Italy has a bond issue passed Monday by taking test 5.25 billion euros in the medium and long term interest rates steady at almost three years, despite strong investor concerns for the euro area due to blockage policy in Greece.

The total demand of investors amounted to 9 billion euros, allowing the Treasury, which were up between 3.5 and 5.25 billion euros, reaching its maximum target, announced the Bank of Italy . As part of its main issue, the Italian Treasury has raised 3.5 billion of securities maturing in 2015 at a rate of 3.91% against 3.89% in the last similar operation on April 12. He also issued 542 million of securities due 2020 at a rate of 5.33%, 651 million of securities due 2022 at a rate of 5.66% and € 557 million of securities due 2025 at a rate of 5.90%.

The Bank of Italy does not compare the rates of these bonds with those recorded during previous shows. "The show went well overall," said Elia Lattuga, bond strategist in the bank UniCredit. "The maximum was reached," a "particularly good result" that the market was marked "by difficulties this morning," added Chiara Manenti Intesa Sanpaolo.  

The political stalemate in Greece, which still has no government more than a week after the parliamentary elections, has plunged European stock markets Monday and caused a fever in the bond market.

Despite the success of this program by Rome, the Italian market also remained very tense. Secondary market, where exchange debt already issued, the rates in Italy were part of ten years at 5.724% to 5.495% cons 10:25 GMT Friday night while the Milan Stock Exchange 2.90% let go.

Friday, Italy, which faced since mid-April to a sharp rebound in rates after a strong expansion in the first quarter, recorded a great success on the debt market by placing 10 billion shares to three months and one year at declining rates.

S & P maintains this climate speculative grade ("junk") and warned that a deep recession, the unpredictable outcome of the elections on May 6 and wrath of public opinion against the austerity could threaten the efforts of Athens to redress its finances.

S & P, which matched the rating with a stable outlook, provides that Greek sovereign debt will remain high over the next three years, around 160 to 170% of GDP. 

"The rating could be degraded if we believe that a forced exchange on what remains of the Greek private debt appears likely," the agency said in a statement.

Fitch was the first to recover the note by assigning a B-to Greece in the middle of March, after the establishment of the exchange procedure which reduced about 100 billion sovereign debt of the country and cost the private bondholders most of their assets.

S & P warned in February that it would report surely the Greek notes to CCC, upon completion of the exchange procedure.

Moody's is now the only agency to keep Greece in zone fault (likely in his case). She said it would review his notes "on time" but that any recovery would remain limited.

The UK has not escaped the downturn. Its economy has officially fallen into recession earlier this year following a contraction of its economy for the second consecutive quarter, a surprise for analysts and bad news for the government of David Cameron.

According to one official estimate released Wednesday, the British economy shrank by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2012, after falling 0.3% last quarter. The country is thus technically back in recession, which was released in late 2009 after five straight quarters of decline in activity during the financial crisis.  

Despite very mixed economic indicators, most analysts were betting on a slight rise of 0.1% of GDP, which would have avoided the country to be in the same situation as the states of the eurozone such as Spain or Italy, also entered into a recession.

This performance-up against Prime Minister David Cameron in a difficult position: it should indeed revive criticisms about the draconian austerity policies of his government by the opposition Labor Party accused of having "killed growth" in the name of a struggle against deficits.

The pound is distributed sharply lower against the euro and the dollar after the announcement of the contraction of the UK economy. The London Stock Exchange remained, however, directed slightly up gaining 0.44% to 5,734,67 points to 0900 GMT.

At 2:50 p.m., the title Danone raises of 1.83% to 53.39 euros in a market down sharply (-2.15%).

"The rise in the stock is clearly related to the fact that it's not Nestle and Danone buys Pfizer infant nutrition. The price is very high and the market would like Danone uses his money for something else, "said one operator

. L action Danone had lost 3.55% Friday following a tip that he was outbid and proposed $ 11 billion to buy up Pfizer Nutrition

…. Analysts say ….. Danone had not the means to finance a transaction of this magnitude, even if it reduced its debt by nearly half since the acquisition of Numico in 2007 to 12.3 billion euros

. Danone's net debt was $ 6.6 billion end of 2011 euros, against 12 billion after the acquisition of Numico. 

Natixis, the analyst Pierre Tegner observes that "the strategic importance of the lost battle (against Nestle) depend on the group's ability to recover some assets, either in Asia Southeast Asia (Philippines, etc..) and / or Latin America. "

According to Kyodo, Danone could increase its stake in Yakult Honsha to 28% against 20% today, and asked the group of Japanese drinks to name one of its managers to an executive position.

New episode of the clash between remote Nicolas Sarkozy and Anne Lauvergeon. Incumbent President said Tuesday that it had terminated the functions of Anne Lauvergeon at the head of Areva because she was "unable to work in harmony with EDF". "Ms. Lauvergeon, we asked him to leave his post for some reason is very simple, was that she was unable to work in harmony with EDF, "he said on France Inter.  

