When he crossed the threshold of Honda Aircraft Company booth at EBACE business aviation held in Geneva until Wednesday, the visitor is first greeted by a car manufacturer of the third Japanese car.
Then appears the HondaJet painted red subsidiary of Honda Motor, determined to carve cruppers the American Cessna (Textron group) and Embraer on the market ; light business aircraft.
Honda has received over 100 orders for the seven-seat aircraft within three days after the program began in 2006 but has since remained quiet about the state of his book.
The Japanese embarked on a market segment that has especially suffered from the crisis of 2008, which does not seem unduly disturbing Michimasa Fujino, Honda Aircraft Company's CEO.
"The market for light aircraft is close to the automotive market in terms of business cycles," he said in an interview with Reuters. "Light aircraft are influenced by economic conditions, such as automobiles."
Honda plans to produce 20 units of its product by its first delivery scheduled for late 2013 and 50-70 in 2014, before reaching its cruising speed of a hundred a year from of 2015.
The manufacturer promises a device with a quieter and 20% fuel savings compared to competitive models.
"It's like cars: the cars more compact and more fuel efficient are the most popular," noted Michimasa Fujino.
Honda plans to take 10% of the market initially, and then award in the medium term from 15 to 20%.
Customers interested in the aircraft are not looking particularly to customize the cabin, as might be the case for larger aircraft, he noted.
"HondaJet design looks more like a car, which means that we try to provide an aircraft whose equipment is very complete," said Michimasa Fujino.
He believes the more the market potential of a light aircraft Bigger is not necessarily required for the path of a businessman going to a meeting by instance.
"It's like the car: you do not go necessarily to work with your large MPV", he said.
Michimasa Fujino said that companies were going more and more that have a light business jet they were very helpful.
"Perhaps the use of light aircraft will become more common in the future," he said. As for the car.
Qatar continues its buying spree abroad, entering the capital of the British oil giant Royal Dutch Shell and considering a stake in Italy's ENI, according to news reports.
Last month, Qatar had already strengthened the capital of French Total to 3%.
A Shell spokesman confirmed Friday that Qatar's sovereign wealth fund bought shares in the group but did not say how much this participation rose.
The journal Middle East Economic Survey reported earlier that the Qatari sovereign wealth fund was "in very advanced discussions" to take 3% to 5% stake in Shell.
"We are delighted to welcome Qatar Investment Authority as a shareholder in major long term Shell, particularly in view of our excellent strategic relationship with Qatar," said a spokesman in a statement ;.
According to Reuters data, a 5% stake would make the emirate's largest shareholder Shell.
At the London Stock Exchange, Shell action progressed from 0.46% at 10:20 GMT when the European sector index of the energy lost 0.49%.
According to the Middle East Economic Survey, Qatar's sovereign wealth fund is also in talks to take a stake in Italy's ENI. The group did not wish to comment.
Qatari sovereign wealth fund has been very active in recent years, taking stakes in various sectors ranging from automobile manufacturer Porsche at the British bank Barclays.
Qatar is among the top five shareholders and Total also holds interests in several other French companies, including Lagardère, Vinci and Veolia.
Capgemini announced Thursday a turnover up 4.5% at constant scope and exchange in the first quarter and confirmed its financial targets in 2012.
The leading European IT services aim has confirmed a further improvement in its operating margin in 2012 but with limited organic growth of its turnover due to the re tion of public spending in Europe.
Capgemini, one of the American competitors IBM, the Anglo-Dutch and French Atos Logica, conducted in the first quarter a turnover of 2.565 billion euros, up 9.2% at current rates and perimeter.
Order intake amounted to 2.145 billion euros, down over one year, but the ratio of new orders to figure `s business for the consulting, of the integration systems and community services is positive (1.02 for the group), Capgemini said in a statement.
The Capgemini share closed up 1.29% to 28.95 euros on Wednesday, giving a market capitalization of 4.51 billion. It has rebounded 20% since the beginning of the year after falling over 31% in 2011.
Atos has in turn confirmed the end of April all its annual targets after completing the first quarter organic growth of 2.4% of its turnover, driven by the infogé rance, Germany and the UK.
The Capgemini share closed up 1.29% to 28.95 euros on Wednesday, giving a market capitalization of 4.51 billion. It has rebounded 20% since the beginning of the year after falling over 31% in 2011.
Munich Re has released the first quarter 2012 net income after minority interests of 780 million euros, a figure consistent with expectations that stage is explained by a higher revenue from investments and a low level of claims for damages.
The consensus was 776 million euros, according to 10 analysts and brokers polled by Reuters.
