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The CAC 40 is the caution on Friday. After an opening in the red (-0.12%) followed by a brief stint in the green (0.24%), the benchmark index of Paris back into negative territory just over half an hour after the start Session: -0.11% to 3647 points. The markets are waiting game: the first estimate of U.S. GDP in the second quarter will indeed be announced this afternoon across the Atlantic. This Friday in Asia as investors remained on the defensive.

Besides GDP, the U.S. will publish the index of consumer sentiment and Chicago PMI. In Europe, German retail sales and GDP of the area will also be published.

But it was the positive interpretation of the many important results published before opening behind the rating.

Publication Burst

Alcatel Lucent (6.38% to 2.20 euros) announces revenues of 3.813 billion euros in the second quarter.The group reiterated its outlook for 2010, including an adjusted operating income of between 1% and 5% of its revenues.

JCDecaux (+0.35% at 19.94 euros) on Friday announced a net profit in the first half of 65 million euros. The group anticipates a change in organic revenue for the third quarter less than that of the second with a cash flow of 119 million euros, compared with -1.7 million euros in the first half.

Lafarge (-3% to 42.18 euros) has reported a sales increase of 2% to 4.43 billion euros in the second quarter. The company expects a reduction in capital expenditure to less than 1 billion euros in 2011.

EDF (2.02% to 33.12 euros) announced a net income Group share 1.7 billion euros including a provision for $ 1.1 billion on its North American operations.The group, which should sell its UK electricity networks based on an enterprise value of over 5.5 billion pounds, has announced a delay of two years for his BDU Flamanville.

EADS (4.38% to 18.35 euros) announces a net profit in the first half of 185 million euros and a turnover of 20.3 billion euros.

Schneider Electric (2.51% to 88.57 euros) publishes a turnover of 8.57 billion euros in the first half (+10.5%) of which 4.661 billion (+18.5%) in the second . In an interview with Le Figaro, Jean-Pascal Tricoire, CEO, set an improvement for the second part of the year.

Renault (+0.16% at 33.07 euros) issued a revenue increase of 23.1% for the first half like for like identical, to 19.668 billion euros. The constructor returns to the green with profits of 823 million euros.

The reaction of Peugeot (-0.80%) is observed.Still in the automotive industry, Michelin (0.62% to 59.72 euros) announced a net profit in the first half and said it expects a continued rebound in demand for tires in the second half of the year .

PPR (-0.24% to 102.10 euros) announced a net profit after minority interests rose 86.8% to 407 million euros in the first half.

Imerys (2.01% to 45.36 euros) has reported a net operating income rose sharply to 122 million euros in the first half with a turnover of organic growth of 16%.

Total (2.09% to 39.15 euros) announced adjusted net income for the second quarter of 3 billion euros, up 72%.

CNP Assurances (-1.12% to 15.92 euros) has issued a net increase of 8% to 542 million euros and a turnover of 17.697 million euros (+2.4%).

Rhodia (2.98% to 16.22 euros) raised again after its 2010 targets announced Friday results exceeded expectations in the second quarter.

Saint Gobain is optimistic

Saint-Gobain (+0.02% to 33.3 euros) has reported a strong rebound in its first half results, while confirming its target of strong growth in operating earnings in 2010.

Capgemini (-0.59% to 36.13 euros) has announced the acquisition of the Swedish IT services Skvader Systems. No financial details were disclosed.

Air Liquide (-0.75 to 85.45 euros ù) has announced the acquisition of the company Lion Copolymer Geismar American Services. No financial details were disclosed.

Euler Hermes (4.92% to 61.39 euros) has reported net profit more than doubled in the second quarter from the first and said he intended to maintain profitability in an environment more favorable macroeconomic that over the past two years.

Ingenico (3.68% to 19.15 euros) on Thursday posted a net profit increased more than two in the first half thanks to increased transactions in Europe and raised its sales target.

Alten (1.43% to 22.71 euros) has reported a slight improvement in activity in its sector in the first half. Turnover rose 2.7% to 450.9 million euros over the period.

Flo (0.65% to 4.63 euros) said that the activity in its restaurants had not yet regained the level that was hers before the crisis, despite the reduction in VAT.The turnover of the group stood in the first half rose 7.6%.

