This week has the distinction of being a shortened session on Thursday is a public holiday in the United States where we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, which should result in reduced volumes.

The spotlight will be on Monday in Washington, where 12 members of the "super-committee" Parliamentary expected fiscal consolidation to make public their proposals Monday before the vote on November 23.

The latest negotiations skating at the risk of a new block.Now it supports more austerity measures, which may satisfy the investors.

A RALLY POSSIBLE?

The S & P 500 yielded 3.8% over the last five session, ending the week Friday night's most mediocre in two months.

If we add also the data from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, the decline was slightly less marked, to -1.4%.

Over the period from January to October, registrations show a decline of 1.2% over the same period in 2010 (-0.9% with Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) to 11,126,000 units.

In Germany, the number of registered vehicles rose 0.6% in October compared to last year (9.8% over 10 months), while in France, sales were up 2.4% Last month, a slight increase of 0.4% over 10 months to 1.829 million units.

The number one European car Volkswagen rose by 3.7% of sales in October, all brands, while the runner, French PSA Peugeot Citroen, saw his fall by 6.4% the month last.

For its part, Renault has declined by 2.3% in October and Fiat a drop of 10.3%.

The Nikkei lost 62.08 points to 8,988.39 and the Topix, larger yielded 7.37 points (0.96%) to 764.06.

The Bank of Japan intervened in foreign exchange markets to counter speculation that makes the yen to rise and threatens to seal the country's recovery after the earthquake of March, announced the Minister of Finance Jun Azumi.

The Nikkei took up 1.1% immediately after the announcement, which reduced the yen against the dollar, and some investors doubted that the yen could remain permanently low, took the opportunity to pocket their profits.

Honda Motor, Toshiba and Panasonic have lost respectively 3.68%, 3.86% and 2.06%, while their results were expected after the close. The three exporters are not only affected by the force of the Japanese currency but are in addition to their production in Thailand affected by the floods.

Research firm, which also reported a slowdown in activity in the third quarter, does not mention in its press release of a forecast growth in sales for 2011.

The group had said previously a target organic growth of over 6%.

"However, this reduction in growth prospects do not undermine the objective of Ipsos – Synovate out – to reach a record operating margin of at least 11% in 2011," the company said in a statement .

Ipsos, which became the third largest global market research industry by closing early October the acquisition of Synovate, said that the activity of the new entity should return to a normal rhythm "no later than summer 2012 ".

The third quarter sales of Ipsos, Synovate out to be consolidated from 1 October 2011, was $ 287.6 million, up 5.4% at constant scope and exchange rates, while Analyst estimates ranged from 5.6% to 6.0%.

It reflects a slowdown after growth of 6.4% announced in the second quarter and increased 6.2% over the first three months of the year.

The first nine months of the year, organic growth stood at 6.0% for sales to 845.8 million euros.

"The operating margin was up compared to the same period of 2010," said the company in a statement, without providing any figure indicated.

The French research company was particularly penalized in the third quarter by the slowdown in its business market research and advertising associated with a reduction in the number of client projects, Ipsos said.

Emerging economies, however, take the pace, with organic growth of 17% over nine months.

In its statement, the company said that the merger of the teams Synovate and Ipsos should be effective from January next year before the launch of a new integrated offering scheduled for February 15.

Coca-Cola has lost. The National Assembly approved Friday the establishment of a tax on soft drinks, the amount will be doubled from the initial project of the government. And it also introduced a tax on beverages containing artificial sweeteners, the lights, against which stood the giant soft drinks. The tax on soda, two cents per can, bring 240 million euros, half of which would finance the reduction of social security in agriculture, and the sweeteners on 40 million euros, said the Minister of Budget, Valérie Pécresse.

It is not Coca-Cola because of trying to oppose it by conducting intensive lobbying. The point that the UMP Bernard Reynes, the source of the amendment proposing to tax the lights, was pessimistic about the chances to see him go. "And I will not deny that it bothers me that the creations of law are dependent groups such as Coca" he admitted even to the expansion. Com shortly before the vote.

"One of lobbying juggernaut"

Drinks lights are in fact 60% of the revenue of Coca-Cola. Well above its competitors. Where the offensive of World No. 1 soft drink for the desired version of the tax. Mailings burst, increase in phone calls and requests for appointments, Bernard Reynes supports even have really been "harassed" by the group. "I had an unacceptable pressure. It is normal for multinationals discuss with MPs.But not how it happened. "

And it is far from alone in being surprised by the firepower deployed by Coca. Many players linked to the Assembly (lobbyists, MPs and their families) show a lobbying "huge", "scary", "pressing as is not permitted" and "the strength of a tank "the giant soft drink with parliamentarians and government.

