US & World News

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.

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.

BASF, the world leader in chemistry in terms of sales, announced Thursday a quarterly profit above expectations, but warned that its growth was slowing, clients sell their stocks.

"BASF's customers are more cautious, reduce inventory and postpone some of their orders in hopes of a possible drop in prices," explains the German group said in a statement.

Operating profit (EBIT) fell 11.3% to 1.96 billion euros, while analysts polled by Reuters anticipate an average of 1.89 billion euros.

The quarterly revenue was up 11.6% to 17.6 billion euros, according to consensus.

BASF has confirmed that the CAand EBIT adjusted for taxes on oil would experience a significant increase this year.

"However, growth slowed further over the first half of 2011. We expect this trend to continue in the fourth quarter," warns the group.

The members of the G20 meeting in Paris should acknowledge the commitment of Europeans Saturday to introduce in the next few days a package of measures to restore stability in the euro area, amid fears over the health of the global economy.

France and Germany have promised to present at the European Summit of 23 October a plan to recapitalize banks, responding to the situation worse than expected in Greece, increasing the firepower of the European financial stability and reforming the governance of the euro area.

"We will over the coming days to continue our discussions but we already have on contractual agreements that will be very important," said French Finance Minister, Baroin, after a meeting Friday with his German counterpart Wolfgang Schäuble and Nicolas Sarkozy.

Meanwhile, European leaders are putting added pressure on banks to force them to recapitalize and enable them to withstand greater losses than expected on the sovereign debt of the most fragile area.

The European plan will be included in a series of commitments that will be announced at the summit of Heads of State and Government of the G20 3 and 4 November in Cannes, which will close the French presidency of the Forum of 20 major economies.

Many measures discussed by finance ministers and central bankers of the G20 meeting in Paris on Friday and Saturday were referred to this deadline.

SUMMIT OF CANNES

In Paris, important steps were expected Saturday on the reduction of major global financial and economic imbalances, a priority for the French Presidency, with the objective that the seven countries identified as major sources of the imbalances present in Cannes "two or three significant steps "in this sense.

"We need fiscal consolidation measures for countries in excessive deficit and measures to support global activity for those who have surplus," explained a French source before the meeting.

According to an official of the G20 countries, the Chinese have thus expressed their readiness to "ensure that growth in China does not slow down, even if there is a risk of inflation through expansionary fiscal policy."

No major breakthrough is expected, however in Paris on the Chinese currency, the yuan, which the strict control by Beijing is considered one of the major causes of global imbalances.

The "path integration" of the yuan in the currency basket of Special Drawing Rights International Monetary Fund, a discussion underpinned by the loosening of the Chinese currency, is among the priorities of Cannes, with the objective of A schedule.

BANK CASH

The draft G20 communique obtained by Reuters Finance reaffirms that its members will ensure that banks have sufficient liquidity, in particular through central banks, as they undertook to do at the recent G7 Finance in Marseille.

The debate on the proposed increase of IMF resources, defended by almost all emerging G20 but faces opposition from the United States and Japan, will also resume in Cannes.

Discussions were still Saturday on whether to publish the list of banks considered to be running in size a systemic risk the global financial system, where the G20 should agree on capital surcharges.Again, final decisions will be taken in Cannes.

"Principles" for emerging economies suffering from speculative capital movements must also be finalized for the upcoming summit of the G20, to help control these flows in order to avoid destabilization of the economy.

Investors weary of the impact of the crisis in the euro area financial markets will have something else to put in their mouths this week: the results of business.

As each "earnings season" quarterly, the aluminum producer Alcoa, which will open the ball, his numbers are expected in the third quarter after the close of Wall Street Tuesday.

Business performance and prospects announcing they are considered an important barometer of the state of the global economy and are also likely to give an indication of the impact of the crisis in the euro area on profits companies.

But, having risen sharply over the whole of last week, Wall Street may have difficulty continuing to rise even if corporate earnings are better than expected.

Technical analysts have said in effect that the moving average of 50 days S & P 500, currently at 1178 points, could represent a significant resistance.

In the past week, the S & P benchmark for fund managers, has gained 2.1% to 1155.46 points, buoyed by the feeling that European leaders are now determined to solve the problems of their banks weakened by the debt crisis.

Nicolas Sarkozy traveled to Berlin on Sunday for talks with Angela Merkel of crisis, with a priority to overcome their differences on how to recapitalize European banks.

"Over the next three weeks, attention will focus on results – even if the situation in Europe will always be present in people's minds," said Ken Polcari, an analyst at ICAP Equities.

