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In Tokyo, Fillon praised the "rigor" French

From our special correspondent in Tokyo

François Fillon has dropped the word naturally. He who rejects the word rigor in Paris, finally telling the truth in Tokyo. "Of all the state budgets, the only one who is not subject to discipline is that of Higher Education and Research, argues the prime minister, at the turn of a sentence imposed before an audience of five hundred Japanese businessmen and under the approving glance of Christine Lagarde.

True to his outspokenness, the Minister of Economy has not taken greater care to reassure the business community Nippon concerned about turmoil in Europe since the sinking of the Greek economy. "There is not in France, I can assure you of hidden deficits. We have a package of structural deficits, but our accounts are audited very seriously, "warned the owner of Bercy.What has been told to François Fillon not without humor: "Unfortunately, there is no hidden revenue either!"

The European austerity plans discussed at length

He came to Japan to reassure businessmen and Japanese bankers, Francois Fillon has long defended the austerity plans implemented in the euro area. The European currency crisis causes, in fact, Japan concern and uncertainty about the strength of the European Union. The major daily newspaper Nikkei has made his One, two days ago, the 30% decline in investment in the euro countries during the first half of 2010 faxless cash advance.

"I understand that, seen from Asia, our operations can sometimes be difficult to perceive and understand.But Japan's national interest is not to turn away from the euro, "Francois Fillon urged by recalling that Europe is" the great market of the developed world with 500 million consumers. Incidentally, he ditch tackle the Anglo-Saxon does not deliver, he says, a "balanced view of the success of the European Union" and invited his audience to read the German press and French.

Before leaving Tokyo, Francois Fillon met with his counterpart Naoto Kan. In addition to macroeconomic issues, the two men discussed several issues of the Franco-Japanese: nuclear, automotive and aerospace.Weakened by his recent defeat in the senatorial elections, the center-left prime minister of Japan can not implement as it sees the budget and tax reforms that could reduce Japan's debt, too colossal.

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KKR moves from NYSE Euronext

Three years after its rival, Blackstone, and especially after three years of unsuccessful attempts, KKR was thus introduced for the first time at the New York Stock Exchange Thursday. Initially, the U.S. investment fund and private equity had planned to enter the market on Wall Street one month after Blackstone, but the crisis had decided otherwise. KKR, which was delisted from Euronext Amsterdam on Wednesday, offers no new action at this time, but plans to issue 500 million shares, according to market developments.

Valued at $ 7.1 billion in stock, as the closing price on Wednesday (up 2.9%), against 26 billion in the summer of 2006, KKR could see its market capitalization rise to $ 9.2 billion , according to analysts at Rabobank.They believe that after Blackstone's IPO in New York a second heavyweight private equity could galvanize investor interest and emulation.

Redeploy the firm

After the resignation of Jerome Kohlberg (the second "K" "KKR") in 1987, shares Henry Kravis (the first "K" "KKR") and his cousin George Roberts (the "R" of "KKR ") amounted to 13% for each of the company, which manages 55 billion in assets and employs 600 people. All employees of KKR a stake in the capital.

The two founders of U.S. private equity group hoping through the IPO to ensure that KKR will become less sensitive to cycles of uncertain LBO (leveraged buyout or takeover of a company through debt). This is why they are working on a redeployment of the firm towards the profession of investment banking.The question is whether investors will be convinced.

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Lagarde freeze gas prices

The Regulatory Commission (CRE) had just agreed to the request of GDF Suez to raise gas prices as of July 1. They grow by 4.7%, bringing the increase to nearly 15% since the beginning of the year. Although this further increase was expected, the household energy bill begins to weigh.

However, Christine Lagarde, Minister of Economy, warned Friday that gas prices will not move until 1 January. Consumers will escape upwards so that additional sketched already by 1 October – the price revision is now making quarterly.

The "pause" as required by the Minister is made on behalf of a review of the formula currently allows GDF Suez to calculate its rates. In spring, the regulator had already begun an audit. It will therefore continue, before the drawing, probably new method of calculation.Knowing that GDF Suez is currently conducting a number of renegotiations with producer countries. "I hope that the CRE do an audit of this formula because I'm quite surprised at the speed of execution and I wish that as a result of this audit, we determine if the formula is good," said Christine Lagarde Friday on France Inter.

