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Honda Motor said Friday it planned for the year that has just begun operating profit increased almost three in favor of an expected surge in car sales Asia and the continued recovery of the U.S. market.

The third Japanese car maker turns the page on a 2011-2012 fiscal year marked by natural disasters-earthquake and tsunami in Japan, floods in Thailand-and the strong yen.

For the 2012-2013 fiscal year, Honda expects an operating profit of 620 billion yen (5.8 billion) against 231.36 billion for the one that just ended. 

This forecast is below analysts' expectations, who see a figure of 645 billion yen, but remained optimistic for a reputable company to the prudence of these projections of results.

"The North American market is gradually picking up and we enter into new segments in Asia. We believe that we will grow faster than the market, "said Tetsuo Iwamura, executive vice president of Honda

…… The latter told … see a car market of 14.3 million vehicles in the U.S. this year, against 13.5 million in 2011

… He added that …… Honda, whose sales of the new version of "crossover" CR-V increased by over 25% in the U.S. since the beginning of the year , wanted to join as soon as possible a share of over 10% of the U.S.

. The group plans to jump from 2012 to 2013 38.4% of its global sales of cars, to 4.3 million units and a 10.2% increase in shipments of two-wheelers, to 16.6 million copies. 

For the last quarter of 2011-2012, Honda has reported a jump of 142.3% of operating profit, the production of Japanese automaker is back to normal Aftern ; s the consequences of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan March 11, 2011.

Over the three months to March, operating income stood at 111.98 billion yen (1.05 billion euros), a figure lower than the 123.2 billion average expected by analysts according to Thomson Reuters consensus I / B / E / S.

Net income, which includes the results released in China rose 60.7% to 71.59 billion yen.

Honda is a Japanese manufacturer that has suffered most from natural disasters in Asia in 2011. 

The group has restarted its Thai factory in March after a period of six months.

Economists and analysts are far from unanimous on the eve of the first round of presidential elections on the possible impact of the vote in the markets and the debt of France.

This uncertainty was reflected in an excitement on the market of the French debt, whose resistance was tested Thursday on the occasion of a rumor of dice gradation of the sovereign rating of France.

"The continuation of the gap (between the French and German rates) depend on the evidence that will give the next president of the Republic of the fiscal framework that will implement , and this will depend on the coherence between the presidency and the majority it will enjoy in the Assembly, "said CM-CIC Securities in a note. 

The first round results on Sunday, to measure the influence that extremes may have on the face of the next National Assembly, while a socialist majority in the Senate and that a victory of Francois Hollande in the second round of presidential elections is seen as the most likely outcome among market professionals.

Uncertainty, they agree to say, will remain until the June parliamentary, government's announcement will come out and the decisions it will take to reduce budget deficits ; TARY. 

But, says Guillaume Menuet, an economist at Citigroup, "the markets could react negatively, especially if the candidate of the far left reaches Jean-Luc Melenchon third me, allowing his party and his Communist allies to influence policy, even at the margin ".

"DEBT RESISTS WELL"

A rate strategist at a major bank, who noted the relative stability of voting intention polls, sees no movement on the scale of market unless the two finalists are not Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande.

"There will not necessarily flow as a seller there is no flow buyer. Like right now, people will stay on the side," he said. He noted that currently, "(despite) the absence of flow buyer, the French debt up well", even as concerns over the euro area are back.

The French rate to 7 years maturity corresponding to the average of the entire French debt, varies from a low of 2.28% in early February 2.5% today, representing a decrease of 22 basis points only.

Many investors point out that the current market will continue to revolve around the financial situation of the countries 'peripheral' in the euro area, regardless of the next tenant of the Elysee. 

"We continue to believe that the first factor in the evolution of spreads will be the evolution of French spreads devices and macroeconomic prospects of the debt crisis in the eurozone" write economists and strategists from Barclays. "The elections will be a secondary factor behind Spain and Italy."

But for Robert Crossley, rates strategist at Citigroup, "the market seems serene, wrongly, on the prospect of victory in Holland. This victory is likely to result in a defeat on the economic front and market confidence "

." Mê ; myself skimming the election rhetoric, the hostility of Holland to the business world and his lack of experience in finance and bond markets begin to undermine the fragile market confidence, "he says

. He however advised to buy the debt of France to favor of widening spreads (yield spread with German debt, refer to the euro area) related to political uncertainties, this spacing to be temporary according to him. He suggests buying French bonds at 10 years and sell bonds or Austrian Belgian with the same maturity.

