will be first removed. A large quantity of oil escape so well for 48 hours.But once the new funnel posed, the results will be immediate, promises Thad Allen.

Since April 20, the day of the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon platform off the coast of Louisiana, BP has increased its attempts to clogging, all unsuccessful.

No stop before August

BP was more cautious in its forecasts. Bob Dudley, responsible for managing the disaster, spoke of another scenario where difficulties in installing the new funnel could delay the time from Monday to Thursday.

But authorities are confident: "We have the climate we need," said Thad Allen. The admiral, however, required to calm the enthusiasm that followed the announcement. "I used the word 'contain' and not 'stop'," he commented. According to him, the well would not be closed as well as two-pass will not be completed.These wells, dug deep to inject cement and mud, should not be installed until mid-August. Once the leak stopped, the extensive cleaning and restoration of the ratings will continue.

Anadarko does not pay

On this last point, BP was again struck Friday denied Anadarko Petroleum. The company, which owns 25% of wells responsible for the spill, said she would not pay the $ 272 million that BP is asking her to cover their share of cleanup costs, according to U.S. law known pollution.

On June 18, the tension was raised a notch between the two partners lorsqu'Anadarko stated that the explosion of April 20 on the platform Deepwater Horizon, "was preventable and was a direct result of decisions and actions BP unthinking.

In another e-mail sent Friday, a spokesman for Anadarko, John Christiansen, however, felt that his group remained "committed to working in good faith with BP to reach a satisfactory resolution."

BP is now awaiting the response of Mitsui, which owns 10% of the wells. The British oil giant is claiming $ 112 million for cleanup costs. The company has not yet made its position.

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The IMF draws attention to the financial sector, less and less stable, due to the rising public debt in many countries. It focuses on the risks as well, which "have greatly increased" since April.The international institution recognizes that "progress toward global financial stability have recently suffered a setback. The risks on the public debt in some part of the eurozone have materialized and extended the financial sector in the region, threatening to spread to other regions and generate a downward spiral again winning the economy. "

Reaction of central banks

In this context, the IMF estimated that some central banks may have to ease these tensions further relaxing its monetary policy. They could be forced to inject new liquidity into the economy. The question is what will be the decisions of the European Central Bank and Bank of England, who must keep their monetary policy meetings in the day. Governments are also urged to take action to support the economy.The International Monetary Fund has renewed its request for implementation of "emergency" plans "medium-term fiscal consolidation pro-growth".

This reflects "an upward revision to imports and a downward revision to consumer spending," says the Department of Commerce. A phenomenon only partly offset by "an upward revision of exports and changes in business inventories."

"It's disappointing," Judge Inna Mufteeva, economist at Natixis U.S.."Consumer spending was revised down from 3.5% to 3% payday loan online. Shortly reassuring, while half of this increase can be attributed to the plan of Barack Obama, according to Natixis. The fact that fiscal stimulus should deflate during the second half of the year.

Also somewhat reassuring, the growth was largely supported (1.9 to 2.7%) by a motor very tentative: the recovery of businesses. Explanation: During the crisis, American companies have used their stocks. Until no longer have anything in their warehouses. In recent months, they have therefore produced and placed an order to replenish their stocks, thereby amplifying the rebound in growth. Good news is that the investment factor for structural growth, jumped 11% in the first quarter of 2010.

Bercy assured, reports Reuters: "The evaluation of this kind of reform can only be positive by the rating agencies." Ministry experts have calculated that the increase in 60-62 years of age of retirement accounts for 1.2 million jobs and four percentage points of GDP over the long term.Moreover, "these reforms contribute to improving the deficit by about 0.5 percentage points of GDP by 2013, according to the entourage of Christine Lagarde.

"Reform is obviously in the right direction, because the current situation is untenable," responded Dominique Barbet, economist at BNP Paribas market IP. Delaying the retirement age to 62 years is applauded Payday Advance No teletrek. "The symbol of the abolition of the 60 years is important, it is easier to move it more later if needed," said Gilles Moec, economist at Deutsche Bank. The pace of transition to 62 years, faster than originally envisaged, was also approved.

If the limit of 63 years has finally been abandoned, "the government's plan is fairly aggressive in the speed of implementation of the device, which should be effective by 2018", says Dominique Barbet."The unions were expecting perhaps a less violent transition, and the rating agencies at a faster passage. The government must allow both. "

Doubts remain. "I'm not sure whether the final reform" asks Gilles Moec. The growth assumptions Guidance Council retreats are indeed optimistic, with an unemployment rate of 4.5% in 2020 for example. "It also depends if employees choose to work longer to get a full pension, or if they prefer to leave earlier."

