BASF is optimistic for 2012

25th February

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.

Italy reduced its order of 30% F-35

15th February

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.

The numbers of crazy art market

10th February

The year 2011 has been that of all records on the art market, marked by the dramatic emergence of Asia, led by China. The 10 digit extraordinary auctions selected by the data specialist on art, Artprice. By a sale at Sotheby's in New York.

11.5 billion USD: world product auctions. Time high this year, sales revenue for the first time exceeds the 10 billion USD, up 21% over the last twelve months. After a record first half, to 6.5 billion, the second half was equally outstanding, to $ 5.1 billion.

41.43%: the market share of China. China, the first country on the global art market since 2010, consolidated his lead. With auctions of $ 4.79 billion, up 38%, the country has a market share of 41.43%. Other Asian countries are also seeing strong growth. This is the case of Singapore, up 22%, or Indonesia, with a jump of 39% for example. And Asia as a whole now realize 43% of the art market.

4th: the position of France. France, third in 2006, is found from 2007 to fourth in the art market. This year again it keeps this place despite an erosion of its market share to 4.5%. Paris is now not only behind London and New York, but Beijing and Hong Kong. While Shanghai, with a growth of 21%, reduced the gap by half and heels less than $ 50 million the French capital.

$ 57.2 million: the price of a work record in 2011. This record does not belong to Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti or, or Andy Warhol, but Qi Baishi who picks the best auction of the year for the work Eagle Standing on Pine Tree, Four-Character Couplet in Seal Script awarded $ 57.2 million 22 May 2011 in Beijing.

$ 272 million: the largest auction of the year. This is a sale by Christie's Contemporary Art in Post-War, New York on November 9. She has received two new records for Clyfford E. Still, as a record for the artist Gerhard Richter. Only 17% of the lots remained unsold, and 41 have gone over $ 1 million.

12,400: the number of artists who have set new records. More than 12,400 artists saw their auction up to new heights with Qi Baishi (57.2 million this year against 12.5 before 2011), Clyfford Still (55 million against 19), Roy Lichtenstein (38.5 million against 38), Egon Schiele (35 million against 20), Salvador Dali (19 million against 5), Gerhard Richter (18.5 million against 13) …

1688: the number of million. The auction for more than a million dollars jumped 33% in 2011. Unsurprisingly, it is China that holds the record for most number of works of art auctioned at above one million dollars, with 774. Hong Kong alone, he has won twice as many bids as millionaires in the entire euro zone!

58.5%: share of turnover achieved by the 1% most expensive lots. The remaining 99% of auctions share less than half the art market. And unsurprisingly, the "1%" are traded mostly in China, 50%, then the United States, 23%, and the United Kingdom to 20%.

34%: the rate of returns. Since 2007, never a sales ratio was spent below 35%. It's done this year with a sales ratio of 34.8%. And while the number of lots available for purchase at auctions rose 7%.

69%: the percentage of lots sold at less than 5000 dollars. Only 69% of the lots were auctioned in 5000 dollars. While in 2009/2010 this rate reached up to 74%. This year the number of lots does not diminish affordable, it actually increases by 4.5%, but less rapidly than the number of high-end lots. Asia, which now carries 43% of art market wins 19% of its lots beyond the $ 100 000.

Volvo hit by Europe in the fourth quarter

4th February

The Swedish truck manufacturer Volvo was reported Friday in a lower than expected earnings for the fourth quarter of 2011 and again expect a lackluster fiscal 2012, penalized by a dip in the European market.

From October to December, operating income of world number two sector stood at seven billion Swedish kronor (791 million) while analysts had forecast of 7.2 billion, according to Reuters.

The last quarter of 2010, Volvo had generated operating profit of five billion crowns. 

After enjoying the full recovery of demand in 2010 and during most of 2011, European manufacturers of heavy trucks must now deal with the crisis of sovereign debt in the euro area and fears of a slowdown in global economic activity.