Meanwhile Sunday, the spread between the yield of the French loan to 10 years and its German equivalent has deviated 29 basis points (bps) since April 12, at 140 bps. The rate of the French loan to 10 years was him, stretched by 21 bps to 3.10%.

On the market very illiquid sovereign CDS, a sort of insurance policy against a default, the spread of the 5-year CDS of France rose from 177 to 210 points from 12 in April.

On the stock market, strategists advise to stay away from French values ​​facing their domestic market but to buy the CAC 40 index.

"The CAC 40 is not France," wrote Credit Suisse those that say that 66% of the turnover of the 40 companies in the benchmark index of the Paris Bourse are outside France, and 36% outside the euro area.

The bill to nationalize the oil company YPF, the Spanish subsidiary of Repsol was adopted Wednesday in the Argentine Senate committee, which should allow the vote in plenary sitting of the text ; re next week.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez announced Monday his intention to nationalize 51% of YPF, the first oil company in the country, drawing criticism from the international community.

Wednesday, the government decided to include the company YPF Gas, another company controlled by Repsol, which distributes propane and butane, in the Bill of nationalization of YPF.

The action YPF, which had already fallen in anticipation of the announcement of the nationalization, has still dropped 28% Wednesday. 

Tuesday night, Argentina announced that it had no intention of paying the $ 9.3 billion (7 billion) claimed by Repsol YPF to 51%.

"Everyone knew that the risk of nationalization was high," said an Argentine economist familiar with the matter YPF. "But now we have more information on the price that Argentina wants to pay for a controlling stake in YPF."

The United States said Wednesday that the proposed nationalization was a "negative development" and said they were very concerned.

Spain for its part should ask the EU to avail of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to ensure the open proceedings against Argentina.

A meeting of European foreign ministers is scheduled for Monday to decide how to resolve the dispute between the two countries.

European shares closed sharply lower Friday, weakened by the tensions of the Spanish sovereign debt and growth of Chinese considered disappointing first quarter.

In Paris the CAC 40 lost 2.47% to 3,189.09 points, regaining its level of more than two months.

For the week, shortened because of Easter Monday, the index lost 3.94%.

The decline was accentuated in the afternoon after an indicator of U.S. consumer sentiment slightly below expectations and statements of Klaas Knot, member of the Board of Governors of the European Central Bank, hoping to avoid having to resort to new purchases of government securities. 

"After rising yesterday as investors returned to the real problems of the Spanish debt. Klaas Knot's statements have put water on the fire," said Pierre Barral, portfolio manager at Convictions AM.

Klaas Knot, at a conference in Amsterdam, said:

"The instrument has not been used for a long time but it exists. I'm glad it was not used, I hope we will never to use it. "

"I do not think we are approaching the precipice, I think the markets have overreacted a little" (for Spain).

The London Stock Exchange yielded 1.03%, 2.36% Frankfurt, Milan and Madrid 3.43% 3.58%. Of the European indices, the Euro Stoxx 50 lost 2.58% and 1.63% Eurofirst 300.

Bank stocks and cyclicals suffered the largest declines sector in Europe, with a loss of 3% for the bank and 2.6% for cars.

The euro a little more resistant than shares and lost 0.8% against the greenback around 1.3080 dollar.

Sony's new boss Thursday drew the outlines of a recovery strategy includes 10,000 job cuts and a focus on mobile electronics and medical equipment, in hopes of re reconcile the group to profitability despite its difficulties in televisions.

Kazuo Hirai, who succeeded last month in Howard Stringer to the general direction of Sony, has doubled the forecast annual loss of the group to a record 4.9 billion euros and is faced with the daunting task of rehabilitating the brand, trailing Apple's U.S. and South Korea's Samsung Electronics. 

"We heard the many voices calling for change of investors," said Kazuo Hirai before a crowd of journalists gathered at Sony headquarters in Tokyo, not far from the first plant group, opened 65 years ago.

"Sony will change," he promised.

Sony, like its Japanese rivals Sharp and Panasonic, has suffered in recent years a decline in demand for televisions, fierce competition and competitiveness weighed down by the strong yen.