Place the masons and painters! Members of the Committee on Social Affairs of the National Assembly completed late Thursday afternoon, discussing the draft law on pensions, with a few hours ahead of schedule. Members will now leave the Palais Bourbon completely delivered to artisans, who have already begun the usual summer work. Return scheduled Tuesday, Sept. 7, even on Monday night at 6 for a special session will begin by examining the same text, but this time in the Chamber.

"It is in times of transition, summarized perhaps one at the Elysee. The real battle will take place from September. "The for Sarkozy are well aware that this first parliamentary stage was a formality. Not surprisingly, the debates have been looped smoothly."The Socialists have just wanted to make a coup by breaking the lock-in twitter discussions with their phone," is a counselor. What the left willingly admits. For now, she preferred surf the weakening of Labour Minister Caught in the case Bettencourt. Godsend for the Socialists, who are careful not to request his resignation.

Paradoxically, the majority seemed more worried by the progress of the case and its component Bettencourt Woerth that by the turn of the debate on pensions. "The left is going clubbing Woerth in September. He held up? "Wonders already a Minister. The Elysee hopes that the summer break will reduce the pressure. Nicolas Sarkozy and François Fillon reiterated that Eric Woerth defend indeed the text on Sept. 7. In other words, he will not be driven to resign by then."It is quiet because we know there is nothing in the record," says the Prime Minister.

"Everything will be decided in September. We are ready for battle. But it also depends on the mobilization in the streets, "says one seat in the PS. Clearly, the left hopes to build on part of the public. Even if the opponents and proponents of reform are divided into two shares more or less equal bad credit pay day loans.

Unions united

Unions, too, prepare to maturity. For September 7 will also be a new day of strikes and protests against the reform that SF has, once again, on Thursday asked the "withdrawal". In reality, most organizations do not believe and do not even dream to win concessions on key points, beginning with the postponement of the age to 62 years.However, they have not conceded the changes on other aspects of the text during the parliamentary debate.

They rely for that on the "pressure" of the street. Will they go over the two million demonstrators, after 1.9 million announced on the evening of the last day of action – successful – last June 24? Not easy to mobilize massively, just days after school starts. Therefore, the central plan to continue their campaign throughout the summer, beach tour in the CFDT distributed a booklet "educational" on reform and its "alternative" possible, the CGT.

The unions will have an advantage: their unity restored. Having refused to sign for months, FOR has joined its competitors, and the CFE-CGC has done the same.It is the only organization to accept the decline of legal age, but she believes that the conditions there pose – including a strong financial closure of the reform – are not met.

Faced with this united front, the government has chosen to keep the ballast drop. He has done at this stage, no specific proposals on issues which he is willing to develop: difficulty, and long careers polypensionnés.

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"The idea that the austerity measures could cause stagnation is incorrect", said on Thursday Jean-Claude Trichet. In an interview with Repubblica, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB) is opposed to all those who, like Barack Obama, say that plans to reduce public deficits adopted in Berlin, London or Paris, will kill the recovery in the egg.

The U.S. president has sent a letter last week to warn his European counterparts against a premature withdrawal of stimulus policies. It will look this weekend at the G20 summit in Toronto, to convince its partners to soften their plans rigorously.

Wolfgang Schauble, the German finance minister, told him Thursday morning in an article signed for the Financial Times. "Germany knows its responsibility towards global growth," he told the British business daily."Our contribution will be through a role as an anchor of stablity and not digging the debt."

Unlike Bush, Trichet argued that "under present circumstances, policies inspiring confidence will strengthen and not hinder the economic recovery because trust is a key factor today." In this regard, we welcome the German example, "he added. Berlin has presented an austerity plan of 80 billion euros over four years. Italy, following his example, is on the right path, according to the president of the ECB.

The ECB estimates that the eurozone is "within an environment (…) unusually high uncertainty" as stated by Jean-Claude Trichet during his last press conference, June 10"The degree of uncertainty and the level of growth is not writing, it also depends on us." And so, in part, plans rigor that should reassure markets.

However, the billionaire investor George Soros has spoken out against the plans of rigor at a conference on the euro in Berlin, Wednesday evening. They provoke a cycle of deflation (falling prices and slow growth) which will endanger the European project, by the American. A threat that does not believe Jean-Claude Trichet: "I do not think that such risks could materialize, inflation is well anchored."