In addition to Alcoa, next week will also see the results of PepsiCo, Google, JPMorgan Chase and Mattel.

CONSERVATIVE ANALYST ESTIMATES

In light of the debt crisis of the area, but also signs announcing a slowdown in the global economy, many corporate earnings forecasts were revised downward by analysts in recent months .

"The forecast for the quarter just ended were very conservative so there are chances that companies do at least as well as the consensus," said Marc Pado, technical analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald.

In terms of macroeconomic indicators, market players expect including the minutes of the last meeting of the Federal Reserve, retail sales for the month of September and the feeling of households for the month of October, according to Index Thomson Reuters / University of Michigan.

The latest U.S. statistics have been rather better than expected, which has banished the specter of a return to recession in the United States and contributed to the rebound on Wall Street last week.

But, and this also applies to any positive impression left by the business results, although some indicators of the coming week confirm this trend, the positive effect could be negated if further deterioration of the debt crisis the euro area.

Canal + has breached commitments made at the acquisition of TPS, said Wednesday the Competition Authority, which withdraws the decision to authorize the transaction and places the encrypted string in a difficult position even as the authorities are looking at its stake in the TV division of Bolloré.

Vivendi's subsidiary is accused of several violations by the Authority of the 59 commitments made in 2006, some considered "essential", what prompted the regulator to decide on the first withdrawal of authorization in its history, plus a fine of 30 million euros.

The Authority one month left to the parties concerned to inform him of the operation again, which would be studied on a new basis.

"We will put everything flat.The authorization of 2006 no longer exists.We will discuss again all under the market situation today, "said Bruno Lasserre, President of the Authority, at a press conference.

The regulator could start by redefining the characteristics of the market affected by the operation, by drawing a border more or less clearly between the segments of pay television and free.

With a dominant position in pay TV, Canal + is a relatively small player in the free.

"There is no doubt that we will do a thorough review of this matter," whose outcome is likely to be one of two options: allow the operation by asking for new commitments to Canal +, or give a green light by imposing unilateral orders, said Bruno Lasserre.

Canal +, for its part that it would initiate action against that decision, saying it "is of course not possible to challenge a merger nearly five years."

The pay-TV may request that the State Council an interim order to suspend the regulator's decision, giving the necessary time to the State Council to rule on the merits of the case.

CONCESSIONS

The regulator's decision comes as the acquisition of a 60% of Canal + in the television division of the Bolloré group – which includes the general channel Direct 8 Direct Star and music, as well as advertising – is waiting for the green light authorities.

"Channel is clearly in a dominant position in the pay and instead abused.Now he wants to go in the free, "said one media analyst who declined to be named.

"I do not think that this decision will undermine the 'deal' with the GST or cancel Bolloré, but all this will lead to new commitments by Canal in both the paid and free."

Canal + has struck a blow in early September by announcing the takeover of two DTT channels free of Bolloré, a process seen by experts as a threat to TF1 and M6, and is expected to reshuffle the cards in the French media landscape .

If it is validated, the transaction would enable Canal Plus to have a total of three free channels on DTT counting i> Télé, making par with TF1, owner of NT1 and TMC, and distancing M6, W9 holder.

The subsidiary of Vivendi, however, could be asked of concessions by regulatory authorities, because the regulations up to seven the number of possible frequencies for the TNT group. However, the acquisition of Direct 8 Direct Star and bringing to eight the total channels of Canal +, not counting its draft free channel called Canal20.

Examination of the application and Direct 8 Direct Star will be done separately from that of the GST case, but delays are likely to be concurrent, around six months, said Bruno Lasserre.The Authority, he added, has not received any notification for the time of Canal + Group for the second file.

Much criticized for his handling Simois since the earthquake and the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Naoto Kan throws in the towel. Naoto Kan waives his salary as prime minister of Japan as the nuclear crisis is not over.

Japanese Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, said Friday his resignation from the chairmanship of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ, in power) and his departure next week of the government. "Today (Friday), I resigned from my position as party chairman," he told MPs the DPJ. "Once a new president is elected, I will give up right away my prime minister and my government resign."

DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada, confirmed that the election of the successor of Naoto Kan will take place Monday morning. The winner will be elected prime minister, probably the next day by Parliament.In Japan, the president of the majority party in the Chamber of Deputies is assured of his appointment to head the government, even with a Senate controlled, as is the case today, by the opposition.

