Plastic Omnium wins a contract with Audi, the title jumped

Plastic Omnium said Thursday it had won, through its subsidiary, Inergy Automotive Systems, a contract to supply from 2015 to Audi system to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides for engines diesel (SCR).

This order represents an annual volume of 500,000 SCR systems for a estimated turnover of 500 million euros over the life of the vehicle, said the e quipementier car in a statement.

Around 11, the title won 3.63% to 21.13 euros, and signing one of the highest increases in the SBF 120 (0.07%). Stoxx index of auto sector was down 0.58% on his side.

"While this is great news n'impactera the group accounts as from 2015, it nevertheless proves that its focus on reducing emissions and 'relief of the vehicle makes sense, "said in a note CM-CIC Securities.

"We believe that the group has the necessary weapons to continue to grow revenue while maintaining its good fundamentals (…)", added through the purchase of the title.

The value also has a remedial purpose, Plastic Omnium has fallen by nearly 16% between late July and February 1, against a decline of 10% of Stoxx index automotive sector.

Cash advance is meant to provide short term relief to borrowers. Since these loans charge high interest rates, rolling over the loan may not be very easy.

Carrefour Friday categorically denied press reports suggesting a possible change at the head of the group.

Le Figaro wrote that the main shareholders of the supermarket group, funds Colony Capital and Groupe Arnault, have courted Plassat George, the patron of the group distribution of shoes and clothing Vivarte to replace the current CEO Lars Olofsson.

"Faced with rumors successive change of any officer of Carrefour, the Board of Directors of the Company expressly disclaims any information on this release," the group said in a statement.

No one was immediately available from Colony Capital and Groupe Arnault to comment.

Source familiar with the matter, it tells Reuters that George Plassat has been approached by the shareholders of Carrefour to take the CEO of the group but he refused the proposal this month.

"It has been proposed and he said 'no'. It was during November," said the source.

"There is still no candidate to succeed Lars Olofsson," she added.

According to Le Figaro on Friday, the board gave Lars Olofsson to the end of the year to prove itself, especially in terms of achievement of financial targets for 2011.

"(Georges Plassat) is courted for months by the main shareholders of Carrefour.

Asia continues to draw clear of global economic growth, but may be affected by a worsening crisis in the euro area because of its trade and investment links with Europe, said Saturday the director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde.

The latter was speaking at a press conference after his meeting with Japanese Minister of Finance, Jun Azumi.

Former French Minister of Economy has called for strengthening international cooperation and a determined political action in order to ensure a strong, sustainable and balanced.

"(…) We discussed the consequences of the crisis in the euro area, and that it would have for the rest of the world, especially Asia, if it gets worse again."

"In current circumstances, no country can be immune, regardless of its development, its level of emergence or advancement," she warned.

Before arriving in Tokyo, Christine Lagarde visited Moscow and Beijing, hoping to convince Russia and China to invest part of their huge foreign exchange reserves in the bailout funds in the euro area .

The large emerging group of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) are reluctant to invest directly in the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF), and prefer to help Europe through contributions to the IMF.

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.

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."

Are we really rich with 6000 euros per month?

For the French, a person is rich if its income reached 6,308 euros per month. This is six times less than the threshold set by the government for the implementation of the future tax on the rich.

What a rich? As defined by the Oxford, Cambridge, is a person who has "a relatively large amount of money." The French have a much more accurate definition of wealth. For them, on average, a person may be considered "rich" when its income reached 6,308 euros per month, according to a poll published in the Journal Ifop Sunday. Two-thirds (66%) of respondents, a person is rich when it gains between 2000 and 5000 euros per month.

These figures are the wealth to 5 or 6 times the monthly poverty threshold (954 euros net per month).They are mostly in line with the scale of income tax: the marginal tax rate (the top rate of income set at 41%) apply from 70 830 euros per year, or 5900 euros monthly.

This perception of wealth of the French is in any case far from the government. Tax the rich announced in late August by the Government to fight against the deficit, a key measure of the budget in 2012, provides for taxing income at 3% tax above 500,000 euros per unit per year, or 41,666 euros per month. Parliamentarians should, however, as part of the budget vote in the Assembly in October and November in the Senate, lowering the threshold to 250,000 euros or 20,833 euros per month.

In the first case, the tax affects 10,000 homes. In the second, 25 000 households.Which corresponds to only 0.01% of the French richest, according to Insee, while 10% receive an average income of around 6000 euros per month threshold at which the French are wealth.

Increase in the morale of U.S. households

The index of U.S. consumer sentiment rose in September but the Americans have no faith in the future, the sub-index measuring expectations being at their lowest since 1980.

Index Thomson Reuters / University of Michigan on Friday stood at 57.8 (provisional figure) in September against 55.7 in August. The index in August was the lowest since November 2008. The consensus of economists polled by Reuters gave 56.5.

The expectations sub-index fell to 47.0 against 47.4, the lowest since May 1980.The outlook 12 months decreased to 38 against 40, the lowest since February 2009.

The sub-index of current conditions rose to 74.5 against 68.7 (consensus 68.0).