"They call everybody! We have received phone calls from friends, Bercy for example, who did not care at all about this, but had been called for by Coca they are trying to convince us of abandon the project, "said a member of the cabinet of Jean Dionis du Sejour, Vice President (New Centre) of the Committee on Economic Affairs. Until the discreet meeting between Nicolas Sarkozy and the President of Coca-Cola Europe, Dominique Reiniche, revealed Wednesday by Challenge.fr.

Promises to invest in France, threatens to leave, may give an anti-American image that may scare away other groups … This mixture of "caresses and threats" Coca has been confirmed by several sources MPs we interviewed. In the end, however, the U.S. group may have done too much … "If there is one lesson it is that of the lobbying juggernaut does not work," says Paul Boury, subject matter expert.

A "catastrophe", really?

The action of Coca has not been completely ineffective. The final version of the tax on the lights was indeed amputated 80 million euros compared to the original text. "But that Coke does not care, provides a lobbyist familiar with the matter on condition of anonymity. The group was even willing to pay 250 million euros to the government to abandon the measure.The principle of a tax on lights is a national disaster for them. It stigmatizes products. And a tax, especially in France, is always liable to change. "

The battle is not yet definitively lost to Coke. Valérie Pécresse, who did not support the expansion of the tax, received two separate taxes are adopted. This compromise, said the minister, can "legally secure the device", separating the tax on sodas "we know that the law is indisputable" and that on sweetened beverages, which it has less chance of pass "on the Constitutional Council." And it might explain the legal complaint "arbitrary tax" because not related to a vital public interest clearly identified.In fact, the argument of the national association of food industries, which already qualifies tax sweeteners to "unconstitutional". According to them, in fact, taxing sodas lights rather than any product has "no motivation."

The Greek Secretary of State at the Ministry of Finance, Ilias Plaskovitis, will meet next week the Swiss government officials to advance an agreement between the two countries on the Greek capital flight, said Friday the Minister Evangelos Venizelos. "The Greek government is negotiating with the Government of the Federation Helvetic to develop a model agreement on the Swiss-German-Swiss or helvéto so that Greece can have the tax revenues of the Greeks deposits in Swiss banks," Venizelos said in Parliament during a debate on this subject.

"Mr.Plaskovitis will meet next week in Switzerland Swiss officials on this issue, "said the minister who hopes that" this agreement is ready by the next day. "" We need the Greek parliament is ready to accept such an agreement as did Germany and the UK, "said the minister. The Greek Socialist government has launched several months in a fight against tax evasion, but without much success so far.

"In 2009, capital flight amounted to 5.4 billion euros, 4.9 billion relate only 8,667 Greeks, including 42% say less than 20,000 euros in revenues," said Mr. Venizelos. The Minister reiterated that "tax evasion was a national crime, a national disaster" and described as "Kafkaesque" procedures for fiscal control.

He pledged to publish next week the names of taxpayers who have large debts vis-à-vis the state to force them to pay. "We have identified those who need more than one million euros to the state and we have requested assistance from private companies to collect these debts in cooperation with the tax officers," the minister said adding that " 15,000 individuals and companies need 37 billion euros, of which 32 billion are due by companies. " According to experts, Greek banks suffer from a significant lack of liquidity and considerable leakage of capital, totaled 70 billion euros since 2010.

Originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon, a decisive meeting of the board of the group was delayed until Sunday to give negotiators more time.

Belgian Prime Minister in charge of current affairs, Yves Leterme held talks in the morning by telephone with the head of the French government said on around him, while advisors from both countries met in Paris.

The finance ministers of both countries, Baroin and Didier Reynders, should discuss the matter later in the day, sources said in Brussels, which could take an inter-Belgian.

No comments could be reached immediately on the case in Paris.

The rating agency Moody's has increased pressure on the Belgian camp Friday night: it has placed the sovereign rating of Aa1 by explaining kingdom under surveillance will include assessing the costs and liabilities that the state could play in supporting Dexia.

The dismantling of the group could indeed go through a nationalization of the Belgian branch, Dexia Bank Belgium (DBB), which specializes in bank deposits.

One solution put forward in recent days by the interim government in Brussels but which opposed the three Belgian regions, which owns 5.7% of the group and who wish to retain a role in financing local governments.

