France has the Nicest People in Europe

After recently returning from a trip to Paris and telling my friends and acquaintances about what a great vacation it was, I kept getting asked over and over again by many different people, "Weren't the French people rude?" It seemed like a strange comment but it was a carryover from an old stereotype, which seems to persist.

Let me set the record straight. French people could not have been nicer, friendlier, or more helpful. From the immigration official who said "Welcome to France," to the taxi drivers, to the hotel staff, to the restaurant waiters, to the tour guides, they were all polite and courteous. Even the woman con artist was friendly. Maybe it was a matter of luck, but I don't think so.

Everyone in the hotel was fantastic, at the Hotel Saint Honore. (The hotel advertises itself as a 3 star hotel but it seems more like a 4 star plus.) I can speak some French, and when I talked to the hotel staff in French, and reached my limit, they would immediately switch to English for me without a pause. I believe the French really support tourism and appreciate the tourist dollars.

It is interesting to note that France, which has Europe's second largest economy, has finally come out of its recession. France's exports increased by 2 percent during the latest quarter, and the country's quarterly GDP went up by 0.5 percent.

During the last couple years, French stocks have underperformed the S&P 500, with the market up over 35% but the iShares MSCI France Index (EWQ) was up only about 12%. Yet French stocks are catching up. In the last month, the France ETF outperformed the S&P.

If you want to invest in French companies more directly, there are a few stocks that pay decent dividends, such as Total SA (TOT), the oil and gas company which yields 4.8%. There is also Veolia Environnement (VE), which provides environmental management services and has a payout of 5%, and the healthcare company Sanofi (SNY) which yield 2.7%.

A bunch of other French stocks can be found on the free list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: I didn't own any of the above stocks at the time the article was written.

The Gold Ring Scam

I had heard about the gold ring scam but never thought that it would actually be tried on me. I just returned from Paris, France had had the pleasure of the experience.

Here is what the Gold Ring Scam is. As you are walking into or out of a tourist attraction, or just walking along the sidewalk, a woman approaches you and says, "Look, there's a gold ring on the ground." She shows it to you, and the ring has 18K embossed in it. Then she says either she can't use it because its too big or she can't wear it because she doesn't wear jewelry for religious reasons. Then she hands it to you and tells you to take it. Of course, if you do, she asks for a 'finder's fee' of maybe 20 euros. By the way, in case you haven't guessed, the ring it not real gold, just plated.

You may even receive an added bonus; her boyfriend may come up behind you and pick your pocket or purse. When I first read about this scam, I couldn't believe that anyone would fall for it or even that anyone would have the gall to perpetrate it.

So on the third day in Paris, while we were walking along the sidewalk of the Left Bank of La Seine, a woman approached, and as she was passing us, I saw her swing her arm forward, then heard a clink on the ground. She then said, "Look, a gold ring!"

I just thought to myself, "Gimme a break!!!", and I just kept on walking, saying nothing. When we turned around a couple minutes later, we saw her laughing and walking with her boyfriend. So if you are in Paris, and someone says "Look at the gold ring on the ground," just keep on walking. Image courtesy of Boykung / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

High Yield French Stocks

Investors keep hearing about the financial problems of Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Italy, and Greece. However, France is making major moves to strengthen its economy and reduce its large national debt. After all, the country doesn't want to end up like one of the PIIGS.

There are plenty of investment opportunities in French stocks, and according to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com's recently updated list of stocks based in France, there are ten that pay yields in excess of 1%. .

For example, France Telecom (FTE) is the largest telecom company in France and the third largest in Europe. The stock has a price to earnings ratio of 9.8 and a forward PE of 9.1. The Price Earnings Growth ratio is a reasonable 1.06, and the yield is an incredible 6.1%.

Sanofi-Aventis (SNY) is the Paris based pharmaceutical company which has products that include Plavix, Ambien, Allegra, and Nasacort. The PE is 10.1 with a forward PE of 6.9. The yield is decent 3.3%.

Veolia Environnement S.A. (VE) is a conglomerate involved in four businesses: water and wastewater services, environmental services, energy services, and bus, train, and ferry transportation services. The PE is 14 with a forward PE of 15.7. The PEG is an excellend 0.99 and the yield is a nice 4.1%.

To see a list of the rest of the French stocks that trade in the US, which you can download, sort, and update, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Vive La France Stocks

France is doing what it can to help improve its economy, trying its best to cut its huge national debt. After all, the country doesn't want to end up like one of the PIIGS. The Prime Minister, Francois Fillon, increased retirement age by two years, much to the dismay of the unions, and is considering freezing salaries for three years for government employees.

In addition, France will be hosting the G8 Summit next year. G8 is a forum for the governments of eight major countries: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Russia.

So the question is, are there some investment opportunities with French stocks? WallStreetNewsNetwork.com just published a new downloadable list of the stocks based in France.

France Telecom (FTE) is the largest telecom company in France and the third largest in Europe. The stock has a PE of 12 and a forward PE of 8.5. The PEG ratio is a reasonable 1.18, and the yield is a CD beating 4.7%.

Sanofi-Aventis (SNY) is the Paris based pharmaceutical company which has products that include Plavix, Ambien, Allegra, and Nasacort. The PE is 12 with a forward PE of 7.2. The PEG ratio is unfortunately very high at 5.38. The yield is decent 3.6%.

Veolia Environnement S.A. (VE) is a conglomerate involved in four businesses: water and wastewater services, environmental services, energy services, and bus, train, and ferry transportation services. The PE is 16.5 with a forward PE of 13.1. The PEG is 1.22 and the yield is 4.8%.

To see a list of the rest of the French stocks that trade in the US, which you can download, sort, and add to, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com