"The current tariff is not obsolete, but it can be optimized," says one expert dossier.In discussion, the long-term contracts underlying the supply of GDF Suez (with key suppliers such as Russia, Algeria and Norway), while the spot price of gas fall very weakly into account in calculating the formula.

The government takes the hand

"On a more general issue is whether to continue to index the price of oil on gas prices, even though overproduction of gas worldwide has resulted in a fall prices, "says one expert. However, increased consideration of market prices in the establishment of the formula may increase the volatility of rates. In all cases, the balance is difficult to find.

For the government, the record price of gas remains thorny.Early this year he thought he had found a solution by entrusting exclusively to the regulator, on the proposal of GDF SUEZ, the task of settling. But after two significant increases in quick succession, the government, well aware of the unpopular side of the increases among the public, are now forced to return to the game

The Paris Bourse is expected to remain down

New session of decline in perspective the Paris Stock Exchange on Wednesday. If investors follow the Parisian trend driven by Asia this morning, there is little chance to see the CAC 40 bounced in the opening. On Tuesday, the key index in Paris had a meeting very heckled, opening in early fall and then increasing its losses during the session. The reopening of Wall Street after a holiday and good U.S. macroeconomic indicators have helped limit the damage: ACC ended the session on a drop of 0.13%.

But concerns over the resumption of economic growth have resurfaced after the announcement of bad statistics on inflation and real estate in China. A price increase in this sector is feared the creation of a bubble whose consequences could be worse than those of U.S. subprime, according to some economists.

Incidentally, the euro fell to its lowest level in four yesterday during the meeting. On Wednesday, investors will keep an eye on the promises of home sales in April and May auto sales in the United States.

The bank will try to resume

As for values, banking and insurance will be expected once the turn. Very disciplined yesterday, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, Societe Generale and Axa will attempt the ascent. In particular they should react to the press conference European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Commissioner for Financial Services, Michel Barnier and economic affairs commissioner, Olli Rehn, the Financial Services No fax pay day loan.The commissioners will present a Green Paper on economic reform of the EU favors a reorganization of the governance of financial institution.

Areva and Siemens would be in the sights of the European Commission according to the Figaro. An expedited procedure against the French and German can be launched for infringement of competition law. This decision falls within the framework of the divorce between the two groups.

This opens in Paris on Wednesday that the trial of Jean-Marie Messier, nearly eight years after his ouster from the chairmanship of Vivendi Universal (VU). The former boss will have to account for its management of media and communications group.

Bouygues has raised its revenue for 2010. Tuesday, the group released an operating profit of 162 million euros in first quarter 2010 and a net profit group share of 181 million euros.The group also indicated that the proposed tram-train the meeting had been finally buried.

EDF said Tuesday that its proposed acquisition of shares from several shareholders of the second Belgian electrician SPE-Luminus, which will own 63.5% of the capital after the transaction was negotiated on the basis of a price 215 million

L'Oreal said it has acquired a new provider of hair salons in the United States for an unspecified amount.

PSA Peugeot Citroen holds its general meeting this Wednesday. Philippe Varin, chief of the manufacturer has to convince shareholders of its development strategy in Asia.

Goldman Sachs accused of deceiving customers

From our Washington correspondent

Goldman Sachs has managed to earn 3.7 billion dollars in betting, starting in 2007, the collapse of the mortgage-market. In doing so, the giant Wall Street acted against the interest of some of its customers, which it sold securities that he knew "toxic". This is the conclusion, after months of investigation, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the U.S. Senate.

Tuesday, during public hearings stretched on Capitol Hill, Lloyd Blankfein, the head of the giant Wall Street, has categorically denied these allegations."We do not speculate massively downward in the housing market and we certainly do not bet against our clients," he was forbidden under the spotlight, saying that even on the mortgage-market, Goldman Sachs has lost about $ 1.2 billion in 2007-2008.

