Facebook: 8 years, 901 million fans, $ 100 billion

18th May

 

This Friday, May 18th is a historic day. For Wall Street, which will host the largest IPO in history. For Facebook, too, who will submit to the test markets, namely the Nasdaq, a history that started in a college dorm. Employees of the startups are celebrating it since Thursday evening by typing lines of code all night.

They were invited to participate in one of these "hackathons" which made the reputation of Facebook for a day or more, developers gather to undo and redo services for the social network. Facebook a must which submits all new recruits to inspire a culture of hackers across the enterprise.

Facebook is an IPO eight years after its creation by Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard, assisted by Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, Andrew McCollum and Chris Hughes. Its value reached $ 104 billion. This is a hundred times the profit made by the social network in 2011. A ratio of crazy, but comparable to Google in its introduction in 2004. Two days before his arrival on the stock exchange, the social network has even offered the luxury of raising the price range of its activities to $ 38 and increase the volume of securities offered for sale. But after the operation, his young owner, 28 years, still retain 55.8% of the voting rights.

Many observers are questioning the possible formation of a new internet bubble payday advance low fees. Their criticisms are reminiscent of the doubts raised during the IPO of Google. The search engine was shaking up the Web with a new advertising model, the purchase of keywords that trigger ads targeted based on research conducted by Internet users. Facebook pushes him, communication. His ambition: "Connect the world." He has already managed to attract 901 million members, one of two user visits the site at least once a month. More than 526 million access it every day.

The beginning of the journey

But the service not only to connect people. It also links them to their musical tastes, their leisure, their interests. From a rogue's gallery online, Facebook has become the digital identity of nearly a billion people, evolving portrait of the social activity of its users. A gold mine of data that Facebook is trying to sell to advertisers.

On the walls of its premises, Facebook reminds its employees that only "1% of the trip was done." The site has yet to conquer China, where access to Facebook is blocked, controlling the mobile world and find revenue sources the most profitable. This is the bet on the future as Facebook will offer the stock market.

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Spain wants to protect its banking sector

13th May

 

Wednesday after the nationalization of the first network of savings banks Bankia, the Spanish government on Friday introduced a new banking reform, the second in less than three months. Madrid requires banks an additional provision of $ 30 billion. This will add to the 53 billion that should already be provisioned by the end of the year to cover the risk of real estate the most problematic, representing € 184 billion globally, according to Bank of Spain.

This caution will also be extended to 123 billion of property assets considered non-problematic "for their hypothetical deterioration" in the words of Minister of Economy, Luis de Guindos. In total, Spanish banks will be funded 45% of their total real estate assets by the end of the year. Before the first government reform Rajoy, the rate was only 14%, the minister recalled. Other decision, banks will separate the real estate assets from their balance sheets and place them in specialized agencies, to better assess the right price. "It will be mandatory for all entities," the minister said. In the interests of transparency, and meet there at a request of the Eurogroup, Madrid will carry out audits of accounts. "Two independent evaluators" will be responsible for judging the soundness and credibility of assessments.

Recession in 2013

The question is how banks can finance such levels of provision and how much will be deducted from their own funds bad credit pay day loans. Guindos recalled that during the last injection of public money made by the previous government, the fund Frob had lent 15 billion euros to banks. "The total should be this time significantly lower," he thought, noting that the state would receive an interest rate of 10% on money lent. "The Frob keeps 5 billion in cash. We will see how it will be necessary to supplement, "said Guindos. The Minister further stated that this funding through convertible bonds to five years, would cost "nothing" to the taxpayer.

The exercise of clarity has not convinced the markets: the Madrid Stock Exchange immediately plunged 3%, carried away by banks. The chief minister, Mariano Rajoy, nice hammer that the deficit will not be affected, the target of 5.3% of GDP this year, against 8.5% in December, and above 3% target in 2013 , is very hypothetical. The European Commission, which today released its new forecasts for the euro area, anticipates a deficit of 6.3% of GDP in 2012, even worse, 6.4% in 2013. In less than three months, Brussels has revised up sharply the recession, to 1.8% of GDP, against 1% previously. Next year, the economy would be even the only Iberian euro area to be in red.

