The transaction is valued at 1.3 billion euros including debt Orange Austria amounting to around 1.1 billion euros.

France Telecom, owner of 35% of the operator, said it expects to receive "about 70 million" for the sale of its interest. The balance of the proceeds from the sale back to the investment fund Mid Europa Partners, owner of 65% stake in Orange Austria.

The owner of Hutchison Whampoa, the Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, to expand its presence in Europe. It is already present on the Austrian market through the brand "3".

After the acquisition of Orange Austria, Hutchison claims the number three spot in the Austrian mobile phone with 2.8 million subscribers and 22% market share.

The combined turnover of the two sociétésa exceeded 700 million euros in 2011 (nearly 500 million for Orange Austria).

In a second step, Hutchison will divest certain assets of Orange Austria (including the mobile operator Yesss!) To Telekom Austria for EUR 390 million, announced it.

The agreement, subject to approval of regulatory authorities telecom and competition, should be effective in mid-2012. 

THE ASIAN ASSETS IN EUROPE

Asian societies, with substantial funding, have increased the asset purchases in Europe in recent times while the euro area is mired in debt crisis.

Chinese Shandong Heavy Industry has acquired last month 75% of Italian yacht maker Ferretti Group. And the Chinese sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp has acquired 8.7% of the holding company of British Thames Water.

The group of Li Ka-shing, looking for infrastructure investments in Europe, has already acquired the UK Northumbrian Water for 2.41 billion pounds last year. He also acquired $ 5.8 billion book distribution network of UK electricity from French EDF in 2010.

Li, nicknamed "Superman" by Hong Kong media for his business acumen, began his career in artificial flowers. It employs 26,000 people in 55 countries.

Hutchison also has activities in the 3G mobile in the UK, Italy and Australia. In the UK, it is in competition with, the number one mobile phone, Everything Everywhere, a subsidiary of Orange and T-Mobile.

FRANCE TELECOM CONTINUES REVIEW OF ASSETS

For France Telecom, Orange Austria exit is the second operation in the curly part of its review of assets, which aims to disengage the group of mature markets low growth while giving rise to additional returns to shareholders.

The operator has already defeated its subsidiary Orange Switzerland, sold at the end of December to fund Apax Partners for 1.6 billion euros.

In a statement, the group was pleased to have reached a new milestone in its "strategy to optimize the asset portfolio." 

Analysts at Raymond James estimate that the incumbent is likely to announce a program of share repurchases by an amount of up to 800 million euros, half of the proceeds of both sales .

"This would not enough to pay half of the minority interests of Mobistar while the other half could be addressed by potential tax synergies", added the analysts in reference reference to the Belgian operator France Telecom which is the majority shareholder.

At 12:30, the action of the French group was down 0.22% to 11.4750 euros while the CAC 40 rose 0.41%.

The title of Hutchison has in turn made up 3.8% to 76.20 Hong Kong dollars to the announcement of the transaction in a generally stable market.

Half an hour after the bell, stock markets were slightly widened their losses after the President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Mario Draghi said the downside risks to the economy increased. Investors are waiting to learn more about a response of Europeans to the debt crisis to position.

"The increase related to the decision of central banks yesterday allowed (market) to heal his wounds with a high gain of the euro and stock markets.The real question is: this rule does the real problems in Europe? No, not at all, "Judge Michael Hewson, an analyst at CMC Markets in London." This makes the return to the competitiveness of European peripheral countries due to the strengthening of the euro.

Orbeo, based in Paris, was founded in 2006 at par by the bank and the French chemist, in the context of the creation of carbon markets in 2005 and the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol in Europe.

The Solvay has already acquired half of this year by acquiring Rhodia Orbeo.When it has, by January 1, acquired the participation of SocGen, it will therefore control the whole.

"Rhodia Energy wishes to strengthen its commitment to the fight against climate change by making full use of industrial know-how of Rhodia and Solvay and expanding its offering in the integrated management of energy and CO2 emissions," said Solvay in a statement.

