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Essilor International shows a rebound in sales of 15.8% in the first half to 1,926 billion euros. The world of ophthalmic lenses has seen its sales boosted by several acquisitions such as U.S. and Signet FGXI Armolite. In all, Essilor has acquired or increased its stake in thirteen companies in the first half, representing an additional turnover of approximately 80 million euros.

Excluding currency and acquisitions, growth in turnover is 5.9%, "in line with its annual target," the company said in a statement.

Sales of optical equipment and lenses, more than 92% of group turnover, rose by 10.7% as reported. North America, Essilor which makes 43.5% of its activity, grew by 8.1% as reported.The rise of Europe, which represents 39.6% of sales, rose slightly less (6.4%). Latin America, however, mark a sharp increase of 47.1% to 88.6 million euros, barely 5% of sales.

Net income for Essilor is down slightly from 1.3% to 197.5 million euros. The group is penalized by the provision of 41.5 million euros to pay the fine imposed by the German competition authority (Bundeskartellamt) for formation of cartels.Adjusted for this provision, net income reached 238.8 million euros, an increase of 19.3%.

Essilor confirms its annual targets

"In the second half of 2010, in a context of renewed activity still fragile, Essilor will pursue the strict implementation of its strategy of growth based on new products, geographical expansion, acquisitions and organic conquer the environment range, "the group said.

This announcement had already acquired majority stakes in two U.S. since the end of the first semester in the laboratory and in the Gulf States Pasch. Essilor has also sold its stake in early August Sperian Protection which represented 15% of capital.This sale will record a gain of 27 million euros in its accounts in the second half.

The manufacturer of ophthalmic lenses confirms target for 2010 sales up 5% to 7%, excluding currency and strategic acquisitions, and margin contribution stable excluding acquisitions and strategic change IFRS. In the first half of 2010, the margin of Essilor has eroded slightly over the same period in 2009, yielding 0.1 percentage points to 18%.

At the Paris Bourse, the title Essilor yields 2.74% to 46.88 euros at 10:00. It displays the largest drop and the CAC 40, itself in decline 0.62%.

The cost of electricity will increase. The Department of Ecology and Energy has announced on Tuesday an increase of electricity tariffs by 3.4% on average, applicable from 15 August. Individuals will be affected up to 3%, and small, medium and large enterprises respectively 4%, 4.5% and 5%.

In accordance with normal procedures, the government seized on Tuesday of this project Regulatory Commission of Energy, however, that issue an advisory opinion. Whatever the opinion, the increase in electricity rates should cover 28.5 million individual customers and 4 million companies, representing 94% of French consumers.Last year, the bill had already risen on average by 2.3%.

With this new increase, the government is "to bring the price of electricity from its actual cost, in line with an opinion a few days ago by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IEA) low rates payday advance.

In its report, the IEA was concerned because of the artificially low price of electricity in France. Prices are set ultimately by the government, the agency stressed that they are therefore likely to be "politically motivated" and is well below the rates charged by our European neighbors. Even after this increase, prices should remain at 25-35% lower than the European average, the government argues.A low level that would jeopardize the development of new nuclear capacity French, believes his side the agency.

D-Day for Marcello Convite the boss of the small company that wants tricolor Carmat conquer the world with its first total artificial heart biocompatible. This Tuesday, in fact, that the start-up takes its first steps on the Paris Stock Exchange, having packed the heart of investors. In difficult market conditions, the SME accompanied by Truffle Capital, its largest shareholder (30%) and EADS, has done better than expected, raising 14.5 million euros at a price of 18.50 euros per share enhancing from the outset the company 75 million. A great appreciation for its Director General who has taken brilliantly in the year, new to him, the financial road show.

This Italian 57 years, trained in computer technology and speaks five languages, has not missed any arguments to "sell" the young company and its innovative and promising.His prosthesis, implantable total artificial heart developed by Professor Carpentier of the Georges Pompidou Hospital, from 2013 should help save tens of thousands of cardiac patients. A challenge that fascinates Marcello Convite former IBM and Fiat, paid for thirty years in the life sciences. He held until last September to senior posts in the American International Edwards Lifesciences, who had just bought to Professor Carpentier's revolutionary concept of cardiac valves. For Dr. Philippe Pouletty, CEO of Truffle Capital, with the artificial heart (which will remain French …), Carmat has "all the ingredients to become a global technology company beautiful. "A great adventure of entrepreneurs, leading the veteran of the biotechnology industry has also brought public in April and companies Neovacs Deinove.

Carmat is, in fact, primarily a story of men.An R & D secrets first, initiated in EADS by Jean-Luc Lagardere and Professor Carpentier and developed for 15 years by a team of engineers led by former "Mr. International" of EADS, Jean-Claude Cadudal, president of Carmat.

