Santander publishes a quarterly net profit down 24%

Santander said Thursday net profit down 24% in the first quarter as a result of provisions made in part to cover an increase in defaults in Spain.

Spanish banks increase their capital to cover a funding gap of tens of billions of euros, this resulting in a situation where they had taken to going to an all- booming real estate sector until 2008 but has since become damaged.

Some investors fear that the deficit increased to the extent that more and more households and businesses are in default in a country in recession. In which case, a bailout would prove international may need, they think.

The largest bank in the euro area has reported a profit of 1.6 billion euros, above the consensus, after setting aside 3.1 billion euros provisions. The percentage of bad and doubtful debts to total loans increased to 3.98% in late March.

Around 7:50 GMT, action Santander fell by 1.22% at the Madrid Stock Exchange, while the European banking sector index was virtually unchanged at the same time.

The bank, which has strong income in Latin America, should constitute the bulk of its provisions on real estate assets in the second half doubtful, as its rival BBVA.

The decrease in profits in Spain and Portugal, where defects are up, but they also contracted in Latin America.

The gasoline prices recede

This is the first time since the beginning of the pump price move downward. But they remain at a high level. Per liter of diesel appears to 1.4295 euro.

The price of unleaded petrol and diesel at the pump fell last week, moving downward for the first time since January even if they remain at high levels, according to weekly surveys released Monday by the Ministry of sustainable development.

Per liter of diesel, the most fuel sold in France (over 80% of sales) fell to 1.4295 euro against 1.4362 a week earlier, away even further from its historic high (1.4584 euro) established in mid-March. Side of gasoline, a liter of unleaded 95 (approximately 15% of fuel sales) declined to 1.6507 euro against 1.6664 euro to a record last week, unleaded and 98 (about 5% the national fuel consumption) fell to 1.7001 euro, 1.7095 against euro a week earlier (and after peaking at 1.7121 euro at the beginning).

These sales prices at the pump are national averages calculated by the Directorate General for Energy and Climate (DGEC) from data provided by service stations and are greatly exceeded in some service stations. This is the first time since late January that the three fuel categories appear all down, according to statements DGEC.  

Proposal competition for candidates at the Elysee Palace

Since late 2011, fuel prices have been drawn into a spiral upward, due to geopolitical tensions (Iran, Sudan, Nigeria …) that keep crude oil prices at very high levels, and weakening of the euro against the dollar adds to the cost of black gold once its converted value in the European currency.

Unleaded gasoline and had hit a new record last week for the sixth consecutive week, while 98 unleaded climbed from summit to summit without interruption from February until early April, and the oil had chained the Records from February until mid-March. The surge in fuel prices, which hit motorists portfolio, triggered a competition for proposals and cons-proposals from the candidates in the presidential election. The Socialist Francois Hollande, who arrived Sunday ahead of the first turn, pledged if elected to block the fuel prices for three months, a measure deemed absurd and demagogic by outgoing President Nicolas Sarkozy, who will play at the second round scheduled on May 6

Job creation slows in March in the U.S.

The number of jobs créésa been well below expectations in March in the U.S., which suggests that the Fed has leeway for further monetary easing, although the unemployment rate fell to a three-year low of 8.2%.

The number of jobs créésa was 120,000 in March, reported the Labor Department Friday, the lowest since October 2011.

Economists polled by Reuters expected a number of 203,000 and an unchanged unemployment rate of 8.3%.

Despite the low number of jobs created, average hourly earnings rose five cents per month, while the workweek fell to 34.5 hours against 34, 6:00 in February.

HeidelbergCement sees 2012 profit up, dividend statement

HeidelbergCement said on Thursday anticipating a rise in operating profit in 2012 thanks to growth in demand in all markets except Western Europe and new measures cost reduction.

The fourth global manufacturer of cement did not specify the magnitude of the expected increase in profit, which should grow well for the third straight year.

"The growth rate expected to ease on most markets because of measures taken to strengthen public finances," said Chief Executive Bernd Scheifele said in a statement.

"Growth rates in emerging Asia and Africa are expected to remain significantly higher than those of mature markets of North America and Europe."

The competitor Lafarge will propose an increase of 40% dividend per share in 2011, to 0.35 euros. Analysts had forecast 0.38 euros, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine

.

