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The victory was expected, but nonetheless delighted the leaders of Thales Alenia Space. The subsidiary of Thales, 67% owned by him and 33% by Italy's Finmeccanica, has won a lucrative contract for the construction of six European meteorological satellites third generation. The European Space Agency (ESA) made the announcement Friday. The contract amount is not included in the release of Thales, but industry sources estimate it at 1.5 billion euros.

"If the negotiations end with success, management will submit the contract to the committee for industrial policy of ESA for approval and action by member countries participating in the program. What is envisaged for June, "said Agency.The satellites must be in operation from late 2016.

"We are proud to meet the challenge of more ambitious geostationary satellite ever developed in Europe," said CEO of Thales Alenia Space, Reynald Seznec, quoted in the press. Sites of Thales Alenia Space in Cannes and Toulouse, as well as those of OHB in Bremen and Munich will be involved in the project, in "in close cooperation with the German industrialist."

"Forecasts near-real time

These satellites MTG (Meteosat Third Generation) should help predict the weather with greater accuracy. Unlike existing satellite, they will be stabilized in three axes with a set of wheels and will no longer need to turn on themselves, allowing them to operate continuously."The shots will be more frequent," said Donny Aminou, head of MTG instruments to the European Space Agency (ESA) bad credit payday loans . "Plus we have accurate data, the more we improve the accuracy of weather forecasts in near real-time, but in the long term through improved models to better assess what will happen in five or six days, and even make the longer-term data on climatology, "exults the scientist.

The atmosphere can be observed every 10 minutes instead of the current 15, while satellite imagers MTG will provide coverage of Europe every 2.5 minutes. In addition, a lightning detector on board imaging satellites of MTG to see upcoming rainy training.The forecasters can anticipate the time with a margin of error smaller. A rainy period, instead of being announced with a probability of 80%, may for example be 90%.

EADS cringe

Happiness Thales is a natural misfortune of EADS. Astrium, a subsidiary of the European manufacturer dedicated to space systems and services civilians and military, was also in the race. The ESA noted that both bids were "technically good" and lower the amount of the budget imposed. But he explains that he chose the Thales offer because it was cheaper.

This announcement is another setback for the group who had already failed earlier this year another major contract for the European navigation system Galileo satellite, given the small German group OHB. Questioned by AFP, Astrium (EADS) declined to make comment.

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The aerospace supplier Zodiac Aerospace publishes Monday sales down sharply for the first half shifted 2009/2010. In this period, group revenues fell 12.8% to 966.1 million euros against 1.1 billion a year earlier. The Aircraft Systems Segment is the most affected with a decline in turnover from 25.7% to 219.6 million euros due to lower sales in the aviation business.

For group management, however, these results are consistent with expectations. "Despite the economic crisis affects, as expected, with a few months later the entire aviation industry suppliers, the activity of Zodiac Aerospace resists the first half," said a statement.

Signs of improvement have also been detected in the second quarter, when revenues decline by 10.6% was less marked than in the first quarter (-14.9%) guaranteed cash advance . The Group therefore maintains its goal of operating profitability of 8% on the basis of an average euro / dollar of 1.50.

For 2010/2011, Zodiac placed on an improvement "sensitive" to the economic situation, thanks to a recovery in air traffic and the intentions of deliveries of major manufacturers. Management expects a net profit whose development will be consistent with current operating income.

On Monday at the Paris Stock Exchange, the shares closed down 2.04%, to 33.865 euros in a market decline of 0.93%.

From our special correspondent in Stockton (California)

Real estate staggers back to the United States. The improvement of the activity recorded since the spring of 2009 fade. If this trend continues, it is a worrying news for the economic recovery. Recession brutal voyage around the world last year is part of this key sector of activity which the U.S. bubble burst in spring 2006.

Since May 2006, average prices of properties in the U.S. plunged 30%. In some areas the fall was twice as strong. Over the last seven months, however, a rebound was observed: the average value of U.S. homes rose 3%, according to Case-Shiller index.

But signs of relapse increase. In January, for the third consecutive month, sales of new homes fell.During the winter, the United States have returned to the lowest levels ever recorded transaction. In turn, sales of old houses have, against all expectations, plunged in January to the lowest in seven months. "In terms of price … the pace of decline has stabilized yet. However, the recovery observed during the summer of 2009 did not last, "says David M. Blitzer, who calculates the index for Standard & Poor's.

