Air France-KLM announced Wednesday an increase in passenger traffic of 7.6% in August, together with a load factor up 1.2 point to 85.7%.
The second European airline in terms of sales said in a statement it had carried 6.8 million passengers last month, with revenue per available seat kilometer (RASK) excluding currency "slightly down" from August 2010.
Traffic recorded an increase of 10.7% in the Americas network and 9.0% on the Asia network, for load factors in respective increases of 1.3 points to 89.6% and 1.4 points to 89.4%.
The Caribbean and Indian Ocean network recorded a traffic increase of 10.0% with capacity up 7.1%, while Africa and the Middle East are still affected by political crises and have a stable traffic ( -0.1%) on capacity down 0.5%.
In freight, cargo traffic is also almost stable (-0.2%) with capacity up 2.8%, bringing a decline of 1.9 points in load factor to 62.5% while unit revenue per tonne kilometer (RATK) excluding currency is "up slightly".
Action Air France-KLM on Tuesday completed a course of 5.993 euros, showing a dip of 56% since the beginning of the year.
The president of the U.S. central bank, Ben Bernanke, called on lawmakers to enact fiscal stimulus to support U.S. growth, which shows serious signs of slowing down. The chairman of the Federal Reserve (Fed), Friday, August 26 urged elected officials to take additional fiscal stimulus for employment.
The president of the U.S. central bank (Fed) Ben Bernanke on Friday called the political authorities in Washington to make fiscal stimulus to complement the effort of supporting the institution to grow. "The Fed will certainly do its utmost to help restore growth rates and employment rates in an environment of price stability," said Ben Bernanke in a speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in the mountains (Western States USA)."However, most of the economic policy measures to support the long-term growth is a spring outside the central bank," he added.
For him, it is for elected officials to take additional fiscal stimulus for employment. Ben Bernanke does not really paved the way for further monetary easing as many had hoped. At most, he has not ruled out this possibility, stating that the regular meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Fed planned for September 20 would be extended by one day to allow a "fuller discussion" on the policy. While the economy seems to get bogged down, the head of the Federal Reserve believes that "the foundation of growth" are still there in the U.S., despite the persistence of "risks". He said GDP growth "should improve" the second half.
About the situation in Europe – one of the "risks" mentioned with that of the long-term situation of public finances U.S., Mr Bernanke said his optimism. "I am confident that our European colleagues are fully aware of what is at stake in the difficult problems they face today and that over time it will take all necessary and appropriate measures to deal effectively and fully, "said his speech.
Oil prices had closed up Wednesday issued after the announcement that the United States had reduced their inventories last week.
The September contract on Brent crude has ended up 4.0%, or 4.11 dollars to 106.68 dollars.
Previously on the Nymex, the contract on September U.S. crude (WTI) had ended with a gain of 3.59 dollars, or 4.53% to 82.89 dollars a barrel.
The giant U.S. food Kraft Foods announced Thursday it plans to split into two separate companies, while posting better than expected results and raising its forecast for 2011.
Eighteen months after buying the British chocolate maker Cadbury controversial, Kraft plans to split its North American grocery through a split tax-free by the end of 2012.
Kraft now considers that its activities and snacks division North American grocery now have strategic priorities, patterns of growth and operating objectives that differ.
Investors can therefore choose between the strong growth prospects of the market for snacks in emerging economies, or build on the security offered by the grocery business.
The draft terms of division received two support weight, those investors Pelte Nelson and Warren Buffet, the latter being the largest shareholder of Kraft.
The group issued a profit along better than expected at 62 cents per share, a Thomson Reuters consensus I / B / E / S to 58 cents a share, with net sales up 13.3% to 13.9 billion.
The group raised its forecast for annual EPS at least $ 2.25 and organic growth of its turnover to at least 5%.He was formerly an annual EPS of at least $ 2.20 and organic growth of at least 4%.
All these ads allowed under Kraft jump of almost 3% at the New York Stock Exchange in the morning.
No discussion of an aid package to Italy took place, said Wednesday the European Commission while the return of the Italian Treasury debt continues to rise because of investor concerns that the crisis spread .
The EU executive said he was confident that all commitments made by the leaders of the euro area summit on 21 July will be implemented.
"We are confident that the commitments of the agreement by European states, including Spanish and Italian will be adopted," said the spokesperson of the Commission at a press conference.
The Italian Minister of Economy Giulio Tremonti met Wednesday morning with the President of the Eurogroup, Jean-Claude Juncker and the European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, Olli Rehn.
"Commissioner Rehn reiterated that he remained convinced that the Minister Tremonti and the Italian authorities take steps to put the country back on track for sustainable growth and ensure greater fiscal consolidation," said the Commission in a statement .
Speaking to the press, following a meeting which lasted two hours with Giulio Tremonti, Jean-Claude Juncker said simply: "We had a long discussion about the challenges facing the euro area. We will continue thinking together. "
"I agree with what Mr Juncker said.We had a long and fruitful discussion, "added the Italian Minister.
Council President Silvio Berlusconi has to speak before the Italian Parliament from 1530 GMT on the economic situation of the country.
In Spain, the President of the Government Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was to chair a crisis meeting in the afternoon.
The yield spread between ten-year bonds Spanish and Italian from the German paper of the same maturity, part of the European bond market, continued to grow Wednesday, within the scope of fears of contagion from the debt crisis of the euro area.
The yield spread between Italian and German paper was 386 basis points (bp 12) and ten-year bonds between Spanish and German from 402 basis points (13 bps).
The performance of Italian securities decade was up 8 basis points to 6.225% and the Spanish equivalent obligations was 6.371% (6 bp).
