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PSA Peugeot Citroën is the star of the Paris stock exchange today. Its title flies by nearly 10%, boosted by the announcement of cooperation projects and a possible alliance with General Motors. A PSA Peugeot Citroën plant in Coventry, UK.

The title of French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen flew Wednesday morning at the Paris Bourse, boosted by the prospect of an alliance with General Motors. At 10:10 (9:10 GMT), the value gained 9.80% to 15.80 euros and largely occupied first place in the CAC 40, which lost 0.29%. Analysts at Natixis bank have in turn raised to "buy", against "neutral" before their recommendation on the title, with a price target to 20 euros.

The French manufacturer, sentencing, said review "projects of cooperation and alliances" about which "discussions are ongoing". The site reported Tuesday LaTribune.fr advanced negotiations for a marriage with General Motors. Labour Minister Xavier Bertrand confirmed Wednesday that French was in talks with the U.S.. Florent Couvreur, analyst at CM-CIC Securities, said that PSA is among the largest European manufacturers "most isolated" and that furthermore it is difficult to generate sufficient margins in its core automotive operations. The analyst also puts forward the fact that the company Opel, GM's European subsidiary, "is in the same situation."

Analysts at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, "the first result of such discussions is the need for both companies to improve their position in Europe where all groups except two (Renault and Volkswagen) have recorded losses in the second half 2011 ". Thus, an alliance with PSA GM "could allow these two groups of strong synergies and economies of scale", such investments and R & D (research and development), for Mr. Slater. This merger would allow PSA to benefit from the GM position in Asia and the U.S. while the U.S. would have the opportunity through the French to build on small models, explains the analyst.

"GM-PSA could be the new Fiat-Chrysler", states Mr. Couvreur, while warning against a number of uncertainties. These include the future participation of the Peugeot family, the reaction of other PSA partners (Ford on diesel engines and Toyota in the "mini cars") and whether the alliance has held a probable reduction in overcapacity Europe. Analysts at the U.S. bank, however, wonder if this alliance fear materialize and warn that PSA longer needs this merger as GM, "given its dependence on Europe and its inability to cut costs fast enough ".

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Illumina has rejected the hostile offer of $ 5.7 billion (4.3 billion euros) of the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, deeming it inadequate and undervalued.

American society of genomic sequencing, which reported better than expected results in the fourth quarter, said that Roche's offer did not value adequately its existing products and developing and advised its shareholders not tender their shares into the offer.

"Your proposal fails to compensate shareholders for the intrinsic value and rare due to the unparalleled dominance of Illumina," writes the U.S. biotech in a statement . 

Roche launched a bid last month to 44.50 dollars per share on Illumina whose success would secure a leading position in the market for DNA sequencing, which allows to better identify particular the benefits of treatment with such patients.

Roche had initially offered $ 40 per share Illumina, according to documents filed with the SEC. This offer, subject to certain conditions, was sent to Illumina by mail, on January 3, these documents show.

Roche, who said that its offer to 44.50 dollars per share was unconditional and fair, said he was disappointed by the decision but added Illumina he remained ready to negotiate with the target at any time. He said, stay confident that its offer was fair and represented a unique opportunity for Illumina.

Illumina, whose shares closed Tuesday at 51.80 dollars, said to continue to grow while remaining independent and did not specify under what conditions a possible offer would be considered adequate.

"Our board believes that the development plan Illumina as an independent entity will create value for our shareholders in proportions much higher than the Roche's offer, "writes Illumina in its written response to the Swiss laboratory.

Illumina has also reported a profit of 35 cents per share, above expectations, in the fourth quarter. Analysts on average expected 30 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters consensus I / B / E / S. Revenues fell 4% to $ 250 million.

Illumina has said it expects earnings per share between 29 and 32 cents per share for the first quarter sales of 250 to 260 million. Analysts expect year average results of 31 cents per share for a turnover of 259.9 million dollars.

Over the entire fiscal year, Illumina expects a turnover of between 1.1 and 1.175 billion for a score of 1.40 to 1.50 dollar per share.

The French Building Federation says the crisis and the austerity measures will be expensive jobs. Last year, the sector had created 9000, after losing 20,000 in 2010. Volume, the activity is expected to fall 1.9% in 2012, after increasing 1.2% in 2011 and fell 3.8% in 2010.

