Top Economics News

After the Senate Friday, the Italian Chamber of Deputies adopted late Saturday afternoon the law of financial stability, a step that paves the way for Berlusconi's resignation and the formation of a new government.

Berlusconi, who was unable to obtain an absolute majority Tuesday, promised to resign after the Italian parliament have endorsed the law of financial stability, requested by the European partners of Rome to restore market confidence in public finances Peninsula.

Silvio Berlusconi is expected to recover in the next few hours his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano. It is the former European Commissioner for Competition Mario Monti should succeed him.

All eyes are on Berlin where German parliamentarians must vote on a proposed reform of the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) earlier this afternoon after a speech by Angela Merkel.The Chancellor will then travel to Brussels for EU summits and the euro area, which should provide practical solutions to the debt crisis.

At 9:30, the CAC 40 lost 0.35% to 3163 points while the Eurofirst 300 was almost stable.

European markets are down, investors holding their breath awaiting the outcome of the day announced as crucial for the future of the euro area.

"It is expected that the Bundestag decides on reinforcements EFSF and the role of the ECB in managing the crisis," said a trader based in Paris.

Values, PSA fell sharply under the influence of lowering its forecast for 2011 after a third quarter marked by lower volumes and increased competition on prices in Europe.The group is likely to reduce its workforce by 10% in Europe.

Ingenico, in contrast, was part up 5% in early trade Wednesday of the Paris Bourse, the manufacturer of payment terminals has published the day before its sales for the third quarter.

The euro remains firm and resolutely clings to a level above $ 1.39, while the German Bunds are hesitant, waiting for a clearer trend in equity markets.

Spot gold rose 1% touching a high of more than a month, reflecting investor fears that the crisis drags on still.

The new acting director general of the Swiss bank UBS, which replaces Oswald Grübel after the latter resigned in the wake of the scandal of unauthorized transactions, must now face the difficult task of setting back on their feet.

Saturday, Sergio Ermotti said that the case had uncovered an exposure "totally unacceptable" and said his priority would be to review the control procedures of the bank and conduct an internal investigation into heavy losses.

Sergio Ermotti, a Swiss Ticino aged 51, joined UBS in April from the Italian bank UniCredit.

According to the group's president, Kaspar Villiger, it would be a good candidate to permanently replace Oswald Grübel.

"We are aware of facing a difficult time externally, and this latest incident only makes more imperative still a reaction from us. Let us not, however, UBS is one of the best banks capitalized in the world, "said Sergio Ermotti.

Since the announcement of the losses on September 15, the title UBS has sold more than 10%.However, it has taken 4.8% Friday on hopes that the Board of Directors of the bank agrees major restructuring.

The internal investigation into the loss should result in a delay of 10 to 14 days, but because of external investigations, UBS will not necessarily reveal the findings, said Sergio Ermotti.

The Board asked the latter to accelerate the reduction of investment banking activities.The process must be detailed on November 17 in New York.

According to Kaspar Villiger, the future director of investment banking, Carsten Kengeter, is not threatened, the latter having already worked with a "great job" to limit losses from unauthorized transactions.

However, he did not mean to say if it would make a good candidate for Director General, who shall be provided with permanently within six months.

Wall Street opened lower Friday, as hinted at future developments, in anticipation of a highly anticipated speech of Ben Bernanke.

The Fed chief must speak at 14:00 GMT (16:00 in Paris) in Jackson Hole (Wyoming), as part of the 35th annual economic symposium of central banks. It is likely that he will announce gradual steps, not an ambitious new plan to repurchase shares.

A statistic of GDP lower than expected can also affect early trade.

The U.S. economy in the second quarter growth initially announced lower, weighed down by business inventories and exports despite the upward revision to consumer spending.

The Dow Jones lost 0.6% to 11,083.07.The S & P 500 0.58% 0 C7DE 1152.60. The Nasdaq Composite drops 0.26% to 2413.29.

Transactions could also be disrupted by the arrival of Hurricane Irene, which is sweeping the East Coast Friday the United States and should be on its way over 50 million people and numerous cities.

Vicat said Thursday expect a slight reduction of its operating margin in 2011 due to the revolution in Egypt, rising energy costs and start-up costs of factories in India.

