Athens approved a bill on the EU / IMF

The Greek government on Friday approved a bill involving the country in the reforms demanded by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund for the implementation of a second rescue plan € 130 billion, officials said government.

"This has been approved," said a minister attending the cabinet meeting.

The bill should be voted by parliament Sunday, which should bring Greece a financial solution while it is important to honor debt obligations at March 20.

The European Union urges the Greek government to provide details of further cuts in public spending of $ 325 million. 

It also requires a clear commitment of party leaders of the coalition government to implement reforms.

Wall Street ended up 1.23%, boosted by employment

Wall Street closed sharply higher Friday, boosted by the employment statistics, which in particular led the Nasdaq Composite to register a peak of 11.

The Dow Jones for his part tu a high of four years, while a large number of stocks from the peaks have registered a year.

The Dow Jones took 156.82 points (1.23%) to 12,862.23 points. The S & P 500 gained 19.36 points (1.46%) to 1,344.90 points. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 45.98 points (1.61%) to 2,905.66 points. On the whole week, the Dow gained 1.6%, the S & P 500 2.2% and Nasdaq 3.2%.

The S & P 600 small caps for his part closed Friday's session at a record high of 463.56 points, representing a gain of 2.14%.

The upturn in the U.S. employment continued in January, with the highest rate of job creation observed in nine months, and the unemployment rate fell to , its lowest level in nearly three years, reflecting the impact of growth in the fourth quarter of 2011 at the beginning of new year.

Other statistics published in the day, the industrial orders and the ISM services. Orders to U.S. industry rose for the second consecutive month in December, driven by increased business investment.

The growth rate of services sector in the United States has clearly accelerated in January, while economists had estimated that it would evolve in the same tempo as December , according to figures released Friday by the Institute of Supply Management (ISM).

"This is confirmation of a slow but significant statistics US", says Stephen Wood (Russell Investments), noting that risks remain, however, as the debt crisis in Europe.

The financial sector gained 2.68% and 1.71% of industrial

Values, and therefore against the trend, Estee Lauder loses 2.33%. The American cosmetics group, citing adverse currency effects and increased its advertising spending, announced quarterly forecasts well below expectations.

More than halfway through the "season" results, 60% of the S & P 500 have reported results above consensus, according to Thomson Reuters I / B / E / S.

According to a survey, less than a third of French say they are willing to buy the French public debt. And you, would you be willing to lend to the state? Do you have confidence in his ability to repay? It goes from 8.86 to 9 euros gross time to reach 1,365 euros for 35 hours, or about 1,073 euros net per month.

Less than a third of French say they probably or definitely willing to buy the French public debt if they were given the opportunity, according to a Harris poll for the site information and the agency Jolpress Image & Strategy to be published Tuesday in the Tribune . Only 6% of French people would buy "certainly" the debt of the country at rates comparable to those charged by banks, and 24% would buy "probably" of such bonds, said the survey.

Conversely, 65% of French people would not buy "definitely not" (34%) or "probably not" (31%) of French debt. Two countries, Italy and Belgium have recently suggested to individuals to buy government bonds, and these operations have been successful. The "day Treasury bills", during which the Italians were called Monday to buy the debt of the country, met a great success, while in Belgium, the government launched Thursday a government bond which has was well received by individuals.

In addition, a majority (56%) of the French believed that the acquisition by the European Central Bank (ECB), a significant portion of the debts of the states of the euro area would reduce speculation in debt. But 56% believe that it would deter states to make real efforts to reduce their deficits and 53% that it could foster inflation.

France and Germany step up their thoughts on a radical redefinition of the euro zone to force an economic, fiscal and tax in the short term and without necessarily the case of a slow and tedious review of the European treaties.

Paris and Berlin have agreed this week to propose by December 9 – when the next European summit – an ambitious reform of the Lisbon Treaty, but behind the scenes, preparations are being made around the tool more flexible and easily activated, as an intergovernmental treaty outside the community or a bilateral Franco-German if members of the euro area do not follow.

The second is to adopt a purely bilateral approach by including in the ongoing revision of the Franco-German Elysée in 1963 a high degree of harmonization in fiscal and social law.

The advantage of this approach is twofold for France and Germany. First, it allows to circumvent the unanimity required for a revision in formal treaties.

On the other hand, it places the responsibility to recalcitrant countries. This is particularly true of Great Britain who wanted to use the exercise to repatriate a number of powers to London.

