Concerns persist about the state of the U.S. economy have overshadowed the optimism caused by the slight recovery evident on the face of mergers and acquisitions, leading U.S. stock indexes finished down on Monday night.
The Dow Jones closed with a loss of 39.21 points, or 0.38%, to 10,174.41.The Standard & Poor's 500 largest, fell 4.33 points, or 0.40%, to 1067.36 while the Nasdaq Composite ended down 20.13 points (-0.92%) to 2159 63.
The technology has largely underperformed other sectors, driven down by Hewlett-Packard and Dell are waging a fierce battle to take 3PAR, data storage specialist.
HP closed down 2.03% to 39.04 dollars and Dell lost 1.08% to 11.94 dollars, while 3PAR has jumped 44.62% to 26.09 dollars.
These offers are in addition to announcements made last week by Intel that is preparing to resume McAfee and BHP Billiton who covets the Canadian expert potash Potash.
On Monday, sources have reported that Campbell Soup paying serious attention to the British United Biscuits.
Campbell Soup took 0.70% 36.90 dollars.
As the CEO of 3M, he announced Monday that his group would invest about two billion dollars in acquisitions in 2010, double its previous estimate. 3M closed up 0.52% to 81.08 dollars.
"Setting the background of the phenomenon of mergers and acquisitions, which has very little seniority, due to the weakness of economic statistics," said Bucky Hellwig, Vice President of BB & T Wealth Management .
Analysts also point out that activity on the front of M & As is explained primarily by the willingness of companies to generate profits through cost savings rather than through growth in sales.
18.15: Final Questions of the President: "There is a bank that claims 5 billion euros. What does that mean to you?" "I am conscious of having gone too far, but things do not happen as simply as this does mean that Societe Generale, defends Jerome Kerviel. "Were you made to be traded?" "Probably not, answers Kerviel. At the time, I thought was made for it, because I brought money. "Was there not a way out of it before it explodes?" "It's hard to say, according to ex-trader, which repeats at every he has never hidden. I acted in full sight of everybody. Everything is known and all means in the trading rooms. "Have you no submissions to make? This is the last boom that I tend … We know all about you?" Yes. "There is no mystery Kerviel?" No. It remains none the wiser …
6:06 p.m.: Kerviel was called to the bar."Who are you then, Mr. Kerviel, questioned the president? "My goal was to earn money in the bank" tirelessly answered the trader. It is still "sorry" for having suffered some people, like shareholders. But without the backing of his superiors Kerviel could have done nothing. Okay, but why Societe Generale would she let you do, the response president? Kerviel answers beside the point: "I do not know what degree of knowledge of my superiors." She adds, "I have not been able to circumvent all the controls. Conclusion of the presiding judge: "It is difficult to get you out of your way to change your point of view."
6:04 p.m.: Last question of the defense Button: IEC you know, the bad bank Société Générale? Evasive answer. "The issue is not really there." "I'm sad Master Metzner," concluded Daniel Bouton.With these words, the hearing is completed. Bouton leaves the room.
5:45 p.m. button explains to judges the arbitration function. "Banks are not what Jerome Kerviel tried to do," he pleads. Metzner did not give up its prey so easily. How come no one has responded to various warnings about Kerviel operations? For Button, it is obvious that should have been "fuck Kerviel at the door when the first warnings were issued." Mr. Dumas is accused of blowing the answers to Button. The discussion gets heated. Mr. Metzner has indeed evoke the suicide of another trader in the summer of 2007. For the lawyer the two cases are inextricably linked. Button indignant.
5:35 p.m.: Olivier Metzner continues on his questions.Including the most important: how Societe Generale could she not see the amount of these commitments "stupid"? For Button, one must distinguish between what was seen – and for now no one has proved that Kerviel's superiors were aware of what-should be seen ..
5:12 p.m.: For 20 minutes it is the shareholders' lawyers who have succeeded at the helm. They ask how Societe Generale could compensate its shareholders. Button, "unfortunately," says he can not do anything because it "is not responsible for any" innuendo, certainly not that. As his doctors told him when he was very ill, "you are not responsible for the crisis of Lehman, the banking crisis in the U.S. and now the Greek crisis".It can "reassurance", especially today, the General Socciété will remind, Button, who is not to much.
