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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The U.S. employment shower stock markets

5th May

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

Benetton boss hands over to his son

23rd April

 

Benetton where history repeated scandals. There are a few more months, in November 2011, the Italian firm made history again by launching it's ad campaign "UnHate", featuring heads of state kissing easy to get unsecured personal loans.

Alessandro Benetton, son and heir to his wife in 2006 in Venice.

As companies struggle to recruit

22nd April

 

A textile company, for lack of sewers it needs for its plant in Quimper, creates a pathway of learning to train its future recruits? The SME Armor Lux, well known for its white wine, made the headlines this week, at a time when all candidates for president are the re-industrialization of the country one of their campaign themes.

This situation is not isolated and number of industrial jobs – welders, boilermakers, milling … – are pulling their hair to find candidates and encourage vocations. "There is a real paradox between a high level of unemployment in France and companies who are not candidates for positions in recruitment, whether welders, millers, coppersmiths, payroll technicians, seamstresses …. In total we estimate that roughly fifty so-called shortage occupations. In our business we miss about 30% of requests from our customers because we do not have the resources and this situation has been deteriorating for a decade, notes François Beharel, group president of Randstad and staffing agencies. Concretely, this means that our group could generate 30% of turnover and more. "

For him, the problem is essentially related to the collective image What these professions in public opinion. "We imagine that in the textile industry and is like 50 years ago, while the environment has changed, that wages were revised upwards and that career paths are possible." "We have to get into people's heads, and young people in particular, that the industry is clean and not necessarily noisy. In this regard, the construction was successful for several years to reverse its bad image, "says Anne-Marie Bjornson, Director of Transitions AFPA.

Develop learning

A UIMM, Joel Mendez, Director Employment and Training, said that one communicates primarily on job losses. Yet in all sectors of metallurgy, the recruitment needs estimated over the period 2007-2015 are always evaluated. Between 60,000 and 80,000 jobs per year, including 30 to 40% reserved for graduates, according to a study by the study-which will be updated in early 2012 over a 2013 to 2020 -. "There is a big educational effort and support to achieve with the companies to become more involved in processes of looking management of jobs and skills (GPEC) and assessing their future needs" says he.

According to Anne-Marie Bjornson Afpa transitions, there are ways to mount training particularly in the context of operational readiness to employment (job center) or as part of training contracts. "We are also working on the issue of transferable skills, which allow for example to a textile worker to work in the weld or a working precision to go in the car." But anticipating needs is a prerequisite and essential step, she insists.

For Joel Mendez, it is also essential to adapt the training devices to the needs, both in initial training in continuing education. And take the example of learning where the numbers in the branch of metallurgy grew 6% in 2011 (with a total of 26 000 apprentices). "At the last school year, nearly a thousand offers of learning could not be met and at the same time, the same volume of young people did not find any company. This shows that learning can be further developed and the various mechanisms put in place recently should help solve these problems. "

A situation that in any case, Francis led Beharel hammering: "stop sending generations of young people in jobs without opportunities. Spend money to know that jobs are to be filled with real careers, especially if the areas are not attractive. "

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Airbus is 70% of Indian market

16th March

 

1040 new aircraft worth $ 145 billion. This, according to the latest Airbus market research, the need for airlines in India in the next twenty years. Of these, the vast majority of planes (860) will be ordered to meet the growth in air traffic – to + 7.2% per year, it is already growing faster than the average in Asia (5.9%) . In total, the current fleet will more than triple to 1080 devices.

According to Airbus, the airline purchases will be predominantly (646 copies) on medium-haul aircraft type A320 and A320 Neo (version remotorisée). It to meet soaring domestic traffic should move quickly on a rate of 10% per year, which will make India one of the strongest markets in the world. The European manufacturer estimates that the market for 308 long-haul A350-type and 66 copies of the ultra-high capacity aircraft type A380.

Two giant orders

Airbus hopes to win a beautiful place in this promising market. Already, the European manufacturer claims "70% market share of new orders," his "ambition is to retain its leadership in the Indian market." To support its strategy to win business, Airbus has established local partnerships for forty years. It is manufactured locally A320 passenger doors, his best-seller. It is also recruiting Indian engineers in its Engineering Center opened in 2006 in Bangalore. The manufacturer employs 270 in total and has to hire another 180 by 2014.