But part of that premium is now invoiced regions. These are in charge of regional express trains (TER). An activity inherently deficient, the ticket price only covers about one quarter of the charges. The regions "pay" for it so the station continues to operate these small lines. Specifically, the sign with the company elected public multi-year agreements, often over ten years, which regulate these funding issues.And it is anticipated that if, in the meantime, a law or a decree adopted at national level have an impact euro hard cash at the convention, the SNCF and the region shall, by agreement, review the financial conditions . The reform of the pension plan of the station into this framework.

In some regions, such as the Languedoc-Roussillon, the case has not yet been opened. But in others, the overhead of pensions has been included in escalation clauses when signing new contracts. Elected officials, who did not always detected these clauses are now discovering the pot to the roses. "In 2010, the bill for pensions for railroad workers is 3.3 million euros for Aquitaine," said Alain Rousset, President of PS and its Chairman of the Association of Regions of France (ARF). The magnitude is the same for Burgundy."The surcharge, which was 1 million in 2008 and 1.5 million in 2009, will reach 2 million in 2010 and 5 million per year thereafter," says Francois Patriat, Chairman PS Regional Council. The ARF has not yet calculated the total amount of the overcharge for the 22 regions. But there should be several tens of millions of euros.

Action against the State

In absolute terms, the regions where expenses exceed 26 billion could absorb this unexpected bill. Example of Burgundy, the region has an annual budget of 770 million and 200 million per year dedicated to B (50 million for the purchase of trains and 150 million of benefits). But the political context changes everything. The strained relations between local officials and the government. Nicolas Sarkozy has announced a freeze on grants paid by the state to local governments.

And since the reform of business tax, regional councils receive only the taxes they can not adjust the rate. The fact that the state refuses to compensate for the additional areas of pensions of railroad goes very badly. "This pension reform was imposed on us by the government. This would be the State to bear the consequences, "said Francois Patriat. Elected representatives decided to file an appeal before the tribunal to condemn the State. Franche-Comte has done the same. And considering the Aquitaine. "I have enough for the state to discard" protests Alain Rousset.

The success achieved by their counterparts in other departmental areas, protection of children, encourages regional representatives: general advice PS Saone-et-Loire and Seine-Saint-Denis have got the Council of State that the state is condemned for lack of funding.

It is also true that elected officials do not feel size now to renegotiate the terms with the offending station. "We are at an end of major negotiations between the government and the SNCF. The balance of power is not in our favor, "says Alain Rousset.

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The economic crisis it have no impact on family plans? "For the moment we receive no effect, confirming France Prioux, a researcher at the INED (National Institute of Demographic Studies). This is not the case in South Korea, which announced a fall of 4.4% of births in 2009."More and more people were delayed or canceled their wedding plans during the recession," he told AFP Kim Dong-hoy, head of population studies. The Land of the Morning Calm, with Singapore and Taiwan, who is experiencing the lowest fertility rates in the world (1.15 children per woman of childbearing age).

In the U.S., it is allowed since last summer that the crisis will lead, as is customary, by a decline in births. Only data for 2008 are known, and they show a decline of almost 2% over 2007 (4 247 000, a record 50 years), according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Across the Atlantic, economic cycles and demographic change strictly in parallel, as evidenced by the four previous recessions (1974, 1981, 1991 and 2001).

This determinism is understandable in societies where birth control is more the rule than the exception.The Ireland still offers a cons-almost perfect example. The country traditionally more pronatalist in Europe – 16.9 newborns per thousand inhabitants per year, against 13 in France and 8.3 in Germany – has suffered the most severe recession in the euro area. Despite a fall of 7.5% of GDP last year's births increased 1%, according to estimates by the Directorate of Health. Explanation of the Central Statistics Office: the baby-boom years of 1980, which followed the entry deDublin in the European Union, have become parents.

The problems of income and unemployment are not always the enemy of babies. Some even see an incentive. Gary Becker, Nobel Laureate 1992 and theoretician of the family economy, showed a woman who loses her job will be available to raise a child.And the "opportunity cost", as economists say – the income to which he must renounce – will be less than if she had voluntarily quit her job. Also in times of crisis, family values are rising and fertility recovered.

