Orders to U.S. industry rose for the second consecutive month in December, driven by increased business investment.
According to figures released Friday by the Commerce Department, orders for manufactured goods rose 1.1% in December.
Market economists polled by Reuters had expected, however, an average increase of 1.5%.
The November figure was however revised upwards and shows an increase of 2.2% instead of 1.8% initially announced.
Over the full year 2011, industrial orders rose 12.1%, against an increase of 12.9% in 2010.
Excluding transportation, orders rose 0.6% in December after rising 0.5% (revised) in the previous month.
Orders for nondefense capital goods and aircraft, considered a barometer of morale of entrepreneurs and their investment plans, surged 3.1% after falling 1.5% in November.
LVMH has published Thursday the results up sharply, signing new record, reflecting once again the resilience of the luxury sector facing the economic downturn.
The world of luxury, owner of Louis Vuitton, Moet et Chandon champagne and Christian Dior perfumes, saw its sales grow by 16% to 23.66 billion euros, exceeding slightly forecasts (consensus Thomson Reuters I / B / E / S of 23.3 billion) and operating income reached 5.26 billion euros (5.1 billion against expected ), signing up 22%.
The group's organic growth stood at 14% throughout the year and 12% in the fourth quarter alone.
As usual, LVMH does not give any indication about its outlook for 2012, indicating just have the "best assets to pursue an aggressive growth", as many analysts have revised down their pre visions of organic growth of industry leaders.
The annual net income reached 3.06 billion euros (3.07 billion consensus), up 1%, and the proposed dividend will be 2.60 euros (against 2.1 euros in 2010) up 24%.
After the Swiss Richemont (Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels) and Britain's Burberry, LVMH confirms the strength of luxury to the crisis, on the strength of demand in the e Mergent and very important tourist flows in Europe.
The title LVMH closed Thursday at 126.40 euros at the Paris Stock Exchange, advancing and 15.5% since early January, after falling 11.13% in 2011.
Perceived by analysts as the value most defensive sector, largely due to the brand Louis Vuitton, she exchanged with valuation multiples of about 17 times the beneficial ; profits estimated for 2012, representing a premium of approximately 15% of the industry average off Hermes.
PSA Peugeot Citroen expects a contraction of the European car market in 2012 although it is still too early to assess its extent, said Thursday the President of the Executive Philippe Varin.
These remarks were made while the Committee of French Automobile Manufacturers has reported a decrease of 7.6% of new car registrations in November. Data that confirmed the difficulties of PSA, whose sales fell 15.4% last month.
"We will be in Europe, probably negative growth next year.How, we do not know, it's too early, "said Philippe Varin told reporters on the occasion of the inauguration of a new production of three-cylinder engines at its facility in Trémery (Moselle) .
The annual production capacity of the new gasoline engine with smaller displacement will eventually reach 640,000 units per year.
The company said in a statement it had invested 717 million euros since the project began in 2008.
Manufacturers currently rely on the "downsizing", that is to say reducing the displacement of their engines, to reduce CO2 emissions equal power.
The first engines produced Trémery equip the future Peugeot 208 will be sold in the first quarter of 2012.
The OECD slashed its growth forecast Monday for the 2012 United States and the euro area, urging G20 leaders to act quickly to restore confidence and avoid a severe contraction in developed economies.
In a note issued in anticipation of the G20 summit on 3 and 4 November in Cannes, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development cut its 2012 growth forecast for the euro area to 0.3% against 2.0% in May and 1.8% against 3.1% for the United States.
She called on G20 leaders to take "bold" to calm market turbulence and show that they can implement structural reforms address the debt crisis.
The OECD estimates that deteriorating financial conditions of the order of that seen during the crisis of 2007-2009 could result in loss of up to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) of some OECD economies of 'By the first half of 2013.
Conversely, if the measures announced at the EU summit last Wednesday are effectively implemented and that can restore confidence, growth could be better than expected, judge the OECD.
For all G20 countries, the OECD now expects growth of 3.8% in 2012 and 4.6% in 2013, but it will be pulled up by the emerging markets including China (+ 8.6% in 2012 and 9.5% in 2013).
The activity in the private sector in France shrank in October for the first time since mid-2009, according to first estimates released Monday by Markit PMI, which indicate a risk of recession.
The PMI "flash" composite fell to 46.8 from 50.2 in September, falling below 50 which separates growth and contraction and reaching its lowest level in 29 months.
The services index goes well below this bar to 46.0 from 51.5 in September, reaching its lowest level in 27 months.
The PMI industry has, however, rose slightly to 49.0 from 48.2 in September, the activity still continues to contract.
Economists polled by Reuters on average expected the services index and an index to 50.5 from 48.0 in the industry.
"The economy went into decline early in the fourth quarter," said Jack Kennedy, economist at Markit. "Clearly, the impact of the European crisis on the real economy hits hard, demand and confidence were affected."
