A jacket, an electric heater and a good soup. In this period of extreme cold, households equip themselves, and the delight of some traders.

Heating and soup go hand

"The heaters are selling very well right now," said a spokesperson for the brand Boulanger, who expects to sell three times more this week than last week. Thursday, electricity consumption was close to its peak absolute, the French setting up their electric heaters.

Sales of these soups should be greater than 16% this week that they would have been usual with temperatures (5-6 degrees on average), the company provides Metnext, a subsidiary of Météo France. The expected impact is 8.5% for stocks, 8% for soluble coffee, 8% for the chocolate powder and 4.5% for the chocolate tablet. "These products will also benefit from the winter next week," he told AFP Cedric Flecher, consultant Metnext.

The ingredients used to concoct homemade soups, such as leeks, carrots, onions or potatoes, will also benefit, he said, but in supermarkets where they do not freeze, as the open-air markets, where they can be damaged on the shelves. "These conditions lead to changes in diet," added Thierry Desouches, spokesman for U. System "We are back to product a little more invigorating, hot drinks, soups, meat, cooked, products that take the body."

However, consumers may be less tempted to go to the shops to keep warm at home, drawing on their stocks of canned or frozen.

The boots are hot

"There should be a trend to fewer trips to the supermarket. But when it's cold like this, people need calories, with products such as starches, pasta, potatoes. And still fresh such as yogurt, "says Flecher.

"So the races are going to be, but people will focus their shopping in one location, often in large shopping centers rather than in small stores downtown," he said. Textile side, the cold should benefit winter items that had previously suffered a very mild winter. "On this end of period balances, in a extremely cold weather, we expect a very positive impact that will sell for the series easily," says Arrow.

For example, the site selling shoes Sarenza recorded this week "historical peaks" of sales of fur boots and après-ski. "Until now, with mild temperatures, you could dress like in October. But from -5 to -8 degrees, if you have a coat a little short, go buy one soon," noted M . Desouches. "It also benefits the accessories like gloves and hats." "It is rather positive, it can sell the jackets we have not sold the previous week," said Jean-Marc Genis, president of the Federation of brands of clothing (FEH, chains).

"There is no rush," said Bertrand Morvan, president of the National Federation of the clothing (FNH, independent), but the cold "can sell stocks that might have been difficult to sell. " In contrast, the new summer collections "are struggling to leave."

Beyond its organic levers, the former branch of the Accor group prepaid service, which issues such as meal vouchers, announced during a day dedicated to investors and financial analysts that it will carry out targeted acquisitions.

Edenred also wants to accelerate the transition to digital solutions "paving the way for new growth opportunities," we read in a statement.

The action Edenred closed Monday at 18.4 euros, showing a market capitalization of 4.2 billion euros.

The French surveyed by INSEE in November have also never been more pessimistic about their future standard of living and are more likely to anticipate an increase in unemployment, which has already reached a peak of 11.

The composite indicator of consumer confidence stood at 79 on Friday in November and pushed a lowest since February 2009.

The EU executive believes that these two sets of measures would allow the euro area to overcome the current crisis by advancing to an organization in which greater solidarity would be offset by increased liability of the members.

Depending on the device, the EU executive could amend not only the first draft national budget, submitted in April, but the budget bills during the second half of the year.

The Commission may make recommendations or even claim that a new budget is established, if necessary up to defend his opinion directly to national parliaments after discussion between the finance ministers of the euro area.

But the parliaments retain the final say on the budget, but the EU executive would in turn can open without waiting for an excessive deficit procedure if it considers that the country moves away from the budget path which is recommended.

In extreme cases when the country refused repeatedly to comply with EU recommendations, it could be placed "under administration" Community Trust in the clear in Brussels.

Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers has requested in writing to become the beneficiary of some life insurance from his mother – to the tune of 93 million – "because of an agreement" with her past, said Sunday AFP to the former agent of the billionaire, Pascal Wilhelm.

FARM CREDIT * (+20.3%), BNP PARIBAS (16.23%) and Societe Generale (14.8%) are leading the CAC 40, with AXA (13.9%).

Out CAC 40, Natixis is 11.6%.

BNP Paribas, Societe Generale and BPCE (People's Bank, Savings Bank) have additional capital needs between 2.1 and 3.4 billion euros, while Credit Agricole is regarded as sufficiently capitalized, reveal tests by the European Banking Authority (EBA).

BNP and SocGen said they could come into compliance with new rules without recourse to the market.

* Dexia wins 6.10%.The title was suspended from trading for the announcement of its capital needs, estimated at 1.7 billion euros.

* AXA also announced a decrease of 4.8% of its turnover for the first nine months of 2011, mainly due to the retirement savings Life business where the insurer has given priority to the margins rather than volumes .

* ARCELORMITTAL also jumped 7.7%, with the entire commodity sector in Europe (+5.9%), and other cyclical sectors that benefit from the feeling that the agreement limits the risk of a sharp recession.Many brokers have reduced their price target, including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Exane BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, UBS, Natixis and Kepler, following the announcement of a new downward revision to its goal of operating income and the elimination of 6,000 jobs.