Beside him, the engineer, former head of EADS big projects, and "very good teacher," Patrick Coulombier, also played a key role. It is today, with Marcello Convite DGA society. It was created in 2008 under the leadership of Philippe Pouletty because, after the release of préprototype, "he had to go to the next level." By convincing the engineers of the European giant switch in the start-up and live the adventure.

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The U.S. stock markets started Wednesday's session in hesitation, but soon found the beautiful colors at the beginning of the meeting, brought by investors reassured by better earnings prospects in the banking sector. An enthusiasm that was accentuated throughout the meeting: at the close, the Dow Jones climbed 2.82% to 10,018 points (best performance since May 27), again surpassing the psychological barrier of 10,000 points for the first time since June 28, the S & P flies from 3.13% to 1060 points and the Nasdaq similarly 3.1% to 2159 points.

State Street Bank (9.9% to U.S. $ 36.64) outperformed all other banks, which also have very good performances, like Bank of New York Mellon (6.35%), Northern Trust Corp. (+ 6.92%), JP Morgan (4.95%), BoA (4.55 %)…

On the foreign exchange market, the euro remained stable against the dollar.It was trading at 1.2628 dollar. The day before, the euro had increased after the publication of an improvement less-than-expected activity in the services sector in the United States, highlighted by the index of purchasing managers published by IMS .

After the disappointment of Friday on the employment figures, investors should be particularly careful this week to weekly figures for unemployment benefits that are to be published Thursday.

At the dawn of interim results

On Wall Street as on most other major world places, operators should play the card of caution this week before the opening of the interim results season.

Today, the discount retailer Family Dollar Stores (-8.14% 36.23 dollar) has released disappointing interim results. This is the only company in the S & P 500 to publish its results this week.Within the Dow, the ball begins, as always, with results from Alcoa (3.23% to 10.54 dollars) July 12, next Monday.

Always on the side of values, Google (3.24% to 450.2 U.S. dollars) said Wednesday that it still awaiting a decision on renewing its operating license in China, needed to operate the largest Internet market in the world, said a spokesman for the American company and a Chinese official.

The government will reduce funding by more than half of the missions of the State, Ecology and Agriculture, and Labour and Employment from 2012, while the Justice and Research are spared the game, as the budget document released Tuesday.

According to the report submitted to the National Assembly, which specifies allocations for different missions, "except the Department of Justice and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, all departments will be downsized on the years 2011-2013.

Research and Education, Justice up

The Mission Research and Higher Education remains the first priority of government, is it indicated. His credits will increase from 23.63 billion euros in 2010 to 23,830,000,000 in 2011, 24.04 billion in 2012 and 24.23 billion in 2013.In addition, the department "will be, exceptionally, no job cuts.

The Department of Justice will be the only "benefit from new jobs net (400 in 2011), mainly for the prison administration," the document said. The credits of the mission will spend 5.65 billion euros in 2010 to 5.80 in 2011, 5.96 in 2012 and 5.90 in 2013.

Labour and Employment, Agriculture, Ecology down

Side decreases, the mission and Career credits will rise slightly next year, from 11.25 to 11370000000 before "fall sharply" with "better jobs" expected, 9, 10 billion in 2013.

The Ministry of Agriculture will also see its funding decline from 4.46 billion euros in 2010 to 4,210,000,000 in 2013.In 2011, 650 jobs will be eliminated on this ministry.

The credits of the mission Ecology will also decline sharply in 2011, from 9.24 billion in 2010 to 8,820,000,000 in 2011.

The money for the ODA will, themselves, stabilized in value over the period.

As announced 16,500 job cuts are planned in 2011 in Education, under the rule of non-replacement of retiring staff of two.The credits of School will initially increase slightly, from 44.14 billion in 2010 to 44,450,000,000 in 2011, then fall to 44.05 billion in 2013 payday loan lenders.

In the three years, a rule enacted by President Nicolas Sarkozy will "not replace nearly 100,000 retirement, or 31,400 full time equivalent (FTE) and 2011, 32,800 FTEs in 2012 and 33,000 FTEs in 2013.

The downsizing effort is "higher than average" to ministries of Budget, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Ecology, Health and Sports.

"Operators of the state will also be involved in this process (…) with the exception of operators attached to the Ministry of Higher Education and Research," the document said.

The government amounted to "nearly 3 billion euros' savings" related to non-replacement of retiring in two "over three years. But 50% of these savings will be a "return to civil servants".

The burden of debt on the increase

The interest burden of government debt is expected to grow strongly in coming years, as spending on employee retirement, still shows the budget document.

The interest burden of debt, that is to say, the annual payment of maturities of the loans, should "increase in value by over 9% per year on average, five times more than inflation," says document.