5:04 p.m.: Kerviel did not meet the wishes of Button. Prosecutors asked him if two and half years after the fraud he is determined to make excuses. He does not refuse them openly, but does not give up. "Of course I recognize mistakes, encouraged by my superiors" Kerviel replied. "50 billion euros you did not lose your cool, slice the prosecutor.
16h50: Button gets to tell his nights. In a strange dream Kerviel admits that he lied, and admitted that no member of the hierarchy has not pushed to defraud. And in this dream, Kerviel explained why he did it. He explained to the tens of thousands of employees of Societe Generale, who also are entitled to answers …A question remains: is it that there is a case where Kerviel's positions had been winning? For Button, of course not. The bank relies on the confidence that gave him his staff. The former CEO is trying a bit of humor. With 1.4 billion won, "the bank might be able to save the souls of young débousselés of trading rooms. Button Kerviel admits to still the tip of talent, and even a "capacity to conceal quite exceptional". With sympathy and physical, it was impossible to be suspicious, finds the former boss of the SG.
Tokyo stocks ended virtually unchanged on Tuesday (-0.07%), caught between downward pressure related to the strength of the yen and satisfaction related to solid quarterly results and found the stronger than expected for Sales of new homes in the United States.
The Nikkei index closed at 9496.85 points while the broader TOPIX, took 0.03% to 846.12 points.
Home sales in the nine to the United States jumped from 23.6% in June is, in percentage, the stronger rebound since May 1980, reassuring investors about the risk of a relapse of the U.S. economy.
In terms of value, the manufacturer of household products Kao Corp. gained 1.1% to 2.111 yen after the announcement of an increase of 34.6% of its operating profit for the period April to June, to 26.17 billion yen (231 million euros).
In contrast, the continued strength of the yen continues to handicap the exporting groups.
The semiconductor equipment supplier Tokyo Electron, the semiconductor maker Advantest, and the carmaker Honda and decreased from 0.42 to 1.62%.
Technip Thursday confirmed its financial targets for 2010 despite the downturn in results in the second quarter and said it was too early to evaluate the impact of futures oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on the group.
The French oil equipment specialist argued that the incident leaden with oil giant BP had induced a moratorium on drilling and that would delay short-term investment decisions.
The group believes nevertheless able to take its game to end by focusing on safety.
"In the longer term we believe that everywhere in the world, operators prefer to work with contractors who have maintained a constant effort of investment in security," he said in a statement Thierry Pilenko, CEO of the group.
Technip has repeated that he was a 2010 turnover of approximately 5.9 to 6.1 billion euros, with sales of Subsea (underwater infrastructure) of about 2.6 to 2.7 billion, a margin of this sector exceeds 15% and stable margins in its Onshore / Offshore.
The company posted second-quarter sales of 1.484 billion euros and a net profit of 106.1 million euros and an EBIT of 160.5 million, results above expectations analysts according to the group.
These three indicators have fallen from the second quarter of 2009 excluding the impact of exchange rate of 14.3%, 8.7% and 18.1% respectively.
The group's operating margin stood at 10.8%, against 11.3% during the same period last year.
The group had to cope with difficult market conditions, particularly with the collapse of the financial crisis in 2008 and falling prices of oil and gas that followed.
The contracts after this period were signed with strong pressure on margins and increased competition between operators.
In late June, the backlog of Technip progressed him to 8.263 billion euros against 6.066 billion at the end of the second quarter of 2009, renewed energy prices encourage new investment.
Unilever said Monday it completed the sale of its Italian subsidiary specializes in the Findus frozen food products to Birds Eye Iglo to 805 million euros.
Birds Eye Iglo is for the private equity firm Permira.
It involves the sale of Unilever's recent activities in Europe frozen.
Permira will bring Findus and Birds Eye Iglo to the old pole of Unilever's frozen foods, he had acquired in 2006 for 1.73 billion euros.
In a statement, Unilever said that about 650 people Findus, whose turnover reached 462 million euros in 2009, will be transferred to the new owner.
Reuters reported last week that Permira was elbow to elbow with Lion Capital in the race to buy Findus, to BC Partners.