Both sides, however, are closer to a compromise in recent hours, officials said a source familiar with the matter.

The Belgian daily L'Echo reported previously that the nationalization of DBB may be followed by a holding areas at a future capital increase of DBB.

LOAD difficult to allocate

The Echo adds, however, that the track of a redemption of DBB by a foreign bank is being considered and said that several institutions have expressed interest, including Deutsche Bank, Rabobank, Crédit Mutuel and BBVA.

Another key point of discussion: the distribution of the financial burden of dismantling between Belgium and France, whose participation combined with that of the Caisse des Depots (CDC) is around 25%.

Yves Leterme and Didier Reynders warned Thursday the French government that Belgium would not only burden.

The two countries should agree on such funding guarantees to provide for the financing necessary for the liquidation phase of a bond portfolio valued at 95 billion euros.

According to L'Echo, France keen to maintain its AAA rating, "defends a 60/40 split or 65/35" instead of the theoretical equilibrium 50-50 on the basis of the current distribution of capital."Belgium is not hostile," the daily.

Friday, François Fillon announced that the Deposit would release three billion euros to finance the French local authorities until a new entity formed by the Deposit and Consignment Office (CDC) and the Postal Bank takes over Dexia.

Before the board of directors of Dexia, Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace has received the Director General of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde. It did not comment after the meeting.

The French president is scheduled to visit Sunday in Berlin for talks and a working dinner with Chancellor Angela Merkel before the summit of the euro area of ​​17 and 18 October and the G20 in Cannes on 3 and 4 November.A bilateral meeting during which the larger issue of the recapitalization of banks in Europe should be addressed.

A 31 year old man was arrested Tuesday morning in London to a folder on unauthorized transaction, which could result in a loss for UBS in the third quarter.

The case falls even worse for UBS as the number one in the banking industry in Switzerland had worked hard to restore confidence undermined after being rescued from bankruptcy in 2009.

"This is all the more surprising that UBS had installed a system of tighter controls to address the problems that the bank had recorded with the subprime affair in the United States," said an independent analyst in Geneva.

"It's amazing that such a case could happen again after what happened with Société Générale and Kerviel affair," he adds.

In January 2008, Société Générale announced extraordinary transaction carried out by Jerome Kerviel.The unwinding of these positions had cost the French bank nearly $ 5 billion and was caused by departure of CEO Daniel Bouton.

The criminal case also reduces to naught the efforts led UBS to reduce its cost base. The bank had announced in late August it would cut nearly 3,500 jobs to save about two billion francs by the end of 2013.

This fraud could spell the end of investment activities, already under fire since the beginning of the financial crisis in 2007 because of huge losses it has caused within the group.

The investment bank has accumulated between 2007 and 2009 pre-tax losses of almost 57 billion francs.It has started its recovery in 2010 with a pretax profit of 2.2 billion.

HEAVY DAMAGE IMAGE

Fraud will provide arguments to those who argue for a scaling of the investment bank. "This case gives a new reason to significantly reduce this business and joins a long list that already exists," said another analyst.

Act that is all the more necessary as money management, which has kept afloat while UBS investment bank was taking on water, could be affected by the turmoil. "There is the risk of a material influence and affect future operating trends."

Others are more relentless."UBS will probably sell the investment bank, Oswald Grubel has no real choice, the credibility of this division is at its lowest. Reputational risk could affect the private bank in the short term," said Guy de Blonay in Jupiter Asset Management.

For most analysts, the investment bank will struggle to restore his aura. "The damage is sensitive to image," said a trader based in Zurich.

He added that the fraud case could result in a change of management, while Axel Weber, former president of the Bundesbank, to join the board of UBS in 2013 before taking over as President Kaspar Villiger;

An opinion shared by Peter Thorne, an analyst at Helvea. "Gruebele saved the bank and its task is done.It is a matter of time before his departure. But investment banking is a disaster and some will ask the head of Carsten Kengeter. "

Carsten Kengeter leading investment bank since November 2010 after being named co-director in April 2009. He joined UBS in December 2008.

The car, based on a flexible architecture provided by the partner Daimler, will probably not built by Daimler plants nor by those of Nissan.

Besides the goal of exceeding the Lexus brand of Toyota in Europe, Infiniti also hopes to avoid the effect of a strong yen.

"Lexus is paralyzed by the yen to 77 per dollar, that puts them on their knees," said one source.