National, World, Business News

Coca-Cola, the world of soft drinks, will invest $ 2 billion (1.46 billion) in India by 2017 to develop its activities in this rapidly growing market.

This represents the total investment in India over the past 18 years by the U.S. company.

Coca-Cola India and its partners wish to invest in marketing and brand image, the extension of distribution networks and the development of production capacity, the company said in a statement.

Coca-Cola employs 25,000 people in India, whose growth is the second fastest in the developed economies, it added.

Mersen, ex-Carbone Lorraine, which confirmed its 2011 objectives, supported by strong solar activity, and Asia, said he was careful, however, for 2012 due to economic climate remains uncertain.

The specialist in graphite solutions and electrical components still expects a double-digit organic growth and operating margin above 12% of its turnover.

"The macroeconomic environment is what it is, that is to say today very uncertain, so there is little visibility (for 2012)," said Thomas Baumgartner, CFO, at a conference phone.

"The growth of Mersen was very strong across all areas (…) And we recorded very high billing in the sun ", he added, however.

The group reported Tuesday sales up 11.1% at constant exchange rates in the third quarter to 207.8 million euros, an increase of 14.1% in the first nine months of year to 627.1 million euros.

"Asia represents over 25% of consolidated turnover of the group, over 37% Europe and North America 32%, so we have a well balanced business," observed the Chief Financial Officer group.

Mersen began several years ago marked a profound change in its output segment of the automobile and its focus on solar, wind and emerging markets.

The stock closed Tuesday up 2.12% to 28.19 euros, giving a market cap of around 559 million euros. Since the beginning of the year, as yields 17.81% after rising by 35% in 2010.

European shares opened sharply lower Tuesday, financial and cyclical stocks in the lead, continuing a decline the last two sessions in markets still dominated by fear of failure Greek and a return to recession.

Following a meeting of finance minister in the euro area, the President of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker said that the private sector into the background of aid to Greece should be reviewed to reflect of the degradation of the economy and European markets.

At 9:38, the CAC 40 was down 2.51% to 2853.30 points and a loss of over 6% since last Thursday.

"It is clear that these concerns about Europe are not going away anytime soon, as long as markets remain dominated by this fear, the downward pressure should continue to prevail. The meetings of European finance ministers who stand in Luxembourg have already lead to a series of statements that move the markets – again primarily to the decline, "said IG Markets.

Other major European markets, London yields 1.95%, 2.57% Frankfurt and Milan 2%.The pan-European Euro Stoxx 50 index lost 2.5%.

The banking sector is still one of the largest declines, dragged down by Dexia, which collapsed after holding an emergency board on back of speculation of dismantling the group.

In this context of anxiety and risk aversion, the performance of the German government bond (Bund) is relaxed to 10 years again, to 1.72%, 1.81% against the previous day.

The euro continued to decline and is trading at 1.3174 / 78 dollars, against 1.3181 the day before the end of the session.

Similarly, a barrel of U.S. light crude lost another $ 1.31 to 76.30 dollars amid concerns about global growth.

The very slight decrease (-0.1%) the number of job seekers with no activity was offset by higher (0.5%) of the total number of people seeking work, including those engaged in a reduced . Agency employment center in Nice

The number of job seekers without work (Category A) in France has declined slightly in August from 0.1% after three months of increases, to 2.754 million people, according to figures released Monday by the Ministry of work. However, the total number of people seeking work, including those engaged in a reduced (categories A, B and C), has again increased in August by 0.5% the previous month to 4.148 million in people.This number is up 4.3% year on year.

After four months of reflux from January to April, unemployment has gone the way of rising from May to July along with the slowdown in growth (which was nil in Q2). In total, since the beginning of the year, the number of job seekers without work rose 29,000 people. The increase over one year (from August 2010) is 2.3%. It is 4.3% over the year including applicants who have worked reduced.

By age, the situation improved slightly for young people but deteriorates again for seniors.The number of job seekers in all categories, under 25 years decreased by 0.4% in August on a month (-1.3% yoy), while that of job seekers over 50 years increased by 1.2% (+14.6% yoy). The long-term unemployment also continues to grow: the number of registered unemployed for over a year has increased 0.6% from July and 8.7% year on year. The average length of job seekers registered in categories A, B, C, end of August 2011 is 455 days.