The construction sector is expected to lose 35,000 jobs in 2012 due to financial crisis and austerity, who "broke" the upturn in the sector in 2011, said Tuesday the French Federation of the building FFB. In 2011, the sector had the opposite created 9,000 jobs, after losing 20,000 in 2010, including acting."The crisis of public debt in euro area and fiscal adjustment policies have shattered the movement of bringing economic recovery and still bears a few months, the quantitative improvement of our markets," said the president of the FFB, Didier Ridoret at a press conference.

Volume, the activity is expected to fall 1.9% in 2012, after increasing 1.2% in 2011 and fell 3.8% in 2010, said Didier Ridoret. It is expected to decline in all areas, with a 2.8% decline in new housing, 1% in the nine non-residential housing, and 1.7% improvement in maintenance. While in 2008 and 2009 the use of the building had been "preserved", "dyke will drop" in 2012 with a script "close to that of year 1990, which will permanently affect the production system," warned the FFB.

The British group Centrica Energy Thursday issued a warning on its profits in 2011, with a loss of customers and a decrease in electricity consumption due to the sluggish economy and mild weather.

The operator, whose subsidiary British Gas is the first energy supplier to UK households, lost customers after raising its rates and now provides an annual output "slightly below" market expectations.

An hour after the opening of the London Stock Exchange, the title Centrica lost 1.36%, while the European sector index Utilities 0.5% abandoned.

Faurecia announced Monday new medium-term financial goals with a turnover of 20 billion euros in 2015, growth should be driven by the dynamism of Asia and the demand for technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The automotive world leader in exhaust systems owned 57.4% by the manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroen, said the new goal was a 25% growth on sales estimated in 2011.

In late October, said the group had anticipated for the current year revenues from 15.7 to 15.9 billion euros.

"Faurecia is now (to) outperform three to four points growth in global automotive production," he said in a statement.

In his previous plan unveiled in June 2010, the equipment was a turnover of 16 billion euros in 2014 and an operating margin of 5-6% at the same horizon.

A government report concludes that the proportion of poor in the population fell by two percentage points between 2006 and 2009. Associations contest.

Poverty has declined in France in 2009, according to a government report Wednesday quoted by Liberation, but the calculation is disputed by the associations and does not match that of the INSEE. In this "Report to Parliament" from the Ministry of Solidarity and Social Cohesion that has purchased the newspaper, "the proportion of poor in the population increased from 13.1% in 2006 to 11.8% in 2009" .

This report on "monitoring the goal of reduction of one third of poverty in five years," must be made public every year since 2009. The Ministry was not immediately able to provide this document. According to Liberation, he cites specific figures: there were 7.5 million poor in 2007 and 7.1 million in 2009.

But the report is based primarily on an indicator, "income poverty rooted in time" that keeps the poverty past, simply adjusted for inflation. It is not the same as published annually by INSEE, namely the indicator of "relative poverty", which takes into account the evolution of the median. It is criticized by many associations aid the poor, as ATD Fourth World, which believes that its method of calculation is mechanically lower the poverty rate.

The latest study by the INSEE published in late August, the proportion of people living below the poverty line or less than 954 euros per month, increased in 2009 to 13.5% of the population living in metropolitan France. In 2009, 8.2 million people were considered poor, against 7.84 million in 2008, detailed the Statistical Institute.

In an interview Wednesday Liberation Solidarity Minister, Roselyne Bachelot, said the report was "in some way a reflection" of the financial crisis. "Poverty is a complex phenomenon that can not be measured through a single indicator," she also said.

French deputies adopted Monday by 49 votes to 25 against the bill authorizing the state to provide guarantees to the restructuring of the Franco-Belgian bank Dexia to facilitate its dismantling.

The UMP, which holds an absolute majority in the Assembly, and the group of the New Centre (NC) voted this draft supplementary budget ("collective") for 2011, reviewed by expedited review in the Senate turn Wednesday night.

The leftist opposition voted against. "We vote against it because what we present is completely blurred. The minister did not believe," said Christian Eckert (PS).

The left is now a majority in the upper house, the text may be released Wednesday.It will then be made a new reading in the Assembly who constitutionally has the final say.

"The adoption of this supplementary budget is an issue of responsibility. Dexia's customers like the creditors must have confidence that states have kept their word.Our communities in turn can rely on this feature to continue to invest for the benefit of the economy, "said Baroin, the Minister of Economy.

This restructuring plan, arrested Oct. 10 by the board of directors of the group and approved by the Belgian, French and Luxembourg, Dexia provides for the dismantling.