Consumer confidence unchanged in February

The index of consumer confidence in France is almost stable in February compared with the previous month, announced Friday INSEE.

The composite indicator is 82 against 81 in January.

In February, consumer confidence about their personal financial situation went down 2 points, INSEE said.

That their future personal finances rose 2 points, while remaining below its long-term average. Households are also more numerous than in January to consider it advisable to make major purchases (5 points).

Latécoère confident for 2012 after increasing in 2011

Latécoère announced Tuesday that he anticipated a continued growth of its activities in 2012, after publishing 2011 results carried by the upward cycle of aeronautics .

In a statement, the aerospace supplier said that its revenue, excluding special items, reached last year 520.6 million euros (+12.1%) complied ; lying to its objectives. Current operating income rose 62.5% to 44.7 million, reaching 7.8% of sales.

Latécoère said to rely on an order book representing more than four years of sales, to 2.2 billion euros based on a euro / dollar of 1.35.

The latest delivery rates announced by the manufacturers allow the group to build on for 2012 growth in sales of around 10% and an operating margin in the continuity of in 2011.

Net debt is expected to decline by almost 50 million euros in 2012.

The action ended Latécoère to 12.20 euros (-0.33%) Tuesday at the Paris Bourse before these ads.

Lafarge has mastered its debt in 2011, new sales in 2012

Lafarge announced Friday a 14% reduction in its net debt in 2011, thanks to its output activity plaster, and its intention to continue its asset sales in 2012 in the As part of its debt reduction plan.

The title of the world's leading cement and displays the largest increase in the CAC 40 and affects its highest level in seven months, the market welcoming the results better than expected progress in terms deleveraging as investors feared that the group is forced to undertake a capital increase.

Around 10:25, the title, which lost more than 42% in 2011, accounts 6.13% to 33.780 euros, with nearly two million shares, representing already 140% of average daily volume the past three months. The European sector index ahead of his side of 1.7%.

Since the beginning of the year, took the title over 25%, after falling about 42% throughout 2011.

"The internal levers (limitation of dividend, cost reduction) and exogenous (relative relaxation of the funding offer and gradual reversal of trend in the U.S.) reduce the risk of increased capital, "said CM-CIC Securities, which also notes that the results fell less than expected.

Lafarge, which announced earlier this month 460 job cuts as part of an operational reorganization by business to simplify its structure, reduced last year its net debt to 11.97 billion euros, a decrease of approximately two billion over the year as expected. 

"The group's net debt will continue to decline in 2012 through the implementation of actions to maximize our operational cash flow," said Bruno Lafont, CEO of Lafarge, said in a statement ;.

When asked during a teleconference on a target to reduce debt, Bruno Lafont said simply: What can be said is that the debt will be significantly reduced in 2012. "

1 UP TO 4% OF THE MARKET IN 2012

……. . The group's debt, inherited largely from the acquisition of Orascom in 2008, earned him to be downgraded in the "junk" by rating agencies Standard & Poor's and Moody's last year. 

As part of its debt, the group seeks one billion euros in new divestitures in 2012, after 2.2 billion in 2011. It also has limited this year to 800 million euros investment, against 1.2 billion in 2011, achieving in 2012 the bulk – 400 million – 500 million euros of e ; economies already announced and halving the dividend to 0.50 euro per share.

Lafarge also announced in 2011 the closure of its plant Frangey (Yonne), the smallest cement group in France which he pledged to reclassify 75 employees, and the closure of a cement plant in Kansas (USA).

In 2011, the group's turnover increased by 3% to 15.28 billion euros, while net income, group share, fell 28% to 593 million euros, hit by an exceptional charge for impairment of 285 million euros related to the situation in Greece. 

Lafarge plans in 2012 a growth of 1 to 4% of the markets where it operates, especially now the cement (65% of sales) and concrete and aggregates ( 34%).

The output in Europe and Asia-Pacific – including Australia – activity has also strengthened plaster mathematically the group's presence in emerging markets, where growth should still be higher than in mature markets.

The U.S. market should indeed be stable this year and that of Western Europe down 5 to 8%, Spain and Greece in mind.

New economies now account for 57% of turnover, against 52% in 2010 and 32% in 2005.

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.

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.