The European Central Bank has revised down growth for 2011 in early June, as many economists believe that consumption will be greatly diminished because of plans to reduce deficits.The ECB now expects growth in a range very wide ranging from 0.2% to 2.2%, against 0.5% to 2.5% previously estimated.

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Welcoming their blitz-boom, leaders BMW, Mercedes and Audi display confident smiles. Driven by China's growth, the three automakers upscale German came out of the crisis in record time. A year ago, they still increased the pace of layoffs for part of thousands of their employees to cope with the collapse of global demand. In recent weeks, they continue to advance the pace of production to meet the boom in exports.

"Never before has such a situation had been improving at a rate cutting your breath so brutally," enthuses a member of the supervisory board of Daimler, maker of Mercedes, quoted by the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ).The very expensive "scrappage" introduced by the German federal state, which had boosted sales of Renault-Dacia in Germany, had not benefited the high-end manufacturers. But the system Kurzarbeit, unemployment part financed by the German state, allowed them to retain their skilled workforce and avoid the waves of layoffs. And come back even stronger.

Success of "Made in Germany"

The FAZ, which displays an unusual enthusiasm, believes that "German car manufacturers are experiencing a tale was unexpected." The factories are at full speed. "Mercedes has almost regained its level before the crisis," said a member of the supervisory board of Daimler.

The resumption of exports to the United States but especially in China explains this success.The models are the most luxurious locomotive production pay day loans. Thus, Mercedes increased its production of S-Class 41% in May, while BMW has experienced a surge in sales of 34% of its 7-series.

In factories in Sindelfingen and Bremen Untertürkheim, which produces luxury Mercedes models, the assembly lines now run on Saturday. Just as in Neckarsulm, where the A8 is constructed, the limousine flagship Audi. Several factories are planning to shorten from three to two weeks summer holidays. Daimler plans to hire 2,100 temporary workers to maintain production rates during the holidays. Daimler already employs 1,800 temporary workers. At BMW, they are 5000.The Bavarian company is seeking to recruit hundreds of graduates and plans to train some 1,000 additional workers.

Health insolent the German luxury car industry should result in a significant increase in stock price for the businesses concerned. More broadly, the entire German economy should benefit from the recovery in exports in 2010. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) expects "a growth of 8% of exports," for the current year. "The international demand for" Made in Germany "can pull Germany out of the crisis," said Werner Schnappauf, head of the BDI. The chemical and electrical industries are the sectors that benefit most from the recovery.Result: analysts predict a continuing decline in unemployment in Germany.

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If the political debate in Germany is keen on supporting Greece, no such thing in France. The Socialist Party will vote in the state next week's Budget Act that allows Paris to pay 3.9 billion euros in Athens in 2010. And this Wednesday, the hearing for two hours, the budget minister, Francois Baroin by the Finance Committee of the Assembly took place in a consensual atmosphere. "Everyone agreed it was necessary to go fast. We can not let go of Greece, especially since the effort required of his people is heavy, "recalls Jerome Cahuzac, Chairman of the PS Committee. Alarmed by the weakness of governance of the euro area and lamenting, for some, the absence of a European monetary fund, members hoped that the rescue is accelerating. "Many were disappointed that the summit of heads of state that takes place May 10," said Gilles Carrez, the general rapporteur UMP.What the minister said "it would be even more dangerous to yield to a form of precipitation.

Debate on the interest rate

The only objection was on the interest rate of 5% which Paris ready to Greece three years. The Socialists, Fran?ois Hollande and Henri Emmanuelli it was too high. But Jerome Cahuzac is more nuanced and noted that this rate is the result of a compromise between heads of state.

Still, the French government should actually earn money in the transaction, since borrows around 2.13% at five years. Baroin has been noted that the plan for Greece "is not an expense to the taxpayer! Is this why the consensus in France? "I believe above all that unlike Germany we have a culture of state intervention," said the UMP J?r?me Chartier."It is logical as German citizens, who have made sacrifices to repair their public finances, are more reluctant than the French, who were not virtuous," says the centrist Charles de Courson.