Demographers are nevertheless cautious about the resilience of the French birth rate. As the U.S. federal government last year amounted to 291 $ 570 "price" to raise a child to adulthood, our system of family assistance and public benefits makes probably the "investment" less risky for couples. History shows that despite all our demographic has always responded to crises. "The Great Depression of the 1930s had rarefied births, as the oil shock of 1973.The fertility rate (per woman) fell to its lowest level in post-war (1.66) during the economic recession of 1993, "says Ariane Pailh? in the social portrait of France (2009 edition ). Why would it do differently this time?

Let's bracket the explanation, very controversial, which gives dynamism to the French foreign families. False, according to Insee, "The share of children born to foreign parents, which amounted to 6.9% in 2008 has changed little from 1998 (6.6%). The reality is more mundane, as explained Gilles Pison, demographer at INED: "Since the baby boom of the postwar period, there is a fairly high stability of the predisposition of couples to have kids. What has changed is they have more later.Initially, it helped reduce the annual number of births, then do go through a process of catching up. "Thus the fertility rate is 1.66 children pressed in 1993 to nearly 2 today.

Economic Crisis Will it change the "desire for children? Another focal point on youth unemployment. "It could he delay the time when we" settled "and you have children? It is unfortunate that the records of Vital Statistics do not indicate the rank of new-born of each family. For on the number of first births that the crisis could have the greatest consequences, "warns France Prioux. It is unlikely that France soon lose its leadership position population of the European Union.It hosts over 800 000 babies a year when Germany's powerful product in less than 700 000, despite reproductive capacity but much more numerous untapped.

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The target of Virgin is very modest compared to industry giants. The takeover of the bank based in Yeovil, Somerset, costing only 12.3 million pounds (13.7 million euros).But mostly it allows the financial arm of Virgin to obtain a license for retail banking in Britain, which he was still lacking.

Virgin Money, which claims 2.5 million customers in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and South Africa, offers services of credit and savings accounts on the Internet, through partnerships with institutions like Royal Bank of Scotland and Bank of America. Virgin Money has justified the choice of Church House Trust explaining that the bank had a very solid, with twice as many deposits (50 million pounds) in its coffers than loans (25 million pounds).

"The financial crisis has tarnished the reputations of several British banks, and Virgin Money will offer a different and better approach to the bank, said Friday Jayne-Anne Gadhia, boss of Virgin Money.

Bank charges challenged

With its excellent public image in areas as diverse as aviation, telephony and mobile Internet, the Virgin Group has a good card to play against the giants jostled both by the financial crisis and by repeated attacks from consumer associations and the policeman of the competition (Office of Fair Trading, OFT). These groups challenge bank charges consistently very high, including penalties for overdrafts.

Richard Branson tried to come into force on the market for retail banking two years ago, making an offer to buy Northern Rock, which had virtually collapsed in 2007, but after several months of hesitation, the government had decided to nationalize.

Despite this setback, Branson still keeps an eye on the Newcastle bank, which was one of the five biggest players for mortgages in Britain, and with healthy activities should soon be sold by the government. In agreement with the European competition, the British state should also require banks it has saved, RBS and Lloyds Banking Group, to divest a significant portion of their branch networks to new entrants in the sector. Opportunities for which are already in the running Virgin Money, the Spanish bank Santander, National Australia Bank and the giant British supermarket Tesco.

Meeting yesterday, and until Sunday evening in Singapore, the 21 forum member countries of APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation), which also ranks in the United States and Russia call to fight against this temptation with force.In contrast to increasing free trade that will stimulate economic recovery and create new jobs, they say.

The APEC forum, which is celebrating its twenty years, knows whereof he speaks: it accounts for respectively 40% of world population, 51% of GDP (gross domestic product) and 50% of international trade.

Recovery Plans

The exercise is more difficult than in countries that are recovering as fast as China (8% growth expected this year), the risk of overheating point and are "likely to trigger new asset bubbles and estate, "says Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank.Indeed, Hong Kong and Beijing, apartment prices begin to flare, necessitating a very fine management of support plans launched by the Asian countries.

In total, they represent more than 1 000 billion (665.7 billion), including 585 billion for China alone. But no question of suspending them. "We will maintain our policy of economic recovery until a sustained recovery is assured," said the APEC forum, which emphasizes that the expected recovery "is not yet based on solid foundations."

For its part, South Korea, just to finalize its agreement to free trade with the United States.Washington accuses him not to open its automotive market and the day before the U.S. International Trade Commission had to deny Samsung Electronics to sell some of its products overseas because they pirated Japanese licenses.

Saturday and Sunday, the Heads of State of the APEC forum, which will meet in Singapore and will also consider the climate, will certainly a lot to do.