The terms of the agreement were not disclosed

An analyst with SocGen said the agreement had no connection with the collapse in prices of units of certified emission reductions, which reached Friday morning a new record low of 4.40 euros.

The news is almost unnoticed but it is huge. This is another step in Beijing's policy to internationalize the Chinese currency. The Chinese government seeks to ensure that the renminbi becomes progressively currency regulations of global trade flows. He also wants it to become a reserve currency, equal to the dollar and the euro.

In a note which had been prepared for the G20 summit held in Cannes last week, but was not published until Friday, the Fund believes that the recovery of advanced economies patina.

"Paralysis and inconsistency have exacerbated the uncertainty, loss of confidence and increased tension of the financial market," he diagnosed.

The most advanced countries should urgently propose program medium-term fiscal consolidation credible and further reform the financial sector, while the emerging edge must accelerate the appreciation of their currencies, he said.

In particular, the IMF observes, there is "considerable uncertainty" about how to achieve fiscal sustainability in the United States, Japan and some countries in the euro area.

The airline has grounded all its aircraft Saturday and canceled 447 flights, which affected nearly 70,000 passengers, and brought the conflict to a climax.

The unions are demanding salary increases and improved working conditions. They also challenge the strategy of the company to focus its international activities in the Asia-Pacific region. The company management wants it, remove a thousand jobs.

The immobilization of the fleet has forced Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Melbourne before the court, which ordered the company to resume flights and unions to end the strike.The judges have left them 21 days to resolve the conflict.

Qantas announced that flights would resume on Monday afternoon part.

"We are delighted that after 24 hours of chaos, common sense prevails again in the sectors of air transport and tourism in Australia", welcomed Bill Shorten, Deputy Treasury Secretary.

"I think Qantas has taken an extreme decision Saturday," she commented on Julia Gillard, head of government. "Without really inform the government and the passengers, she had pinned her to the ground. She did as she had other alternatives," she added.

The strike took place at the wrong time for the Australian government, which hosted this weekend the 21st Commonwealth summit in Perth.Seventeen heads of state and government would leave Australia with Qantas. However, they have done with other companies, assured the Prime Minister.

What is a happy retirement? For a large majority of French people (seven out of ten) is to be financially secure before health, reveals a study by HSBC on the future of pensions published Wednesday. The survey found that 42% of French people associate retirement with financial difficulties, against 38% in the UK and 35% in the United States. 70% think that their standard of living in retirement will be worse than their parents, against only 37% of Americans and 22% of Britons. "Overall, in all developed countries, where growth is low, assets are worried about their retirement, said Jean-Pierre Wiedmer, Chairman of HSBC Insurance.But the extreme pessimism of the French! "

How to explain it? "There is a structural reason, argues Jean-Pierre Wiedmer: French are world champions of pessimism, according to a BVA poll published earlier this year. And one reason more cyclical: the public debate on pension reform in 2010 has alerted the French that the future of the PAYG was not insured. In fact, the ratio between active and inactive will worsen in the coming years. Today, France has 2.1 active Inactive for 60 years and over. In 2060, the ratio will be 1.5 or 1.4 for an idle asset, according to INSEE. This is because the number of seniors in the labor market does not increase enough to offset the increase in life.

Especially as senior on the labor market does not mean senior employment.The crisis and the deterioration of the labor market have indeed violently hit the elderly: the number of registered employment center for over 50 grew by 60% since 2007. The employment rate of older workers in France (41%) is thus one of the lowest in Europe. And the French questioned by HSBC do not envisage improvement: only 8% believe that the pension reform of 2010, which pushes two years the legal age of retirement, will solve the problem of unemployment of more than 55.

Increase the contrast level of pensions

That's why 57% of the French think that the amount of pensions paid by the system of national solidarity (general system of pension insurance and supplementary pensions Agirc-Arrco) will decrease in coming years.Yet in 2030, pensions paid by the general will average above 2% to 2.5% they would have been without the pension reform of 2010, according to a study of NACHA. Indeed, the decline in the age of retirement will allow some policyholders to increase their pension rights, with more qualifying period and new wages, generally high end of their career and therefore probably included in Top 25 annual salaries used to calculate the pension.

