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According to the latest figures published by the Centre for Documentation and Information Assurance, 500,000 people each year in France are victims of dog bites. And 60,000 cases require hospitalization. There is no data in France for the financial evaluation of these accidents. The U.S. comes in contrast to publish figures. In 2009, 4.7 million dog bites have cost 412 million dollars to U.S. insurers. A sales up 6.4% compared to 2008. On average, a complaint involves the payment of $ 24,000 to the victim. Swiss insurers were also interested in the costs of the bites. Nearly 10,000 people are attacked each year, and the invoice amount to 3.3 million Swiss francs per year (about 2.5 million euros) for insurers.The vast majority of dogs live happily without causing an accident, the teacher must still ensure ensure their pets to avoid disappointment. French law provides that the person having custody of an animal's owner or a person to whom it was entrusted for a long time – is responsible for damage that it causes.

Residential Property and Casualty

Most dogs can be insured under the "liability" with the contract signed comprehensive home for the accommodation of their owners. It is nevertheless necessary to learn about the extent of the guarantee.Some insurers do not cover all the damages and provide for the retention of a franchise.

In addition, this type of insurance that takes into account the damage caused by dogs to others (people being run down, bites, car damaged when it struck …) If the damage takes place at the home of the owner, only insurance including a comprehensive coverage will pay for furniture. Furthermore, companies may make the acceptance of the contract to different criteria. The age of the dog is particularly taken into account. If the animal has never been satisfactorily and has over ten years, the coverage may be denied.But other features can also complicate the underwriting of insurance, such as whether the dog is used as part of an occupation, size or race.

The category of dog

Many news items in recent years have indeed tightened regulations. Three pieces of legislation have established a classification of animals known as "dangerous." Several breeds have been grouped into two categories: the dog considered "attacking" (Tier 1) those of "custody or defense '(category 2). However, the law requires owners to purchase liability insurance for such animals. If the contract owner's insurance does not cover these risks, most companies offer the added option by paying an additional fee.If this is not the case, the owner will change insurers and take out insurance with another company that offers this option because it can not be purchased independently of a housing contract.

Finally, we must know that all these contracts do not cover the costs of care for injuries suffered by the animal. This will require specific health insurance, whose coverage is also more or less extended from reimbursement of veterinary consultations, to support operations or vaccine in France only 2% of the animals have health insurance, against 80% in Sweden.

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LE FIGARO. – How do you improve your sales and your profits in the first half?

Benoît Potier. – It's an interesting semester. It marks both a recovery in volumes directly linked to the global economy and an upturn in industrial projects. The industry again expressed his interest in the preparation of the future.

We found the pre-crisis levels in virtually all market segments. Only construction accuses six to twelve months behind schedule. Offset restart cycles. Overall, growth in volumes that logically resulted in 10% of our turnover, which grows in all businesses and geographies. However, Air Liquide is one of the industries that were more resistant, with a decline of only 5% in 2009. Moreover, our turnover is 4% higher than the first half of 2008.In this period of euphoria that some groups show up to 30% growth, it is important to see what is the basis for comparison. Our results were up 12% over the same period in 2008.

You can find levels of profitability higher than pre-crisis. Your business has changed significantly in two years?

There is a real disconnect between emerging and mature economies. Our sales increased by 6% in mature economies and 30% in emerging which represent 20% "only" the activity of the group, or two thirds of our growth. In twelve months, the distribution of our investments has changed structurally. It went from 50/50 between emerging and mature to 80/20.However, be careful not to bury the mature markets, growth of 6% is good, there are many industries that satisfied with them.

But to give you an example, our sales in China in the first half of 2010 rose 65% and they had also increased last year. China is catching up with the level of industrialized countries in streamlining its industry. There is no excess production capacity. Typically, we have seen closure of four sites steelmakers, grouped into a larger one. The latter now invests in technology and modern capabilities. All the industrial world benefit.

Chemistry, property and equipment, how do you explain that the whole industry registered a sharp improvement in its growth and profitability?

The crisis has hit so hard that companies do not have any choice.They had to rest fundamental questions about their structures, their capacity, so their exposure to market, their management parameters. I think all industries are now much stronger than before the crisis. Faced with problems of liquidity and access to financing, companies have strengthened their balance sheets. Their debts are either stable – for those who invest and continue to grow, it is the case of Air Liquide – is declining.

