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Publicis expects third quarter 2010 well made and said he had seen the numbers "robust" in Europe and North America during July and August, told Reuters on Friday Maurice Levy.

The world's third largest advertising has also said he was still expecting a revenue organic growth above 3.5% for 2010.

In late July, when presenting the results of the first half, the number three global advertising had revised upwards its objective of raising revenue, now anticipating growth of over 3.5% against 3% previously.

"For now, the things we have in hand let me suggest that the proportion of T3 should be good," said Maurice Levy, chief executive of Publicis, the fringes of the MEDEF Summer University, about the trend in terms of income growth for the third quarter.

In the first six months of the year, the group saw its revenues increase by 5.3% in organic growth, 2.5 billion euros.

Maurice Levy has also held that the figures from Europe, North America and emerging markets were "robust".

"For now, what we saw on July and August is that the numbers are quite robust, as well as in emerging markets that are now in the jargon of Publicis, the high growth markets "said the chairman of advertising group.

Asked about the objective of revenue growth for this year, he gave no precise figure.

"We did not give any precise indication at this time. It's a bit early, it should be known about how the return will happen. And depending on the return of school, they decide s it or not to revise the figure upwards ", said Maurice Levy.

"In any case, it will be above 3.5%," he added."One has the impression that things that are seen today are a little bit better than the atmosphere.

Asked to say when the group would submit its development plan for China, he replied: "Probably in the fourth quarter."

Maurice Levy did not wish to reveal, however, the outline development plan.

Around 11:40 am, the action abandoned Publicis 0.04% to 34.05 euros.

Carrefour, which announced results in line with its forecasts in the first half, on Tuesday confirmed its guidance for full year 2010 thanks to the dynamism in emerging countries, while expressing disappointment in the sales of July .

The number two worldwide in distribution, after Wal-Mart, reported a net profit of 82 million for the first six months of the year against a loss a year earlier.

Its operating profit stood at 1.096 billion euros over the period, according to the prediction of Carrefour in mid-July.

The group at the same time reiterated that it was an ordinary profit of 3.1 billion for all 2010.

"We are on track to achieve our 2010 targets," said Lars Olofsson, Executive Director of Carrefour, at a conference presentation of results.

"We're quite pleased with the sales in July, a little disappointed by sales cons of August, for his part said Pierre Bouchut, the group finance director of distribution, during a conference call. "The trend in emerging markets remains strong."

Around 9:50, after having opened down nearly 2%, the action Carrefour did not yield more than 0.3% to 36.00 euros.She is spending time in positive territory for the sole and increasing value within the CAC 40 index.

Since the beginning of the year, the title was up over 7%.

"The first half is in line with forecasts of July 15, 2010 target is unchanged and our point of view, (Crossroads, Ed) is a title" on hold "with a value greater than in the rest of the industry "said Justin Scarborough, analyst at Royal Bank of Scotland.

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Over the half, Carrefour has benefited from the dynamism of emerging economies to reach a turnover up 6% to 41.3 billion euros, offsetting a contraction in sales in Europe, mainly France, Belgium, Spain and Italy, as well as in other countries of southern Europe such as Greece or Romania.

Sales fell 0.4% in France and 3.1% in the rest of Europe. At constant exchange rates, they climbed 16% in Latin America and 8.9% in Asia.

The group, which seeks to save 4.5 billion euros over three years to improve its margins, also points to have reduced its costs by 236 million euros in the first half of the year, a target of 500 million euro per 2010.

Asked about the Asian assets of the group, Pierre Bouchut has refused to comment on reports about a possible sale of assets Malaysian, Thai and Singaporean group.

"We do not comment on such rumors," said the CFO.'Our goal is to build on certain markets and, over time, probably, to take the decision to abandon certain other markets. "

"At what point will we take this decision? Will we really?" Everything remains open, "he added.

According to several sources, Carrefour tries to sell its assets in Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore to focus its efforts on China and India.

This could generate some 800 million euros in the French distributor.

PTT, Thailand first group in the energy sector, has already expressed interest in taking over the assets in Thailand.

The Sanofi-Aventis Multaq must be considered one of the main options for treating atrial fibrillation, one of the most frequent disorders of cardiac rhythm, recommended on Sunday the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

This recommendation is a key support rider for a drug that has so far achieved only modest commercial start.

The Multaq (dronedarone) is intended to replace an older molecule, amiodarone, and has fewer risk factors than the latter, but it has generated to date that relatively weak sales in the U.S. and Europe because several studies have found limited effectiveness.

In its new recommendations on the management of atrial fibrillation (AF), ESC Multaq attributed to a Class 1 recommendation, which means it is a safer treatment option even though it may be less effective.

"Given the superior advantages in terms of safety and potential outcomes, the dronedarone might be preferable as a first option antiarrhythmic" explain the recommendations, published at the ESC congress in Stockholm.

The paper also highlights, for the first time the importance of reducing the duration of hospitalization of patients with atrial fibrillation, a result of Multaq found in a pivotal clinical trial.

The drug is not recommended for patients with severe heart weakness.

"Sanofi-Aventis is pleased with this recommendation Multaq first line in the FA, which constitutes a recognition of the extensive clinical development program of the drug and the innovative results achieved in terms of reduced hospitalizations from cardiovascular causes," said Marc Cluzel, executive vice president in charge of research and development in the pharmaceutical group, in a statement.

The marketing of Multaq was approved in the United States in July 2009 and last September in the European Union.He is considered one of the main growth potential of Sanofi for years to come, which will be marked by the patent expiry of several key products groups, which include cancer Taxotere or anticoagulant Plavix.

The Multaq could generate an annual turnover of 1.2 billion euros in 2014 according to consensus estimates of analysts by Thomson Reuters.

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.

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.

Air Liquide announces it has completed the acquisition of South Korea's H-Plus SMS.

This company provides carbon monoxide and hydrogen by pipeline to Yeosu in the south. It has a total capacity of 60,000 m3 of hydrogen and carbon monoxide per hour, said in a statement Air Liquide, which does not specify the amount of the acquisition.

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.