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Buffett dispelled the concerns of its shareholders

6th May

 

This visit was highly anticipated. A month after announcing he was suffering from prostate cancer, multibillionaire Warren Buffett met this weekend's 40,000 shareholders of his holding company Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha, in the U.S. state of Nebraska, where he lives since 1956. Saying "in shape", he has worked hard to reassure his health. The investor of 81 years and has participated in a competition to launch newspapers in the corridors of CenturyLink Center, before pushing the song with the cheerleaders from the University of Nebraska and an ice cream with gusto low interest rate personal loans. "I have four doctors, several of which are shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway," he has said, in response to a question at the general assembly, whose key exchanges are transcribed on the site of CNBC. He reiterated that his treatment, which induce "not a single day of hospitalization," would not prevent him from working.

The investor of 81 years aparticipé a contest to launch newspapers in the corridors of CenturyLink Center.

The comeback tours in Paris

29th April

 

In 2018, there will be two newcomers in the Parisian sky: two all-glass towers whose upper portion is tilted in wave form. Achievement of 500 million euros by Jean Nouvel and funded by an investment fund Quebec, Ivanhoe Cambridge, and an American, Hines.

Specifically, this set will find its place in the ZAC Seine Rive Gauche, the area is being completely remodeled, close to the BNF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) in the thirteenth arrondissement. The first skyscraper peak at 231 m with 38 floors. His little brother will reach 115 meters, 24 floors. Clearly, these IGH (tall buildings) will be much lower than the highest tower of France, First (231 meters and 50 storeys), inaugurated in Defence in May 2011.

"Our city should not become a museum city"

But these skyscrapers, which will be occupied by offices and a hotel, have a symbolic value. They will mark the return of the towers in Paris after a long wait. With their design on tile anti-friendly design and unimaginative, high-rise buildings built in the 1970s (Montparnasse tower, towers along the Seine and the Olympics in the thirteenth arrondissement) had disgusted the people of this type of construction. "We decided to rebuild the towers in Paris because land is scarce and must be used to best effect and because our capital must not become a museum city," argues Anne Hidalgo, first deputy mayor of Paris in charge of urbanism. This policy does not unanimously. The Greens, for example, are opposed.

However, these two skyscrapers of Jean Nouvel announce other. In 2016, a tower of 160 meters and 40 floors, designed by architect Renzo Piano to house the TGI (High Court), should be delivered to the Batignolles in the seventeenth arrondissement. If the project is proceeding normally, Triangle tower installed Porte de Versailles in the fifteenth district would be delivered in 2017. "And we have three other projects of a turn in the thirteenth arrondissement, on the same area as the skyscrapers of Jean Nouvel," said Hidalgo.

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The Nasdaq climbed 2.3%, thanks to Apple that burns 9%

26th April

Presidential in major cities Paris | Leeds | Lyons | Toulouse | Leeds | Sheffield | Liverpool | Bordeaux | Lille

The price of gasoline in small drop

24th April

 

Like every Monday evening, the Ministry of Sustainable Development publishes weekly reports fuel prices in France. For the first time since late January, a liter of unleaded 95, unleaded 98 and diesel show a decline. But it is minimal for the SP 95, a liter costs on average in the hexagon 1.6507 euro (against 1.6664 last week, a record) for the SP 98, it is worth 1.7001 euro (or an less than 1.7095 posted last Monday) and a liter of diesel fuel most consumed by the French, amounts to 1.4295 euro, 1.4362 against seven days ago.

This small decline is explained both by a slight decline in oil prices in recent days, combined with a slight rise of the euro against the dollar. Indeed, in one week, a barrel of black gold has risen from 104.77 dollars to 102.86 dollars on Monday (-1.8%) in New York, while the euro / dollar rose to a , 3077 to 1.3220 (1.1%). Besides these two variants, the price of gas depends on the gross refining margins, those of distribution, the rate of VAT (19 payday loans guaranteed no fax.6%) and the TIPP (domestic tax on petroleum products), attached to around 60 euro cents per liter.