CRISIS PLAN

Officially, the goal of Berlin is to obtain a limited revision of Article 126 of the Treaty of Lisbon on the Stability and Growth Pact.

BNP Paribas will eliminate 1,396 jobs in its banking activities and investment (BFI), or about 6.5% of the pole, told Reuters on Wednesday representatives of the CFDT union SNB and banking, to Following a meeting with management.

Downsizing of the BFI, which will be built through internal redeployment and voluntary redundancies, 1023 for positions abroad and 373 positions in France, said the two unions.The CIB division of BNP employed approximately 21,400 employees worldwide at the end of September, according to information available on the website of the bank.

The job cuts at BNP Paribas occur the day after a similar announcement of Societe Generale, which plans to reduce its workforce by bank and investment of several hundred jobs.

"BNP Paribas has announced a plan for job cuts is, in the world and only for bank financing and investment, 1396 jobs," said Joel Debeausse, deputy national delegate of the union SNB.

"It's 1023 posts for the world, there is no breakdown by country, and 373 for France," he added.

Increase in grants, including Milan slight easing of interest rates in the long run Italian … Silvio Berlusconi's announcement he will leave soon to relieve the financial markets. The Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi

The markets applauded Wednesday morning the next departure of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose ability to recover the finances of his country were strongly questioned by investors. So much so that the pressure on interest rates threatened to kill Italian Italy asphyxiation.

In the wake of the Asian stock market, the European equity markets have in turn opened up. Italian interest rates at 10 years have slightly relaxed the bond market and oil prices climbed. The euro, however, was stable.

Paris and London and took a little over 0.8% at the opening.

"The risk appetite increases, investors favor cyclical stocks at the expense of defensive background of relief related to the resignation of Berlusconi," he told Dow Jones Newswires Justin Rooney, head of sales at CBA in Sydney.

The Italian 10-year rate is slightly relaxed: they amounted to 6.65% Wednesday morning in Asia, after reaching a day high of 6.77% in Europe. Before the announcement of the forthcoming resignation of the head of the Italian government, the 10-year rate had risen to 6.77%, a level unprecedented since the inception of the euro, slightly more than the previous record which dated from the morning same (6.73%).

Sanctioned markets and Italy for its policy and had considered lax in their sights the prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, seen as unable to apply the meusres rigor demanded by the European Union.

Lloyds posted a new quarterly loss Tuesday and warned it may need to extend certain financial targets because of the current economic turbulence.

The bank, 40% owned by the British government for a public bailout granted during the credit crisis of 2008, reported a loss for the period January to September of 3.86 billion pounds (4.5 billion euros), of which 607 million for the third quarter.

The group has suffered from declining margins and funding costs rise and warned that it may not achieve some of its performance targets in the medium term until 2014.

The group, however, maintained its annual target of the margins and a reduction of its losses on bad debts, an announcement appreciated by investors.

The action Lloyds, which has lost more than half its value since the beginning of the year, gained 8.3% to 11:00 GMT.

She recorded the largest increase in the European banking sector index, just ahead of Societe Generale (+7.9%), who resigned Tuesday to pay a dividend to its shareholders for the year 2011 to strengthen its capital without public support.

Lloyds was taken aback investors last week by announcing that its chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio was suffering from stress and taking time off, leaving a possible vacancy at the top of the first British bank details.

The number of jobs created was below expectations in the United States in October but the unemployment rate fell to 9.0%, a low of six months, and the upward revision to job creation August and September suggests that the labor market found strength.

The number of jobs created was 80,000 last month, while economists predicted 95,000. But the months of September and August, that number was revised up and give 102,000 more jobs than previously announced.

The unemployment rate fell to 9.0% against 9.1% in September.

The private sector added 104,000 jobs in October, while the public sector lost 24,000.

Death is expensive in France

Bury or cremate their dead costs on average 3,000 euros, according to a survey of the UFC-Que Choisir. The difference between the cheapest quote (1300 euros) and the most expensive (6100 euros) shows that competition is not enough. Cemetery of Pantin, near Paris

Bury or cremate their dead is a complex and costly journey to the consumer who must deal with often exorbitant prices and specifications are difficult to obtain or abuse in an industry where competition is not. The cost of the passage from life to death can be multiplied by five, depending on the selected services and burial.A survey of UFC, released Tuesday, provides a range of 1300-6101 euros between the cheapest quotes and the highest, at an average cost of 3098 euros, almost equivalent to a burial or cremation.