To bounce back, the Japanese manufacturer of consumer electronics said he wanted to strengthen its business in mobile phones, digital cameras and games, while seeking strategic investments in mate ; riel medical and batteries for electric vehicles. 

The group also confirmed press reports that he would eliminate about 10,000 jobs, or 6% of its global workforce, and provisionnerait a restructuring charge of approximately 75 billion yen (705 million) on the current fiscal year, ending March 31, 2013.

Sony also intends to reduce its costs by 60% and 30% fixed operating costs in televisions in 2013-2014.

"We can not shy away from tough choices," said Kazuo Hirai.

BET ON ENDOSCOPES … AND PORTABLE

By focusing particularly on medical equipment, which is booming, Sony aims for 2014-2015 a total turnover of 8,500 billion yen (80 billion) and operating margin of more than 5%.

The inventor of the Walkman and the PlayStation was one of the frontrunners to an alliance with the Olympus medical equipment manufacturer, which owns 70% of the global market for diagnostic endoscopes but whose finances have suffered from a large accounting fraud discovered last fall.

Sony sees endoscopes, it could enrich its imaging technologies, a growing market. He also said he was looking for partners to make batteries for electric vehicles.

"Expanding its presence in the medical field and electric vehicles is a good thing because these activities have better margins and these are areas where Japan has been proven," said Michael One (Beyond Asset Management).

But Sony has also promised to put smartphones in the heart of its turnaround strategy to triple its sales in mobile telephony to 1,800 billion yen over the next three fiscal years. Some analysts see an inconsistency.

"We do not understand exactly how they will adjust their activity in the electronics, nor how they will again create value," said Tetsuro Ii, president of Commons Asset Management.

Sony Ericsson has already bought full control of their mobile phone joint venture Sony Ericsson to strengthen its position in a market dominated by Apple and Samsung. He has since launched its first smartphone, the Xperia range, under the Sony brand.

Prior to these announcements, Sony has the action ended Thursday up 0.86% to 1,528 yen in Tokyo Stock Exchange.

The Group's market capitalization has shrunk by almost 20% over the last month. Samsung is now ten times and Apple – that some Sony executives were considering buying in the early 90 – thirty times.

Takeda Pharmaceutical announced Wednesday the purchase for $ 800 million (609 million) of URL Pharma, a U.S. laboratory specializing in the treatment of gout.

The first Japanese pharmaceutical company will provide further value based on future performance from 2015.

Japanese pharmacists are engaged in a flurry of overseas acquisitions, Takeda announced in the May 2011 takeover of Swiss laboratory Nycomed for € 9.6 billion.

URL Pharma achieved a turnover of about $ 600 million in 2011. Its main product is Colcrys, a drug for the treatment and prevention of gout.

Net sales Colcrys exceeded $ 430 million in 2011.

EDF Energies Nouvelles and Alstom are the big winners of the first tender for wind turbines off the French coast of the Channel, the second one being planned in the second half to achieve the target set for 2020.

This tender, intended to kick-start the offshore wind sector, should help France catch up it has accumulated in other European countries in terms renewable energy and reduce its dependence on the nuclear-vis.

The Industry Minister, Eric Besson, announced Friday the award of contracts representing a total capacity of 2,000 megawatts, the equivalent of two small nuclear reactors. 

These capabilities are less than a third than originally expected, the field Tréport (Seine-Maritime, Somme) has not been allocated for lack of sufficient competition.

The consortium formed by Alstom and EDF with Danish Dong Energy and won three of the five fields involved: Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique), Fécamp (Seine-Maritime) and Courseulles-sur-Mer (Calvados), or a volume of about 240 wind turbines.

Spain's Iberdrola and the French group Areva will see their side of the field jointly awarded the Saint-Brieuc (Côtes d'Armor), which should bring 100 turbines.

GDF Suez, which had also formed a consortium with Areva, gets nothing at this stage but will compete in the second tender. 

"This decision will enable France to continue the development of renewable energy that are, next to nuclear power one of the two pillars of our policy e ; nergétique, "said Eric Besson at a press conference.

"A NEW INDUSTRIAL SECTOR"

He confirmed the target of 6,000 megawatts of capacity by 2020, as set by the Grenelle Environment for offshore wind and marine energy. The latter also include turbines, turbines use the energy of ocean currents, for which a separate tender is planned within two years.

The second tender will involve particular area Tréport and that of Noirmoutier, he said.