It should increase from EUR 42.45 billion in 2010 to 55,190,000,000 in 2013.This increase is explained by "the rising stock of debt since 2009, due to the crisis which has seen deficits explode, and" the expected increase in interest rates. "

The pension expenditure officials should, too, to increase from 35.06 billion in 2010 to 39,580,000,000 in 2013, "despite the beneficial impact of pension reform," the statement said. "The retirement of civil servants are currently a" very high on the period, the government said, citing also "revaluations of pensions to inflation."

The government pledged to freeze "value" the expenditure, excluding debt and pensions between 2011 and 2013.

The CAC 40 may play yoyo Monday. After booting up from 0.43% to 3362 points, the key index in Paris fell back into the red within an hour after the start of the session: -0.19% at 3342 points

Elsewhere in Europe, even the Footsie in London returns to equilibrium (-0.05% to 4835 points) after starting the day up 0.45%. The German Dax, which climbed 0.34% at the opening, back up 0.08% at 5839 points.

The caution at the beginning of the week, as in Asia. On Friday, the CAC 40 finished on a small increase of 0.25% after a volatile trading. All investors anxiously awaiting the monthly figures for U.S. employment, which were more troubling than expected 125,000 jobs lost in June but 83,000 in private creations against 33,000 in May, and unemployment fell to 9.5%.The U.S. markets have fallen back slightly after the announcement, but their European counterparts have remained on the upside.

The CAC 40 lost 5%, however the last five days. Investors can not follow Wall Street Monday as the U.S. stock market is closed after the national holiday. On the side indicators in France, the PMI services will be published. For the euro zone composite PMI index, and the sales details will also be announced.

The banking supervision

Dexia (0.61% to 2.81 euros) received the assumptions of Stress tests requested by the European Union on the eve of the weekend and is currently being examined, according to chief executive of French bank Belgian-Pierre Mariani.

BNP Paribas (0.70% to 44.51 euros) has sold its subsidiary of consumer credit BNP Paribas Personal Finance Belgium funds Apax Partners SA and Altamir Amboise. The sale is part of the commitments made by BNP Paribas to the European Commission following the acquisition of Fortis in Belgium in 2009.

Zodiac Aerospace (+0.48% at 37.67 euros) has agreed to buy German Sell.It is the third acquisition transaction in two months for the group led by Olivier Zarrouati.

Carrefour (1.23% to 32.53 euros) will close unprofitable stores sixteen in Belgium at the end of the month as part of the restructuring of its assets in the country, while strengthening its partnership with Mestdagh. The group expects these closures savings of about 25 million euros per year.

Air France KLM (0.64% at 9.66 euros) will face a new competitor on the field connections to Africa. The Airline Oxygen Africa should get the green light for launch in the coming weeks.

France Telecom (0.28% to 14.24 euros) must submit to the press, about 11 o'clock this morning, its strategic plan for the next five years.He wants to have more than 300 million customers worldwide by 2015 against about 200 million today, "said Stéphane Richard, CEO of telecoms group, in an interview published in Le Parisien on Monday.

Total (0.01% to 36.19 euros) does not study the acquisition of BP, but would be willing to consider the acquisition of certain assets if they were on sale, said Friday the CEO Christophe de Margerie.

PSA Peugeot Citroen (0.84% to 21.05 euros) announced it acquired for an amount of 244,925,000 euros, part of the bond issued in 2001 and maturing in September 2011. The takeover was launched June 21, 2010 simultaneously launching the bond issue of 500 million euros due five years.

At almost exactly the meeting between Eric Woerth and civil service unions on Friday morning, turned to dialogue as Marchais Duhamel: "Maybe it was not your question, my answer is yes, but …" The Representatives of the eight federations have asked the public to appropriate Minister if the increase of 0.5% of the index, promised two years ago by the same Eric Woerth, would take place on 1 July. It has not responded, sticking to the planned agenda – a review of the changing purchasing power of workers over the past year.Unions have all left the meeting, half an hour after its opening.

The Minister of Labour and Public Service has, in fact, provided that the arbitration were not made, ironically on the fact that it seemed "much more difficult to reach agreement between the government trade unions" … He returned the answer to your next appointment, which could take place Tuesday morning.

A lesser evil

A few minutes later, however, at Matignon, the prime minister seemed to reassure staff: "This commitment is not undermined," said Francois Fillon.A way of saying that a freeze point clue is the lesser evil … Then the purchasing power of civil servants grew by 3.6% the previous year, taking into account the effects of seniority , promotions or revaluations granted to certain categories of staff. An old debate: the unions, they do take into account that the index points in their calculations, because it benefits all agents.

These unions – united for the first time in years – in any case have expressed their displeasure at the end of the meeting Friday. "The minister has stirred every red rag" has annoyed Elizabeth David (UNSA).

