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Yes and no … The new president issued his declaration of assets. Well above the average of the French, it is also below that of his predecessors. Francois Hollande has assets of 1.17 million euros. Does that make him a rich?

During the 2007 presidential campaign, Francois Hollande, then first secretary of the Socialist Party, gave his definition of rich: more than 4000 euros per month. This Friday, now the president has made public, as is tradition, heritage. Heritage Francois Hollande totaled 1.17 million euros. It includes a house in Mougins, on the heights of Cannes, worth 800,000 euros. Holland is also part owner of two other apartments in Cannes. He also reported owning furniture for 15,000 euros. Finally, it has three bank accounts totaling about 8000 euros, and life insurance of 3550 euros. Then, Francois Hollande is he rich? It depends on perspective.

Yes, if you compare his assets to the French average.

On average, each household in France has a heritage worth 259,000 euros according to INSEE. At 1.17 million, that of Francis Holland is more than four times. It appears even in the richest 10% of the population, who have a wealth of at least 552,300 euros. However, it is not among the wealthiest 1%: to be part of this club, the bar is 1.9 million euros. Francois Hollande may well be a president "normal", its heritage, it is very much higher than normal.

No, if we compare its assets to that of previous presidents

Nicolas Sarkozy declared, after his election in 2007, a heritage of 2.7 million euros divided into two life insurance policies. And, unlike Francois Hollande, said he also had 100,000 euros of jewelry, gold and other art objects. In 2007, Jacques Chirac left the Elysee with a had a wealth of 1.4 million euros, made up, including Castle Bity, in Corrèze. As for Mitterrand, his heritage was 9.7 million francs as it leaves the Elysee Palace in 1995, about 1.48 million euros. It mainly consisted of her apartment in the Rue de Bievre in Paris and his home in Latche, in the Landes.

No, if we consider that rich is someone who pays ISF

Reform of the ISF of Nicolas Sarkozy, in 2011, increased the threshold of wealth tax: it now accounts for taxpayers with a heritage than 1.3 million euros. At 1.17 million, Francois Hollande did not pay the ISF. He does not pay with the promised reform of the tax. Certainly it provides a slice of 0.55% on assets ranging from 800,000 to 1.3 million euros. But only the assets in excess of 1.3 million will pay this additional tranche.

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This should significantly complicate discussions between Paris and Berlin. "It is not possible to renegotiate the fiscal pact", which has already been "signed by 25 of the 27 member states of the European Union", said on Monday a spokesman for Angela Merkel. German Chancellor Angela Merkel (the Bundestag by December 2, 2011).

It is "not possible to renegotiate the fiscal pact" European, said Monday the spokesman of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Steffen Seibert.

"It is not possible to renegotiate the fiscal pact", which has already been "signed by 25 of the 27 member states of the European Union", which aims to strengthen discipline in public finance management, said Mr. Seibert in a press conference, despite the wish of the new French president, Francois Hollande, to add to it a component of growth.

NYSE Euronext reported Monday a sharp drop in its first quarter results, citing "difficult operating environment" and the resulting costs of its failed merger with Deutsche Börse.

The exchange operator announced for the period net profit down 44% to $ 87 million (65.71 million euros).

The total turnover declined 17% to 952 million.

"Our first quarter results reflect the difficult operating environment that continued in 2012 and will continue to be felt in the short term," said Duncan Niederauer, CEO of NYSE Euronext.

The group said to include $ 31 million cost, including $ 16 million of costs associated with the aborted merger with Deutsche Börse. 

NYSE canceled the merger to $ 7.4 billion in early February after the agreement was rejected by the European antitrust authorities, making this operation the fourth merger canceled since early last year.

Since the failure of this transaction, NYSE Euronext has refocused on the opportunities presented by new markets such as the creation last month of its own clearing house for transactions and eventually moved away CHL. Clearnet, its supplier to date.

This creation comes as its main rival the London Stock Exchange plans to finalize the acquisition of LCH in the fourth quarter of this year.

European shares fro up slightly at mid-session Friday, good earnings reports of companies that are somewhat forgotten the downgrade of Spain by S & P the day before.