The average percentage, however, masks significant heterogeneity according to the profile of the insured. If nearly 35% of the insured should receive a higher pension than 6% on average, 18% have a pension lower by about 5%. In fact, an insured who left at age 63 with 3 years premium before the reform would leave always at the same age but with only one year of premium.In addition, almost half of the insured would see their pension amount unchanged with the reform. These are mainly inactive.

Finally, the most interesting in this study HSBC is the paradox between fear and actions. As they anticipate the majority of financial difficulties in retirement and they are concerned about a decline of public pensions, only 30% have set up a financial plan to make additional income in retirement, against 50 % in the rest of the world. And when we ask the French what they will do if the level of public pensions decline, 43% say they are willing to work longer and 27% to take additional paid work.

The composite indicator of consumer confidence stood at 82, up two points from September.

The 17 economists and analysts polled by Reuters on average expected a figure of 79 and the most pessimistic estimates gave it to 78.

Fell to 77 in October 2008, the barometer of consumer sentiment had risen to 91 in early 2010.It evolves from September 2007 below its historical average of 100.

"The opinion of households on their personal financial situation, past and future progress: the corresponding balances each earn two points and households are also more likely in September to consider as appropriate to make major purchases" (3 points), INSEE said in a statement.

"Households feel the time is more favorable than in September to save. After the sharp drop in the summer (-8 points between July and September), the corresponding balance increased by 2 points," said INSEE.

In October, households are also less likely to anticipate an increase in unemployment.This indicator loses 12 points after a sharp rise this summer (23 points between July and September).

The INSEE survey is conducted each month (except August) by telephone from approximately 2000 households.

Concerns are growing stronger with the approach of the EU summit to be held this Sunday. Around 10 am, Paris lost 1.6%, London 1.3%, Frankfurt 1.5%. At the same time Milan fell by 1.8% and 1.3% in Madrid. The Nikkei of the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished Thursday's session lower by 1%, investors fear that the summit of the European Union this weekend does not solve the crisis in the eurozone.

These concerns were reinforced by the Wednesday night meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.The two leaders met for nearly two hours in Frankfurt around the future of the euro area. Nothing filtered out of the interview but the discussions have included the lending capacity of EFSF, the relief fund in the euro area, which must be set up to help countries in trouble. According to the German press, Berlin would be in favor of strengthening the EFSF to 1.000 billion euros, but more like Paris. In addition, Nicolas Sarkozy wants to transform this new instrument in the bank, which refused Angela Merkel and Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank (ECB).

Rumors about the amount of its capacity should continue to circulate in the markets, which should make the stock markets volatile."As we approach the summit, nervousness increases and investors away from equity markets," said the note IG Market Analysis, adding that the latest results of companies from the United States are often disappointing and not conducive for optimism.

Just under half of the 1200 ECB employees were surveyed by the union of the ECB ipso to evaluate the performance of Jean-Claude Trichet, who was replaced on November 1 by Mario Draghi.

Over 70% of respondents felt that Jean-Claude Trichet has enhanced the reputation of the ECB, 75% reporting as well as its communication regarding the bank's policy was clear and consistent.

That said, 55% think that Jean-Claude Trichet did leave the ECB's framework defined by its mandate actions – repurchase of government bonds in mind – to fight against the debt crisis.

At the same time, it also emerges a majority that the decisions made by Jean-Claude Trichet were good under the circumstances.

The ECB has set up its program – still ongoing – Redemption of debt securities issued by sovereign countries in the euro area in May 2010, at the cost of deep divisions within the bank that resulted in the resignation of his two German members, Axel Weber and Juergen Stark, this year.

Unlike the Federal Reserve, whose mission is to support as much growth as the fight against inflation, the mandate of the ECB is solely focused on the stability of consumer prices.

But with the arrival of a new president and the apparent support of the staff of the ECB's anti-crisis measures taken by Jean-Claude Trichet, a debate on enlargement of the prerogatives of the ECB could open.

The outgoing president of the ECB declined to respond to the survey results ipso.