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The number of vehicles in China would exceed 200 million in 2020, reported Monday's China Securities Journal, citing a government official.

This sharp increase in the number of cars in circulation may pose problems for the environment and energy security, said Sunday Fuchang Wang, Vice-Minister in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology at an automotive conference.

The Chinese automotive market is one of the mainstays in the global automotive industry is still recovering from the slowdown experienced last year.

Sales have shown signs of slowing from the start of the second quarter but rebounded sharply in August, thanks to government subsidies for the purchase of clean vehicles.

China Construction Bank (CCB) has risen higher than expected quarterly profit, while the second largest bank in the world in terms of market capitalization will raise about 8.5 billion euros at year end.

CWB has achieved during the second quarter ended June net profit of 35.6 billion yuan (4 billion euros), against 29.6 billion yuan for the same period a year earlier.

This 20% increase in quarterly earnings of the bank is higher than anticipated by analysts to Reuters, who on average expected a profit up 16% to 34.3 billion yuan.

"The growth is higher than I expected," said Jin Lin, an analyst at Orient Securities."The development of credit will be the main driver of profit growth for banks in the future and the annual growth will average about 15% for the sector."

In contrast, the increase of group profits has slowed from the first quarter, as the period from January to March, CCB has posted a 34% increase in net profit, which presage the challenges ahead for the establishment in the second semester.

"On one side (…) environment for international operations was relaxed, with excellent opportunities to develop new business," said the bank 11% owned by Bank of America, in a statement.

"On the other hand, given the difficult situation of market liquidity and volatility of financial markets, development of sites will be more difficult and the pressures associated with control of regulators and competition will increasing requirements of managerial skills. "

For the first six months of the year, earnings of CCB increased by 27%, far less than the 60% increase recorded for the same period by China Merchants Bank and the doubling of profit Everbright Bank.

Earlier this month, sources familiar with direct knowledge of the case have told Reuters that CCB had accelerated its plans to increase capital by 75 billion yuan in Shanghai and Hong Kong early in the fourth quarter.

The Paris Bourse was up slightly in early trading Thursday, in a market dominated by a wait before the rate decisions from the European Central Bank and Bank of England.

Around 9:15 am, the CAC 40 rose 0.15% to 3766.18 points.

Lagardère, the largest increase in ACC, after gaining 1.72% RBS increased the purchase on the title.

Michelin, which had already taken more than 8% since the beginning of the week, ahead even of 1.14% to 64.20 euros.S & P Equity Research raised its target price of 62-73 euros with a board of purchase.

EDF, which had climbed 5.5% Wednesday after the announcement of an imminent increase in electricity rates, yields 0.47%.

Out ACC, SSII Sopra is 2.52% after its interim results up and confirmation of its 2010 targets.

Other major European markets are also reluctant: London (-0.04%) and Frankfurt (-0.03%) are almost in balance. As for the European indices, the EuroStoxx 50 is unchanged (-0,01%) and back slightly Eurofirst 300 (-0.08%).

The euro was steady at around 1.3125 dollars after losing a little ground Wednesday. U.S. light crude is practically stable and treated around 82.30 dollars a barrel.

Deutsche Postbank reported a pretax profit above expectations in the second quarter, supported by higher interest income and lower losses in subprime, but the banking group has increased its reserves for potential losses on credit.

The chief executive, Stefan Jutte said in a statement it expected that the result does not reach the second half than the first, while ensuring that the full year will be positive.

The action took 0.64% to 25.30 euros at 8:05 GMT.

The first German retail bank by number of customers has also abandoned its goal of profitability in the medium term due to uncertainties still hang on the evolution of banking regulation.

Deutsche Postbank posted a pretax profit of 94 million euros in the second quarter, against a loss of 29 million a year earlier.Analysts had expected a profit of 77.9 million.

These results echo those reported by other retail banks such as Societe Generale, BNP Paribas and HSBC, which illustrate the recovery of the banking sector.

Earlier this year, Deutsche Postbank had said it expected a return on equity after tax of 13% over the medium term, a goal well below that of some of its rivals such as Deutsche Bank.

Deutsche Postbank has narrowly passed the stress tests that have imposed the European authorities, showing a Tier 1 ratio by 0.6 percentage point higher than the 6% threshold required under the most brutal scenario imagined by the regulator .

RESERVES INCREASE

Postbank said Wednesday that this ratio showed late June to 7.3%, a level identical to the one she posted late March.

She reiterated that she would continue to undertake the necessary measures to achieve a ratio of 9.5% by end 2012.

The net interest emerged, up 18% to 671 million euros in the second quarter, while provisions for credit losses were recorded at 175 million euros against 120 million a year ago.

Asset write-downs related to subprime mortgages fell to 174 million euros in the second quarter against 431 million a year earlier.

In late July, the group said it had an exposure of 7.9 billion euros in sovereign debt.Postbank had an exhibition of 500 million euros in loans Portuguese, Italian loans to 4.6 billion, 300 million to the Irish debt, $ 1.3 billion to 1.2 billion debt to Greek and Spanish government bonds .

Alstom reported a sharp drop in orders received during the first quarter of the year, major projects that are difficult to find in the electrical field, but its sales came out slightly beyond expectations over the period.

The specialist in energy infrastructure and transportation have made the April-June quarter sales of 4.74 billion euros, down 1% from one year to another as reported and down 5 % as organic.