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OL-Real Madrid: the issue was not an athlete – a qualification to the quarterfinals of the Champions League the club Lyon has reached more since the 2005-2006 season – but also economic. According to figures published by Footbiz by winning this meeting, Lyon will garner 5 million euros, plus 27 million euros allocated to clubs qualified to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

These 5 million represent about 4% of annual sales (-10.3%) of Olympique Lyonnais, which amounts to 139.6 million euros. By comparison, Real Madrid shows a turnover of 401 million euros (+9.7%).The $ 5 million includes 3.3 million premium paid by UEFA for a qualification in the quarterfinals, 1.2 million euros in revenue stages, and between 0.2 and 1 million euro TV rights.

Also according Footbiz, Lyons would have received between 21.9 million euros and 22.3 million euros in case of defeat against Real Madrid, barely 5 million euros less than in case of qualifying cash advance now .

Suffice to say that these 32 million are extremely timely in the coffers of the club chaired by Jean-Michel Aulas. Lyon has seen its half-year loss widened to 8.7 million (against 2.4 million euros over the period 2008-2009).

Conversely, it is for the Real Madrid club the richest in the world, a crushing defeat as sports – the Madrid club has not reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League for 6 years – economically. The club chaired by Florentino P?rez has spent the last year 250 million euros to take a quick one, Brazilian Kaka (65 million euros), the French Karim Benzema (35 million euros) and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (94 million euros). The failure is even more important than the final of the Champions League will be played at … Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Leaders from General Motors, they would play with the nerves of Saab? After the declaration of the president of General Motors, Ed Whitacre, the U.S. carmaker has decided to continue studying the offers he has received. The evaluation of tenders currently has "no impact on the appointment of AlixPartners, selected to" supervise the gradual closure of Saab ", an appointment must still be validated by the Swedish authorities said General Motors in a statement. The Swedish automaker Saab in trouble Friday was placed in receivership, said the main union for Swedish industry, IF Metall.

A new stage in the process of dismantling Saab has been crossed."It's irresponsible on the part of General Motors of shooting in two different directions, that of a sale and dismantling of a" denounces L?fven Stefan, president of IF Metall, which is a representative member of Board of Directors of Saab. He added: "It is incomprehensible and irresponsible to do this (settlement) without being able to analyze the serious offers that actually exist for Saab. The decision of General Motors is not at all consistent with the messages we have had recently that the company really trying to seriously sell Saab and it was seriously considering the offers it receives.

Spyker and Bernie Ecclestone are in play

Even the bell side Bertrand Rakoto analyst RL Polk. "I am very skeptical about the motivation of executives from General Motors.Although the desire to close Saab has not been openly questioned, the GM executives have repeatedly rejected the dead-line. If they really wanted to close Saab, Spyker they have turned down more quickly. " General Motors has been seeking a year to give Saab a deficit for almost 20 years, as part of its reorganization plan. That did not stop him, after deciding to close Saab, December 18 last, to study the different offers. And to continue the study despite the liquidation court.

Saab less than Volvo?

Several groups, including the Dutch Spyker Genii and funds associated with the treasurer of F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has expressed interest in a takeover last minute Swedish Saab. "The strategy of Spyker is clearer than Bernie Ecclestone. Generally, manufacturers have visions longer term.Investment funds have only one idea in mind: profitability. According to most experts, the sale of Saab could bring $ 1.8 billion to General Motors, slightly less than the price of the sale of Volvo (2 billion U.S. dollars). So why the U.S. automaker did he take the suspense so long? Leaders from General Motors may have wanted to "play the show" and try to make a "coup" financially to the perseverance of Spyker. "Leaders from General Motors certainly want to prove before closing Saab, they did everything to find an alternative solution. General Motors wants to heal its image. "

A return announced by early next year by the president of General Motors, which follows the will of the American state to allow General Motors to stand on its own.For this, the automaker decided to get rid of a company "that has never made any money. The closure of Saab is proof that General Motors is not able to handle this kind of brand, "said one expert. To be continued.

Become a registered "lifestyle" is the ambition of leaders Lacoste for years to come. To do this they have developed the part of accessories in the total turnover. Therefore, the parent company, S. A. Lacoste, who does nothing but manage the image of the brand, decided to resume late 2010 the license granted to the leather Samsonite American for eight years to tell his historical partner, the French industrial Devanlay.