The cement, which was conducted in 2010 an EBITDA margin of 25.0%, said however that it should enjoy this year, however, a gradual recovery in activity in mature markets, the dynamism of emerging confirmed except the Egypt and the pursuit of its savings measures.

Vicat achieved in the first half EBITDA margin declined 1.5 points to 22.1%, with a turnover of 1.146 million euros, up 10.7% at constant scope and exchange rates.

Vicat said to expect a gradual recovery in sales volumes in France, its main market, while prices should stabilize or slightly improve.

United States, Vicat also provides a very gradual improvement of markets in terms of volumes and prices, a sustained growth is not expected before 2013, while stressing that the visibility is currently very low.

In Egypt, Vicat showed a fall of 13.9% of consolidated revenues in constant currency, within the scope of a 6.4% contraction in sales volumes, lower prices and a sharp contraction more than 10 points in its EBITDA margin as a result of the revolution of the early years and the current tensions in the country.

"Nevertheless, the group remains confident about the evolution of the Egyptian market in the medium and longer term and its ability to fully benefit from its growth," said Vicat.

The West Africa and the Middle East is the second area of ​​the group behind France in terms of sales.

Before these announcements, the action Vicat finished down 2.83% to 46.80 euros in a market down sharply, giving a market capitalization of 2.10 billion. It falls 25% since the beginning of the year, after winning 6.3% in 2010.

This device limits the job creation, says the union's No. 2, Laurent Berger.

Lawrence Berger, the national secretary of the CFDT for Employment, on Wednesday asked the government to remove "the tax exemption of overtime", claiming that this "limited job creation." "If the government really wants to support employment without having to generate means, he returns at least on the tax exemption of overtime rather than revel in its success," said union official in an interview with Les Echos.

According to Lawrence Berger, "this measure is certainly against-productive because it limits job creation. And individually, it is not decisive for the extra purchasing power of employees concerned."As is to be announced Wednesday the number of jobseekers registered in June, Laurent Berger said that "in addition to its level, nature of unemployment is alarming." "The slow recovery is the precarious, with an increase in short-term contracts and little long-term job creation," he added.

He urged the government to "adapt its policy" against a "trend, the maintenance of high unemployment and rising job insecurity." The CFDT also calls for a responsible means of enhancing employment center and a change in its governance. "We must give place to the social partners by strengthening the powers of the board," he pleaded. Lawrence Berger said he also had to "mourn the single business, the idea that each agent (of employment center) can handle either support or compensation."

Eight European banks have failed the stress test that would evaluate their response in the event of a prolonged recession, said Friday the EBA.

These reviews, which did not take into account the hypothesis of a defect in Greece, were conducted on 90 banks and forced the banks to deliver their anticipated results, to include depreciation in their bond assets and a subsequent rise their funding costs.

They found that banks that failed were in need of 2.5 billion euros in fresh capital, much less than anticipated by most analysts.

Five Spanish banks, two Greek and one Austrian were unable to overcome the hardest scenario.The markets were expecting 5 to 15 banks fail and they need to agree on 10 billion euros.

In the wake of the publication of these results, following the closure of European markets, the euro hit a session high against the dollar while Treasuries erased losses and went up.

"With only eight banks that fail, and the need for these banks to raise 2.5 billion euros of capital, it is not the solution if we are to restore confidence," said Michael Symonds, credit analyst Daiwa Capital Markets in London.

"What we needed was to see more banks fail and have to eventually raise more capital."

"That said, I do not think people really expected such a result.But the remedy for the broader malaise sovereign debt / bank in Europe must do more than simply injecting new capital into banks of Europe. "

To pass these tests, banks had to overcome an adverse scenario and come out with a hard capital ratio above 5.0%.The scenario in question provided a collapse of equity markets, bonds and real estate during a recession of two years.

In addition to eight banks that have failed these tests, 16 have succeeded only just.

"The European Banking Authority also recommended that national regulatory authorities that all banks whose capital ratios are above but close to 5% and have significant exposure to government bonds, making the decisions necessary to that 'they reinforce their positions, "said the EBA.

FAILURE NOT GREEK simulated live

The banks that failed now have until September to detail how they intend to close their deficit in equity, while their governments must be prepared to intervene with public funds if needed.