Unemployment remains at 9.3% at end 2011

A month, entries for the end of fixed term contracts (-0.2%), redundancy (-5.5%), first entries (-6.4%), times of activity (-3.6 %) and other cases (-4.8%) declined. Entries for other layoffs are stable. Those for the purpose of temporary assignment (5.2%) and resignations (+1.2%) have increased Revenge.The outputs for employment times reported (-4.6%), came into training (-14.7%), research stops (-5.2%), radiation administration (-11.1%) and other cases (-8.1%) declined. Radiation for failure discount for their part, rose by 6.1%. In total, the number of entries is higher than output.

The government is committed to increasing the unemployment rate below 9% by the end of the year. Unemployment insurance for its part considers that rising unemployment will continue this year and 2012. According Unedic, the number of job seekers without work is expected to increase again this year to 36,700 and 55,500 in 2012. In all, the end of 2012, 2.8 million people and 4.4 million inactive with reduced activity would be included on the lists of employment center.

A study released today by Coe-Rexecode is hardly more optimistic.According to the Institute of conditions close to the business, the GDP should grow lights this year by 1.7% and 1.2% next year. The French economy would create 195,000 jobs in 2011 and 115,000 in 2012. The level of unemployment, however, remain high at 9.3% and 9.1% end 2011 end 2012.

GDF Suez and Spanish Iberdrola announced Friday they would wear 50% participation in each NuGeneration, a joint venture created to develop a new generation of nuclear power in Britain, following the decision of Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) to withdraw from the joint venture.

GDF Suez and Iberdrola, in a joint statement, reiterate their "strong commitment" in NuGen and adds that "there is no reason for the decision to interfere with the SSE project or schedule."

"As expected, the final investment decision should take place by 2015 for commercial operation of new nuclear power plant around 2023," they affirm.

Wall Street opened the session Wednesday up timid, investors playing the card of caution before the results of the two-day meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Federal Reserve (FOMC).

In early trade, the Dow Jones gained 0.22% (25.50 points) to 11,435.98 points. The Standard & Poor's, largest, advanced 0.34% (3.82 points) to 1206.16 points while the Nasdaq composite gained 0.85% (22.07 points) to 2612.21 points.

The markets expect the Fed decides to influence long rates to support economic activity, an action similar to that conducted in the 60's and so called "Operation Twist". The release is expected around 18:15 GMT.

Values, General Motors rose 0.71%.The CEO of GM has expressed concern about the risk of a recession in the U.S. but it does provide a recovery in demand because of the need to replace an aging fleet in the major economies.

The technology sector gets its game after Oracle reported Tuesday a quarterly revenue slightly exceeded expectations and delivered a better than expected profit forecast for the current quarter.

The work of the specialist management software database jumped from 7.37% in early trade, while Adobe, which also announced better than expected forecasts for the fourth quarter, advancing 5.8%.

Pepsico appreciating the title of 1.65%. The group announced the creation of a board comprising its divisions drinks and food in order to achieve economies of scale, and reaffirmed its outlook statement for 2011.

The EU finance ministers agreed Saturday that special attention should be paid to the capitalization of banks, but without considering that they were in urgent need of new funds.

Eight European banks have failed the stress test last July and must raise a total of 2.5 billion euros, while sixteen others were narrowly successful and were invited also to make arrangements.

But faced with violent turbulence in August and early September in the markets, the executive director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde called for a broader recapitalization of the banks of the old continent.

"From our point of view, there is a clear need to recapitalize the banks' said Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg at the end of the informal meeting of finance ministers held Friday and Saturday Wroclaw, Poland.

"I think the IMF has expressed very clearly, the banking system needs to be more robust and it is primarily a question of capital," he added.

His Spanish counterpart, Elena Salgado concurred."There is a consensus that it would be good for our financial institutions increase their capital to comply with Basel 3 and deal with any eventuality of time," she told reporters.

She also acknowledged that the opening of branches of unlimited liquidity by central banks did not reflect a situation "optimal".