Devanlay, 60% of sales by Lacoste, through the clothing of crocodile license. Since the beginning, these two companies through interlocking shareholdings (Devanlay has 35% of Lacoste and Lacoste 10% stake in Devanlay) work hand in hand.Their goal is to increase the share of leather goods from 4% to 8% of total sales within five years.

"While we have almost 4 000 references per year just in the textile, when we ask a client to appoint a product is always the same means we have work," says Jose – Luis Duran, CEO of Devanlay, where he arrived six months ago, after having been boss of Carrefour. Polo, founded in 1933, sold over 13 million copies a year worldwide. But it represents only 20% of the income of the mark (1.5 billion euros in total wholesale rate).

The crocodile is diversifying

Clothing, which weighed 85% of sales in 2000, none reported more than 60%.Meanwhile, footwear (20%), perfume (15%, produced by Procter & Gamble) or watches (5%) took off.

In total, Lacoste has granted nine licenses for specific product categories in different industries. Latest: mobile phones, the company entrusted with ModeLabs, the first model will come in six months. To develop leather, Devanlay created a joint venture with a French specialist sector Tolomei.

Lacoste plans to continue this diversification. "We are in constant reflection on these topics, explains Christophe Chenut, CEO of Lacoste S. A.We look at the world of home and decorating, mobility with electric bicycles or bikes, we've already made a limited number of strollers with McLaren in the United States, but these ideas must pass through many filters and answer a requirement of internationalization. Each license must also help us recruit and retain a new category of customers. "Bags were well designed to feminize a mark at three quarters male.

The woes of Greece to the euro is the first real test of its young history. In ten years, the European single currency has successfully resisted the shock of a rare violence: attacks of September 11, 2001, collapse of the tech bubble, the subprime crisis … Nothing says that the franc, the lira or the peso would through free events such as the euro has done. But whenever these shocks, left the United States, came from outside. But now the danger lies within the zone itself. And gives rise to a nagging question: Greece will she forced eventually to leave the euro? A priori not. For a small country, belong to a large currency area is a rare opportunity. Until the stress becomes so high that it is cheaper to get out.

Athens faces a double challenge. First restore its credibility.Since its integration into the eurozone in 2001, the country has ceased to be faulted on the reality of its economic statistics. Showing at 6% in early years, deficits would in fact 12.7% of GDP, according to the latest tally of the national statistical office. A deception that shows Greece as a kind of "stowaway" in the euro area. And that makes it particularly difficult direct assistance from a European state. Public opinion of the most virtuous Germany, Netherlands or those worried about their own fate as France or Italy will struggle to agree to fund a country that gives the impression of not playing the game .

The second challenge for the Greek government is to prove its willingness to restore as soon as its public accounts.In theory, a State has two instruments to reduce its deficits: monetary policy and fiscal policy. Coin money helps finance its budget while offering the opportunity to play the currency markets by devaluing its currency to boost competitiveness. A move that boosts the growth and cause some inflation. The ideal instrument to reduce debt … by which Greece can not count because, like all countries in the euro area, monetary policy is the prerogative of the ECB in Frankfurt.

Leaves only the weapon strict budget. In this case, the organization of drastic cuts in state spending. The government of George Papandreou as he means? CRAs in doubt, especially as the social climate is strongly degraded in the country, making it particularly difficult acceptability of drastic measures.Failing to do so by itself, the Greek government will have only one solution: to put in practice under the tutelage of Brussels. In a carrot and stick, the European Commission could generate outside pressure strong enough to induce Greece to reform in depth, as the IMF has so often done in the past with countries in crisis. At the price, most of the time of painful adjustments. The question will then arise of how far the Greek people will accept sacrifices to stay in the euro area? The cost to benefit is not so obvious.

Today, the Greek state will refinance at a rate of 5.77% in ten years. A level closer to that of Hungary or Latvia as Germany. In other words, the protection offered by the euro area is almost over.Out of this system could, ultimately prove less expensive what remain, rising long rates may be offset by a devaluation immediately making the country more competitive. While giving the Greeks a sense of finding their democratic sovereignty to which they are so attached since the birth of their civilization.

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