The selection of candidates announced Friday an investment of seven billion euros and the creation of 10,000 direct manufacturing jobs, argued Eric Besson.

"The foundations of a new industry and export are asked," welcomed his side in a statement the consortium led by EDF Energies Nouvelles, a subsidiary of EDF.

While Alstom plans to invest 100 million euros and generate up to 7.500 jobs with its partners, the challenge will be for the group to impose its new generation of turbine Haliade, inaugurated on March 19 to book (Loire-Atlantique).

Alstom, which confirmed Friday the establishment of four plants in Cherbourg and Saint-Nazaire for its wind Haliade says that orders, amounting to over two billion euros, will occur by field field from 2014.

Areva has now put forward his experience and that could create 4,000 jobs in France, including 1,000 in its single perimeter, while GDF Suez has raised up 'to 6,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Values ​​to follow Tuesday at the Paris Bourse.

* GDF SUEZ announced he would propose to its shareholders to receive shares in a portion of the dividends for 2011 and 2012 to complete the refinancing of its tender offer to minority shareholders of Britain's International Power.

* PSA Peugeot Citroën has signed with a subsidiary of Ivanhoe Cambridge real estate arm of the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, a sales agreement for the sale of its headquarters Avenue de la Grande Armee in Paris.

* BOLLORÉ. The mutual insurer Groupama said Monday it has sold all its shares, or 3.10% stake in the diversified group.

* AIR FRANCE has placed its short and medium haul business in the center of its turnaround plan and said that the maintenance of this activity depend on a "radical restructuring" and reduced "drastically costs ".

Interviewed by three regional newspapers, Nicolas Sarkozy accused of "permanent CFDT" having "betrayed the trust of employees" in Florange. It was already taken last month at the SGC. President and candidate for reelection Nicolas Sarkozy (here Aytre February 21, 2012)

The bridges are cut between Nicolas Sarkozy and some unions. In an interview with three regional dailies – Eastern Republican, Rep. Lorraine and Vosges Matin, the presidential candidate accused of "permanent CFDT" of having "betrayed the trust of employees Florange", an attack that responds to criticism against the SGC in March, accused of trying to "play a political role". In fact, the CFDT and the CGT do not hide their anti-Sarkozyism.

Read also: Why the unions have lost their neutrality in 2012

When asked by the newspapers to "anger rising in Florange," Mr. Sarkozy responded: "Let's not confuse the workers, and worried that I got for 17 million euros investment and staff of the CGT or CFDT, two million of work done on the liquid phase immediately-this-works started, 7 for coke, 8,000,000 to the manufacturing plant of automotive products. " "This investment is for Florange! It is decided. If this work had not been committed, it was certain that the blast did not return," added the incumbent.

"As for the permanent of the CFDT," he added, "they betray the trust of employees. They came to insult me ​​and try to break my campaign headquarters. Do not confuse the employees of Arcelor-Mittal, which I will not let go, and trade unionists who cheat their members by making policy instead of defending the interests of employees ". Mid-March, about 200 steelworkers steelworks Florange had come to Paris with the intention to go before the campaign headquarters of Nicolas Sarkozy as a large police had been deployed. Brief scuffles had broken out then with law enforcement.

Roche said Thursday it raised the price of its unsolicited offer on American society Illumina to $ 51 per share, against 44.5 dollars previously.

The new price values ​​the American specialist of gene sequencing to more than $ 6 billion (4.5 billion euros), Roche hoping to make a difference before the general meeting of the group from San Diego to be held next month.

"Based on our discussions with shareholders of Illumina, we collected the interest of accelerating the acquisition process. Accordingly, we are increasing our price to $ 51 per share, "said the Swiss pharmaceutical group Roche said in a statement

. has pre ; fied that the other terms of its offer remained the same and he still favored the opening of negotiations

. Monday, the group Basel had indicated that it was extending its offer again, without changing the price and making it run until April 20

. Roche softens its position, while its CEO Severin Schwan repeated that he did not raise its offer. But nothing says that this gesture will be enough to persuade shareholders, analysts suggesting a price of $ 60 per share, better able to convince the recalcitrant.

Illumina was adopted in late January the principle of a "poison pill" by distributing as a dividend right to purchase preferred share per share outstanding at February 6, exercisable if a shareholder reach or exceed the threshold of 15% stake.