Caution is especially appropriate that investors expect this afternoon the publication of the first estimate of U.S. GDP in the first quarter and the confidence index of Michigan on consumer sentiment.

In Paris the CAC 40 rose 0.29% to 3238.62 points. In Frankfurt, the Dax gained 0.08% and London, the FTSE is 0.31%. The pan-European index Stoxx 50 was stable (0.04%).

The construction industry supports the European equity markets, the index Stoxx600 of construction and materials climbing 1.7%. The fund is boosted by the good results of Vinci, whose title climbed 3.7%.

The cost of insuring against a default of Spain was up after a deterioration of the country's rating by S & P. CDS (credit default swaps) and five years on Spain took 12 basis points to 480.

Sign of tensions in the bond market of the peripheral countries of the euro area, the Italian Treasury has had to endure, during a broadcast of € 6 billion of sovereign debt, the expensive ts funding for bonds to five and 10 years at the highest since January.

Down against the dollar after the announcement of the degradation of Spain, the euro resumed in mid-day, to 1.3179 dollar.

The yen, it weakened against the dollar and the euro after the decision of the Bank of Japan to increase its program of asset purchases to support the economy.

Travauil Minister Xavier Bertrand said that the situation on the employment situation "remains difficult". The numbers of job seekers in March will be published in late today to 18. The Minister of Labour and of Health Xavier Bertrand

Labour Minister Xavier Bertrand said Thursday that the situation on the employment situation "remains challenging", but the first quarter of 2012 will be "better" than the last in 2011, while the numbers of job seekers will be published in March in late afternoon by his ministry. "We will remain a difficult situation, everyone would expect, given the economic climate. That said, we will have a first quarter of 2012 to be better than the last quarter of 2011," said Minister interviewed on LCI data of March.

"We will not be satisfied with this path, we must do much more and much better in terms of outcome," he said. "You have to have a significant and sustained decline in unemployment and, for that, we need major reforms much larger still," he added. As he was questioned about whether the figures for March – the last of the five-year period – will be bad he repeated: "the situation remains difficult." In February, the number of job seekers without work in France had increased for the tenth consecutive month reaching 2,867,000 people, or 6,200 more than in January.

American Diversified industrial manufacturer United Technologies on Tuesday released a quarterly profit above consensus citing better than expected demand of heating and cooling market ; North America.

Carrier and its subsidiary shows a 19% increase in orders for residential air conditioning systems with a sharp improvement in demand in late March. And this demand has remained strong since the beginning of April, said chief financial officer, Greg Hayes.

"The warm weather in March helped but it is also due to low inventory on the market", which has forced distributors to increase their orders, he said during a teleconference ; reference.

Excluding the accounts of three subsidiaries that were sold by the group, quarterly earnings totaled $ 1.26 billion, or $ 1.31 per share, up 19% year on year. It thus clearly exceeds the Thomson Reuters consensus I / B / E / S, which gave a profit of $ 1.19 per share.

After consideration of past depreciations on affiliates to sell and other special items, net income was down 67.4% to 330 million dollars.

The quarterly revenue fell 2% to 12.42 billion against $ 12.71 billion expected.

Outside the U.S., the economic situation is more mixed, said Greg Hayes.

"Europe is horrible, I think it's the simplest way of saying things. Construction contracts have been really anemic and there they remain, so we do not see many signs of recovery in Europe. "

.. In emerging ……, sales remained strong in the first quarter, except in China, where the decline of commercial real estate construction has weighed on demand for elevators, has continued CFO

. United Technologies, the world of elevators and air conditioners, has confirmed its forecast for the entire 2012 , ie an EPS of 5.30 to 5.50 dollars for a turnover from 61 to 62 billion, up about 10%

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. the New York Stock Exchange, under the United Technologies gained 1.12% to 80.64 dollars around 1300 GMT while the Dow Jones took 0.83%. 

The group will finalize in the coming months its largest acquisition with the purchase of Goodrich aerospace equipment for $ 16.5 billion.

It seeks to give three parallel activities in the smaller sector of capital goods-Rocketdyne, Hamilton Sundstrand and Clipper Windpower.