"At these levels, the PMI figures imply a quarterly contraction of around 0.5-0.6% sensitive," he says. "A recession may be coming unless we see a quick turnaround," said he.
Flash PMIs are calculated on the basis of about 85% of the responses of the sample followed by Markit, composed of 750 companies in services and manufacturing.
Greece hopes to conclude an agreement Tuesday with its international donors, so you can receive a new tranche of eight billion euros scheduled for October, told Reuters on Monday a senior Greek finance.
"The climate was better than expected," the official said, referring to a conference held on Monday between the Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos and the "troika" (EU, IMF, European Central Bank).
The Ministry of Finance said earlier that this discussion had been "productive and substantial" and that it be repeated Tuesday night.
"We are close to an agreement and we hope to conclude tomorrow.The government will make an announcement likely on Wednesday after the cabinet meeting.We will continue the discussion tomorrow, "the official added.
Without this new tranche of aid, tied to the forefront of international bailout which Greece received last year, the Greek government said it would find itself short of resources in mid-October.
To avoid this, Greece has to reduce its public sector and improve its system of tax collection, consider its international donors.
"The ball is in the Greek camp, the key lies in the implementation of reforms," said Bob Traa, the IMF representative in Greece, at a conference.
These reforms are required to Athens to collect a new tranche of eight billion euros in the first part of its bailout.
According to him, Greece has cut jobs in the public, reduce the salaries and pensions of civil servants and improve its system of tax collection rather than creating new taxes.
Bob Traa was concerned about the lack of public support for the IMF austerity program / EU, while saying that other countries in the euro zone were on the side of Athens, provided that the government showed that he was acting to control its deficits.
FIVE MEASURES
The euro, but Wall Street had cut their losses after an initial source of the Greek Ministry of Finance had said that an agreement was near on aid between Athens and the troika.
Earlier in the day, the euro was down sharply and European shares closed down for fear of a significant failure of Greece.
Greek media have published a list of 15 austerity measures that they believe the troika requires the implementation.They include a new deletion of 20,000 civil service posts, a reduction or a freeze on salaries and pensions of the public service, increasing the tax on heating oil, the closure of public deficit, reducing spending on health and accelerating privatization.
The EC stated that it did not ask to Athens to adopt austerity measures in addition to what has already been agreed in the reform program of government."What is on the table is in full compliance with the agreed objectives," said the spokesperson of the EC Amadeu Altafaj.
Asked whether Greece would receive the next tranche of aid, Venizelos responded to Reuters: "Yes, of course."
Even so, many economists and investors believe that Greece will end up in default on a debt that reached more than 150% of GDP, perhaps a few months.
Venizelos insisted on Sunday that the spending cuts would be the priority of the 2012 budget. He predicted a contraction of GDP higher than expected 5.5% this year.
A sale of the Company in general management company Amundi is strategically the most sense among the options available to the French banking group to improve its financial situation, say analysts and fund managers polled by Reuters.
The French bank, already forced to leave in early August its financial targets for 2012, said Monday that it would proceed with asset sales and cost reductions to free up four billion euros in additional capital by 2013. CEO Frederic Oudéa said the sale will take place in the asset management, investor services and financial services.
"The bank is in a very bad happening today.She has no choice, she will have to sell the family jewels to pay off debt and improve its capital position, "said Fabrice Cousté, CEO of CMC Markets.
The managers believe that, already in asset management with Lyxor, the Company generally does not need to be also through CAAM, its joint venture with Credit Agricole in which it holds 25%.
Especially since Lyxor Amundi competition and the 'green banking', which holds the remaining 75% of Amundi could enjoy being sole master on board.
"PILL ANTI-TAKEOVER"
"Strategically, Lyxor is closer to core business (investment banking, network, etc.) of the Company qu'Amundi general," notes Frédéric Jamet, Director of Management at State Street Global Advisors France.
"Amundi had a strategic interest in Societe Generale as pill anti-takeover, but now it is not the issue.A rational, logical, would be to focus on activities identified clear and validating the strategic refocusing of the bank, "he adds.
Analysts estimate that as other European banks, Societe Generale is underfunded and needs to raise new funds, while its capital adequacy ratio "hard" (core Tier 1) stood at 6.6% in Scenario macroeconomic worst in recent bank stress tests conducted in Europe, the lowest of French banks.
"Banks need to raise more capital to avoid bankruptcy, especially if exposure to Greece continues to affect markets. A core Tier 1 ratio between 3% and 5% is too low, it must be significantly higher .From 8% this ratio begins to be sufficient, "said Stefan Isaacs, bond manager at M & G Investments.
Another track planned by Fabrice Cousté, SocGen could give Boursorama, which it owns 55% according to Reuters data. Boursorama is valued around 560 million euros in stock, or about 5% of the capitalization of the Company generally.
No one was immediately available at Societe Generale and Credit Agricole declined to comment.
Unlike his opponents in the primary Socialist Segolene Royal offers the restaurant industry to maintain the 5.5% VAT, provided to hire young people. Segolene Royal, Socialist candidate for the primary (here at a press conference in Paris June 29, 2011).