What do you recommend to stop the loss of competitiveness of French industry?

It is a vast subject. The ideal solutions for the industry have not yet been found in Europe and in different countries. Whether as a planned or coordinated, it seems that Europe has not sufficiently defined what strategies or industrial sectors in which it wants to occupy a leadership position.It means rather the leaders speak on a national solution, which is logical, but we do not have European body for industrial communication, unlike the U.S., China and Japan which are three countries integrated and better than us in the definition of industrial strategy. We are losing a major card: The strength in unity. In addition it must maintain a production base in Europe, since that's where ideas materialize. Without production, we have more innovation, but only for research.

European standards they penalize the industry?

Europe does not want to be a hindrance, but it seems to suffer from the narrowness of the missions that have been determined in different organs. The European Central Bank is there to control inflation while the Fed has a wider role.The European Commission organizes the market, ensures fluidity but has no mandate to make Europe competitive beyond its borders. It does not take sufficient account of the external markets. The European institutions can improve.

What makes you confident for the end of the year and may be beyond?

The resumption of growth projects. Signing of contracts shows that the client is ready to commit and so are we. Every time we sign a contract, we bring a stone to the growth of 2012-2013, or even 2015.

You do not fear a relapse of the economy?

The answer is clear: no. We have seen nothing that points in the first half as a direct risk. Since the crisis, we follow the weekly volume of gas consumed by our customers.In case of "double deep", it would stop producing customers, making maintenance. This is not the case. The situation is normal. It must occur because the world consumes. We are almost out of the zone of turbulence to go toward growth, even if the signal "attached belt" remains lit.

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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 trading hours of that Friday marks a break after it is true, trying for a week to investors. Since Monday, the market has lost more than 5%. Of course, markets will pay close attention to monthly statistics showing employment in the United States which will be unveiled before the opening of Wall Street. But they seem they are already included in the indices, because Wednesday the investigation uncovered ADP than-expected figures for private use.

Thursday came another statistical support with the recent claims of unemployment rose 13,000 to $ 472,000 in the figures as at June 26, while economists on average expected a decline to 452,000 over the figure of 457,000 originally announced. This does not suggest the best for this afternoon.

The CAC 40 displayed an increase of 0.75% within minutes of opening to 3364 points and advanced more moderately by 0.29% to 3349.73 points shortly after noon.

Note that the meeting in Paris will be exceptionally today around 41 values because of two new entities of Accor.

The trend has been better after the session on Wall Street to limit losses. At the close, the Dow Jones lost 0.42% to 9733 points, the Nasdaq was down 0.37% at 2101 points and the S & P 500 drops 0.32% to 1027 points. This has encouraged the European markets to dare a technical rebound this morning. This morning in Asia, also dominated the calm markets.

On the face values, we will therefore:

Bank stocks. The banks borrowed yesterday less cash than expected to the ECB, were reassuring.But, according to the Financial Times, a score of banks would be forced to raise capital after testing resistance. Societe Generale 33.585 to yield 0.84%, BNP Paribas 1.72% to 44.24%, Credit Agricole stabilizes.

Edenred (new name of Accor Services) made its market debut. The award technical reference of the title was set at 11.40 euros, a figure which is located in the lower range of 11-14 euro advanced Tuesday by the chairman of Accor at its general assembly and lower than its During Thursday on the gray market, which was around 12 euros depending on traders. In the first exchanges, the title earned more than 24% to 12.24 euros.

Accor is mishandled and lost 5.18% to 23.420 euros. According to Les Echos, the group is also about to give the caterer Rail Wagons-Lits to French Newrest.Moreover, according to the newspaper, the proposed IPO of Lucien Barriere, another subsidiary of Accor, will be presented to analysts on July 7.

GDF Suez (EUR 22.99 0.86%). Standard & Poor's said on Thursday lowered the outlook notes A/A1 group's "positive" to "stable", judging unlikely that the group achieves and maintains financial circumstances justifying an increase in his notes.

BNP Paribas and BPCE, the parent company of Natixis announced an alliance in consumer credit, which will require the development of a common platform operational from 1 January 2013. The BNP Paribas gained 2.09%. Natixis yield 0.41%.

Schneider (0.59% to 81.37 euros) said Thursday it was in talks with the city of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on the renovation of the city's power grid.The Tribune reported Friday that the group has secured this contract, the newspaper figure at 1.3 billion dollars (1 billion euros).

