The stoppage, for diverse reasons, of around ten nuclear power plants and a colder autumn have been enough to disrupt the energy mix in France in November. Consumption increased by  near 9%, compared to November 2015, but the net electricity production fell by 3.7%, which has provoked a slump of exports. The trade balance has been divided by 10 with just a 0.64 TWh surplus. Nuclear production has fallen by 12.7% and its share of the power production, which usually is close to 75%, was reduced to 68%. Thanks to a good level of the water in ...

Continue reading

INSEE has, once more, revised downward 2^nd quarter French growth. It has been negative: -0.1%. France didn’t have a reduction of its GDP during one quarter since 2013. So it is difficult to share the optimism of those who consider that “it is going better”. Despite a favorable international environment, a weak oil price, interest rates at their historic low and substantial fiscal incentives for business, French economy is not rebounding. And the figures, published by INSEE even include evaluations difficult to understand since the contribution of foreign trade to growth would be positive for the first ...

Continue reading

TEC-10 index, published by Agence France Trésor, which measures interest rate paid by the State on its ten years bonds has reached on July 1^st, an unprecedented level : 0,17%. It had fallen last Monday, after the announcement of the results of the British referendum, and had come back to the low levels attained during a few days, in April 2015. But the fall was amplified at the end of the week. Investors have chosen the safest assets when financial markets were confronted with a confidence crisis reflecting worries generated by the Brexit vote. But if stock markets ...

Continue reading