According to a recent study by two economists, gas stations reflected both increases than cuts refined oil prices on their price. Supermarkets are the best students.

If Nicolas Sarkozy was elected president on May 6, so that social VAT would take effect in October. That is to say that the VAT rate will go from 19.6% to 21.2%. If, however, Francois Hollande took power, the Socialist said he would be immediately increased by 1.6 point VAT. He also warned that it would impose a freeze on gasoline prices and would set up a floating TIPP.  

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Dutch woos patrons with the CAC 40

6th April

 

Against finance, but not against the big bosses. The Socialist candidate for president, Francois Hollande, has reassured business leaders of the CAC 40, in an interview in Paris Matchpubliée Thursday. He was lampooned in mid-February, their salary increases "of 36% on average in 2010."

As we approach the elections, it has softened its tone. "We will need all the forces for the country's recovery. Therefore, in the aftermath of the presidential election, I will convene the CAC 40 companies, although many of their leaders will not vote for me, he says. I tell them: "You are the spearhead of the French economy. We need you and you need the state. We face together the challenge of recovery of France "."

The Socialist candidate was told by the president of MEDEF, Laurence Parisot, France 2 on Thursday, that the vocation of the employers' association was "to work with any government whatever." Tenors Socialist Party had in fact accused of campaigning for the incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy Low fee payday loans.

Francois Hollande tried several times to reassure the campaign finance and management. Visiting London, and then he gave himself to enemy "the world of finance," he said at the City he was not "aggressive" and that n ' there was "nothing to fear" if elected.

Still, the Socialist candidate wants to increase the effective tax rate of 35% in large groups and, among other things, against the practice of stock options. "France seems to bring out the multinationals," said Denis Kessler, CEO of Scor, quoted by The Economist. For the second consecutive week, the weekly British Liberal lampooned the socialist project to tax at 75% marginal bracket the higher incomes of over one million euros.

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Sales of lamb at Easter double

4th April

 

Double the normal. During the month of Easter – Friday night for Jews and Sunday for Christians – he buys at least twice more lambs than usual. "It consumes on average between 4000 and 5000 tons of lamb meat per month in France, according to panel data Kantar says Anne Mottet, an economist at the Livestock Institute. When Paschal month, households consumed 9,000 tons in 2010, for example. " A strong tradition since 13% of French households to savor the occasion of Easter, against 5% in normal times. The lamb symbolizes for Christians the resurrection of Christ and the Jews, the exodus led by Moses out of Egypt.

Economically, the farm became a holder of lamb from the reallocation in 2009 by former agriculture minister, Michel Barnier, a part of CAP subsidies in favor of sheep farmers, the farmers worse off at the time. "It allowed me to generate additional income of 12,000 to 15,000 euros per year," said Hubert Elder, farmer in Maine-et-Loire.

To prevent a portion of the added value is captured by intermediaries, this direct selling. "At Easter, I'll sell 12 lambs against 4-5 in a typical week. They are valued 30% more than when I sell them at retail "he adds. A small niche – is consumed in France 190,000 tonnes of lamb, only 10% of the pork market – but profitable. The price is comparable to consumer beef prices: 12.95 against 12.94 per kilo for beef and 6.58 for pork.

Still according to Kantar, the French producer of lamb is the best paid in Europe with a price paid around 6.09 euros per kilo, against 4.97 euros in the UK, against an average of 4.78 euros in Europe.

UK and New Zealand

Flip side, nearly 60% of sheep consumed in France are imported from countries where they are cheaper to raise. More than half the imports come from the UK, just under a quarter of New Zealand, Ireland and the rest of Spain.

"Legs salt meadow, racks of lamb, milk, orders flow for three weeks, said Christian Le Lann, artisan butcher in Paris. We sell top quality local lamb but there is a commoditization of the product because of the importance of imports of lamb from New Zealand including a by-product of wool transported frozen, which invades the shelves of supermarkets "says the merchant who is also president of the French Confederation of butchery.