The world leader in chemistry, German BASF, is expected to sign Tuesday the acquisition of fellow Cognis according to the Financial Times Deutschland. Owned by Permira and Goldman Sachs, Cognis manufactures additives for cosmetics and detergents.

According to sources close to the case interviewed by the newspaper, the transaction amounted to 3.2 billion euros. In 2009, sales of Cognis representing 2.6 billion euros and EBITDA was $ 364 million. On its website, the company states employ approximately 5,600 people and be present in thirty countries.

Originally, Cognis was a subsidiary of Henkel, resold in 2004 to 2.5 billion euros. In 2006, the efforts of its new owners to sell it failed. In recent years, the company split from two of its five subsidiaries.BASF has already bought in 2009 the Swiss Ciba for 3.8 billion euros to strengthen in the mill.

The surprises have always been the marketing muscle of Apple. But the presentation of the iPhone could turn to four non-event. This Monday, June 7, at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Steve Jobs is expected to formally present the new version of its iPhone. A difficult task since the surprise had been nipped in the bud by Gizmodo, a blog specializing in the area. The latter was obtained for a fee, a version of the last device that was lost in a bar, then had completely husked, literally as figuratively. Result: Apple expected to miss elements of surprise in his presentation.

At this conference, Steve Jobs should focus on news and updates available for this new iPhone.But then again, few surprises in the program: the company had already submitted the software that will be applied to the iPhone 4 as she presented the platform iad, allowing Apple to develop the market for advertising applications.

According to analysts, a real surprise could come from the announcement of an extension of the exclusive sales of the iPhone to Verizon. So far, only AT & T can sell the unit on the U.S. market. But again, the mere announcement of talks with Verizon would not be a revelation: more rumors, sometimes belied by the operator to move the subject on the canvas for several weeks.

The product's most profitable brand

Although there is hardly any surprise about the iPhone 4, Apple knows that this presentation could take effect with the customer.The iPhone remains an undeniable success for the brand and the popularity continues unabated since its launch in 2007. In the first quarter, Apple said it had passed 8.7 million iPhones, representing a sales growth of 131% over a year.

The turnover of the phone is 5.4 billion dollars against 3.76 billion to $ 1.3 billion for Mac and iPod. The widening gap so quickly that observers now expects a gross margin of between 50% and 60% for iPhone cons 20-30% for Mac. In other words, the iPhone product line will be more profitable for Apple.

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Who would have thought? Germany and France have finally decided to combine their efforts to support the euro. Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel have they understood it was time to coordinate their efforts to support a currency previously sealed by the distrust of markets? Since the famous rumor reports of market intervention by the European Central Bank on foreign exchange markets to support the euro, the single currency has a significant revival. After touching a low of less than a 22 dollar late Tuesday, the euro was close to the $ 1.25 to 19:50.A good time to announce this coordination.

Visit Brussels on May 21

"They agreed that Germany and France will work in close coordination with each other during the meeting which will begin May 21 in Brussels, said yesterday evening, the spokesman for Angela Merkel.

However, President of the Republic, during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister, David Cameron, argued that there was "no disagreement" with the German chancellor. Instead, "there is complete agreement" on the principle to consider new sanctions against the countries of the euro zone whose deficits are too large.

The rider from Germany irritates Lagarde

The two leaders have long debated on Thursday by telephone. No doubt they spoke of the many episodes that have seen the two countries criticize each other via the press.It all started last March, when Christine Lagarde called Berlin had to change its economic policy. Germany was obviously not appreciated that France has registered a record deficit could give lessons to an exemplary country in this field.

Two months later, around Angela Merkel to encourage European countries to follow its example in terms of budgetary discipline quick cash. A rider that markets have not appreciated at all, no more than those conducted by Berlin on Wednesday on short sales. Investors are seeing is a sign of lack of coordination between Germany and its European partners. Christine Lagarde, Minister of Economy, also regretted the unilateral decision.While stating that there was "no distance between Paris and Berlin," the minister argued that the euro was not in danger ", again taking the cons-foot German Chancellor.

"The real problem with the euro area, growth, not debt"

Guests from France 2, the Director General of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn hammered, meanwhile, that "the euro is not likely to explode," recognizing that the risk would be that it "goes wrong" "The real problem with the euro area is not only the debts and deficits, but also and above all the growth.How is it that the International Monetary Fund expects 3% growth in the United States in 2010 and only 1% for the euro area? If the euro area showed a growth of 3%, we do not speak Greek crisis and even less deficit, "said IMF Managing Director.

Europe has always had a strong Franco-German axis

"To Europe, we must anchor Germany," said General de Gaulle. Europe has always had a strong Franco-German axis: De Gaulle and Adenauer, Giscard d'Estaing and Schmidt or Mitterrand and Kohl. Put under pressure by the Greek crisis, Merkel-Sarkozy axis must reaffirm its strength to ensure a better economic governance.

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