"Despite the economic situation remains difficult, we are optimistic for 2012 and are aiming for a profit for the year of about 2.5 billion euros," said Jörg Schneider , CFO of the first global reinsurer, said in a statement.
In the first three months of 2011, accounts of Munich Re had plunged into the red after billions of euros of damage claims after the effects of earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand.
Bank of Japan announced Friday a further easing of monetary policy, pledging one hand to increase its program of asset purchases of 10,000 billion yen (94 billion euros) and secondly to acquire government bonds of longer maturities.
Despite signs of growing a resumed third largest economy, Japan's central bank and takes measures to support activity for the second time in just over two months and displays its determination to fight against the phenomenon of deflation beating down the country for over ten years.
Economists had expected an increase in the program of asset purchases two times lower. The BoJ has also surprised by announcing that it would expand its purchases of riskier assets such as Exchange Traded Funds and REITs.
"The BoJ has a bit more than what we expected, then its decision is a surprise" said Masamichi Adachi, senior economist at JPMorgan Securities.
"The bank is trying to get the message that it supports the market and economic recovery, as it did in February. This is a step in the right direction and we believe that the BoJ should do more to encourage the economy. "
The BoJ's decision, taken unanimously, carries its asset purchase program to 40,000 billion yen. The rate remains unchanged in a range of zero to 0.1%.
Immediately after the decision of the BoJ, the yen fell against the dollar. He was subsequently erased its losses and, to 6:40 GMT, gaining more than 0.3% against the greenback and the euro.
The BoJ has estimated that it would not "too long" to reach its inflation target of 1%, which could dampen expectations of further aggressive monetary easing measures.
It also found more and more evident that the third world economy was on the road to recovery. A series of indicators released Friday abounded in his direction.
Japan's industrial production rose 1.0% in March, posting its largest gain in three months in favor of a stabilizing external demand and the reconstruction of areas hit the country ; es by the earthquake and tsunami a year ago.
Also in March, retail sales jumped 10.3% year on year, against a 9.8% increase expected by analysts, while household expenditure increased by 3 4% in real terms, after growing 2.3% in February.
The unemployment rate meanwhile remained steady last month at 4.5%.
Russia plans to give the International Monetary Fund (IMF) additional resources of over ten billion dollars but the exact amount will be determined in coordination with other emerging BRICS group says, has Saturday announced the Russian Minister of Finance.
"We have already said that the minimum contribution (Russia) would be 10 billion, the question now is to change this amount of increase to reflect the need for additional resources of the IMF" said Anton Silouanov to the press.
"We will coordinate with our colleagues in the BRICS and decide together what we can do," he said on the sidelines of a meeting between the IMF and World Bank in Washington.
The group said BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The G20 countries have pledged Friday to provide the IMF additional resources of $ 430 billion to address the debt crisis in the euro area.
According to Anton Silouanov, most of this amount, $ 362 billion, had already been promised before. "We have about 70 billion" to distribute among the contributors, he said.
Emerging economies, which were far more recipients of aid, this time have joined the effort, even if they expect, in return, that their weight within the international financial institutions increased at the expense of that of Europe.
NEW QUOTAS
The G20 committed on this road Friday, promising that the voting rights of emerging nations, called quotas, will be raised at the summit of the IMF scheduled in October.
Russia welcomed the decision, even though she was careful not to make quota reform as a precondition for the payment of its contribution. The new quota system must be clear and understandable, insisted Saturday the Russian Minister of Finance.
"We propose that the quota calculation is based primarily on two main indicators, the size of gross domestic product (GDP) of each country and the volume of their gold reserves and foreign currency," said Anton Silouanov.
If such criteria were to be retained, Moscow's influence in the IMF would increase considerably, with Russia third of global foreign-exchange reserves, with 516.7 billion dollars.
Some countries of the BRICS group said, however, have argued in favor of a better consideration of the weight of GDP, acknowledged Silouanov.
"Many countries believe that further dialogue in this area. Some countries have a quota have no interest in it is recalculated and prefer, obviously, that we keep the current formula, without bring change, "he said
.
The International Monetary Fund should get, as expected, an increase of its means of at least $ 400 billion to take action against the global crisis. Executive Director International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde expects its member states that the funds of the institution are "substantially" increased.
The International Monetary Fund is about to get financial support to match its requirements. To act against the global crisis, the organization has requested an increase in its resources. It is not yet certain that everything is sealed off Friday in Washington, which met finance ministers of G20 countries, but the organization seems poised to achieve, as it wishes, an increase in resources of at least $ 400 billion.
"Among the results of these meetings, we expect that our strike force is greatly increased," said Christine Lagarde Thursday, executive director of the IMF. "I know it is in a lot the subject of the day," she noted.