"We maintain our assessment that the market 'Europe of 29' will be about 220,000 trucks in 2012. We anticipate a slow start to the year and a gradual improvement, "the group said in a statement

." We maintain our forecast of continued growth of the North American market at about 250,000 trucks in 2012, "he adds

…… The … backlog fell 7% in the fourth quarter, but the fall is more dramatic in Europe where it has shrunk 24%, overshadowing the 22% increase observed in America The Swedish North

. thinks that the truck market is now stabilizing, albeit at a low level, and should pick up gradually over the years. 

Volvo shows and more optimistic than its competitor Scania, who warned this week that it would reduce its workforce and the volume of some of its investments in anticipation of weak demand in the first half of 2012.

The title Volvo opened up 1.4% to 92.00 crowns.

Unibail is up 4% of its 2012 recurring EPS

1st February

Unibail-Rodamco said Wednesday night anticipating a growth in recurring earnings per share by about 4% this year after suffering a weaker than expected decline in 2011 in the context of consumption, however, difficult and unstable. Europe's leading commercial real estate has also maintained its target of annual growth in recurring earnings per share of between 5 and 7% on average over the period 2013-2015. "For 2012, the group remains confident about the growth in rents. This perspective is based on strong fundamentals: a low vacancy rates, as limited effort, rents rise and cost of debt content "said in a statement Unibail-Rodamco. The company explains that caution is when the impact of the crisis in the euro area consumption and the situation of teachers, however, can not be ignored. "The net assets has increased, thanks to growth in rents, which is a very positive point. ANR spring with a premium of 15% over the share price, which shows the value remains price, "said Thomas Aubert, the French manager at AM. Before the publication of these results, Unibail-Rodamco has indeed ended with a gain of 2.72% to 150.80 euros, compared to its net asset value (NAV) ERPA triple net stood at 130.70 euros at end-December (4.9% compared to end 2010). Analysts consensus Thomson Reuters I / B / E / S awaited a NAV 131.18 euros. PRIME on sales net rents stand at 1.262 billion euros in 2011 against 1.257 billion a year earlier. Shopping centers on net rents reached 984.1 million euros last year, up 2.4% year on year. At the end of December, the recurring earnings per share of the group came out down 2.6% to 9.03 euros, 8.89 euros against expected by analysts. When publishing its interim results in July, the group reiterated its outlook for a decline in recurring profit for 2011 of between 3% and 5%, given the impacts the exceptional payout in October 2010 and its program of asset sales. Unibail will propose to the General Meeting the payment of a dividend of eight per share in cash, representing a distribution of 89% of its recurring earnings per share as the market expected an average 8.08 euros. Despite the difficult financial markets in 2011, the group rated "A" by rating agencies Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings, has raised a total of 3.1 billion euros of new financing , medium and long term, in the form of bank loans and bond issues. "It is also interesting to note that even on desks, Unibail managed to achieve growth while all sales were made at a premium," said Thomas Aubert, the net rents of offices increased by 4.2% on a constant basis. Unibail-Rodamco, the market capitalization of 13.8 billion euros, sold 1.084 million euros of non-core business assets and 242 million euros of assets from offices in 2011, with an average premium of 7.8% over the last values ​​of external expertise. The portfolio of development projects of the group, who will deliver this year including the mall Lyon Confluence, the end of 2011 amounted to 6.9 billion euros, 1.5 billion already spent. The market value of the portfolio of Unibail-Rodamco amounted to 25.9 billion euros late last year, up from 1.4 billion end of 2010.

26th November

The Tokyo Stock Exchange ended Friday in a piecemeal, according to a new low of two and a half years in session for the Nikkei, while France and Germany have not reached the day before to convince investors of the imminence of a consensus on the answer to the debt crisis.

The Nikkei lost 0.06% (-5.17 points) at 8,160.01 points, while the Topix, broader took 0.52 points (+0.07%) to 706.60 points.

For the week, the two indexes have lost respectively 2.6% and 1.9%.

At the conclusion of a tripartite meeting in Strasbourg between the Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, the French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the latter reiterated his opposition to any change in the mandate of the European Central Bank (ECB ) and the introduction of Eurobonds.

"Some investors bought oversold values ​​in the afternoon (Japan), but concerns about the situation in Europe remains" Judge Kenichi Hirano, Tachibana Securities.