The improvement in 2009 is largely explained by the massive intervention of federal authorities. In capitalist countries, 90% of U.S. mortgages find themselves de facto guaranteed by the Treasury. This is indeed the de facto owner of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two financial institutions specialized in buying and guaranteeing bank loans to housing.These agencies, nationalized in September 2008, received a new mission explicit Obama Administration: "Do everything to ensure that households can not pay their mortgage maturities could stay in their homes."

Uncle Sam has already spent 111 billion dollars to bail out the two institutions. This is just the beginning. Fannie Mae request 15.3 billion dollars more, having announced its tenth consecutive quarterly loss last week.And the bill could be much heavier in the end: quietly, just before Christmas, the Treasury said that the ceiling of direct aid from the federal government $ 200 billion initially set for Fannie and Freddie was up.

The upper classes affected

Another factor supporting the business about to disappear is the tax credit of between $ 6 500 to 8 000 dollars currently available to homebuyers. The purpose of this aid was initially scheduled to last fall. For fear of turning too sharp, these tax incentives were extended until the end of April. Nothing says that the Administration will continue beyond cash advance to savings account .

On the ground, the reality remains difficult for households. The number of properties seized by banks from borrowers who fell into default continues to climb.2.8 million homes have been taken last year. This year, the record will be beaten. The firm RealtyTrac expects 4.5 million seized in 2010. Optimists point to the stabilization of 9.5% "rate of late payment" mortgage loans in the fourth quarter. Still, the continued rise in defaults ending with seizures. The default rate is now higher than 5%. Equally alarming: the sharp deterioration of late payments by households belonging to a class yet considered less risky. The worst wave of default on subprime niche (highly indebted households) is certainly past.But the failure of the wealthier classes at record levels and is now approaching 10%.

This situation is equally problematic for banks whose balance sheets do not fully reflect the rising defaults on U.S. households trapped in unemployment and the collapse of their heritage. "Overall, we believe that U.S. banks have realized that a third of their losses on residential mortgages," said Robert McNatt agency Standard & Poor's.Financial institutions have beautiful long as possible seizures of homes, high unemployment and the proliferation of "strategic flaws" (see glossary below cons) continue to plumb their balance sheets.

GLOSSARY

• Hamp (or Affordable Home Modification Program)

Federal program encouraging banks to reduce rates and lengthen the duration of mortgage loans to households have at least 60 days late payment of their monthly payments.

The Treasury has set aside 75 billion dollars by 2012 to modify loans 3 to 4 million homes and avoid the seizure of their property and their expulsion. For a year, 830 000 borrowers have tried this program on an experimental basis.But 25% are again in arrears.

• Strategic Default

This is a practice that leads borrowers to stop paying their monthly mortgage lenders by personal choice or calculation, and not for reasons of loss of resources. The "strategic failure" is made safer in states like California or Arizona, where the bank can seize the house of the borrower and not its other assets.

• Under Water

For a home, it will return "under water" when the market value of their property has fallen below the amount of his debt to the bank. This applies to almost 10% of households in the United States who have subscribed to a mortgage.

Photo credits: Le Figaro

The blame for the situation that threatens the morale of households and owners who do not sell. Despite lower prices by 4.9% in 2009 and interest rates lower, the French believe that this is not the right time to buy. According to the Ifop survey presented Tuesday by the National Federation of Real Estate (FNAIM), 76% of potential buyers find that prices are too high and 51% it is difficult to obtain credit.

At these fears including rising unemployment, compounded by the lack of property: 60% of potential purchasers can not find property they like. "Many owners receive their property from the market because falling prices have made conditions unfavorable to sellers," admits the Fnaim comprising 13,000 agencies. Only 11% of owners consider that the time is ripe to sell.

600,000 sales in 2010

Despite these very encouraging indicators, Rene Pallincourt, President Fnaim wants to believe. "The crisis is behind us, we are in the period of crisis," says he, adding that this period would be "more or less long. Counting on the sustainability of the tremor recorded in December 2009, he believes in a modest recovery in 2010 which confirmed in 2011.

"There will be no sharp rebound but with low interest rates, purchase conditions improved particularly for households with incomes of about 3,000 euros. More buyers have incorporated that prices will fall more and the period of speculation on the price decline is over, "explains Fnaim. For her, the prices will undergo changes from -3% to +3%, while the value of property in the affected employment areas or remote areas may still fall.

Rene Pallincourt remains optimistic and expects a global increase in sales in 2010. If estimated at 550,000 the total number of transactions in France in 2009, he expects 600,000 in 2010. Estimates superior to those of notaries and the branch network Century 21.

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