McDonald's has published quarterly results rise, driven by strong sales in its restaurants in the United States.

Net income for the world's largest fast food reached $ 1.27 billion, or $ 1.23 per share, in the first quarter against $ 1.21 billion, or $ 1.15 per share, a year earlier.

Sales at restaurants open at least 13 months rose 7.3%, while analysts polled by Consensus Metrix had forecast 6.7%.

At the New York Stock Exchange, McDonald's action progressed by 1.8% in pre-market trading.

This operation is of course to re-inflate the coffers. The police equipment, like helicopters, can also be rented from private individuals. Police for rent, 30 euros per hour.

Police for rent, 30 euros per hour: whoever can afford it can now in Greece seek the reinforcement of security forces and their equipment, an innovation designed to pump up the public coffers, said Sunday the Ministry of protection of the citizen.  

The department confirmed in a statement late March the adoption of a ministerial decision to this effect, "in order to amortize the cost of using equipment and infrastructure of the police, and to modernize."

This reform, which was adopted in secret, had just been revealed by the Sunday newspaper Proto Thema sensational, including, according to police sources, the recently appointed acting Minister Michalis Chryssohoidis, who has enjoyed little of n ' have not been informed in due course. According to Proto Thema, the bill varies from 30 euros per hour for a police officer, or 40 for a patrol car, 200 euro for a celebrity or 1,500 for a helicopter.

According to the Ministry, this lease will concern only "exceptional cases", and will not receive the required approval only if it does not reduce the operational capacity of the body. The range of services offered ranges from "the escort transportation of hazardous materials or works of art", to "support people" or filming.

These services were "available for free" for years, the ministry said, is regularly accused of in recent years to grant favoritism and opacity in any police protection to the costly political and economic elite of the country. The department also relies on what the practice would spread "in many countries of the European Union".

China may relax regulations on foreign investment in the private sector, announced Tuesday the central bank governor, less than a week after green light given by the Government in a pilot project of financial reform.

The State Council (government) of China announced last week that it planned to allow direct investment abroad by residents of the coastal city of Wenzhou, st in the country, as part of an experimental project. This was seen as an important step towards liberalization of transactions.

The central bank governor, Zhou Xiaochuan, speaking at the Boao Forum for Asia 2012, on the island of Hainan, said China would encourage capital outflows, which help reduce the imbalances caused by net capital inflows.

"There could be a further de-regulation to give businesses and residents easier for Chinese investment abroad," said Zhou Xiaochuan.

He did not say whether the reforms would be limited to Wenzhou or extended to other areas. Wenzhou, located in Zhejiang Province, is known throughout China as a platform and an entrepreneurial place parallel loans.

Many private Chinese companies are forced to turn to the gray market for loans because they can access loans at official rates, which will first state banks to state enterprises.

On the unofficial market of credit, interest rates can reach 100% annualized. 

The idea of ​​an area of ​​financial reform emerged in late 2011 after newspaper articles on entrepreneurs from Wenzhou who would be gone underground or s' had committed suicide after being found unable to repay loans at high rates contracted outside official channels.

People's Bank of China considered this market to 2400 billion yuan (285 billion euros) in late March 2010, representing 5.6% of total loans market in China.

U.S. stocks open slightly higher Friday after the announcement of more new jobs than expected last month in the United States.

In early trade, the Dow Jones gained 0.16% or 20.17 points, to 12,928.76 points. The Standard & Poor's, wider, takes 0.25% or 3.49 points to 1369.38 points while the Nasdaq composite wins 0.3% (8.71 points) to 2,979.12 points.

The U.S. economy created 227,000 non-farm jobs last month, according to statistics from the Labor Department, and the unemployment rate remained at its lowest level in three years to 8.3%.

On the values ​​front, Monster Worldwide, the agency offers online job, gaining nearly 2%. Manpower is 0.2%.

The market is also supported by the announcement of a high acceptance rate of return for Greek debt.

Three years ago exactly, in a financial crisis, the S & P 500 posted its lowest closing level in 12 years, to 676.53 points. Since then, the index has more than doubled.

Side decreases, Texas Instruments lost 1% after launching a warning on its first quarter results.