US & World News

Standard & Poor's on Tuesday cut score of 15 large banking groups, mainly in Europe and the United States as a result of a major review of its rating criteria.

In total, the U.S. agency has reviewed the status of 37 major global banks. In particular, it confirmed the notes of BNP Paribas and Societe Generale."The lowering of S & P both on European and U.S. banks has undermined confidence in the markets," said Terry Pratt, IG Markets.

"This decision has overshadowed the progress made in Brussels on the issue of scaling the EFSF."

Another analyst, Guy Lebas of Janney Montgomery Scott, said that these banks will see their funding costs rise.

This month, officials from S & P indicated that they would gradually announce the ratings updated for more than 750 banking companies in the world, starting with the principal. New announcements are expected in the coming weeks.

For large banks, the rating adjustments are larger than S & P has provided for the entire industry.

This bonus is 150 euros for a single person and 320 euros for a couple.

The Christmas bonus paid to recipients of certain social minima, as RSA, will be repeated in December 2011, announced Monday the Minister of Solidarity and Social Cohesion Roselyne Bachelot. "I can confirm that the Christmas bonus will be paid. This represents 380 million euros for the most vulnerable," said the Minister during the launch of the 27th winter campaign of Eating Heart in Paris. "For a single person, that's about 150 euros paid in the coming days and for a family with two children, 320 euros," said Ms Bachelot.

In 2010, the Christmas bonus had been paid to the beneficiaries including the RSA (active solidarity income) and those of the SSA (specific solidarity allowance, paid to certain unemployed at the end of law). She was concerned 1.7 million beneficiaries.The Christmas bonus was awarded for the first time in 1998 by the Jospin government under pressure from movements of the unemployed who have been demanding for years that it is substantially increased and the scope of its beneficiaries is expanded.

The Education Minister Luc Chatel announced that from February 2012, teachers begin their careers at the minimum wage of 2000 euros gross. About 100 euros per month. Insufficient effort according to FSU. The Education Minister Luc Chatel

Beginning teachers will start their career with a salary in excess of 2000 euros gross in February 2012, which is a "symbolic" of crossed, said Thursday the Minister of Education, Luc Chatel. "The symbolic threshold of 2,000 euros early career will be taken from 1 February 2012," said the minister during a speech at the end of his visit to the Education Fair in Paris. Beginning teachers had already received a gesture of Mr. Chatel in March 2010, so compared to "1690 euros in 2007," the rise of their gross salary is "18% in five years," the Minister added.

Right in the debate on a more vigorous European Central Bank (ECB) in the rescue of the euro, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union said it had "the potential" to resolve the debt crisis. ECB

The U.S. ambassador to the European Union suggested Tuesday that the European Central Bank had the "potential" to do more to resolve the debt crisis in the euro zone, while the debate rages in Europe on this issue. "We are following with keen attention that the European Central Bank is able to do and the potential it has to do more" to the crisis, said William Kennard, in a meeting with some journalists in Brussels.Many economists believe that only the ECB is now able to effectively firefighters to extinguish the fire and should follow the example of the Federal Reserve (Fed). The U.S. central bank acts as "lender of last resort" for the administration by buying unlimited market U.S. Treasury bonds.

"At the peak of the (financial) crisis that we experienced (USA), we were able to use the Fed in a manner different from that in which Europe can use the ECB. It s' acts of a fundamental structural difference, "said the ambassador. Mr. Kennard said would not know how to change the debt crisis. "The outcome of this crisis is quite unpredictable, we do not know how it will be resolved and I think nobody knows," he said.

Ahold announced Monday a series of measures to accelerate growth, new cost cuts and a boost to the dividend, the Dutch retailer hoping to convince investors of the strength of his model.

While the group has performed better than its commercial rivals in recent quarters, as Ahold trades at a discount to many other names in the industry, because of the feeling that the company is too exposed to low growth markets.

Ahold, owner of the first supermarket chain in the Netherlands Albert Heijn, produces some 60% of its sales in the U.S., with retailers Stop & Shop, Giant-Landover and Giant-Carlisle.

The company last week released the results better than expected in the third quarter with a 5% increase in earnings, rising food prices and market share gains have boosted sales despite difficult market conditions .

Among the measures included in a presentation to investors, including the group intends to triple its online sales, to 1.5 billion euros, and open at least 150 stores over the next five years.

Specifically, Ahold wants to open at least 50 supermarkets in Belgium after the results of two test stores already established in the country.

European shares were down in early trade Friday, the pressure on interest rates fueling fears that some fragile countries in the euro zone no longer be able to refinance at an affordable cost.

At 9:03, Paris passed under the 3000 points and lost 0.83% to 2985.19 points.

At the same moent, London lost 0.95%, Frankfurt and Milan 0.83% 0.73%. The Euro Stoxx 50 index of the principal values ​​of the euro gave up 0.69%.

The Spanish 10-year rate rose above 7% (7.11%) and Italy's is 6.94% while the German Bund yield the same maturity is around 1.87% and that of the French OAT around 3.6%.

Boeing said Thursday that the Indonesian airline Lion Air was about to sign an agreement for the purchase of 201 737 MAX 29 and 737-900 for a total, based on list prices, from 21.7 billion dollars (16 billion euros).

"This transaction, when finalized, will be the largest order of civil aircraft in the history of Boeing, both in value and number of aircraft ordered," said a statement from the U.S. aircraft manufacturer.

He adds that the agreement with Lion Air, Indonesia's largest airline, also has rights to purchase 150 additional aircraft.

Boeing said that U.S. President Barack Obama will attend the signing ceremony for the purchase of 230 aircraft.

Like the A320neo from the A320, the MAX 737 is the version of 737 for fuel savings. The first copies should be delivered in 2017.

The economic downturn continued in September in the major economies, particularly Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Brazil, show OECD leading indicators published Monday.

Declined for the sixth consecutive month, the leading indicators are below the 100 – which distinguishes the increase in lower activity – in most countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Japan, the United States and Russia are the only three countries where the leading indicators remain above that level.

The CLI for the OECD area as a whole declined to 100.4 in September from 100.9 in August to 101.4 in July.

The G7 folds 100.6 after 101.1.

France announced Thursday it had called for an investigation to the European financial markets and the AMF after transmission error by Standard & Poor's a message on its sovereign rating.

The Minister of Finance, Baroin said he asked regulators to investigate the causes and possible consequences of the mistake, which he described as "quite shocking rumor of information that do not match any foundation".

"We will not leave any negative message through. It was a strategy, we have an appointment in terms of deficits that is fixed.It will not change one iota, "he said in Lyon on the sidelines of a conference of the economy.

Standard & Poor's has sent a message to some clients who might suggest that the rating of France had been changed.

The rating agency said in a statement that following a technical error, a message was automatically sent to some subscribers suggesting that the credit rating of France had been changed.

"This is not the case notes of the French Republic are AAA/A-1 + with a stable outlook, and this incident is not related to any monitoring activity notes," she said. "We are investigating to determine the cause of this error."

Euro Disney said Wednesday it has widened its annual net loss due to deterioration in the profitability of its property development activities and increased its costs.

The operator of Disneyland Paris has recorded for the year 2011, ended September 30, a consolidated net loss of 63.9 million euros, against 45.2 million last year.

Its annual turnover to 1.297 billion, increased by 1.8%, tourism growing by 4.9% to 1.275 billion while the real estate development saw its sales drop 62.4% to 22.5 million, reflecting a major assignment.

Parks attendance reached 15.6 million visitors, 600.