Lastly, there is the question of renewal of French sheep farmers. They will be 63% out of business in the next decade. The investors do not rush in sheepfolds.

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The "Real Madridland", the latest craze

24th March

 

Real Madrid exhibition of frustration. Tense, silent Wednesday night after the draw conceded to Villareal (1-1) bringing the FC Barcelona 6 points behind the leader of La Liga, Real Madrid players (Karim Benzema, Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Jose Mourinho and surrounded Zinedine Zidane) had, early Thursday afternoon, smiling again to unveil a draft of magnitude: "Real Madrid Resort Island." A tourist complex and theme park located in the UAE, in Ras al-Khaimah. Game without borders

.

On an artificial island (50 hectares), a marina, hotels and luxury villas, museums, sports facilities including a 10,000-seat stadium will rise up and hope to host in January 2015 from one million visitors a year. A "Real Madridland" (45 minutes from Dubai Airport) estimated at $ 1 billion, which is reminiscent of the Ferrari World theme park located in Abu Dhabi since 2010 letting go of roller coasters, driving simulators

. Between excitement and nervousness

"When Real Madrid Island Resort will open its doors, the visitor will be part of the legend of the best club football history, which seeks to be eternal, universal guaranteed online payday loans. This is a strategic institution in the Middle East and Asia, "summarized Florentino Perez, the president of Spanish club. The Real (480 million budget, 460 for FC Barcelona), sacred richest club in the world for the sixth straight year in 2011 (438.6 million revenue in 2010), club all records on transfers (Cristiano Ronaldo, 94 million euros, Zidane, 77 milllion …), wants to continue to combine with all the time.  

The past is revered through daily visits in the corridors of Santiago Bernabeu, the home club. Besides the exploits of Alfredo Di Stefano, the volley of Zinedine Zidane with the Champions League final in 2002 against the Merengue Leverkusen appears XXL poster. This, to him, found himself between excitement and nervousness (C1 hopes of a tenth and a thirty-second Liga, most recently in 2008), when the future is taking shape. Voted the best club of the twentieth century, Real wants, the year of its centennial, see below, great

.

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An agreement in flour heavily penalized

14th March

 

This is one of the heaviest penalties ever imposed in France for price fixing. The Competition Authority condemned Tuesday the largest producers of bagged flour French and German in total fines totaling 242.4 million euros.

As Le Figaro had revealed (read our editions of March 29, 2011), the institution has identified two antitrust cases, one involving French millers having agreed on prices, and the other a Franco-German cartel to limit to 15,000 tons, from 2002 to 2008, German exports in the Hexagon.

Flour France, sentenced to 8.3 million euro fine, and Axiane Milling, who scoop the most severe penalty (44 million), have decided to appeal. "We have taken note of the decision, which amazed us, said a spokesman Axiane. The penalty amount is disproportionate to the activities of the company, who made last year 167 million euros in turnover which only 15% correspond to the sale of flour in bag. "… ….. A first

This is the first case of this magnitude in the food industry. The Competition Authority has estimated that 11% of the costs to consumers. Moreover, it is the second time a consumer product is concerned by this affair. Last year, a cartel of manufacturers of detergents was sentenced to 361.3 million euros in fines. In both cases, this is a leniency application made by one of the protagonists who revealed the agreement.

"The Franco-German entente has been sheltered from competition German millers French, which enabled them to segment the market and respond with one voice to calls for major retailers such as discount stores," summarizes a spokesman for the Authority's view that the distributors were not aware of these practices.

The severity of penalties is due to the unprecedented duration of the agreement. In fact, since its inception in 1965, France Flour, owner of the famous brand Francine, leader in France, was at the heart of a system of understanding that allowed him to sell the output of its seven shareholders millers. "This is a transparent system of grouping that existed openly and everybody," protests Axiane Milling, one of its shareholders.

Considered a "false nose" Flour France was dissolved in mid-January and Francine brand was sold to one of its shareholders, Nutrixo. The Competition Authority should soon make its decision in another case involving the millers. This time it concerns the sale of bulk flour to bakers.

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