The sub-index of inflation expectations one year falls to 3.7% against 3.5% and at 5 to 10 years at 3.0% against 2.9%.

What do you think of Angela Merkel?

German Chancellor would be the most powerful woman in the world. A majority of French also make him more confident that Nicolas Sarkozy to resolve the crisis. And you, what do you think? German Chancellor Angela Merkel (Blegrade by August 23, 2011)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is again this year the most powerful woman in the world, before the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff, according to the annual ranking by Forbes magazine. An award well deserved, it said in the comments inetrnautes expansion. Com.

A recent survey revealed also that the French, overwhelmingly concerned about the impact of the current financial situation, have more confidence in Chancellor Angela Merkel to Nicolas Sarkozy to resolve.What is ironic is that the Germans themselves increasingly skeptical of the capacity of Chancellor to resolve the financial crisis.

And you, what do you think of Angela Merkel? She deserves the title of most powerful woman in the world? What are its qualities or defects? Why make him more confident than Nicolas Sarkozy? Give us your opinion in the comments.

The world could he really fall into recession?

The specter of a global economic recession haunts the markets. In Europe and the United States, growth has stalled. Even emerging markets are affected by this downturn.

Morgan Stanley estimated in a study released Thursday that the United States and the euro area are "dangerously close to recession". "Even if it is not our base case at this stage, we perceive a real risk of recession" in these two areas – the two largest in the world economy, said the U.S. investment bank. This warning has been a chilling effect on the markets. Facing the specter of another recession, global stock markets were again swept by a wave of panic.

In the euro area, growth has stalled: GDP grew only 0.2% in the second quarter.The two main area economies, Germany and France were particularly disappointed growth was near zero on both sides of the Rhine. Italy and Spain do little better (respectively 0.3% and 0.2%), while Greece and Portugal are in recession. "Growth may be lower than expected, lower than expected," admitted Van Rompuy, the president of EU and future president of the euro area. But we do not anticipate any negative economic growth, recession, "he said. Still, Morgan Stanley lowered its forecast for growth in the eurozone to 1.7% in 2011 (against 2% previously) and a small 0.5% in 2012 (against 1.7%).

30% chance that Europe and the United States falls into recession

The situation is hardly more reassuring to the other side of the Atlantic. U.S. GDP grew by only 1.3% in the second quarter, after only 0.4% earlier this year.The latest published indicators reveal a picture of a gloomy outlook for U.S. economy. The activity and industrial production are lower, inflation weighs on the purchasing power, the housing sector is still in the doldrums and unemployment remains above 9%. In a context of sluggish recovery, the U.S. economy does not actually create enough jobs to reduce unemployment (average 132,000 per month since the beginning of the year when it would take 150,000).

Accordingly, JPMorgan Chase Friday lowered its growth forecast for the United States. The U.S. investment bank estimates that U.S. GDP grew by only 1% in the fourth quarter of 2011 and only 0.5% in the first quarter of 2012. No analyst does, however, a recession (two consecutive quarters of GDP contraction) on one side or the other of the Atlantic at this time."The likelihood that the United States and / or Europe will fall into recession in the coming months is only 30 to 40%," says Patrick Moonen, senior strategist at ING IM. However, this risk is rising sharply, "he adds.

Two factors may tip the balance of advanced economies on the negative side. First, a continuation of the fall market. Transmission of the panic in financial markets on businesses and households could have disastrous effects. This pummel consumer, and especially it would encourage companies to postpone or cancel their investment projects.Or restocking and business investment are still the only engine that could drive growth in Europe and the United States.

Hopes the new U.S. stimulus plan

The second risk is that the austerity widespread in Europe and the United States do not create a vicious circle of negative growth: to reduce debt and deficits, states cut in social spending, investment and support growth (such as scrapping or tax exemptions). Result, households will consume more, business activity slows, then the state recorded less tax revenues and the deficit is widening even more. In Europe, this cycle does seem engaged: when they are threatened with recession, the peripheral countries of the euro area are competing austerity.Spain has voted to sell a new austerity plan intended to save an additional EUR 5 billion within two years. Italy has it announced an austerity plan of 45 billion euros last week. France plans to follow suit Wednesday, August 24 with listings of suppression of new tax loopholes.

The hope may come from the United States. Barack Obama raised the possibility of a new fiscal stimulus to support the economy. The U.S. president will unveil his plan in September, but we already know that it will focus on employment. This would include extending the declines in social contribution rates for employees and businesses, as well as long-term unemployment compensation, to ensure the financing of private projects or tax cuts that affect businesses.The project, which would increase the deficit for Uncle Sam 2.5 percentage points of GDP, would have little effect on growth, according to experts at Natixis. But it will avoid a fiscal tightening de facto linked to the expiry of the recovery plan of 2010, tightening that might prove disastrous for U.S. growth in 2012.

And even if Europe and the United States experience periods of zero or negative growth in the coming months, the world does not mean plunge into recession, as in 2009. Today, 80% of global growth is provided by the emerging countries, China and India in mind. Certainly they will not be spared by the global slowdown in activity, but their good performance should cushion the poor in developed countries. Morgan Stanley still expects global growth of 3.9% in 2011 and 3.8% in 2012.