He said much the same thing to both commissions.
Ben Bernanke said a default on U.S. debt would be devastating. "It would be a disastrous outcome," he said. "This would create a severe financial shock that would impact not only on the U.S. economy but also on the global economy."
Do not raise the ceiling of the debt on time would be a "self-mutilation" for the economy, he tried.
Budget negotiations between the White House and Congress are at an impasse.The Republicans want 2,400 billion in spending cuts in return for their agreement to raise the debt ceiling, currently at 14,300 billion.
The Treasury said it would be short of funds if an agreement was not reached recovery by the deadline of August 2.
Moody's said Wednesday that the U.S. AAA rating was in danger if this issue was not resolved, prompting Beijing to urge Washington to protect the interests of investors in government debt.
An employee of Congress said Thursday that Standard & Poor's warned MPs privately that it could reduce the note if the U.S. Treasury was forced to prioritize reimbursements because Congress would not raised the ceiling on the debt.
Bernanke reiterated that the Fed was prepared to act if the recovery was showing signs of fatigue. The U.S. grew 1.9% in the first quarter of 2011 and is unlikely to do better in the second.
"Given the high uncertainty about the evolution of the economy, we must preserve all options, both for an easing or tightening," he said. "However, we are already exceptionally accommodating and the recovery is really slow."
Free access to justice is almost finished. The draft supplementary budget 2011, to be adopted next week, provides for the establishment of a stamp from 35 euros to bring any legal action.
FOR and CGT unions amounted Thursday against the introduction of the payment of 35 euros to bring any legal action, as provided for a provision in the draft supplementary budget 2011 which should definitely be adopted next week.
In a statement, Workers' Force considers this to be "inequitable and unjust" and "fear that such a stamp duty discourages some litigants to bring actions." "After the reform of the judicial system is further away from the citizen of access to justice," says TF.
For the CGT, "a new step was taken with the introduction of payment of stamp duty of 35 euros for all proceedings before the civil, social and industrial tribunals." In a statement, the station believes that "this system undermines the free employment tribunal proceedings and is handicap access to the courts for thousands of employees." The two unions require the removal of this provision, the CFDT had already criticized in its review by MPs.
The costs of legal aid
This is to fund the rising cost of legal aid generated by the reform of the police custody. The beneficiaries of legal aid should be exempt. The draft supplementary budget shall be finally adopted at a final vote in the Assembly and Senate next week.
The New York Stock Exchange ended Friday down 0.80%, the Dow Jones industrial yielding 30 points to 12150.96 97.59 points.
The S & P-500, wider, lost 12.81 points, or 0.98% to 1300.13 points.
The Nasdaq Composite fell 40.53 points for his side (1.46%) to 2732.78 points.
These data are likely to vary even slightly.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange ended Thursday down 1.69%, affected by the political crisis that affects Japan's unpopular prime minister and Naoto Kan.
Bad statistics released Wednesday in the U.S. also weighed on Japanese markets.
The Nikkei lost 164.57 points to 9,555.04 and the Topix broader yielded 13.65 points (1.63%) to 825.76.
Political uncertainty increased Thursday when Naoto Kan said he would leave office once the authorities had regained control of the nuclear crisis to the central Fukushima, which was interpreted as a possible basis for the fall.
This announcement was expected to help avoid the censure motion that the parliament was preparing to vote, but the markets believe that the uncertainty will last anyway.
The Nikkei index has a threshold of technical support around 9,400 points, the lowest hit in late April and during May.
Many analysts consider it useless to continue to sell below this threshold, most Japanese equities are now close to their book value.
Automakers have underperformed the meeting, due to poor sales in the U.S. during the month of May. Toyota sold 3.25% to 3,270 yen, Honda has lost 2.4% to 3,045 yen and Nissan fell 3.22% to 781 yen.
The French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde is one of many well-qualified candidates to head the IMF, said Thursday the number two of the institution, John Lipsky.
Lipsky ensures the Interim Director General of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) since the resignation Thursday of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was accused of sexual assault and attempted rape of a maid in a hotel in New York.
"Many names were mentioned in the press.I am pleased to say that most of them, a long list of them, seem to be extremely talented and well qualified, "he said after his address at the Peterson Institute.
Asked to comment specifically on the French minister, he replied: "Naturally she is very very talented, and he is a competent leader. It is one of many well-qualified candidates cited in the press."
The possibility of a bid for the presidency Christine Lagarde IMF has strengthened.In Berlin, a source close to Angela Merkel raised the esteem of the German Chancellor to it while stressing that no decision was taken.
Jean-Claude Juncker, chairman of the Eurogroup, said his part that "Christine Lagarde would be a perfect candidate" but that "discussions are not yet at that point."As for the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, he believes that Christine Lagarde was "an excellent choice."
"BASIS OF MERIT"
The appointment of a new CEO will be based on merit and may take time, insisted Lipsky.
"In the past, (the name) was a matter of few months due to the existing selection process and the fact that the nominee may not be immediately available," he said. "I expect a simple process and normal."
"There is a consensus among our members that the process of appointing the CEO should be open, transparent and must be made on the basis of merit," he said.
"Open means open.Open does not only open to certain ", he added.
The EU seems determined to present a European candidate for the estate of Dominique Strauss-Kahn to head IMF, which played a key role in the debt crisis in Greece and Portugal.
An American, Robert Zoellick, who chairs the World Bank, the tradition is that the IMF management échoie to a European but emerging countries are pressing for the selection process is open to all member countries.
Lipsky has once again assured that the IMF was operational.
"To think that an institution is based on one man, so talented that it can be (…) is an illusion," he said.