Segolene Royal, Socialist candidate for the primary, offers the restaurant industry to maintain the 5.5% VAT provided that the companies agree to take young people learning or alternately, says in a statement Friday.
The Presidentti of the Poitou-Charentes "is ready to maintain the 5.5% VAT provided that the companies are committed in the Charter for Youth Employment: taking learning or alternatively at least one young per than five employees, "said she at once in this release and in an interview Friday at Nice Matin.
"The results of this action giving / giving will be made after one year if the contract is not respected, VAT will be returned to its normal level," she warns. "Knowing that there are nearly one million employees in the hospitality industry and restaurant (…) this will allow the hiring of 200,000 young people in learning or alternately," said Segolene Royal. This measure is part of its "priority to boost economic activity," she said.
Google announced Monday the acquisition of Motorola Mobility for approximately $ 12.5 billion (8.7 billion euros) in cash to strengthen the market share of its operating system for mobile phones Android.
The internet giant will pay $ 40 per share, a premium of 63% over the course of its target at the close Friday on the New York Stock Exchange.This is the largest acquisition ever by the group of Mountain View.
In pre-market transactions, the title Mobility Motorola jumped from 59% in pre-market, that of Google fell by 2.8%.
Google has built a special place in the smartphone market with Android, that team almost 50% of the combined media around the world, but the group suffers from a lack of intellectual property in the wireless telephone to deal the Apple iPhone.
"Google wants to provide a total experience with hardware and software (like Apple)," notes Colin Gillis, an analyst at BGC Partners.
Google says to expect the transaction to be completed by late 2011 or early 2012.The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of the two groups.
Standard & Poor's downgraded the sovereign rating on Friday the United States, culminating a week of panic in financial markets alarmed by the scale of public debts and a slowing global economy.
Sign of the deep concern of world leaders, they have stepped up phone calls Friday and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has called a meeting of G7 finance ministers.
Markets are less and less confidence in Spain and Italy to honor their debts and the scenario of a domino effect in the euro area continues to unfold.The fear of tipping the U.S. into recession has also fueled the drop in global financial markets, who lost 2500 billion in one week.
After the close of Wall Street, the United States for the first time lost their precious AAA.Sovereign debt is now rated AA + by rating agency Standard & Poor's, which raises the specter of a further deterioration in a year.
This decision, rather expected, reflecting the deteriorating global economic climate and could have implications on the status of reserve currency the U.S. dollar.
China asks in a comment to Xinhua news agency that the international community to reflect a new reserve currency, "stable and secure."
Beijing, the first creditor of the United States, attacks in this dispatch to the U.S. government, demanding that it "faces the problem of structural debt."
BERLUSCONI TRANSFERS
The impact on the financial markets Monday may be minimal because this degradation is not unexpected but the consequences for long-term status of the United States and the dollar will be much more important.
"The global system must now adapt to the many implications and uncertainties induced by the loss, once unthinkable, the American Aaa," said Mohamed El-Erian, the investment company Pacific Investment Management.
This new development in the debt crisis increases the pressure on governments.In its analysis, S & P said the deterioration by the lack of fiscal consolidation plan adopted by Congress and the failure of leading Democrats and Republicans to govern together.
European markets also expect a rapid and effective government too indebted to their liking.
After Greece, Ireland and Portugal, investors fear that it is the turn of Italy and Spain, third and fourth economies in the euro area, have to seek a rescue.
Silvio Berlusconi bowed to international pressure by promising to accelerate the implementation of austerity measures and social reforms.
CALLS FOR COORDINATION
Source familiar with the matter, it is stated that the European Central Bank (ECB) has requested that the Italian government agrees to return to a balanced budget by 2013 instead of 2014, before buying Italian bonds and liberate Rome of market pressure.
Thursday, investors did not appreciate that the ECB does not buy Spanish and Italian bonds, limited to the sovereign Irish and Portuguese, while the yield of securities issued by Rome and Madrid exceeded 6%.
Two days later, it seems that it was a maneuver to push Silvio Berlusconi to act.
"In principle, we can say that the ECB could start to buy bonds if Spain and Italy (both countries) made an extra effort in terms of fiscal and structural reforms," said a senior official told Reuters the euro area.
Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo, a Spanish member of the Governing Council of the ECB, said he expected new government announcements on August 19.
China and Japan, the two largest foreign creditors of the United States, called for international cooperation, joined by the European Union.
"The international policy coordination across the G7 and the G20 is crucial," said the Commissioner of Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn, who interrupted his vacation to return to Brussels.
Silvio Berlusconi announced a G7 finance ministers "in the next few days" but his spokesman later explained that this was simply a desire to Rome and it was not yet agreed with the other member countries.
Britain, also affected by the volatility of markets, called "a concerted international effort" to avoid another global financial crisis, three years after the collapse of U.S. bank Lehman Brothers.