"Nobody in the management of Goldman Sachs has never asked me to bet on a decline in the subprime market," added before skeptical senators, Joshua Birnbaum, the former head of structured products of the bank, also on the bench defendants.

Convinced otherwise, armed with emails and internal documents seized in the bank, the debonair Senator Carl Levin, glasses pavement at the end of his nose, led a determined assault Tuesday. But the chairman of the committee was confronted with a wall.He vainly tried to tell the past and present officials of Goldman Sachs called before him (including one French employee), how could they believe in the quality of debt issued by mortgage lenders whose reputation was terrible. Receivables classified as "business of shit" in an email exchange between two bank officials. "How many of these" affairs of shit "did you sell to your customers? asked, exasperated, Senator Levin. You've sold hundreds of millions. "

Bankers Daniel Sparks and Michael Swenson, impassive without being arrogant, but obviously confident of the merits of their point of view, seemed not to understand or what they asked or what they were charged.They also questioned the methods of calculating profits of Goldman Sachs selected by the committee.

Battle of Senate proceedings

According to Senator Levin, the investment bank has yet actually decided in late 2006 to a major cleanup of its accumulated risk on securities backed by the real estate markets whose collapse loomed. By discipline, to limit its risks and if possible in the hope of profiting from the trend, the bank had sold to investors and deliberately chosen for their credulity his titles too "toxic"."We have not been systematically and significantly" net short position "on derivatives of residential mortgages in 2007 and 2008," replied Lloyd Blankfein.

Meanwhile in the Senate floor, Democratic leaders and Republicans arguing over procedural votes before engaging in substantive debate on the reform of Wall Street. The Conservatives want by all means restrict the scope of Democrat Bill before it is submitted to a plenary debate in the room. A compromise is always likely, because both parties want to correct the excesses that precipitated the financial crisis.But the Republican minority wants to take his time, while Democrats want to take this case Goldman Sachs to prohibit such banks with access to the discount window the Fed to speculate on their own account.

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Goldman Sachs sued for fraud related to subprime

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. stock market watchdog, said it had initiated proceedings for fraud against Goldman Sachs. The U.S. bank would have hid crucial facts about financial products affected by the subprime crisis. Fraud concerns the structuring of CDOs ("collateralized debt obligations) linked to subprime subprime.

Goldman Sachs action was immediately heavily impacted by this lawsuit.Around 17h35, the title fell by almost 14% to 160.3 dollars, bringing in its wake many financial stocks and the major world indices no fax pay day loans.

The SEC accused the bank and one of its vice-presidents, Fabrice Tourre to have misled investors by concealing important facts about the financial product concerned, while the U.S. housing market began to deteriorate.

At 15h GMT, Goldman Sachs yielded 9.7%. The KBW index of U.S. banking sector shrank at the same time 3.5% and the Stoxx European sector gave up 1.8%.

Wall Street widened its losses, the Standard & Poor's 500 yielding 1%.

The Dow Jones closed at 11,000 points beyond

Wall Street started the week in near balance, then moved into the green early interactions. An increase, however fragile, while the budget deficit emerged in sharp decline in March, to 65.4 billion. A decrease of 65% yoy. Analysts were expecting a lower deficit.

At the close, the Dow Jones climbed 0.09%, the Nasdaq is 0.16% and the S & P 500 of 0.18%.

This slight increase still leaves the Dow Jones crossed the symbolic threshold of 11,000 points. The index reached 22 hours, 11,006 points. A first since September 2008. And the S & P reach almost 1200 points to 1197 points exactly.

The U.S. stock markets have recently experienced six consecutive weeks of increases, an unprecedented series from the lowest 12 years and a half touchdowns in March 2009.On the foreign exchange market, the euro is rising against the dollar after the announcement yesterday by the countries of the eurozone plan the details of aid to Greece.

Oil prices fell for the fourth consecutive session, still affected by an abundant supply and low demand in the United States.On the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), a barrel of light sweet crude for May delivery finished at 84.34 dollars, down 58 cents from the previous day.

Indicators to follow this week

On the macroeconomic front, the week will be marked by several important indicators such as the index of consumer prices, retail sales for the month of March, industrial production, housing starts and the first estimate of the index Reuters confidence-Michigan.