In London, Unilever gained 0.74%, to 1.896 pence to 9:45 GMT.
The United Kingdom came Tuesday in an era of stringency, the Chancellor Osborne has announced an unprecedented austerity plan designed to generate tens of billions of euros in savings over 5 years to eliminate almost all of budget deficit left by Labour.
The coalition government formed last month by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats "has inherited the largest budget deficit in Europe in absolute terms, and" this budget is needed to restore confidence in our economy, "argued the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, presenting his first budget to Parliament.
He unveiled a package of measures to eliminate the deficit completely called "structural" over five years, that is to say the duration of the legislature.The structural deficit is the part of the government deficit which is not related to temporary difficulties in the economy, and therefore does not go away automatically with the recovery.The reduction will require "structural reforms", such as reducing state intervention in certain areas or reduce the number of officials.
The total deficit should be narrowed down to 149 billion pounds (179 billion euros), equivalent to 10.1% of gross domestic product, in fiscal year started in April, only 20 billion pounds in 2015/2016, or 1.1% of GDP.
Drastic reduction of public expenditure
Most of this reduction, which represent a tightening of 40 billion pounds a year older, at the end of the term, provided that what the Labour Party, will come to an unprecedented reduction in public spending.
The budget of each department will decline from 25% on average over four years, except those in health and development assistance, which will be "ringfenced".The precise distribution of these cuts will be announced this fall.
Officials will have to tighten the belt, with a wage freeze for two years except for the smallest, and a hardening of their pension plan.
On the revenue side, the VAT will increase from 17.5 to 20% in January.The tax on gains from capital will swell immediately, and banks, after receiving massive bailout plans in the Labour Party, will go to the cashier, with the introduction next year of a tax that should generate Term 2.4 billion euros per year.
Even Queen Elizabeth will make efforts, a freeze on 9.5 million Euros from its "civil list", the envelope that the state pays for its official duties.
But alongside the Chancellor Osborne has announced a reform of the income tax, which was defended vigorously by the Liberal Democrats on behalf of social justice, and will allow to exempt nearly 900,000 low-income households. He also cared for businesses with targeted measures.
The opposition denounced a budget "bad for growth"
The opposition has strongly criticized this budget.Harriet Harman, who heads the Labour Party pending the election of a successor to Gordon Brown, has denounced "the same old Tories, severely affecting the most vulnerable. She also denounced a budget "bad for growth", emphasizing that the OBR, Constable of public finances, was lowered from 2.6% to 2.3% the official forecast for growth next year, following this budget.
In the City, investors welcomed the ads, dating the book above 1.20 euros, but economists have shown mixed. James Knightley of ING was concerned about the magnitude higher than expected this fiscal tightening, "a painful process that will limit growth, while Paul Robinson of Barclays Capital, has welcomed a budget sufficient clever, "which includes" various measures to limit the impact on the less affluent. "
The coffee burns. Around 1000 GMT (1200 Paris), Arabica for September delivery traded on the NYBOT-ICE touched 162.95 U.S. cents per pound, its highest level since early March 2008, garnering over 12% compared to Friday last. Robusta (September) traded on Liffe in London soared to 1,595 dollars per tonne, its highest since early March 2009.
"The explosion in prices is explained by fears of supply failing to keep up with demand," commented analyst at Commerzbank.
Indeed, the tight supply from Vietnam and Central America support prices, as fears about the effect expected from the ongoing harvest in Brazil, the largest producer of coffee, according to Michael Hewson, an analyst at CMC Markets.Furthermore, demand continues to strengthen in key import markets such as Europe, Japan and the United States.
"The markets are catching up after a while to take into account" the tension on the fundamentals of supply and demand, noted Kona Haque, analyst at Macquarie, to the extent that the rebound is reinforced by a renewed interest to speculative investors taking advantage of a slight weakening of the dollar.
"The supply-demand balance of the arabica market suggests another deficit in 2009/2010 season, also highlights the analyst, noting also that the European stocks of coffee have shown a decrease in April .
The greenback fell Wednesday to 1.2353 dollars per euro, its lowest level in two weeks, making them more attractive purchases of raw materials denominated in dollars for investors provided with other currencies.
