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National audience; Regulatory authorities might pronounce monetary fines against firms. This article shows that these ones are able to assess their amount considering the available guidelines. Moreover it addresses the point to what extent their forecastability might influence managerial decisions in terms of compliance strategies or in terms of choosing negotiated procedures in case of prosecution.; Les autorités administratives indépendantes peuvent prononcer des sanctions pécuniaires à l’encontre des entreprises. Cet article montre comment les entreprises peuvent évaluer ce risque au travers des lignes directrices relatives à la fixation du quantum des amendes. La prévisibilité de leurs montants peut jouer sur le comportement et les stratégies des entreprises, tant en matière de choix de conformité à la règle que de décision de s’engager dans des procédures négociées.

International audience; Discourse analysis has long been exclusively in the hands of linguistic and sociolinguistic, before being sociological research objects and entering the economic research. Although the economics of central bank communication has gained importance, the regulatory authorities are mainly shrugged off. Based on the theory of acts of language, the article explores the communication and official’s speech of the French financial regulation authority’s (AMF). Given the legal duties of the regulator regarding its communication to the public, this article analyzes first, how the press produces information on the action of the AMF. It also studies via a lexicometric method, speeches released in the press by the AMF officials.; L’analyse de discours a longtemps été développée exclusivement dans le cadre des études linguistiques et sociolinguistiques, avant de devenir un objet de recherche pour la sociologie puis pour la recherche économique. Si l’analyse économique de la communication des banques centrales a gagné en importance, celle des autorités de régulation est encore peu développée. L’article explore la communication et les discours concernant l’Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) et cherche à montrer à quelles conditions les discours de l’AMF peuvent produire un effet réel sur les marchés, en s’inspirant de la théorie des actes de langages. Il analyse d’abord comment la presse produit de l’information sur l’action de l’AMF au regard des missions et prérogatives fixées par le législateur. Il étudie aussi, via une méthode lexicométrique, les discours tenus dans la presse par les responsables de l’AMF.

Firm strategies are deeply affected by the legal framework which rules the relationships between the economic agents regarding monopoly and cartel policy. Undertakings have to manoeuvre through a complex universe. Not only must they master the rules of the economic game of competition but also the legal rules of competition law which are characteristic of competition and add up to the aforementioned. Monopoly and cartel policy presents itself as an important limitation to the freedom of action of firms and as a source of risks because some of their behaviours or choices are likely to be challenged, even punished by the competition authorities for the sake of the market preservation. Yet, firms can be strongly tempted to be harmful to competition insomuch as cartel and monopolies or taking advantage of a dominant position are means generally efficient for reaching the goals companies are aiming at in a capitalistic economy: the increase of profits thanks to the growth of margins and the "quiet life" thanks to a better control of their environment. First we will present the bases of monopoly and cartel policy (1) then the rules that result from it (2) before taking into account the competition authority decisional practices and their consequences on the firms' strategies (3).