Fifth prime minister in five years, Naoto Kan, 64, elected in June 2010, finally threw in the towel after suffering for months attacks by the Conservative opposition, but also those of his own camp, to manage considered calamitous disaster of March 11. Fell to the lowest in the opinion polls, the leader of the center-left government is criticized for his hesitation and awkwardness face of disaster caused by the massive earthquake and the giant tsunami that devastated the coasts of northeastern Japan and caused a very serious nuclear accident at the plant in Fukushima.

Finance Minister Seiji Maehara to favorite Estates

In early June, Mr.Khan had promised to leave office after the Parliament had passed three bills close to his heart. The law on a supplementary budget for reconstruction in the affected areas was passed in July, and the two other texts, on the issuance of bonds to complete the budget and the development and use of renewable energy were adopted Friday.

"Today, important laws were passed. On June 2, I thought I'd pass the baton to a younger generation. The conditions are all met," he said. Referring to his record, Naoto Kan has acknowledged that there had been "very hard times." "I think I did what I had to do in very difficult circumstances," he added.

Among the favorites to succeed him include former foreign minister, Seiji Maehara, 49, the most popular with the Japanese in the polls, and the current finance minister, Yoshihiko Noda, 54, a supporter of increased the consumption tax, currently set at 5%. If elected, Seiji Maehara, who is on the other hand opposed any tax increase, will become the youngest Japanese prime minister since the Second World War.

Germany and France are convinced, the Tobin tax should be adopted in Europe. Yet critics are numerous, and markets are particularly skeptical.

This time is the right one? For years now that the tax on financial transactions is discussed in Europe, the leaders of the euro area has never been convincing. Tuesday night, Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel said they would suggest that the European Union in September of a tax on financial transactions, "an obvious need" according to the German Chancellor. The two leaders did not specify the terms of this measure, but the French Minister of Economy, Baroin, and his German counterpart, Wolfgang Schäuble, confirmed to be working earnestly on the subject.The tax is "the subject of extensive work with the German Ministry of Finance," according to Bercy.

Many critics and fuzzy terms

For several months now that the European Commission relaunched the idea of ​​a European tax on financial transactions, which, if it was fixed between 0.01% and 0.001% of the transaction, would yield between 30 and 50 billion euros per year. MEPs had then voted by a large majority (529 for, 127 against). A tax as proposed by the Commission could fund the EU budget to alleviate the contributions of member states.

But this tax, partly designed to limit speculation, is not without its critics. Too easily circumvented, too complicated to implement, too risky …since its development in the late 70's by the economist James Tobin tax on financial transactions is routinely ostracized, especially by its critics assert the impossibility of setting up a different scale than the global . In fact, if the tax does not apply to all financial markets, it may benefit those who do not have adopted and which will recover, de facto, the flow of transactions. A warning given recently by the ECB President, Jean-Claude Trichet, who said that "a tax imposed in Europe and not elsewhere would result in a significant loss of activity for Europe."

London reservations

But this time, Brussels is certain, the project is expected to reduce the risk of outsourcing transactions with a plate large enough to avoid trade-offs between financial products.Arguments that clearly did not echo long-awaited in the British, the most resistant to the device. "The government will continue to conduct discussions with international partners (…) but otherwise the relevant transactions will simply move to countries that do not apply," he said including a spokesman for the UK Treasury Wednesday. But without the agreement of the United Kingdom, impossible to adopt the draft. Even the Berlin admits the tax on financial transactions should apply to the 27 EU members, assured the spokesman for the German government. According to the Irish Minister for Finance, the tax would ultimately very unlikely to achieve unanimity among member states."There will be many objections from countries with strong financial services sector, such as Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and even Paris," he argued.

Markets do not believe that half

Little appreciated in the early morning by the financial markets, this proposal was eventually discredited quickly by banks and stock traders who were quick to report their skepticism about the project. The association of German cooperative banks BVR, quoted by Reuters, said for example that the tax would fail to restore stability in the markets if it concerned only the euro area. "In the end, the financial sector has not suffered the ad simply because nobody believes," concludes one analyst Saxo Bank.

The Japanese economy contracted less than expected from April to June thanks to the quick restoration of supply chains after the earthquake of March, but the soaring yen and slower global growth darken the hopes of recovery.

Economists expect the third world economy sketch a rebound from July to September, with probably the growth rate the highest in developed countries, as exports and industrial production will return to their levels before the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the north.

According to official figures released Monday, the gross domestic product (GDP) fell 0.3% in the second quarter, after 0.9% from January to March.Economists on average had expected a contraction of 0.7%.

On an annualized basis, the economy contracted by 1.3%, while economists expected a decline of 2.6%.