Thursday, central banks in Europe, Japan, Switzerland and Britain announced they would offer refinancing operations in dollars to banks so that they have to face a credit freeze as the worst of the crisis Fall 2008.

"CREDIT CRUNCH"?

Earlier this week, senior advisors to European finance ministers and heads of the Treasury of Twenty-Seven had warned about the risks of a new credit crisis like the one observed in 2008 if nothing was done to solidify the capital structure of European institutions.

They mentioned such a "risk of a vicious circle between sovereign debt, financing banks and the negative growth", which could cause a credit freeze.

"Spillover effects" could "feed a dangerous downward spiral between the financial sector and real sectors of the economy or financial problems (…) risk aversion (…) Could lead to a deleveraging of banks, a phenomenon that in turn would result in some Member States, a credit crisis, "they warned.

According to several sources who attended the meeting, the European Central Bank, the EBA and the European Commission echoed these demands Saturday and urged the Member States to ensure that the capital position of banks remained strong.

Some ministers, however, sought to disperse fears and minimized the risk of a repeat of the "credit crunch" of 2008.

"The general situation of European banks is stable," stressed the President of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker.

Luxembourg Finance Minister, Luc Frieden, has meanwhile found that the situation was "not alarming".

The Spanish Socialist government announced Friday the signing of an agreement with the conservative opposition in the Constitution for the country the principle of limiting the public deficit and debt.

The Constitution will be amended through a law to be adopted before June 30, 2012, the government said in a statement released in the early hours of Friday.

Both sides agreed to secure 0.4% of GDP limit of the overall structural deficit of the country audience, ie excluding debt service.

The law will also include criteria for a gradual reduction of debt pursuant to the Pact of Stability and Growth in the euro area.

The two sides signed the agreement will review the deficit ceiling in 2015 and 2018.

This follows a call to that effect made by France and Germany to countries threatened by the debt crisis in the euro area.

Spain has already announced Tuesday that it would enshrine in the Constitution a public debt ceiling before the legislative elections in November.

Total is about to sell its assets in the exploration and production in France, wrote Friday the Bulletin of the Oil Industry (BIP).

According to the daily newsletter, the fields of oil should be sold in Paris Vermilion Canada, which had resumed in 2010 the assets of Esso and is the first French producer with 46% of oil extracted in the country.

The BIP adds that the deposits Aquitaine, Total would be transferred to Vermilion and French Geopetrol, while the Lacq gas field should also be transferred to Vermilion in 2013.

"The sale transaction is being finalized.But the final disposal will take place before the end of 2012 in accordance with French law the transfer of mining assets, "said the newsletter.

A spokeswoman for Total declined to comment on this information.

French production of 21,000 barrels represented Total oil equivalent per day in 2010, world production of 2.378 million barrels throughout the year.

The daily Les Echos that writes the total in the fall should submit a reorganization of scale of its operations downstream, with a planned merger of its refining and petrochemical industries. The group did not want comment on the report Friday morning.

Demand for gold has declined in the second quarter, but would still mark an increase over the entire year, said Thursday the World Council of gold, an organization funded by the gold industry.

The overall increase is mainly due to the increase in reserves of Asian buyers, as well as the safe haven appeal of this enhanced by the debt crisis in Europe and the United States.

The quarterly report issued by the Council indicates that the gold market is particularly active in India and China, while purchases of coins, bullion, jewelry and asset-backed gold are down in Europe and the United States.

Globally, demand for gold rose to 919.8 tonnes during April-June quarter, a decrease of 17% over the same period the previous year.

The trend is explained by the sharp decline in investment demand, which has erased the recovery in purchases of jewelry in the world, says the Council.

The demand for asset-backed gold has fallen particularly, falling from 82% to 51.7 tonnes, compared to historically high levels in 2010.

The trend seems already back on the rise, according to Marcus Grubb, Executive Director of World Gold Council.

"We will clearly see a large amount of investments in the third quarter because of problems in the euro area sovereign.We know that asset-backed gold hit a new record high in tonnes in July and August, as the demand for jewelry, it does seem to have wavered from its sharp rise in the second quarter, " he said.

"It is difficult to see what might initiate the request at this time."