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The group of transportation and logistics Dentressangle Wednesday announced financial results increased in 2011 but noted that economic conditions had deteriorated in late 2011.

The company saw its turnover increase by 5.6% at constant scope and exchange, to 3.576 billion euros. The EBITDA (EBITA) increased 17% to 130.4 million euros while net income rose from 57.2 million to 63.3 million.

"Dentressangle has seen since the end of 2011 signs of slowing economy and observed high volatility of demand for its customers early this year , "the group noted in a statement.

The company, which does not give forecasts for 2012, will offer its shareholders a dividend of 1.25 euro per share for fiscal 2011, against 1.10 euros a year before.

The Board of Casino, unsurprisingly, on Monday rejected the proposal to buy the Galeries Lafayette Etienne distributor 50% of its Monoprix at a price of 1.35 billion euros.

Casino and Galeries Lafayette, Monoprix co-shareholders, put in the public last week disagreed on the valuation of the sign of the city center.

According to a memorandum of understanding, Galeries Lafayette can exercise an option to purchase their shares since 1 January 2012.

But department stores believe that's 50% to 1.95 billion euros, while the casino values ​​to only 700 million, a figure far removed from the evaluation of 1.225 billion euros recorded in its accounts to 31 December 2010. 

"If the Galeries Lafayette confirm their wish to sell their stake in Monoprix, Casino will acquire, in accordance with its commitments under the Protocol, at the right price of the asset," reaffirms Casino Monday.

To break the deadlock, Ginette Moulin, whose family owns 100% stake in Galeries Lafayette, offered in early February at Casino CEO, Jean-Charles Naouri, to sell its 50% price 1.35 billion, representing the average of two-or offers to buy back his hand, at this price.

This last proposal was considered by the council met to approve casino accounts of the distributor, whose annual results will be released Tuesday morning. 

Casino had already announced last Saturday that there was no seller on his part in Monoprix, a strategic asset for the group.

"The board unanimously approved the directors present or represented, except Philippe Houze, (chief executive of Galeries Lafayette and Monoprix CEO) that n did not take part in the vote (…) the position expressed as an assignment of the Casino in Monoprix would be contrary to the interests of Casino, "he said in a statement . 

The price of 1.35 billion represents 9.1 times 2011 EBITDA (excluding debt) Monoprix, Casino believes that this figure compares to a multiple of 5.7 times "for major companies listed ; are European sector "(Casino, Carrefour, Tesco, Ahold, Delhaize, Sainsbury and Marks & Spencer).

BASF being undermined expectations of contraction this year by announcing Friday that its results and its turnover increase this year in favor of a rebound second half.

"We believe the global economy will accelerate in the course of 2012 after a modest start," said Kurt Bock said in a statement, chief executive of the world's leading chemicals with the number business.

There is a risk of the uncertainty surrounding the issue of debt in the U.S. and Europe, while "the positive momentum of the chemical industry will once again mainly in emerging markets" .

The action gained 2% in pre-market.

Analysts anticipate a decline in turnover and operating profit this year. The C.A. was 73.5 billion euros and operating profit of 8.4 billion euros in 2011.

Operating income for the fourth quarter, adjusted for exceptional items, fell 14% to 1.51 billion euros, according to Reuters.

The quarterly revenue it has increased 10% to 18.1 billion euros.

Operating income will be down in the first half but it will be up the next semester, said BASF.

Sign of the optimism of the chemical group, the annual dividend is raised to 2.50 euros per share against 2.20 euros last year and EUR 2.39 predicted by analysts.

"The positive outlook for the global economy and BASF is amazing," said Peter Spengler, an analyst at DZ Bank.

Natixis reported Thursday a net profit above expectations in the fourth quarter of 2011, the bank is able to compensate for the decline in revenues in market activities s by controlling its expenses.

The bank, a subsidiary of BPCE (People's Bank-Saving), reports that fourth-quarter net income of 302 million euros, down 32% compared to last quarter of 2010.

According to the Thomson Reuters consensus I / B / E / S, analysts on average expected a net profit of 263 million.