"The results of stress tests show that European banks are stronger and better able to withstand shocks," responded the European Commissioners for Internal Market and Economic and Monetary Affairs Michel Barnier and Olli Rehn in a joint statement.

The operation is not without detractors.These emphasize the absence of the hypothesis of a failure, even partial, of Greece, resulting in heavy losses for the French and German banks.

The BEA did not impose on banks a discount on long-term sovereign debt they hold, but asked them to consider the impact on their holdings of a lowering of the sovereign rating four notches, which reflect the failure of a country already rated poorly, such as Greece.

Under the plan, banks would suffer a 15% discount on the Greek paper they hold.Most experts believe, however, that market is expected that these shares lose 50% of their value.

FLIGHT OF SPREADS

The fear that the Greek crisis spread to Spain and Italy did fly the rate of return on the debt of these two countries and their banks.

Fearing that European banks are not strong enough to cope with such a contagion, the markets have driven down to the lowest in two years.

This series of tests is the third-and most rigorously conducted in European Union since the global financial crisis opened four years ago.

Tests conducted last year had presented the Irish banks as strong, just before they collapse and do not force Dublin to nationalize while demanding a European aid.

Several banks failed tests had already started the sale of assets to strengthen their capital base.

The Austrian Volksbanken Thursday had sold its subsidiary in Eastern Europe, VBI, in the Russian Sberbank.

The same day, the Greek EFG Eurobank announced to be in talks to sell a majority stake in its Turkish subsidiary Eurobank Tefken.

Initially 91 European banks should be subject to testing, but the German bank Helaba was ultimately not taken part in the exercise.

The overall business climate in France remained stable in June, the improvement in the industry offset a slight decline in retail trade while services remained unchanged, according to the monthly business survey released Wednesday by the INSEE .

The synthetic indicator of business climate in manufacturing industry increased by 3 points to 109, compared to the previous month which was revised down from one point to 106 against 107 initially.It fits over the long term average (100).

Nineteen economists surveyed by Reuters on average expected a pointer to 106, with estimates ranging from 105 to 107.

The turning point indicator is progressing and is now in the area indicating a window of opportunity.

The indicator of business climate as a whole, including services, construction, wholesale and retail trade, is stable at 108.

The turning point indicator is down slightly but is still well in the area where it is favorable for over a year and a half.

The service indicator remains at 107, the turning point indicator decreasing slightly in passing zone of uncertainty.

ING said on Monday it was seeking to sell its car leasing ING Car Lease, confirming a report in Dutch newspaper Het Financieel of Dagblaad evoking a transaction of four billion euros.

Car leasing division of Dutch financial services group is not on the list of possible disposals as part of the restructuring of ING agreed with the European Commission in return for financial rescue of 10 billion euros, the group has benefited 2008 from the Dutch state.

"ING confirmed today that it is reviewing its strategic options for ING Car Lease, including discussions with third parties interested in a possible acquisition", said the group in a statement.

ING declined to give financial details, saying simply that the subsidiary employs 1,200 people in eight European countries, and it handles 240,000 cars.

According to the newspaper Het Financieel Dagblaad, competitors ING Car Lease – including Arval (BNP Paribas, Athlon (Rabobank) BMW-Alphabet, Leaseplan (Volkswagen) and GE Fleet Services – were approached by ING to discuss a transaction.

Last week, ING has agreed to sell its U.S. online banking at Capital One Financial to nine billion dollars (6.3 billion euros).

The Tokyo Stock Exchange closed lower Friday, caution due to the Greek situation prevailing over the good effect of the rebound on Wall Street yesterday.

The Nikkei lost 59.88 points (0.64%) to 9351.40 and down and the threshold of support from 9400, while the Topix, broader, sold 7.07 points (0.87% ) to 805.34.

Over the whole week, the Nikkei 1.7% yield.

The Nikkei was mainly varied between 9400 and 9800 in April and analysts believed that this range would take in the coming weeks since the shares listed on Tokyo to deal with around book value, while the values ​​of the U.S. index S & P 500 is around 2.1 times that value.

The fear of higher taxes in Japan also contributed to the anemic market.

The press reports that the Democratic Party in power take account both income tax and corporation tax to finance reconstruction after the earthquake of March 11.