The pace of recovery in the services sector in the euro area has remained virtually unchanged in August compared with July, according to Markit index of purchasing managers released Friday.

The index of services, which represents about two-thirds of the economy of the euro area stood at 55.9 in August against 55.8 in July and a preliminary estimate of 55.6.

This is the 12th consecutive month that the index is above 50, which represents the boundary between growth and contraction, but it suggests that the sector's growth has plateaued.

The index has fluctuated between 55.5 and 56.2 the last five months.

The composite index, which incorporates data services and industry, fell to 56.2 against 56.7 the previous month and a previous estimate of 56.1.

The German media group Bertelsmann statement Tuesday its profit forecasts for the full year after the rebound boosted by half of the advertising market and the cost reduction measures implemented last year.

Bertelsmann, which owns among other group of television and RTL radio and the publisher Random House now anticipates an increase in its turnover and its annual operating profit so far as he ever expected that stability.

Its net profit in 2010 should cover more than 500 million euros, while previously it expected a profit of between 400 and 500 million.

First-half earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) reached 755 million euros against 497 million a year earlier. Revenues rose 4% to 7.36 billion.

Bertelsmann recorded net half-year 246 million euros, compared to a net loss of 333 million over the first six months of 2009.

The train reached meager profits in the first half of 2010 after a bad year in 2009, announced Sunday its CEO Guillaume Pepy.

"We have no losses in the first half of 2010 (…) It is a positive trend but I do not cry victory," he said on Europe 1.

In 2009, the group public rail transport has suffered a net loss of 980 million euros, against a profit of 575 million in 2008 and 1.11 billion in 2007.

Guillaume Pepy has not given precise figures or accounts of the SNCF, which will be presented Tuesday to the board of directors.

The station is "in the green color so small that (…) we are not satisfied, because if we are to progress, we must be able to generate margins," he said.

The public company has to invest three to four billion euros each year to maintain and renew the network, he added.

"There are real signs of recovery. For example, the transport of goods between Asia and Europe is distributed properly," said Guillaume Pepy.

"The worse, it is the traffic TGV. Earlier this year, they were flat. The summer has been better," he added.

"The result of the station due to the fact that we have managed just fine. It was huge savings," he was welcomed.

Lagardere Group and Marie Claire have announced their merger on Friday weekly respective female, Be and Envy, launched this spring in a new set dominated by the media conglomerate.

A joint venture, owned 80% by Lagardère Active Media division of Lagardère and audiovisual, and 20% by the Marie Claire, will edit the new magazine and the weekly celebrity Be Target of Lagardere, which will provide the advertising.

Lagardère Group owns 42% Marie Claire, but it is one of the minority which Arnaud Lagardère, general partner of the group, reiterated Thursday night wanting to get rid.

Lescouëf Bruno, CEO of French magazine publications of Lagardere Active, will take the reins of the combined company, while Jean-Paul Lubot, deputy CEO of the group Marie Claire, will provide the same functions within this new entity.

To move into the niche market of women but crowded, Lagardere had decided in March to create the brand Be, both magazine, website, television series, application for the iPhone and web radio.

Be the first was the launch of magazine audience Lagardère since 2003.The group, which had invested some 20 million euros rough in launching this new brand, targeted a breakeven within three years.

According to Le Figaro, the approximation of the two week early due to faltering sales.Be seen its circulation fall to 171,397 copies sold in late June against nearly 230,000 at the beginning, while qu'Envy barely exceeded 160,000 at the same time cons over 240,000 at its launch in February.

The announcement comes as the magazine Grazia, the Italian group Mondadori, celebrates its first anniversary with 179,704 copies, the paper said.

Lagardere could still benefit from the upturn in advertising revenues, which allowed him to meet his goal Thursday night results from operations for 2010.

The group now expects growth of about 3% of advertising revenue in 2010 Lagardere Active and not stagnation, with a jump of 6% expected in the third quarter as the second.

Edenred said Wednesday expected stability of its profits on the full year 2010, whereas the volume growth in the second half would be affected by rising unemployment in Europe and low rates.

The former branch of prepaid group Accor, independent since July, said a target operating income of between 300 and 330 million euros in 2010 and has reported a decline in its operating income the first half.

The share fell after these announcements. The group's forecasts were considered "only in conformity" with the consensus of analysts. "The management has set a target in the range of consensus.There was no guidance on the use of cash, "said an operator based in Paris.

In 2009, the activities of Edenred, formerly named Accor Services, had reached an operating income of 327 million euros.

Around 15:45, Edenred, introduced on the market July 2, lost 1.23% to 13.64 euros after a low of 13.15 hit in the morning.