Moody's also changed the outlook to negative on its debt, while the Baa3 rating is confirmed.

Brazilian Minister of Trade and Industry Fernando Pimentel said Wednesday that PSA would invest 3.7 billion reais (1.5 billion) to Brazil to double production by 2015.

* RRP is 6.2%, boosted by the announcement of a very strong sales growth in the luxury market in the third quarter despite a difficult economic environment.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was to participate Wednesday in a crucial European summit bears the overwhelming support of the Bundestag but conditional to negotiate a strengthening of the European Relief Fund (EFSF). German MPs had to vote at midday on a "motion" filed by the government majority and the opposition, a mission order for Mrs. Merkel.

Without going into technical details, two pages of this motion pose prohibited: no way to load even more the European Central Bank, making it taste too many Germans. And not about to spend more than 211 billion euros already pledged.Before the vote, the Chancellor still had to speak before the lower house. "It will be a long day," warned the early morning spokesman Steffen Seibert, via Twitter. "We will send a strong signal for Europe", promised Wednesday to television the secretary general of the party Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Angela Merkel, Hermann Grohe.

"It is fitting that on such important issues the opposition (…) renounces the tactical game fan", it was bliss. In fact, the conservative chancellor for European affairs has a "grand coalition", which gathers around its own most conservative / liberal of the two main opposition parties SPD (Social Democrats) and Greens. The mission statement drafted by all parties, with the exception of the radical left "Die Linke", should be adopted by an overwhelming majority of 620 MPs.On 29 September already, when he acted for the Bundestag to ratify a first capacity building of EFSF, this "holy alliance" was played.

This massive vote of support will not prevent commentators to have dissenting voices in the majority, to see if Merkel was able to win without the votes of the opposition. He needs 311 votes for this account in his own camp. "Merkel needs the magic 311 votes to go heads up in Brussels," commented Wednesday Der Spiegel in its Internet edition. Otherwise, the Bundestag to hands-free Merkel to leverage the lending capacity of EFSF (440 billion), based on two options: to fund a "credit insurance" states in difficulty, and seek external funding, such as emerging markets.

Members recognize that with this strategy, "the risk of loss can be changed" they do not want to put more money on the table, but are willing to lose the already committed. This vote confirms the increasingly important role taken by the German parliament in the European political game, to the dismay of some partners in Germany. The Constitutional Court has recently strengthened the powers of the Bundestag, by requiring the green light for decisions involving public funds in support schemes in Europe.

This is not without boondoggles: Friday, the Assembly had decided to confine the discussion of the EFSF its Committee on Budgetary Affairs. Before you turn around Monday and to convene a plenary session. "We are treading unknown territory" with respect to working with the Bundestag, Merkel agreed Tuesday, trying to recall the division of roles."These are different tasks: a government that conducts international negotiations, and the concern for parliamentary support the widest possible," she said.

Acerbic, columnist of the daily Handelsblatt stated that "the government (had) not thought about the time arrangements for informing the parliament." And parliamentarians did not realize that their new power is synonymous with extra work, "he said.

The world's largest earth-moving machinery and equipment for the mining industry said to expect that its sales climbed 10% to 20% next year.

For all of 2011, the group based in Peoria (Illinois) now expects sales and earnings at the top of its previous forecast ranges with solid demand.

"Even if there is a strong dose of political and economic uncertainties in the world, we do not feel much in our business at this stage," says CEO Doug Oberhelman said in a statement.

"We believe that continued economic recovery, albeit slow, is the most likely scenario as we move forward."

In the third quarter, the company posted a net profit of $ 1.14 billion, or $ 1.71 per share, against 792 million, or $ 1.22 per share, a year earlier.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I / B / E / S on average expected $ 1.54 per share.

The turnover stood at 15.72 billion dollars between July and September, up 41%, the group called a record, as the market anticipated 15.03 billion dollars.

After these announcements, the action Caterpillar opened up 5% to 91.82 dollars on Wall Street, the strongest gain in the Dow Jones advances 0.33% at the same time.

For all of 2011, Caterpillar said he expected sales to about $ 58 billion, including its recent acquisition of Bucyrus, whereas previously anticipated sales of between 56 and 58 billion.

Earnings per share are now expected to 6.75 dollars for the year, on top of an initial forecast range from 6.25 to 6.75 dollars.

Caterpillar said that 2011 would be a record year for the group if it achieves its performance targets and sales. The U.S. group said to have created 4,800 jobs during the quarter, including 2,000 in the United States.

The EBIT of the company thus stood at 330 million euros for the three months to September against 244 million a year ago.Turnover increased 20% over the period.

Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext have until Nov. 8 to communicate officially to the European Commission their responses to concerns in Brussels about their merger, said last week a source close to the matter.

For now, officials of the two stock exchange operators are still reading and analyzing the "statement of objections" sent to them by the Commission on October 5, it says. This release contains the objections of the EC to the merger in terms of competition.

The agreement to acquire the operator of stock exchanges of New York and Paris by the operator of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange was concluded in February.The merger will create the world's largest exchange operator.

Earlier in the day, another source said that European regulators should organize on October 27 an oral examination of the merger.