Asked about its incompatibility with the current CEO of EDF Proglio, considered close to Nicolas Sarkozy, the head of state assured that "with the previous (Gadonneix, ed), it was exactly the same thing ". Ms. Lauvergeon "did everything to remain as head of Areva," she "came to me countless times," he insisted, "if it had been in disagreement with the policy as I was driving to the nuclear, one wonders why she wanted to stay. "

"This is someone I respect, I kept at the head of Areva that I had even known (…) we can not say that he mistreated her," continued the President UMP candidate and confirming that he was offered a post in his government. "See Ms. Lauvergeon now explain how she suffered with me, when she was a president of Areva who wanted to stay, who wished by all means remain president of Areva, all these people who, once that they left their posts, say 'my God as we suffered when + they wanted to stay, it's pretty outrageous, "he – he concluded.

In an interview last week in the weekly L'Express and a book, Ms. Lauvergeon, old Sherpa of François Mitterrand, ousted in 2011 by the Government of the head of champion French nuclear company, denounced the methods of the CEO of EDF Proglio, reveals some of his conversations with Nicolas Sarkozy, accusing the government for consideration until 2010 to sell a nuclear reactor to Libya's Colonel Gaddafi. Again, Nicolas Sarkozy denies.

"I have not consorted with Gaddafi"

"There was never a central issue to sell to Mr. Gaddafi and let me tell you that if there is a head of state who in the world, has not paved with Gaddafi and is responsible for his departure and what happened to him, I think maybe it's me, "Sarkozy said in response to a question from a listener on France Inter. When visiting the controversial Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in Paris in December 2007, the Head of State announced to reporters, after an initial interview with the Libyan leader that France had signed the signature of "tens of billions" of euros of contracts with Libya …… These agreements

…, he cited "collaboration contracts for desalination of seawater with a nuclear reactor for armaments cooperation, different economic contracts ". Lauvergeon accused the government of having planned until 2010 to sell the nuclear reactor. "This is a blatant lie (…) it has never been involved," insisted Tuesday Nicolas Sarkozy, "I remind you that if Benghazi was saved and if Gaddafi is gone, it is because that France intervened. " "There is still a logic. We can obviously angry with me for a whole bunch of things but we can not blame me for the inconsistency. In Libya it is France that led the operation, it is France with the UK, "he said.

"So, between those who say that Gaddafi paid my campaign, the other we wanted to offer a nuclear power plant, do you really think I would have done this if it was all true?" concluded the incumbent president and candidate of the UMP. The information website Mediapart published in March a note suggesting that the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has funded a 50 million euros the 2007 campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy. The President had called the accusations "ridiculous".

When moving to Tripoli in July 2007 Nicolas Sarkozy, France and Libya signed a memorandum of agreement on civil nuclear aim of which was, according to the secretary general of the Elysee Claude Gueant of the time, "to provide to Libya a nuclear reactor that allows the provision of drinking water "in seawater déssalinisant This agreement was widely criticized, especially from France's partners such as Germany, and left in environmentalists who saw a proliferation risk. Some had even suspected this Agreement to be consideration for the release of Bulgarian nurses held in Libya, which the Elysée has always denied.

Barack Obama pleaded Tuesday for the "rule Buffett," a rebalancing of tax scales to charge more for the richest Americans, a way to embarrass the multimillionaire Mitt Romney, his likely opponent in the presidential election. "What hinders our entire economy is the growing gap between the super rich and everyone else," said the American president during a speech in Florida (Southeast), a crucial state on the electoral map for the presidential Nov. 6 where he is seeking a second four-year term.

"I ask you: what is the best way to strengthen our economy? Provide $ 150,000 in additional tax relief to every millionaire and billionaire? Or invest in education, research, health and our veterans? "said Obama at a university in the city of Boca Raton, facing an enthusiastic crowd, which chanted" four more years! " The president has defended the September 2011 "Buffett rule", the taxation at least 30% of annual revenues in excess of one million dollars. The chairman stressed that it is unfair that the multibillionaire Warren Buffett, are among the world's wealthiest people, is subject to a tax rate lower than his secretary employed, due to a tax code that taxes less capital income than labor. Warren Buffett himself has said he supported this measure.

The Senate, dominated by allies of Mr. Obama should make Monday a procedural vote on this device. But Republican opponents of the president have said their hostility and can block it. Obama's insistence on the "rule Buffett" seems primarily intended to put on the defensive opponent Mitt Romney, became even more conservative favorite of the primary on Tuesday with the abandonment of its main competitor Rick Santorum. The president did not mention the name of Mitt Romney, merely ironic about the presidential candidates "that should not be appointed" and that according to him are lawyers from both deficit reduction and a reduction in taxes for the rich.

