Kraft Foods posted a quarterly profit Tuesday as expected and said anticipating a growth in operating income of at least 9% this year, despite pruning announced its range in North America.

The first U.S. food group, which holds particular LU biscuits and coffee Carte Noire, will split into two companies later this year.

One will be dedicated to its snacks marketed worldwide as Cadbury chocolate and biscuits Oreos, the other brands in North America specifically, the e ; door leaf thereof being referred to shrink. 

To prepare for this separation, the group will fund a special charge of $ 1.6 billion to $ 1.8 billion (1.2 to 1.4 billion euros).

Kraft has said it expected a net increase its turnover by around 5% in 2012. This forecast takes into account the negative effect of around one percentage point reduction in its range in North America.

The group said also anticipate an increase of at least 9% of its operating profit at constant exchange rates, despite higher taxes and pension costs.

The action Kraft gained 1.9% to 38.73 dollars to 4:20 p.m. GMT on Wall Street, while the Dow Jones progressed from 0.37%.

The group recorded a fourth quarter profit of $ 830 million, or 47 cents a share, against $ 540 million (31 cents) a year earlier.

Excluding items, earnings per share were 57 cents, according to Thomson Reuters consensus I / B / E / S.

Turnover increased by 6.6% to $ 14.7 billion. Organic growth – is out acquisitions, disposals, calendar effects and exchange – rose 7% in North America, 3.1% in Europe and 7.2% in emerging markets.

Ben Bernanke on Tuesday reaffirmed the commitment of the U.S. Federal Reserve to do anything to prevent the financial crisis does not penalize the European economy United States, repeating comments made in the Senate Thursday before the House of Representatives.

"We are in regular contact with European authorities and will continue to closely monitor the situation and take all possible measures to protect the U.S. financial system and the economy, "said the Fed chairman, according to the text of a speech for the Budget Committee of the Upper House. 

Ben Bernanke remained cautious citing the economic outlook in the U.S. and did not allude to the release Friday of unemployment to its lowest level in nearly three years.

"We still have a long way to go before we can say that the labor market is behaving normally," he thought, using formulas similar to those of his speech on Thursday.

The three-party coalition government in Greece have agreed on a reduction in public spending of 1.5% of GDP in 2012 and are expected to give an answer to the proposal of credit ; the country's international nancial Monday at noon.

"Political leaders should in principle give an answer tomorrow at noon (the EU) so that it can be presented to the Eurogroup in Brussels," said Panos Beglitis, spokesman for the Socialist Party, Sunday. 

As negotiations dragged on for weeks, Beglitis acknowledged that leaders of the three coalition parties (the Socialist PASOK, New Democracy conservatives and the far-right party LAOS) have still things to negotiate, particularly on labor reform and support for national banks.

"There are two big problems, work and banks, which were left for tomorrow," he acknowledged.

Party leaders will then discuss the plan of the troika (International Monetary Fund, European Commission and European Central Bank) at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Lucas Papadé mos.

"There will be a meeting of political leaders chaired by Papademos tomorrow afternoon," said Beglitis. 

But no work session was not officially scheduled with representatives of the Eurogroup on Monday and everything could happen by teleconference or a face-to face at the last minute.

The chief minister said for his part that the various managers of the government coalition have agreed on a reduction in public spending by an amount equivalent to 1.5% of GDP this year.

This includes measures to reduce salaries and benefits costs to make the Greek economy more competitive, he added. 

He also confirmed the meeting of heads of coalition parties on Monday to conclude negotiations on the second aid package of 130 billion euros to be implemented by the mid-March to avoid a collapse of public accounts.

The two main Greek unions called for a 24-hour strike Tuesday to protest against austerity measures and reforms demanded by international creditors.

"We expect one-day strike on Tuesday," said Ilias Iliopoulos, general secretary of the ADEDY representing public sector employees.

"Despite our sacrifices and despite the recognition that this policy mix is ​​bad, they ask even more austerity," he added. 

ADEDY and its private counterpart, the GSEE, representing about two million workers in Greece, about half of the workforce.

BAROIN OPTIMISTIC

Creditors of Greece had requested a reduction in spending worth one percent of GDP, slightly more than two billion euros for 2012.

The negotiations on the restructuring of the Greek debt held by the private sector rose "relatively well", said his side the French Minister of Economy and Finance, Sunday .

"I think it progresses smoothly on the part of private sector involvement to be made on a voluntary basis," said Baroin under the "Grand Rendez-Vous "Europe 1-Le Parisien-i> Télé. 

"We would not get away from the level at which one must move the Greek debt in 2020, that is to say around 120%," said the French minister. And "it is because we do not withdraw these objectives that the discussions are difficult," he said.

"Anyway, it's later than February 13," continued Baroin.

February 13 is the deadline posed by the euro area to launch the operation, which should bring the Greek debt around 120% of gross domestic product (GDP) to in 2020 against over 160% today.

The private sector should accept a discount of around 70% of its obligations under the exchange program of the Greek debt. This will help to lower than 100 billion euros of debt of Greece.

In exchange for a loan of at least 130 billion euros by 2015, the troika of institutional creditors requires further structural reform and further reforms of austerity authority to clean up its public accounts.

Troika calls including a lowering of wages in companies and supplementary pension, which measures face many political and union resistance.

In the absence of an agreement, Greece is threatened with failure to pay on 20 March, when mature 14.5 billion euros of bonds.

