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A crisis? What crisis? The luxury group Hermes has earned over the year 2009, sales up 8.5% (+4.1% at constant exchange rates), to 1.91 billion euros, exceeding its objectives and expectations of analysts (1.886 billion according to the consensus).

Performance explained by the boost of holiday season. In fact the only three months of 2009, activity has soared by 18% (+11% constant).

"All geographical areas are progressing with the exception of Japan," the group said. This is not surprising. The improvement in the fourth quarter was very strong in the Americas (+20% after +1.6% at the end of the first nine months of the previous year) and Europe (9% after -0.5%) and Asia outside Japan is still very active (35% after 26%).

The two activities most contributors margins are very strong, with an annual turnover up 16% on leather goods – which represents about half of total turnover – and 6% on Silk (12% of total business) cash advance to savings account . The activities mainly wholesale sales are picking up later this year but remain in the red.

Hermes International has finally raised its initial target of 5% decrease in recurring operating income is now expecting a slight increase. Natixis Securities anticipates an increase of 1%. In addition, net income is expected "close to that of 2008, or 290 million euros. The broker for the time table of 306 million euros. An analyst meeting will be held from nine hours.

For 2010, the continuation of the strategy and twelve new branches are announced.

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At approximately 9:10 am, the CAC 40 rose 0.32% to 3910 points, after already accumulated a gain of 2.70% since Monday. The index reached its previous meeting in the highest annual stood at 3918 points, while socializing with 3923 points.

The rally bullish year end is continuing on the European and U.S. indices. Yesterday, the publication of a further rise in housing resales (+7.4% in November) in the United States has reassured investors on the takeover of the U.S. real estate.This is the seventh month of increase over the past eight months.

On the macroeconomic front, the United States publish the expenditure and income of households in November at 14h30, the index of consumer confidence in Michigan in December and new home sales in November to 16 hours, and oil stocks weekly at 16:30.

Values follow

According to the newspaper Le Figaro, Veolia ally himself with the Italian railway company Trenitalia to launch TGV from France in 2012 to compete with the station.

The French government has selected BAE Systems to deliver an order of military vehicles in an amount of 246 million euros at the expense of Thales, according to The Times.

Maurel & Prom has announced the successful tests on the exploration well OMGW-1 (Gwedidi-1), located in Gabon, on the exploration permit Omoueyi.

The sales group Ares appears to 34.8 million euros over the first six months of fiscal 2009-2010.

Sanofi-Aventis would consider acquiring a stake in the Danish biotech company Zealand Pharma.

EDF could open the French market for electricity in Russia's Gazprom by Voices. "Gazprom will supply gas and electricity recovery in Europe," according to an anonymous source.

A generally favorable findings. This emerges from the survey conducted jointly by the French Agency for the Safety of Health Products (AFSSAPS) and the Directorate General for Competition, Consumption and Fraud (DGCCRF) on cosmetic products for children under three years. The controls operated by the two agencies have focused on packages containing washing gel, lotion, cream or cleaning wipes, distributed in some pregnancies but also cosmetic products for children and marketed in the country. Specifically, between October 2008 and February 2009, Afssaps completed twenty inspections on 47 cosmetic products. During these inspections, 37 samples of products for analysis were performed.For its part, the DGCCRF investigated between December 2008 and March 2009: 32 products have been checked and 21 samples including 4 involving products from kits distributed in maternity wards have been made.

Some products "non-compliant"

First observation: cosmetics examined contain no substances prohibited by the regulations. For Afssaps and DGCCRF, "microbiological testing performed were all led to results showing a good microbiological quality of these products. In detail, regarding allergens, 31 samples 34 were found to conform. At the Conservatives on 37 samples, only one was found not to comply. Another study: labeling.For both organizations, labeling study proved "satisfactory" although on some products, the rules were not respected. Thus, eight products, the ingredient list was not intended (error of ingredients, not respected order of weight) or the expression of date of minimum durability was not consistent for four products.

Strengthen checks at European level

Finally, the survey, progress remains to be done regarding the quality of the safety assessment for human health. Of 47 products tested, no assessment has been found for three products sold by one company and 44 evaluations were considered "improved."Regarding the companies alerted on this point, Afssaps noted an improvement in the quality evaluation certificates, "but the progress can not be considered sufficient. The survey by the DGCCRF has resulted in an administrative policy measure (injunction) and four regulatory reminders. A decision on animal health has notably been taken against a company that did no assessment to the supervisory authorities.

The results of the audits will be presented to other countries in the European Union to draw their attention to the need to strengthen inspections of cosmetic products for children on the European market.