The nine analysts polled by Reuters expected the drafting of an average AC4.67 billion.

"The turnover (the division) Transportation progresses, while the (Energy Division) Power began, as expected, lower following a sharp drop in orders during the last year," said CEO of Alstom, Patrick Kron, in a statement.

If he observes a good place new orders for medium and small sizes on the three "major projects are difficult to reach because (…) customers continue to shift their investments in new power stations," Has added.

Orders received by Alstom have dropped by 36% to 3.07 billion euros in the first quarter on a reported basis and 38% as organic.

The group added that its backlog was still unchanged at 42 billion euros at June 30, thanks to a positive currency effect of 1.3 billion euros and represented 27 months of turnover business.

It also confirmed its forecast for an operating margin of between 7 and 8% for the year 2010/2011 and the next one, "based on a performance contract and a gradual recovery in demand. "

The action Alstom closed Monday at 36.85 euros, giving a market capitalization of nearly 11 billion euros. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has lost about 25% of its value, after a gain of nearly 17% throughout 2009.

Citigroup reported Friday a net profit of 2.7 billion dollars for the second quarter, down 37% year on year, due to lower revenue in the banking business.

Per diluted share, net income stood at 9 cents.

In the second quarter of 2009, net income was set at 4.28 billion dollars or 49 cents per share.

Analysts on average expected a profit of 5 cents per share excluding exceptional items for the second quarter, according to Reuters Estimates.It is not known if the EPS of 9 cents can be compared to the consensus of 5 cents.

The bank, which the U.S. government is a shareholder, said its credit losses are down for the fourth consecutive quarter.

In pre-market value fell by 2.2% to 4.07 dollars.

Registrations of new cars in France fell 1.2% in June on a year to $ 240,587, announced the Committee of French Automobile (CCFA).

The month of June were 22 working days, against 21 last year.A comparable number of working days, the decline in sales stood at 5.7%.

Of the first six months of 2010, registrations in France stand up 5.4% on a reported basis, to 1,212,492 units, and 3.7% in comparable number of working days from the same period of 2009.

Sales of French brands fell 7.9% in June, while those of foreign brands rose 7.8%.

Sales of passenger cars by PSA Peugeot Citroen fell 5.6% in June, while those of Renault were down 1.0%.

Registrations only Dacia (Logan, Sandero and Duster) almost doubled (95.8%), while those of Renault fell 11.1%.

Sales of the Citroën show a decline of 7.3% and Peugeot were down 4.1%.

The Paris Bourse was hesitant about opening a day after a fall of 4% and in anticipation of several indicators in Europe and the United States.

The CAC 40 is expected at the end of this session, last month, its first quarterly loss after four consecutive quarters of increases. At this stage, the ACC leaves approximately 13.5% over the quarter.

Around 9:20, the index gained 0.32% to 3444.0 points.

STMicroelectronics, highest jump, takes 1.29%, followed by Sanofi-Aventis, which earns 0.85% after the announcement of the acquisition of the American TargeGen.

The bank, apart Dexia (-0.07%), bounce on the eve of the repayment of 442 billion borrowed a year ago to the ECB by the European banks.Societe Generale gained 0.81%, 1.22% Credit Agricole and BNP Paribas 1.26%.

France Telecom sells 0.92% after the lowering of recommendation from Goldman Sachs to Neutral cons buy.

Other major European markets advance marginally, London and Frankfurt gained 0.32% 0.33%. As for the European indices, the EuroStoxx 50 wins and 0.49% Eurofirst 300 rose 0.14%.

Euro recovers, trades at about 1.223 dollar after going under $ 1.22 the previous day.

U.S. light crude oil off again on the rise as to approximately 76.2 dollars a barrel after falling more than two dollars Tuesday.

The Icelandic economy is technically out of recession but the risk remains and the financial sector is still subject to uncertainty after a court decision on loans related to exchange rates, said the International Monetary Fund.

The IMF said it expected that the recovery of the Icelandic economy takes its momentum through the rest of the year, but said a decision by the Supreme Court of the country presented a number of risks .

"The stability of the system is not in jeopardy because of the coverage of government guarantees," said Mark Flanagan, Director of the IMF mission in Iceland.

"However, the decision (on loans) could have an impact on public finances, the pace of liberalization of capital control and other aspects of the program."

The highest Icelandic court ruled June 16 that some loans related to exchange rates of foreign currencies were illegal. Borrowers would therefore have no obligation to repay the principal of their loans as the Icelandic currency.

This decision poses a risk that creditors may large losses for the Irish crown plunged after the collapse of the Icelandic banking system there nearly two years.

Investment bank Goldman Sachs is the subject of a complaint in partnership to shareholders filed by law firms Zamansky & Associates and Lovell Stewart Halebian Jacobson, officials said in a statement last Monday.

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Both firms have filed "a complaint in partnership April 30 in federal court in New York (Southern District) on the part of investors who bought shares of Goldman Sachs from January 2, 2007 and April 16, 2010" when Constable American Stock Exchange (SEC) filed a complaint against the bank, argued the statement.

The SEC filed a complaint against Goldman Sachs and one of its employees, French Fabrice Tourre, accusing them of deceiving customers by selling them financial products backed by very risky market in U.S. housing, which has collapsed in 2007.

According to several American media, American Justice has in turn opened a criminal investigation against the bank but has not yet decided to complain.