The Swiss Federal Council announced Wednesday it had decided to renew its fleet of combat aircraft with 22 copies of the Saab Gripen of Sweden, preferred to Dassault Aviation's Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon European consortium which includes EADS.

Switzerland was launched three years ago the tender for the renewal of its fleet, now consisting of F-5E / F Tiger built by the American Northrop, whose older copies have been flying since 1976.

Italy has had to make Friday a record yield of 6.5% at six months in an auction of 10 billion euros in short-term paper, increasing the pressure on the third euro zone economy and new government address the perception in the markets.

The average yield has almost doubled compared to the previous issue of this type in late October (3.5%), indicating that the establishment of a technical executive led by Mario Monti to restore order in the accounts public of the country has not yet stopped the outbreak of its financing costs.

France and Germany put pressure Tuesday on the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou to get an early implementation of the agreement of 26 October on the euro and the Greek debt, he wanted to submit to a referendum.

Following the surprise announcement, the head of the Greek government, which has caused a new storm in the financial markets, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel responded by implicitly rejecting the idea of ​​this consultation.

"This announcement has surprised all of Europe.France wishes to recall that the plan adopted last Thursday by unanimous vote of 17 members of the euro area is the only way to solve the problem of Greek debt, "said Nicolas Sarkozy after a special meeting at the Elysee Palace with Prime Minister Francois Fillon and the ministers concerned.

Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy will meet Wednesday in Cannes, at the G20 summit, for a meeting with European institutions, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and George Papandreou, last minute guest.

It will "examine the conditions under which commitments will be required," said Nicolas Sarkozy.

"I can not exclude (bankruptcy of Greece in the event of" no "in the referendum), but this will depend on how the question will be formulated exactly and what exactly the Greeks will vote," he said.

He said the Greek Prime Minister made his decision without informing his European colleagues and had previously alluded to the idea of ​​the referendum, before abandoning it, and finally to announce without warning.

"Can we in these conditions during the sixth release, the eight billion euros, as we had decided two weeks ago as we do not know if the Greeks are always agree with what has been accepted? "he asked.

Visa issued Wednesday quarterly net income up 14%, thanks to an increase in card payments and transaction volumes but the title retreated in after-hours transactions.

The world of credit cards has reported net income of $ 880 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal year, or $ 1.27 per share of Class A, against 774 million or $ 1.06 per share, a year earlier.

Analysts were expecting earnings per share of $ 1.25, according to Thomson Reuters I / B / E / S but it was not immediately clear if this figure could be compared with that published by Visa.

The turnover has increased its 12.6% to $ 2.38 billion.

The number of transactions increased by 9% over the same period last year to 13 billion. Volumes have increased them by 13% to 970 billion.

The action Visa declined by 2% to 90.10 dollars in after hours trading the publication of these results.

List of values ​​to follow on Wednesday at the Paris Bourse, where the CAC 40 gained 0.21% to 3181.08 points before the vote to 24:40 awaited the start of the afternoon of the Bundestag in Berlin on a draft reform of the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF).The market expects more to be disappointed by the results of EU summits and the euro area this evening.

* RENAULT (2.08%) sign the best performance of the CAC 40 and the Stoxx sector (1.17%) recorded the largest increase sector in Europe.

The CEO of Daimler (1.67%) Dieter Zetsche told executives that Renault might consider a partnership in the development of high-end vehicles, according to the Börsen-Zeitung, citing a part of the French manufacturer .

* PSA Peugeot Citroën wins after losing 1.08% to 5.7% in early trade, the market welcoming the cost reduction program announced by the automaker, which has revised down its forecast 2011 after a third quarter marked by lower volumes.

* Societe Generale (1.39%) to recapitalize by putting aside the results, even by appealing to its shareholders, but in no case will involve public money, said on Europe 1 CEO Frédéric Oudéa.

* A reverse trend, SAFRAN (-2.09%) shows the largest decrease in the CAC 40, several brokers have reduced their price targets and earnings forecasts following the release Friday of sales in the third quarter considered disappointing.

* ArcelorMittal gives up 1.3%, the market continued to sanction the surprise announcement the day before removing the group launched the joint bid with Peabody Energy in Macarthur Coal.

In addition, Nippon Steel said to anticipate a decline in annual profit, mainly due to worse economic prospects.

* Faiveley Transport (3.76%) is again on top of increases in the SBF 120, the value still enjoying a catch-up effect after a quarterly considered positive, including the announcement of a backlog of better than expected.

* INGENICO advance of 3.54%, following the announcement of its quarterly publication, with investors reassured by the silence of the group on the future as many had previously expected a negative message.

* MERSEN, which declined by nearly 7% between 19 and 21 October, is up 2.8% after the announcement of a quarterly revenue emerged above analysts' expectations.

The Rugby World Cup ends, after six weeks of competition, during which 20 nations competed in 13 stages. Key figures in images, the economic record of the competition.

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Diageo has reported strong sales Wednesday as part of its first fiscal quarter and said, anticipating a further growth in the first half.

Sales of the world's leading spirits, which makes Smirnoff vodka as well as Captain Morgan rum, rose 9% over the quarter on a comparable basis, while the ten brokers polled by Reuters on average expected a rise of 5, 9%.

By 0930 GMT, the action Diageo gained 3.52% to 1,325 pence, the fastest rise in the Stoxx European sector of the beverage and food, up 0.63%.

The British group will hold its annual general meeting in the day.