In FY 2011, net income stood at Natixis 1.56 billion euros, down 10% compared to 2010. There is $ 2.6 billion for its parent BPCE.

Relatively less exposed than other French banks to sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone, Natixis said to have yielded in the last quarter of 2011 to 1.6 billion euros in assets in his bank Financing and Investment Banking (CIB) and two billion euros in assets in its portfolio of toxic assets.

In exchange, the Natixis shares gained 7% to 2.50 euros to 10.30, outperforming the European Banking (0.74%). At this price level, the title wins 28.5% since the beginning of the year after falling 41% in 2011.

In a research note, CM-CIC Securities said the "resilience of the economic model" of Natixis.

In corporate banking and investment income of Natixis were down 20% in the fourth quarter. However, they grew 6% in the Investment Solutions division and 2% in specialized financial services.

Constraint as the other banks to adapt its activities to the crisis, Natixis plans to eliminate nearly 280 positions in the BFI. It takes the same time be more selective in choosing clients and wants to stop certain activities of non-strategic markets.

Natixis will pay a dividend of 0.10 euro per share for 2011.

For comparison, BNP Paribas and Societe Generale have finished 2011 with profits of respectively 6 billion and 2.4 billion euros. Net income for the Crédit Agricole group stood at 812 million euros.

In late 2011, the capital ratio of hard Natixis, said core tier one, stood at 10.2%.

Dell on Tuesday announced a profit below expectations on account of its fiscal fourth quarter and forecast sales below Wall Street forecasts for the current quarter This has reduced the action in the off-market transactions.

The world number three personal computers is expected to drop 7% of its revenue this quarter compared to the previous. Revenues for the fourth quarter being raised to $ 16 billion, this amounts to provide a revenue of $ 14.9 billion for the first quarter, while Wall Street expects about 15.2 billion.

The fourth quarter result also showed lower than expected despite healthy sales to businesses (5% yoy, to $ 4.9 billion).

But sales to the public sector showed signs of weakness (-1% to 3.9 billion). The consumer sales were down 2%.

"With a turnover of 65 billion dollars, it takes time to move the needle toward the most relevant sources of income of a strategic perspective. And for now, we do sees no sign of progress, "says the analyst of ISI Group, Brian Marshall. "It will take time for Dell to right the ship."

PC makers are struggling with falling demand, as consumers tend to turn increasingly to mobile devices like the Apple iPad, while floods in Thailand restrict the supply of some components.

Excluding items, Dell reported earnings of 51 cents per share in the fourth quarter while the market was expecting 52 cents.

Gross margin for the quarter was 21.1%, against 20% a year ago.

The rumor of an ouster of CEO of Veolia Environnement in favor of Mr. Frérot Borloo, after a maneuver made by the boss of EDF Proglio, close to Nicolas Sarkozy, sparked a lively debate Monday politics. The former minister and the president strongly deny. The Elysée to maneuver to place Borloo Veolia? The accusation is "absurd", according to the Sarkozy camp.

"The arrangements between friends of Fouquet's''," a president of the combined business and "" … These are some qualifications of the various political parties to protest a possible arrival of Borloo to head Veolia. Mentioned by several newspapers, the hypothesis has fueled outrage among rival Nicolas Sarkozy denouncing his intervention in the appointment. According to Le Monde, Libération and Les Echos, the operation was led by Henri Proglio, the boss of EDF remained a director of Veolia. It would "head of Antoine Frérot", his successor, and would be heard "at the beginning of last week" on its replacement by Borloo, former Minister of Ecology.

Which formally denied: "If, for many months, several national and international groups have contacted me in particular so that I bring my analysis informally on their evolution and their business – this was the case recently for Veolia, neither more nor less-everything else is just speculation, manipulation, or even a desire to harm ". The former number two in the government then said: "As I always said, my schedule today is exclusively political. I have confirmed that I have not decided to end my political career and remains focused on building a future for France. "

For its part, Proglio said that Veolia deserved better than "those waves of political rumors". Antoine Frérot, he wrote an internal letter to employees of the group, citing a "company of destabilization".