The bank, founded in 1996 with the merger of Crédit local de France and Crédit Communal de Belgique, had already received a bailout in 2008.

The decommissioning plan provides that Dexia France, Belgium and Luxembourg will provide 90 billion euros in guarantees for its financing needs with 60.5% for Belgium, 36.5% for France and 3% Luxembourg.

The new supplementary budget offers a double guarantee.First, the funding will enable Dexia to borrow on the markets with the guarantee of France, Belgium and Luxembourg, the maximum total outstanding amount of 90 billion euros for a period of ten years maximum.

The second guarantee, up to 10 billion euros, is for a fraction of the portfolio of loans to local authorities of Dexia that the new structure controlled by the Deposit (CDSC) and the Post Bank will acquire.

The Belgian part of the rescue of Dexia was temporarily authorized Monday by the European Commission, however, that announces the opening of an investigation to ensure that the operation does not violate the rules on state aid and application Belgium to submit within six months a new restructuring plan of the bank.

The head of the mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Greece said Friday that substantial progress had been made, adding that there were important issues to discuss.

Poul Thomsen said he hoped that the review of the situation in Athens ends soon, stressing that the time had not yet come.

"We're not yet at the stage of conclusion," he told reporters.

"I hope we will soon conclude on a positive note, but we're not there yet."

The Tokyo Stock Exchange closed sharply down Monday, affected again by fears about the debt situation in the euro area and the slowing global economy.

This context prompted investors to shun riskier assets, like stocks, and turned to the bond market as such.

A good Tankan quarterly report of the Bank of Japan, published before the opening and showing a positive turnaround in the business sense, was not a very large effect.

"The October-December quarter begins today and it is hoped, therefore, purchases of domestic funds but for now, the market is primarily concerned with problems of Greece and wondered how the Europeans will face the situation.They also expect U.S. data this week, "said Fujio Ando (Chibagin Asset Management).

Greece missed the deficit targets that were assigned by its international donors for this year and next, according to figures released Sunday by the Greek Ministry of Finance after approval by the Government of the draft budget 2012.

The Nikkei 225 index lost 154.81 points (1.78%) to 8,545.48 while the Topix yielded 14.06 points (1.85%) to 747.11.

Values, Sony has touched its lowest level meeting since June 1987, a victim of clearances by foreign funds, and eventually a loss of 4.51% to 1439 yen.

The French trade deficit will break all records this year to 75 billion euros. The increase in the energy bill is not the only cause. Lack of competitiveness, weak SME export … The handicaps of France are numerous. View of the Port of Marseille

75 billion euros: this amount should be – unusually high – the French deficit this year. The calculation is not hard to do. During the first half, the difference between our imports and exports amounted to 37.5 billion. So just multiply by two.

Usually, this kind of calculation is dangerous: economics, trends can vary greatly from one semester to the next. However, the deficit seems to have found a new anchor monthly, around 6 billion euros, experts note.Over the last twelve months, the French trade deficit reached a staggering 67.21 billion euros, a record.

To explain this collapse, some are bound to mention the cost of the oil bill. However, the reality is different, say economists Assya financial company. The root cause of our deficit is the lack of competitiveness. Our industry specialization is too focused on capital goods (22% of our exports, against 50% across the Rhine).This area is yet one who benefits most from the recovery phase.

Domestic production does not meet the needs of the French

Other handicaps: our largest trading partner remains the euro area, which has the lowest global growth for ten years, the costs of production, regulatory and tax burdens encourage French companies to produce abroad, while imports French are too strong, particularly because there are too many products that are no longer manufactured in the Hexagon. In other words, domestic production meets less consumption needs of the French.

Not throw away the cup is full. Well, not quite: France also has a problem with SMEs.While large French companies such as Airbus, Alstom or Areva, signed major contracts abroad, which shows that the French technology is extremely competitive, SMEs, they have difficulty, confirms Bertrand Macabeo, Managing Director of Kompass International. Yet they represent 90% of French companies and 80% of employees!

In this area, the comparison with Germany hurts. Our neighbor has 300,000 exporting companies, representing three times the French strike force, estimated at 90 000 companies! Another figure hard to take: France, has approximately 30 000 exporters "accidental", that is to say companies that for one reason or another, fail to make sustainable export strategy. These problems go well beyond the surge in energy costs.And they are expensive: weighed down by the external deficit, growth is likely to become slightly negative in the third quarter.