The markets will also follow the hearing of Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, the Congressional Joint Economic Committee on Wednesday and will monitor closely developments in the case of the Greek debt.

Alcoa opens the ball Publications

Palm jumped 17.05%.The group was mandated to advise the banks to sell its business or other opportunities, according to news agencies.

On the side of values, the oil industry runs the meeting. Friday Chevron (1.22%, to 80.43 dollars), without giving a figure, has announced an increase its refining margins in the first quarter. The group takes advantage of the rising oil prices and a possible improvement in its refining margins.The major U.S. must publish its accounts on April 30.

According to the press, the merger between United Airlines and U.S. Airways (2.73%, to 7.52 dollars) should be performed exclusively by exchange of shares.

The Department of Treasury of the United States announced plans to sell at auction in six weeks, before the end of May, the warrants of Wells Fargo shares were granted during the salvage of the bank in the fall 2008.

Microsoft has unveiled a new phone especially for the youth market of social networking fans, called KIN, developed with Verizon Wireless and Vodafone and manufacturer Sharp.

ConocoPhillips has announced the sale of its Chinese Sinopec stake in Canadian oil sands project Syncrude for $ 4.65 billion dollars.

Just after the close, investors have taken note of the first quarterly results of major public companies. As usual, the aluminum giant Alcoa, which gave the start of the season publications. Analysts expected a return to profit, its first since a year.

Meanwhile, Alcoa shares have been 1.39%, to 14.59 dollars.

The coming week will also be driven by quarterly results from Intel, Google, General Electric and JPMorgan Chase & Co. banks among others.

"Caution should be clear," says Aurel, who says that "the discourse of business remain positive on the merits but there are risks of disappointment on margins or unit on a possible downturn in order books in the coming months." The industry, raw materials, financials and semiconductors are the sectors most at risk.However, the agri-food sector, distribution or energy values could pleasantly surprise.

The Paris markets to finish the balance

Caution and reluctance on Tuesday at the Paris Bourse. The CAC 40 ended marginally in green, up 0.15% at 3612.76 points, after a gain of 1.22% to 3607 points on Monday. The wait is placing on the European markets. In London, the Footsie closed up 0.38% to 5111.84 points while in Frankfurt the Dax finished at equilibrium, nibbling 0.24% to 5498.26 points

The markets are eagerly awaiting the meeting of European heads of state on Thursday. They could announce measures to help Greece out of the crisis. A prospect that delighted investors."If markets anticipate real risk of restrictive fiscal policy, growth in coming years will be reduced to decrease with an increase in taxation and / or a reduction in state spending, but analysts fear of Aurel.

In addition to the annual report of the Court of Auditors, the macroeconomic news is strong in the rest of Europe, the German export growth of 3% on the month in December, data adjusted for seasonal variations, and 3 , 4% yoy, according to the Federal Statistics Office Destatis.

The euro stood up against the greenback, going above $ 1.37. One hour of closing, the euro bought 1.3762 dollars against 1.3648 dollars Monday to 23 hours.The extreme volatility is enormous and paris.

Renault with Nissan looking

Unibail-Rodamco (-5.48% to 145.65 euros) has announced a recurring net profit per share rose 7.1% to 9.19 euros and foresees for 2010 a growth of that income between 0% and 2 % low fee payday advance . The group proposed a dividend increase of 6.7% compared to 2008.

The heavyweights of the Paris stock exchange, such as Sanofi-Aventis (-0.62%), EADS (-1.03%) or Total (-0.83%), the largest market capitalization of France, are still at trend.

Vallourec (+3.41%) is supported by an increase in recommendation and price target from JP Morgan.

The banking stocks such as BNP Paribas (+2.4%) and Societe Generale (2.84%), are well oriented.

Nissan, the Japanese partner Renault (+3.20% at 33.68 euros), plans to conduct in 2009-2010, a profit of 35 billion yen, against a loss of 40 billion previously expected.

Moreover, Carrefour (+1.35%) receiving a positive note from Morgan Stanley.