These figures better than expected boosted the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which in turn took the road to recovery from the European and U.S. markets late last week with a gain of 1.37% for the Nikkei.

However, the impact of the debt crisis in the euro zone on global growth might deprive Japan of export opportunities they need to start from the front, while pushing up the yen, safe haven, which will complicate doubling the equation for exporting companies.

"The economy will show a recovery in the shape of 'V' between July and September when supply chains are recovering and will help boost exports," notes Yoshiki Shinkai, economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.

"But the momentum will weaken from October to December with the slowdown in the pace of recovery in external demand, even if (GDP) will not fall back into contraction.In fact, it is even possible that the global economy begins to sputter. "

Restocking AND PUBLIC INVESTMENT

In this context, the Japanese Minister of Economy Kaoru Yosano urged the Bank of Japan (BoJ) to help save the recovery by maintaining its strong liquidity injections and ultra-accommodative policy.

"We will closely monitor the impact that Japan's economy on the rise in the yen and the increasing uncertainty about global growth," he told reporters.

The yen, buoyed by the weak dollar, has appreciated by about 5% in just one month, approaching its historic high of 76.25 yen to the dollar, a level not taken into account by companies Japanese to build their profit forecasts.Around 0930 GMT Monday, the greenback was trading at 76.85 yen.

In the second quarter, the Japanese economy has performed better than expected thanks to the restocking of business and higher public investment, since the first six quarters, as part of the reconstruction effort.

Consumer spending, which accounts for 60% of the economy, fell 0.1% from April to June, down less than expected in favor of special items such as the transition to digital television that fueled TV sales.

But external demand – net exports – have reduced GDP by 0.8 percentage point, the disaster of March 11 that prevented some manufacturers deliver their products outside the archipelago.

And some analysts see the slow growth in business investment spending (+0.2% against 0.5% expected) a sign of their distrust of uncertainties about the economy.

The European Central Bank has sought Thursday to come to the rescue of the euro area by buying government bonds Portuguese and Irish, and providing a new measure of liquidity for banks.

After the decision of the ECB to leave rates unchanged three – the main refinancing rate is maintained at 1.5% – its president Jean-Claude Trichet, said the buyback program obligations of the bank, dormant since March, continued.

Traders reported observing market purchases from the ECB, even though the president was speaking to the press.These speakers discussed including the acquisitions of Portuguese and Irish debt on secondary markets, but not Spanish or Italian debt.

Jean-Claude Trichet suggested the hint that the operation was actually in progress. "I will not be surprised if you were watching before the end of this conference," he said.

Investors were disappointed with the purchase of paper non-Italian and Spanish: the performance gap between the obligation to ten years Spanish and German Bund reference widened to 400 points against 386 points Wednesday closing while spread the obligation Italian / German rose to 392 points, the highest since the introduction of the euro.

"Trichet said in a hurry the recovery of bond purchases.There was no statement from the ECB, but just a vague answer to a question. We can doubt the seriousness of the ECB on this point, "said Holger Schmieding, Bank of Berenberg.

"The ECB may have missed an opportunity to act more convincingly.The key now is to see if the ECB intervenes in the Italian and Spanish bond markets, and to what extent, "he added.

RATES MAY CONTINUE TO MOUNT

Jean-Claude Trichet has acknowledged that the Executive Board of the ECB, unanimous on interest rates and measures of monetary support, was divided on the issue bonds.

"We are not unanimous, but the overwhelming majority of bond buyback operation," he said during his press conference.

At midday, the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso called for increasing the capacity of EFSF.

The ECB was called upon to act against the rapidly deteriorating situation in Spain and Italy, where crises similar to those countries already bailed out would have consequences far more serious.

Jean-Claude Trichet said the ECB would conduct an operation for six months to strengthen bank liquidity by providing facilities for short-term financing until at least January 2012.

Many banks Greek, Portuguese and Irish have more access to capital markets, and some in Spain and Italy also depend on the support of the ECB.

"Given the renewed tensions in some financial markets (ECB) has also decided to conduct an additional refinancing operation with a maturity of approximately six months (…)", submissions being paid in full, said Jean-Claude Trichet.

But despite this return mode response to the crisis, the ECB president hinted that interest rates were likely to continue to increase.Central banks in Switzerland and Japan are in contrast to the easing in order to prevent excessive inflation of their currencies.

"We will continue to monitor very closely all developments related to the increasing risks to price stability," said Jean-Claude Trichet, using a formula already used after the rate hike last month.

Before the press conference, economists believed that the use of this phrase would mean another rate hike before the end of the year.