LVMH (+0.34% at 85.49 euros) is about to acquire a Brazilian company, the leader of the country of the online sales of perfumes and cosmetics.

Beneteau lowered from 17% to 15% of its target revenue growth for fiscal year 2009-2010 within the scope of delays in deliveries of vessels. The builder of sailboats and motorboats, however, confirmed its target of operating profit to 37.5 million for its fiscal year ending in late August. The title resists: he won 3.32% to 11.06 euros.

Is this a declaration of war? A sneak attack against a competitor already criticized from all sides? Rating agency Standard & Poor's announced mid-week she placed the note in its rival Moody's under review with negative implications. Translation: "S & P is considering lowering the rating of its counterpart.

Standard & Poor's predicted an earthquake in the scoring in the United States. She believes that the current reforms on the financial regulation in the United States threatens the business of Moody's. For example, "investors may sue the agencies in the event of fraudulent or reckless notation, notes S & P, which" increased legal costs of Moody's "dramatically," says S & P.

Moody's might also face a drop in sales, ahead its competitor.New laws in effect remove the references to footnotes in regulatory agencies and investors could then no longer need their services.

Black Series

The decision by Standard & Poor's added to the long series of bad news qu'essuient its competitor. In recent months, Moody's has seen some of its former analysts testify against her before the U.S. Senate. One of its main shareholder, billionaire Warren Buffett, has withdrawn in part. And the agency was roundly criticized by some investors for notes attributed too generous to Greece, Portugal or Spain. When she does not suffer from the wrath of authorities for the untimely degradation States Notes.

Logically, these arguments on the ratings business in general, thus also relates to Standard & Poor's."This decision serves as a warning signal for the whole sector," Norbert Gaillard analysis, an economist and specialist agencies. The agencies are so far very profitable, with operating margins (operating income compared to the number of cases) between 30 and 40%.

Concerns about the sector

The agency derives she shot in the foot by publicly expressing concern about the future of its industry? Yes and no. If she criticizes his rival, it is mainly because the turnover of the latter depends on more than 90% of rating business alone. This is not the case of S & P. "She has put in place, long ago, a diversified business model (financial, S & P 500), regulatory reforms under threat," said Norbert Gaillard.

Moody's will be difficult to replicate its rival news: it is not publicly traded, it is backed by a large group, McGraw Hill. And if attacked, S & P will always assert its good faith by recalling that it had downgraded the rating of its own parent a few years ago.

Rakuten weaves its web internationally. After the acquisition last month of the American Buy.com for $ 250 million and the creation of a joint venture with PT Global Mediacom in Indonesia, the leading Japanese e-commerce has announced Thursday it had acquired all of PriceMinister capital for 200 million euros.

The Japanese offered as a place of choice in a market where e-commerce still has the wind in its sails. Online sales have jumped 30% in France in the first quarter of 2010 compared to the same period of 2009, according to figures from the Federation of e-commerce and distance selling (Fevad).

"This acquisition is a significant step towards achieving our goal of creating a global platform on which consumers can shop, whatever their country of origin," said the Japanese group said in a statement.

International ambitions

If Rakuten has big, PriceMinister take this announcement to reaffirm its own ambitions. "While PriceMinister happened since March on the top step of the podium in terms of audience e-commerce in France, we sought to further influence our development," explains Pierre Kosciusko-Morizet, cofounder and CEO of the group, in a statement released Thursday.

The French site, which boasted 11 million members and an offer of nearly 150 million products in March 2010, specifies that the transaction was carried out by the group's European subsidiary, Rakuten Europe. The founders of PriceMinister (Pierre Kosciusko-Morizet, Pierre Krings, Justin Ziegler and Olivier Mathiot) "have a commitment for a minimum of five years to support the development of the brand in France and Europe. A period during which the staff of the group should remain in place.

"Rakuten has experience and expertise unmatched in the field of Internet commerce," says Pierre Kosciusko-Morizet. "By combining our respective strengths, PriceMinister will be able to accelerate its growth in France and Europe." If it is already present in Spain and England, and has successfully diversified its business expanding into areas of real estate , email marketing and online travel, the French group is a featherweight against its Japanese rival.

PriceMinister sold well

Rakuten has nearly 64 million members to date and posted sales worth 3.2 billion dollars (2.5 billion euros) in 2009, the group said. In its statement, the Japanese lifted the veil on the financial results of PriceMinister, a secret that the French site had always managed to keep.