"In the second half, growth in the volume of emission should still be affected by rising unemployment in Europe.In addition, in a context of declining interest rates, financial turnover is forecast to fall in the range of 10-20% in the second half, "said Edenred in a statement.

In the first half, issuance volumes have signed up 7.5% to 6.61 billion euros.For future years, Edenred wants to grow annual volumes by 6% to 14%.

The group relies on the effects of its presence in more than 50% in emerging markets where growth prospects of the economy are more positive than in Europe, particularly in Brazil.

During a conference call with analysts, CEO Jacques Stern said the group's strategy for dividend is set in early 2011 but that he would propose a payout ratio of 50%.

The officer also noted that the group could make acquisitions this year for amounts less than 100 million euros.

LOAN BOND

The CFO Jenouvrier Loic for his part argued that the company did not rule out launching a bond issue in the coming months to refinance a loan over from some 600 million euros.

Edenred provides prepaid meal vouchers as well as prepaid cards and insurance for employees of business. The company compares to the European level, groups catering Sodexo and Compass and overseas, to Mastercard and Visa.

The company reported an operating income of 155 million euros in the first six months of the year, down 7.1%.On a comparable basis, it marks a decline of 2.4%.

Net operating profit after tax grew by 2.9% to 72 million euros while sales, according to what had been the company announced July 19, up 3.8% to 461 million.

A rebound in consumption and strong exports helped the German economy in the second quarter to know its strongest growth since reunification in 1990, show detailed GDP data released Tuesday.

The German economy grew by 2.2% in the second quarter compared with the previous three months, said the Federal Statistics Office, confirming the flash estimate released on August 13.

Exports, benefiting from the economic recovery of many trading partners of Germany and the fall of the euro, grew by 8.2% over the same period, which also represents a record high since 1990.

But the upturn in Germany, in view of the components of GDP, had a broad base in the second quarter.Consumption expenditure of households increased for the first time since the second quarter of 2009 and show an increase of 0.6% over the previous three months.

"Domestic demand has clearly contributed to growth, not only due to the impact of the recovery as was the case previously", said Jörg Lüschow, WestLB.

"Domestic consumption can take over if the driver of external demand is weakening in the second half of the year."

On an annual basis, the gross domestic product in Germany grew by 4.1% in the second quarter, said the Federal Office of Statistics, again confirming the preliminary estimate.

The first European economy differs significantly from other countries and the euro area. Last week, the French government has lowered its forecast 2% growth for 2011.

GROWTH IN 2ND HALF LOWER

"There is no doubt growth will slow in Germany, provides Carsten Brzeski, economist at ING Financial Markets."However, the fundamentals are in place so that the engine continues to run well."

"With order books well filled, strong business confidence, an impressive performance of the labor market and the first signs of recovery in private consumption, while promising a robust but slower growth in the second half of the year. "

The construction sector, which resumed after a particularly harsh winter, has contributed 0.5 percentage points to GDP in the second quarter.

The balance of trade and investment have each contributed 0.8 percentage points.Domestic demand contributed to GDP by 1.3 percentage points and private consumption of 0.3 points.

"However, keep in mind that investment, in particular, is still relatively low after falling two figures seen at certain times during the economic crisis of 2008-2009," said the Statistics Office in a statement.

The good performance of the German economy in the second quarter led the Bundesbank to raise the last week its growth forecast for 2010, increased to 3% against 2% previously.

This strength was reflected in the quarterly results published by the major German companies.Of the 30 companies listed in the DAX index in Frankfurt Stock Exchange, 23 have exceeded market expectations and 12 have raised their forecasts.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has argued Sunday his tax proposal of nuclear energy producers, while the German industry has united to oppose this proposal.

Angela Merkel hopes that this tax will yield 2.3 billion euros per year as part of its cost savings plan of 80 billion euros that the German Chancellor is determined to put in place to set an example to others countries in the euro area fiscal discipline.

"We have proposed a tax," she said during an interview with ZDF television, his first since returning from vacation.

"As long as there is no other proposal on the table (this) fee remains in place."

Angela Merkel said on ZDF that his government was talking with energy companies about other possible proposals.

On Friday, the industry has launched an offensive against Angela Merkel about his proposal for a tax on producers of nuclear energy, in an open letter urging to abandon this project at the risk of jeopardizing the future of Germany.

This particular initiative has been accompanied by members of one's own Christian Democrats (CDU) Chancellor of Germany in addition to leaders of major utilities to local governments.

Rise in German industrial production in the second quarter and modest growth in gross domestic product (GDP) of Italy: Several economic indicators released Friday reflect a context of sustained recovery, but mixed in the euro area.

The Bank of Spain has highlighted the differences between the major European economies, strong, and other countries, further behind, like Spain itself, which experienced the second quarter increased 0.2 % only.