Source close to the council, seven directors Proglio support the project, seven against and three are still undecided, that seeks to convince Alain Minc, another close to Nicolas Sarkozy. Officially, everyone is silent. In its presidential campaign, all the opposition – left, center and FN together – is leapt to denounce a "conflict of interests" and "arrangements between friends of Fouquet's", the Sarkozy camp trying to extinguish the Fire minimizing simple "press rumors".

Sarkozy: "It's absurd"

"Republic How are we?", Has protested Monday Francois Hollande, the Socialist candidate for favorite presidential polls, Nicolas Sarkozy in lampooning "the candidate of confusion, arrangements". Same story for Europe Ecology Party the Greens (EELV). This is a "farce", denounced the environmentalist Eva Joly, citing a "conflict of interests rarely seen" and "contempt of the Republic". "Before leaving, Sarkozy puts his friends," added the National Front, while the modem call to "turn the page on these practices." "It is abnormal that the policy interferes in the affairs of a private group like Veolia. What credit do we give to the group to negotiate with local authorities?" Railed Deroubaix Hervé, Steward CFDT.

For his part, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, speaking as Minister of Ecology, denied "formally" any government involvement in the possible appointment of Jean-Louis Borloo. "Veolia is a company under private law, the government does not meddle in any way the choices made by its directors. It does not get involved now and do not mingle in it", she said to the AFP. According to Le Parisien, Proglio seek to ensure his rear in case of arrival of the Left to power in May. Nicolas Sarkozy has swept the controversy with the back of the hand. the Head of State called on Monday BFMTV "absurd" the hypothesis of an intervention by the Elysée. "The Elysee is behind a possible appointment" of Borloo to Veolia, the question does one out of his campaign headquarters, in the fifteenth district. "It's absurd," he replied.

Currently, only businesses in tourist areas can open on Sundays. Nicolas Sarkozy, if elected, will extend these conditions, says Frédéric Lefebvre. Frederic Lefebvre, Secretary of State to the Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry, responsible for trade, craft, small and medium enterprises, tourism, services, professional and consumption

President Nicolas Sarkozy wants, if re-elected, "broaden the conditions for opening of shops on Sundays," said a statement read on his behalf Friday by Secretary of State for Trade Frederic Lefebvre. It's "give you more freedom, it's growth for your business is employment for the French," he added, among others, in this statement read to the Estates General of Trade at Bercy.  

This measure is also "purchasing power" for employees and will "strengthen the tourist attraction that France is strong," the statement added, without specifying what form these would take "flexibility" in opening Sunday. The Trade Council of France asked him the opportunity for traders to open free from 10 to 12 Sundays a year, even when they are outside the tourist area.

The Labour Law of Sunday August 10, 2009 can store openings on Sundays that vary with the type of business and location (specific tourist areas or perimeter). Apart from cases under that Act, all stores may open five Sundays a year on administrative authorization.

Euler Hermes announced Thursday an increase of over 12% of its net income, thus resisting a challenging economic environment in Europe.

In a statement, the global credit insurance shows an operating profit of 471.7 million euros (consensus Thomson Reuters I / B / E / S 466 500 000 ), a net profit of 330.3 million (332.5 million consensus) based on a turnover of 2,274.9 million.

The group, a subsidiary of German group Allianz, and proposes a dividend of 4.40 euros per share, up 10% over last year (EUR 4.34 consensus). 

The net combined ratio of Euler Hermes – which measures the profitability of business written in claims costs related to premiums received – is content to 70.0% (against 68.7% in 2010), which corresponds to its target.

Regarding 2012, Euler Hermes estimates that "the world economy is on the ropes".

"The issue of sovereign debt, particularly in the eurozone, the reduction in public spending, weak growth and rising unemployment will affect consumption and investment, both public private, "the group. 

Euler Hermes, which anticipates an economic slowdown and said it had prepared for alternative scenarios, however, provides that an application for credit insurance is high and expected to increase March-May% of its premiums in 2012.

Italy will reduce by over 30% of its control hunters Joint Strike Fighter F-35 went to Lockheed Martin as part of plan to reduce expenses related to the crisis, said Wednesday the defense minister.