Airbus' strategy has paid off. In 2011, the manufacturer has scored a major coup by winning two giant commands from Indigo (180 A 320 150 of Neo) and Go Air have ordered that, between them, 252 units.

Two threats

But the clouds on the horizon. On the one hand by the poor health of major customers such as local Kingfisher.Depuis his birth in 2005, the company has never made any money – it lost $ 90 million in the third quarter of fiscal year – and has accumulated a debt of $ 1.3 billion. Kingfisher international flights still canceled Wednesday, postponed delivery in 2014 of A 380 and ordered it does not exclude cancellations. In total, current orders are of 32 A320s, 20 A330 long-haul, long haul lonq five A350s and five A380 super-jumbo. The company promises tonight released a recovery plan within two to three days.  

Moreover, the implementation of the carbon tax by the European Union in January, also poses a threat to aircraft orders. Just as Beijing has frozen the purchase of 45 Airbus A 380, including 10 of its airlines, New Delhi is opposed to this tax. India may decide to retaliate. It threatens to bar its airlines to fly to Europe.

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Sunday working back in the presidential debate

18th February

 

The opening of Sunday shopping has become a topic of this Friday's presidential campaign. Nicolas Sarkozy, the president now officially a candidate for reelection, took hold of the States General of Trade to revive a debate that has never really stopped since the adoption of the "law Maille". The Act of August 10, 2009 allows the Sunday opening of shops in some towns and tourist areas and hot springs and in some big cities. More generally, the Labour Code provides for the possibility for all stores to open five Sundays a year authorized by the mayor or the prefect.  

"If the French put their trust in me at the next presidential election, the first step that I will implement will be to continue the flexibilities already made with regard to Sunday opening of shops for you to adapt to changing lifestyles, "it said in the statement that was read by the Secretary of State for Trade, Frédéric Lefebvre. "Broadening the conditions for opening of shops on Sundays, giving you more freedom, it's growth for your business is employment for the French, it's purchasing power for your employees , is the strengthening of the tourist attraction that France is strong, "argued the head of state, resuming his campaign slogan. Already in 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy had placed Sunday working at the heart of his campaign, when he presented himself as the candidate of purchasing power and it boasted its famous slogan: "Work more to earn more" .

And since, traders remained dissatisfied. In his "Pact for the development of commerce", presented in November 2011 with the intention of being sent to the candidates in the presidential election, the Board of Trade of France (FPS) requested the opportunity for each merchant to open " freely from 10 to 12 Sundays a year ", even if his store is located" out of area tourism. " The association already put forward "changing lifestyles" and "ambition tourism in France" to justify its request. During sales in January, Frédéric Lefebvre assured that some foreign tour operators were programming does not weekend in Paris because their customers can not be done shopping.

"A little air"

The issue of Sunday opening is sized. With 730,000 businesses, trade accounts for 20% of private jobs in France and 10% of GDP. Its annual sales reached 1.4 trillion euros, said the FPS. However, the federation does not argue for an opening of "all the shops, every Sunday throughout France." "What we want is a relaxation, a little air," said its chairman Gerard Atlan, quoted by AFP. "The dealer should be there when there is revenue to do, when there is none, it closes."

Like Nicolas Sarkozy, the Socialist candidate Francois Hollande has taken hold of the subject. In a video broadcast on the same Estates General of Trade this morning, he says he will engage in "negotiations" on the issue "controversial" work on Sundays. Last date flowage in a parliamentary report prepared last November that voluntary employee to work on Sunday in the authorized areas was "not sufficiently guaranteed" by some companies. For Francois Hollande, it is to find "a balance between the rights of employees" and concern for traders to "respond to new forms of competition." First union to respond, the CFTC has regretted the "social choice" favored by Nicolas Sarkozy, according to the union, further open the way for the "hyper-consumerism."