24th November

According to the Uruguayan Minister, Louis Almagro, Nicolas Sarkozy was very upset to see that its proposed regulation, including tax havens, were not retained. Nicolas Sarkozy.

Luis Almagro, Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs, said French President Nicolas Sarkozy was "very upset" with "the failure of the French strategy at the G20" and that he expressed in his statements on tax havens cause of a crisis with Uruguay.

"I think his statement (was dictated by) the bitterness and is linked with the failure of the French strategy at the G20", held in Cannes (south-eastern France) in early November, said M . Almagro in an interview published Thursday in the weekly Busqueda. "The four or five worn by strengths (Nicolas) Sarkozy at the G20 were rejected, as (the idea) to cap prices or on financial issues, etc..He used the G20 as a political platform, but it emerged weakened because the final statement did not address its program. I think it was upset and he has expressed in this unfortunate statement, "he added.

In early November, Nicolas Sarkozy said after the G20 summit that tax havens would be put "beyond the pale of the international community." He said that was part of the capital Montevideo which "did not have a legal framework for the exchange of tax information." These statements have angered Montevideo. The French government then explained that it was a statement on behalf of G20 and not of France and expressed its confidence in the willingness of Uruguay to fight tax evasion.

17th November

Fever market does not seem to stop. So many voices calling for the ECB buys massive amounts of government securities in difficulty to break the panic and speculation. But is this really the solution? ECB

In the state of current market panic, the ECB is more than ever figure of last bastion of the euro area. Provided, however, she agreed to play this role … Italian interest rates still evolving around 7% Thursday, an unsustainable level on the scale of a few months. And fears of contagion from France have propelled the difference in interest rates between Germany and France to a new record (204 basis points difference, France into debt at a cost of more than two times higher).Sign that it is a disruption of markets, interest rates of other states in the euro area AAA rated – such as Finland or the virtuous Netherlands – are also affected.

In this context, increasing the pressure on the European Central Bank in order to redeem government bonds heavily attacked. The Nobel Prize in Economics Paul Krugman recently called for greater involvement of the ECB. "It should send a clear message and say" we buy as many (sovereign debt) than necessary. "In France, many economists on the left are also campaigning on this issue. Even in Germany, there are voices in this sense Like Peter Bofinger, an economist and adviser to the German government. "It's not attractive … But we must clearly realize that it's an emergency.

9th November

European households reduced by 0.8% think expenditures for gifts, holiday meals and outputs, according to a study released Tuesday. In France, spending will increase from 1.9% to 606 euros per household. French households plan to increase spending Christmas from 1.9% to 606 euros per household in 2011

Consumers in countries most affected by the debt crisis, such as Greece, are cut in their budget for Christmas, but the French and other Europeans should forget the rigor and loosen the belt a bit this holiday season, according to a study published Tuesday. Christmas 2011 appears as "the last opportunity to have fun, but without folly, before 2012 is awaited with concern," according to the Deloitte study, conducted among 18,354 consumers in 17 countries in September."The French may have gone too far" in some trade-offs since 2008 and "they relax a little," said Antoine de Riedmatten, a partner at Deloitte, saying they want to "have fun", but "with caution ". For 45% of them think that their purchasing power will deteriorate next year, against 36% last year.

Money and books at the top of desired gifts

The French buy more food and great brands for these feasts, having directed forward towards private labels. Similarly, they offer gifts to a few more people and make a little less gifts grouped, he says. If the criteria price and value guide further choices, well-being will also be preferred, as reflected in the intentions of gifts, third place in spa services, care or massage behind the chocolates and perfumes and cosmetics.

7th November

The European Investment Bank (EIB) could provide up to 74 billion euros in loans to banks in two years in Europe if its own capital was strengthened, including with money provided by its shareholders, according to a document prepared for the finance ministers of the Union.

Prepared for the Council of Finance Ministers of the EU, which meets Tuesday, the report details the means that could be implemented if the credit crunch.

"The risk reduction of leverage by the banks is not negligible and it is important to maintain and even increase of EIB lending to the real economy through the banks," said Bank in this document, dated November 3.