Finance ministers of rich and emerging countries in the G20 will discuss on Friday, after a first working dinner Thursday night. Christine Lagarde expects to have a number. And all indications are it will succeed in light of recent promises made public through several countries before the start of the spring meetings in Washington.
Additional means to help the euro area
Notable exception, the United States, the largest shareholder of the Fund, have refused to pay any extra dollar. The uncompromising stance of Washington has also forced Christine Lagarde to review its initial ambitions downwards, estimated in January after the needs of the Fund to some $ 600 billion.
"Today, there is less risk," she assured, even if Europe "is not pulled out of the rut." The French felt that this money would help address the problems of the world economy, including "high unemployment, sustainable in many parts of the world," growth "slow" or "of potential increases in oil prices".
Executive Director of the IMF did not name Spain in its list of "dark clouds" looming always above the global economy, but the situation there continues to preoccupy the international financial community. "If there is a need, the IMF must be there for all its members" but "there is no need of this kind at the moment," she assured, however.
The IMF can now hire up to 382 billion dollars, according to the weekly final point on its resources. But Christine Lagarde Lagarde, supported by the Europeans, want to add at least $ 400 billion to this total. She can already count on some 320 billion thanks to the commitment of Japan to the tune of 60 billion over the three Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway and Denmark), with just over 26 billion, that of Poland, 8 billion, and finally that of Switzerland and other countries not identified, to the tune of $ 26 billion.
The Swiss pharmaceutical group Roche warned Wednesday that he would not fall under its offer of $ 6.8 billion (5.18 billion euros) on the Illumina American and he will not extend the period of acceptance thereof.
Its current proposal, $ 51 per share Illumina, can not be improved without penalizing shareholders of Roche, said the group, which should give up its offensive.
The offer expires Friday, Roche said not wanting to prolong it, expressing regret the refusal of the Board to engage in constructive dialogue
Illumina sequencing of genes specialist, self-proclaimed "Apple genomics", for its part has rejected offers of Roche and called its shareholder do the same.
Consulted Wednesday during a general meeting, a majority of them have also shunned.
"Roche will not be affected if it sends a signal showing that it is ready to give up these offers," said Navid Malik of Cenkos Securities.
The acquisition of Illumina would have allowed the Swiss group, world leader in therapies against cancer to benefit from its expertise in sequencing of genes play a role forefront of personalized treatments, which represent the future of the pharmaceutical industry.
Roche did not give up its ambitions for external growth.
"Roche will continue to examine all options and opportunities to further develop its business portfolio to expand its leading position in diagnostics," said Severin Schwan, director General of the Basel group, in a statement.
At their general meeting, shareholders of Illumina supported the four nominees to fill board seats, while rejecting a proposal from Roche to bring to 11 the number of directors with the objective to take a majority.
The prospect of a failure of Roche has not been punished by investors, its title having closed up 0.99%, unlike the Illumina who lost in the third me time to 4.10% to 42.20 dollars.
Volkswagen has further increased its stake in truck manufacturer MAN, as part of its planned merger of its two main activities of trucks.
The German automotive group now owns 73% of the shares of MAN and 71.08% of the total capital, MAN announced in a statement Friday.
Volkswagen previously held 55.9% of the voting rights and 53.71% stake.
VW wants to increase integration between MAN and Swedish Scania, he also controls, in order to save at least € 200 million in procurement, production and research and development.
In addition, the Wolfsburg group wants to encourage cooperation between the two truck manufacturers and its own activities to create vehicles capable of exceeding a set Daimler and Volvo.
Volkswagen holds 71.8% voting rights in Scania and 49.3% of its capital.
MAN has declined to comment, a spokesman for Volkswagen could not be immediately available for comment.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange closed up over 1% Friday, the good performance of the action Fast Retailing and relief related to the failure of the rocket launch North Korea has than offset the disappointment that followed the publication of a Chinese GDP worse than expected.
The Nikkei gained 1.19% or 113.20 points to 9,637.99 and the Topix broader took 5.60 points (0.69%) to 815.48.
Growth of the Chinese economy slowed to its slowest pace in almost three years in the first quarter, to 8.1% annual rate against 8.9% last quarter , said Friday the Chinese central statistics office.
Analysts polled by Reuters had expected an annual growth of 8.3% of gross domestic product (GDP).
The title Fast Retailing jumped 8.59% after the chain of clothing stores, owner of the Uniqlo brand, announced Thursday a second quarter earnings of its 2011-2012 fiscal year and a soaring increase in its annual targets.
North Korea conducted Friday to fire a rocket at the origin of a strong condemnation from the international community but this attempt was officially ended in failure.
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