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French growth in 2011 stood

16th February

 

The government calls it "a false flat economy." But simply slowing growth announced Wednesday morning by INSEE (+ 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2011, after +0.3% in the third quarter) is a pleasant surprise. In the midst of turbulence in the euro area, it not only to French growth from to 1.7% in 2011 – a figure that has line width closely corresponds to the expectation of the Government. But it also prevents the entry of countries into recession. In its latest memo on the economy, established in December, the statistics institute saw no improvement emerge this winter and announced a negative fourth quarter.

Contrary to this scenario, the last three months of 2011 were marked by a more or less good performance of all the main drivers of activity. While employment has greatly suffered in late 2011, spending on household consumption slowed without collapsing (+ 0.2% in the fourth quarter, after +0.3% in the third). Business investment has accelerated significantly (+ 1.4% at – 0.4%). As for the deficit, it is a bit small – under the blow of higher exports and lower imports – allowing foreign trade to contribute significantly to both a growth (+0.7 points).

The Minister of Economy Baroin noted in a statement that these results were achieved in "a difficult international environment." But the comments from Bercy sobriety played Wednesday and took care of complacency, the executive knows that the equation of economic and fiscal 2012 has not become simpler in one day.

Appropriations in reserve

In the wake of European difficulties, a GDP contraction is expected in the first quarter of this year (0.1%), before a small growth spurt (also 0.1%) in the second quarter, according to forecasts INSEE. Under these assumptions, the growth overhang at mid-year would be almost nil. Suffice to say that although the government has revised down its growth forecast for 2012 (0.5% against 1%), nothing is won yet. To accommodate this new lens, a 0.6% increase in GDP per quarter during the second half of the year is necessary. But we must go back well before the crisis, in late 2006 and early 2007, to see similar growth rate.

The government has repeatedly said he had put enough money in reserve to hold its trajectory to reduce public deficits without resorting to additional austerity measures. He welcomed the results better than expected on the forehead of public finances in 2011 give him a little oxygen for 2012.

But almost sluggish growth this year would considerably complicate a fragile situation. Half a point less growth, it is about 5 billion more to find. It will take somewhere, have clearly in mind the French: Paris is committed to its partners in Brussels to bring back the deficit to 4.5% of GDP at end 2012. This objective is "intangible", regularly repeats the Prime Minister Francois Fillon. Election year or not.

16th November

Officials will be more affected by rigor. The government decided on Tuesday: one day waiting period will be established for employees in case of sickness. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister, François Fillon, was tried before the House the case "reasonable." This period corresponds to the time at the beginning of the stop, during which the insured does not receive allocation.

In private, the waiting period is currently three days. But under the austerity plan, the government plans to bring it to four days, stated Valérie Pécresse and Xavier Bertrand on Tuesday. A measure subsided, according to the entourage of the Minister, by which pension arrangements are provided 70% of employees, which may reduce or eliminate this delay.

Stops short penalized more

This extra day would represent a saving of around 200 million euros.

8th November

Thunder on Corsica. The Administrative Court of Appeal overturned Monday in Marseilles the public service delegation (PSD) of maritime transport between the island and the mainland, a delegation intended to ensure territorial continuity and with a coquettish grant.

Upon assignment to the SNCM and CMN service contract for the period 2007-2013, Corsica Ferries had attacked him. Peter Mattei, the director general of the company, so savor his victory: "It shows that we were in our right and that has suffered!"

The leader has always considered abnormal grant of 33 million euros allocated by the Transportation Agency Corsican (OTC) for the SNCM ferry for peak periods, in addition to the 66 million allocated for the basic service (cargo passengers and freight throughout the year) to SNCM and CMN.The Court found that there was violation of the European regulation on maritime cabotage.

The "safeguard clause" included in the delegation contract is also in the sights of the Court. This clause makes it possible for companies to benefit from a delegated additional grant anticipated revenue when the contract is not to go. This supplement is considered state aid and tens of millions of euros may have to be repaid.

"An overhaul of the system"

A new bid must be launched for a new contract operational on 1 September 2012. "It will be very difficult to meet this deadline," Paul said yesterday Mary Bartoli, president of the CTA.