These differences show that the competition is not enough, and especially since customers weakened by grief often accepts the estimate prepared by the provider first met. "Play competition, even in the case of death, it's not butt, although some operators do not hesitate to make this argument vicious" to corner the families to pay a high price, told the AFP Alain Bazot, president of the association.The "first condition" of healthy competition, he says, is a quote "transparent and legible for comparing and sorting" between mandatory services and plenty of optional services (flowers, toiletries, conservation , dressing, porters etc. ..) always available.

The price of the coffin varies from 950 to 1300 euros, care to the deceased from 90 to 150, the burial chamber from 250 to 400, and administrative procedures handled by the operator 110 to 263 euros. However, the benefits required by law, can be summarized in a coffin 22 mm – 18 mm for a cremation – a mechanical seal, four handles, an identification plate, and a vehicle authorized to transport the deceased.

Reinvigorate competition

A ministerial order intended to force since August 2010 funeral operators to establish transparent and legible quote, did not provide a satisfactory answer, according to Mr.Bazot: 97% of estimates collected by UFC does not conform to the regulatory model, 39% only partially meet the criteria, and 18% of 997 shops visited refused burial to establish a personalized quote. The constraint can not be effective if accompanied by sanctions, and this, according to Bazot, the Directorate General for Competition (DGCCRF) must become a "deterrent" in imposing penalties financial.

DGCCRF objected that "this is the field establishing PV" including crimes (in case of deception on benefits). Paid for justice to follow. DGCCRF also conducts investigations "to identify more discrete agreements between operators or abuse of dominant position". For in this local market, franchisees and independents, too often only locally, abuse of that exclusivity.

"There are ways to enhance certain operators and avoid the ill will of others," says Bazot proposing to inform consumers through brochures available in hospitals, nursing homes, and town halls. "It's not revolutionary, he says, but it can revitalize the competition."

Danone confident for 2012 after a third quarter in line

Confident for 2012, Danone Tuesday reconfirmed its 2011 objectives and expressed confidence for next year by publishing quarterly sales in line with expectations thanks to strong performance in emerging markets.

The world leader in dairy products and bottled water in the third quarter has a turnover of 4.805 million euros, against 4808.33 million expected by analysts polled by Reuters writing.

On a comparable basis, sales growth amounted to 5.9% in the range of 6 to 8% under the group, and as expected down from the 8.7% growth achieved in the first half.Analysts expected an improvement of 5.6% in the third quarter.

Danone said he was "confident" for 2012 and reiterated its 2011 objectives, namely an increase in sales on a comparable 6% to 8% and an increase of its current operating margin of approximately 0.2 point, always like.

This growth will come from all its activities, but particularly integration synergies from Russian Unimilk, said Danone, which still expects to grow its free cash flow consistent with the goal of two billion euros for 2012.

During a conference call, Chief Financial Officer Pierre-Andre Térisse, said the dynamics of the fourth quarter should be "fairly close" to that of the third.

He said most of the price increases had been "passed, executed and well executed in the first half."

As for the confidence shown in 2012, he said it was based on growth in emerging markets, the integration of Unimilk, which should be completed by the end of the year, and increases performed for several quarters in each of the group's activities.

SALES ALMOST STABLE IN EUROPE DYNAMIC ELSEWHERE

The CFO said the price of milk and plastics were now grown.

On a comparable basis, sales of the branch "water" rose 7.9% to 816 million euros in the third quarter, those of the Fresh Dairy Products division from 3.5% to 2.785 million, the "child nutrition" has increased by 10.5% to 906 million and the pole "medical nutrition" from 9.8% to 298 million.

Growth in fresh dairy products was driven by the brand Activia who performed a double-digit growth in Latin America, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Italy, says Pierre-André Térisse.

In Europe, still comparable, Danone's sales rose only 0.1% to 2.661 million euros in the third quarter, as they progressed from 19.6% in Asia, 740 million, and 11.5% in the rest of the world, to 1.404 million.

In the U.S., where the Greek yogurt segment took 25% market share, Danone has renovated Oikos brand and the first results "are excellent," argued Pierre-André Térisse."We are working to increase our capabilities to meet this demand," he said.

In Russia, he said, the price increases of 2010 have resulted in "a temporary slowing of growth" so that "sales of Danone and Unimilk remained stable compared to last year."

At the Paris Bourse, the action Danone, down in the first few exchanges, quickly moved into the green and won 1.18% to 45.93 euros at 9:20 while the CAC 40 lost 2.1% and the European sector index of the food industry abandoning 0.36%.