Italy now plans to buy only 90 fighter planes instead of 131 on which it had undertaken a decade ago, said Giampaolo Di Paola who spoke to the defense committees of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate gathered for the occasion.

"This is a significant decrease which is consistent with the need to reduce spending," said the minister.

The economy for the Italian state will amount to five billion euros on an original estimate of 15 billion. 

To clean up the public accounts to the crisis of debt in the euro area, the Council President Mario Monti has established at year end plan of 33 billion euros based relegated ; tively tax and spending cuts.

Tuesday, he refused to finance the candidacy of Rome Olympics of 2020, noting that Greece continued to pay the cost of those she held in Athens in 2004.

In addition, Italy is planning to reduce its workforce by 20% defense-related. The country uses for its defense and military 183,000 30,000 civilians whose compensation represents 70% of expenditure in the defense budget.

Italy will close or sell 30% of its logistics bases and seats of its regional centers over five years. In the navy, the number of patrol officers will be reduced from 18 to 10 and the number of submarines of 6 to 4, said Minister of Defence.

Reducing military spending, Mario Monti is based on the policies of President Barack Obama announced Monday a defense budget of 2013 provided for a reduction Pentagon spending for the first time since 1998. The Pentagon has canceled orders for 179 F-35 over five years to save $ 15.1 billion.

Barack Obama pleaded Monday for important stimulus for growth and for raising taxes on high incomes, at the presentation of his budget proposal for fiscal year 2013, the Republican camp has once strongly criticized.

President of the United States, which will run for a second term in November at the White House, plans to spend $ 350 billion (265 billion euros approximately) to programs creations jobs and 476 billion (360 billion euros) to major works, including on road and rail networks and the construction of schools. 

The budget for fiscal year 2013, which begins on October 1, further provides for allocating funds to increase staffing in the areas of education, police and firefighters, while extending tax breaks designed to boost employment.

Of revenues, Barack Obama proposes to tax the income of millionaires at 30%, main idea of ​​his speech on the state of the Union last month, and expects 4000 bn e ; economies ten years, according to the plan unveiled in September.

There are also plans to set the tax rate on dividends at the highest tax bracket, currently 35% but must be raised to nearly 40% next year. 

"We built this budget around the idea that our country has always given the best of himself when everyone had his account," Obama said during a trip to , Annandale, Virginia. "It challenges the economic policy of 'make do', which has widened the gap between rich and poor Americans."

"As our economy growing again and creating jobs at a faster pace, we must do everything we can to preserve the recovery," he added.

AID HELD IN EGYPT

The proposed budget provides the outgoing president an opportunity to present his program and to present his Republican opponents as candidates of the rich. The conservative movement denounced for his reckless spending and accuses him of wanting to increase taxation.

"The Obama budget is an insult to American taxpayers," ruled Mitt Romney, a favorite of the race for Republican nomination for the presidential election of November 6.

"This project is not at all a financing law is a platform of campaign," said his side Mitch McConnell, Republican minority leader in the Senate. "It is bad for job creation, bad for retirees and it will worsen the economic situation," he continued.

The draft budget forecasts a deficit of 901 billion dollars against 1,330 billion this year. This sum, higher than the estimates made in September by the White House, represents 5.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expected in 2013, against 8.5% in 2012.

Obama pledged in 2009 to halve the budget deficit by 2013. But the White House argued that the magnitude of the recession that occurred after his arrival to the presidency dictated emergency measures and believes that it was more important to pre server growth than imposing austerity measures.

Regarding overseas, Obama proposes that the U.S. military assistance grant of $ 1.3 billion to Egypt, a level equivalent to that of previous years, despite ; tensions generated by the lawsuits against U.S. NGOs in Egypt. Some MPs had wanted the suspension of financial assistance to Cairo if the record of NGOs was not set.

Obama also proposes to release $ 800 million economic aid for countries in the "Arab spring" in the Middle East and North Africa, where authoritarian regimes have been overthrown ; s last year. The text does not stipulate how much money will be allocated to each country.