Mitt Romney only pays 15% tax

Mitt Romney, a former investor whose fortune is estimated at between 190 and 250 million dollars, be admitted subject to a tax rate of 15% despite annual revenues of over $ 20 million in 2010 and 2011. It thus benefits in particular, as many wealthy Americans, niche tax changes introduced in 2001 and 2003 under the aegis of former Republican President George W. Bush. The White House says that Americans appearing in 0.1% of the highest incomes pay taxes now represent 26% of their income, against 51% in 1960, while members of the middle class have seen in the same time their tax rate from 14 to 16%.

The discount on the carpet of the "rule Buffett" comes as Americans must report their income before April 17 and may be more receptive to such a speech. The Republican camp has fired back Tuesday stressing that what they called "Buffett tax" would raise no less than 50 billion dollars in ten years, while the federal government debt exceeds 15,600 billion . And communications director for Mitt Romney, Gail Gitcho, said that "President Obama is the first president in history to openly campaign for reelection on a platform of raising taxes." Former President Bush himself on Tuesday defended the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, during a speech in New York. "If we increase taxes, we take money from the pockets of consumers," he said in a rare foray into politics since leaving the White House in January 2009.

Widely criticized for its many investments in France, Qatar has decided to postpone until after the elections in France to launch a controversial investment fund of 50 million euros to help commuters, it was elected officials learned of Diversity, confirming a report in figaro.fr.

The National Association of Elected Local Diversity (Aneld), who obtained this commitment after a mission to Qatar where she was received by the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, "hoped that this initiative is not exploited by political parties, "said its president Kamal Hamza, alderman (UMP) in Courneuve (Seine-Saint-Denis). "We want this to happen in the healing and not in controversy," he told AFP while the Qatari initiative has been criticized, including by Marine Le Pen.

"There is a very strong influence of foreign countries wishing development of Muslim fundamentalism and I wonder very strongly the bonds of friendship between Nicolas Sarkozy (French President) and the Emir of Qatar that has been allowed to invest 50 million euros in the French suburbs, "said the president of the National Front. Saturday, a few hundred young activists identity of "Apache Project" showed Place de l'Opera in Paris against "the acquisition of France by Qatar." For its part, the interior minister, Claude Gueant, found the initative as "salutary effort since there is no particular requirement of any kind".  

The emirate's ambassador in Paris, Mohamed Al-Kuwari Jahan, announced in December the fund of 50 million euros to finance economic projects by residents of the suburbs of France, explaining that s 'was not "charity" but of establishing partnerships in projects "serious" and "solid". A commission of experts should be established to evaluate the projects.

More generally, the tiny emirate is a privileged economic and financial partner of France. He just bought 1% of LVMH, and 2% of Total has increased to 12.8% its stake in Lagardere.

This is a record. China recorded in February its largest trade deficit in over a decade, from 31.48 billion dollars, due to a surge in imports, particularly oil, according to figures reported Saturday by China Customs.

Imports jumped 39.6% year on year to 145.96 billion dollars, while exports rose 18.4% to 114.47 billion USD, have detailed the Customs on their website.

Imports grew far beyond the expectations of economists polled by Dow Jones agency, who on average expected 26% increase, while exports are well below their forecasts, which were 28.8% increase.

The expected deficit by these economists was 8.5 billion only. This is the largest trade deficit ever recorded in a single month by China since at least 2000, according to Dow Jones agency.

Slowdown

For the first two months of the year, China has a trade deficit of 4.25 billion. In January, it had a surplus, but the volume of China's foreign trade had shrunk because of the impact of Chinese New Year celebrations. The high level of imports is mainly due to oil imports, which hit last month to a record volume of 23.64 million tons, amounting to 19.47 billion dollars.

China recorded a trade deficit frequently earlier this year, but in 2011 it had only reached $ 890 million for the first two months of the year.

The deficit in February in addition to other economic indicators released reflecting a slowdown in the second world economy.

"Overall, we see an acceleration of deteriorating economic conditions," responded Zhang Zhiwei, an economist at Nomura Securities agency quoted Dow Jones. "The slowdown occurs more rapidly than expected in the government," he said.

The record trade deficit could prompt Beijing to further relax its monetary policy to support economic activity, while Chinese exporters are suffering from the impact of the debt crisis in Europe and weak economic growth in the U.S. .

The economy created 227,000 non-farm jobs last month, according to statistics from the Labor Department, and the unemployment rate remained at its lowest level in three years, 8.3%.

This is the first time since early 2011 that the new posts remain above 200,000 for three straight months.

The figures for December and January were also revised upward, from 61,000 in total.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected an average of 210.000 jobs created in February after the figure of 243,000 was originally planned for January.

The Nikkei gained 88.59 points to 9,722.52 and the Topix broader took 3.23 points (0.39%) to 838.48.

The bankruptcy of Elpida, the first Japanese manufacturer of memory weighed on the sector, Advantest yielding 1.5% and Shin-Etsu Chemical 1.2%.

But this failure did, in the opinion of stakeholders had limited impact on investor sentiment.