Euro Disney (-4.22% to 4.54 euros) announces revenues for the first quarter of 2009/2010 financial year fell by 10.5% to 292 million euros.

Faurecia (-3.50% to 13.78 euros) has reduced its net loss in 2009 to 433.6 million euros against a loss of 574.8 million in 2008, and wants to pursue cost reductions in 2010, where it is an "operating margin of over 200 million euros.

New stall the euro under $ 1.36

The euro fell Friday to its lowest level for eight months and a half. The single currency goes on its third session decline from under 1.36 dollars, after passing down the threshold of 1.38 dollars the previous day (Thursday evening about 22 hours). It reached 1.3648 dollars around 9 am 30. It's a new level for the single currency since May 9

Since the beginning of the year, the euro lost 2.5%.

This drop is explained in particular by the concern of traders due to budgetary problems of many countries in the euro area. Many expect a strong intervention of Europe and even appealed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help Greece to get out of a budget crisis without precedent.

Another concern is about the euro on the currency market, the case of Spain, which has poorly digested crisis including an unemployment rate of nearly 20%.Besides Dominique Strauss-Kahn, IMF head, spoke Thursday on RTL crisis "very strong in Spain and that the country had" an effort "to reduce public deficits. The Spanish public debt has soared just over 60% of GDP in 2010 while in 2007 it accounted for only 36.2% of GDP.

Tuesday, Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize in Economics in 2008, believed that Spain was the main weakness in the euro area. To this the Spanish Minister of Economic Affairs, Elena Salgado, has responded Thursday by saying on the radio station La Cope: "The euro is a very strong and we continue to strengthen the currency.I see absolutely no risk for the euro area, "adding," there may be a lack of understanding about what the euro means for our economy. "

Another country in the euro area is also starting to worry, Portugal, again because of deteriorating public finances of the country. Besides the titles of Portuguese banks fell by 5 to 6% Thursday on the Lisbon Stock Exchange.

Another destabilizing factor for the euro, the figures disappointing U.S. employment have sealed the European currency. The unemployment rate has been declining at 9.7% in the United States, against 10% in December. But most companies have dismissed that hiring, the net destruction of reaching the 20,000 jobs over the month. A figure who has largely disappointed observers. The analysts, in fact, had forecast between 5,000 and 15,000 new jobs.

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Nuclear Seoul wins contract for UAE

The decision should not intervene before the first quarter of 2010. A consortium of South Korean and U.S., led by the public company Korea Electric Power Corp., won a contract for $ 20.4 billion to build nuclear plants in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The latter will thus become the first Gulf Arab country to generate electricity by nuclear energy.

The agreement was signed in the presence of President of UAE, Sheikh Khalifa Al Nahyan, and his South Korean counterpart, Lee Myung-bak, visited Abu Dhabi on Sunday, said the official news agency Wam.

The winning consortium includes, in addition to KEPCO, the South Korean companies including Samsung, Hyundai, Doosan Heavy Industries, but the U.S. group Westinghouse and Japan's Toshiba.It will include the support "of the design, construction and support the operation of four nuclear power plants" of 1,400 megawatts each, according to a statement from the UAE Agency of Nuclear Energy, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation ( ENEC), quoted Wam.

In competition with a French consortium

In Seoul, the South Korean Ministry of Economy said that the consortium led by KEPCO has signed a contract worth 40 billion dollars in total, adding that besides the $ 20 billion announced Sunday in Abu Dhabi, a second contract 20 billion dollars would follow for the operation of these four plants.

A UAE official said however that "a contract for the operation of four nuclear power plants has not been assigned yet", referring to the second tranche of 20 billion dollars.

The South Korean consortium, which consisted originally KEPCO, Samsung and Hyundai, was competing with a French consortium led by EDF, GDF, Areva and Total and US-Japan alliance consisting of General Electric and Hitachi. The French had originally been donated favorites. The tender was for the construction of two to six nuclear reactors of the third generation in the richest of the seven members of the federation of UAE. Contacted by Figaro.fr, Areva refused to comment at any time.

Construction should begin in 2012 and "the first reactor will be operational in 2017, had then said the Director General the ENEC, Mohamed Al-Hammadi.