Thus, according to Rakuten, PriceMinister recorded a turnover of 39.9 million euros in 2009 against 38.1 million in 2008 (including sales of the subsidiary car-Mixad 321Auto sold in March 2009). The site has also experienced a slight net loss of 105,000 euros last year. In 2008, this loss had reached 9.4 billion euros. Sold for 200 million euros, five times its revenue, PriceMinister has at least made a good deal.

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Barack Obama called on Congress to pass a fifty billion dollars in new credits. The main objective of this recovery MINIPLAN: avoid elimination by the U.S. states of tens of thousands of civil service jobs. Despite the return of growth since last summer, the financial position of local communities is indeed alarming.

If Washington does not 300,000 as teachers, firefighters and police officers are threatened by new cuts, from California to upstate New York. Some 84,000 civil service jobs have already been eliminated by U.S. states since the beginning of the crisis. "People are suffering. We want the economy continues to grow faster. We want to see an acceleration of job creation, "said David Axelrod, an adviser to Obama.The latter supports the project being developed in the Senate that provides $ 23 billion for the salaries of state officials, in addition to 25 billion dollars to cover the expenses of state health and benefits the poor.

Tax increases and deficit

Other provisions are included in the package the Senate. It is an extension of benefits for long-term unemployed, as well as various tax breaks to municipalities and the research budgets of companies. A portion of these expenses is expected to be financed by tax increases. One concerns some investors in private equity and venture capital funds. But the amount released from the controversial tax planning is estimated at 19 billion dollars cheap pay day loans.The other would affect the oil companies, companies whose popularity is at its lowest because of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Each barrel sample of their offshore platforms is awarded a fee of 41 cents against 8 cents so far.

The use of these funds to increase deficit has attracted serious opposition from Republicans and a growing reluctance on the part of Democrats. The latter, in view of the November parliamentary, are sensitive to anger more and more voters to soaring public debt since the accession of Barack Obama in the White House. "We are tired of spending increases" summarizes Steny Hoyer, leader of the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives.The recent primary elections have shown that conservative fringe of the electorate is mobilized for candidates of a new profile, hostile to public spending.

Republicans, concerned about the danger of massive job losses of teachers and firefighters, insisting that the exceptional aid to states financed by spending cuts in other budget items.

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The law finally approved American finance

After failed negotiations with the British Prudential, the U.S. insurer American International Group (AIG) is considering other alternatives for its subsidiary Asian life insurance, AIA. Among them, the IPO. "We expect AIG to sell AIA is seeking through an IPO, which will take more time to finalize," warned the credit rating agency Standard & Poor's cited by the Tribune on Thursday. However, according to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, citing "sources close" to Generali, the Italian insurer is interested in the activities of IAA in the Philippines and China. A spokesman for Generali questioned by AFP, said he was "very premature to talk about" a possible interest group for those assets.The group expects that "AIG waives the original hypothesis (ie the IPO, Ed)" to position themselves as the problem of prices "which has stopped all candidates" was resolved.

The boss of AIG would have been willing to accept the bid for Prudential

The solution of the IPO remains the preferred solution by AIG. According to most analysts, the rating of AIA could yield 15 billion euros. We are still far from the $ 35 billion U.S. insurer hoped to realize from its sale to Prudential, but it would be a way to wait the U.S. Treasury while giving itself the means of selling activities that will repay the 182 billion dollars spent by Washington to save the U.S. insurer.According to U.S. media, Robert Benmosche was ready to accept the offer from Prudential to 30.4 billion dollars, but the Board of Directors of AIG has opposed.

Check Stock Exchange, AIA could also become an attractive target for other insurers. An analyst of Credit Agricole, the subsidiary of AIG achieves better operating results than those of Prudential Asia (15% against 7%).

Once listed, AIA could recover activities of Prudential

According to the Times, AIA might even win market share if its subsidiary Prudential's Asian operations. The British newspaper even suggests the possibility of recovering AIA activities of Prudential of interest.And again according to the Times, Tidjane could finally keep his post of director general, despite criticism from its shareholders in particular.

Bankers value of AIG's Asian subsidiary of AIG's life insurance between 32 and 36 billion dollars. A range that corresponds to those of Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, respectively, between 32 and 34 billion and $ 34 and $ 36 billion.

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