Economists believe that the country can hardly do better this year and many of them predict a relapse into recession in the second half, partly because of the negative impact of the austerity measures implemented everywhere in Europe.

The Italian economy grew by 0.4% in the quarter April to June, so less than the 0.7% growth expected for the entire euro area.

"A growth of 0.4% is nearly in the standard, but after the extraordinary decline in GDP during the recession, it shows that the recovery will be slow," said Giada Giani, Citigroup.

German industrial production was registered against all odds down in June but the strong increase in April and May it can display an increase of 5.4% over the entire second quarter, its best performance since the reunification German in 1990.

"The slight decline in industrial production in June should not overshadow an early resumption of the industry, which will likely cause a sharp rise in GDP in the second quarter," said Jennifer McKeown of Capital Economics, which provides for 1.2% growth for the largest economy in the euro area.

The growth figures in Germany, France and the eurozone will be published Friday.

On Thursday, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Jean-Claude Trichet, had already welcomed a number of statistics generally reassuring for the economies of the area.

These figures explain the contrast between the confident tone being employed by the ECB and one selected by the U.S. Federal Reserve, more uncertain and fuels speculation about the possibility of a further easing of monetary policy.

PROBABLE SLOWDOWN

In this context, Jean-Claude Trichet said growth anticipated "exceptional" for the countries of the eurozone in the second quarter, and added subsequently to expect a slowdown.

The employment statistics in the United States have confirmed the continued fragility of the labor market, announced the job cuts have been twice as many expected.

The publication Friday of France's trade deficit also shows how the Chinese economy has become the main engine of the global economy at the expense of the United States.Indeed, the trade deficit of France fell more than expected in June, exports reached their highest level in nearly two years, thanks to strong trade to China.

The European Union (EU) has been gradually ebb in recent weeks the fear of a sovereign debt crisis of great magnitude, which enabled Greece, Spain and Portugal to borrow again successfully bond markets.

Contracts were then reassured by the results of resistance tests imposed European banks and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the EU welcomed efforts deemed conclusive of Greece to control its deficit abyss.

However, despite this reassuring news, many economists, as well as the ECB, expect a weakening in the current year, which will concern not just Spain.

"More and more are signs of a slowdown in momentum towards the end of the year. The major indicators suggest that the global economy loses speed," said Alexander Koch of Unicredit.

While the threat of a relapse of the European economy seems to fade, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said on Friday that the composite leading indicators for June indicate a peak in the expansion.

The Bank of England maintained Thursday as scheduled at record low 0.5% rate of response.

All 61 economists polled by Reuters had forecast on this status quo and most of them believe that monetary policy will not change until the second quarter of next year.

In the minutes of previous meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee Bank of England, it emerged that she had for the first time since February, highlighted a further easing of monetary policy.

The Bank of England also kept at 200 billion pounds of the goal of buying assets, a status quo that has lasted six months.

Wall Street was up slightly in early trading Wednesday after the publication of figures better than expected on the labor market and several solid business results found.

The Dow Jones gained 0.09% to 10,646.37 points. The S & P 500 is broader, taking 0.19%, to 1122.58 points. The Nasdaq Composite advanced on his side of 0.31% to 2.2290,53 points.

According to the consulting firm ADP, the private sector in the United States has created 42,000 jobs in July, slightly more than expected.

The ADP survey is usually published two days before the official statistics of the U.S. labor market.For July, the markets expect about 65 000 job losses after non-farm the 125,000 announced for June, but on 90 000 creations in the private sector alone.

"The fact that the figures came out at a level higher than expected is a good sign.But should the growth in job creation in the private sector is accelerating, "said Michael O'Rourke, an analyst at BTIG LLC.

Before the publication of data ADP at 14:15 GMT, futures on Wall Street predicting a further decline started on Tuesday because of investor concerns about the pace of economic recovery in the United States.

The title Time Warner gained 1.97% to $ 33 after the announcement by the media group with a higher quarterly profit expectations and an upward revision of its forecast for the full year.

After the close Tuesday, Electronic Arts had also announced better than expected quarterly performance while confirming its annual estimates.The action of the video game publisher gained 4.64% to 16.93 dollars.

Pulte Group, the second American manufacturer of private houses, is also among the companies that issued quarterly results above consensus.The title advanced 2.73% to 8.66 dollars.

Barnes & Noble's share jumped from 22.3% to $ 15.70 after the first book chain in the United States announced Tuesday seeking a buyer.

As for the cuts, AOL fell by 2.60% to 20.57 dollars after announcing an unexpected quarterly loss and Pitney Bowes fell from 10.69% to 22.29 dollars after the group specializes in mail processing equipment , the main competitor of French Neopost has reported earnings below expectations.