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Wacker Chemie reports higher first-quarter profits on cost reductions and early orders
Wacker?Chemie, a German company, posted a 45% increase in its first-quarter core profits on Wednesday. This was due to cost reductions and orders from customers that were brought forward because of disruptions related to the Iran War. Sales, however, fell compared to a year ago. Speciality chemicals manufacturer reported earnings before interest taxes, depreciation, and amortisation of 172.9 millions euros ($202.4million), up from 119.3million euros?a year ago. Sales fell 5% to 1,41 billion euros due to currency effects. Vara - Research polled analysts who predicted that the first quarter EBITDA would be 154.9 millions euros. Christian Hartel, Chief Executive, said that "given the continued weakness of the market, we started off the year well." He cited savings from a reorganization programme, and orders received earlier than anticipated as customers sought supplies. Wacker launched a cost-savings program in 2025 to reduce expenses by more than 300 million euros per year. The plan calls for the elimination of more than 1,500 positions worldwide, with most in Germany. Talks are ongoing with employees' representatives. The group stated that uncertainty about global supply chains coupled with higher raw material and energy costs related to the Middle East conflict prompted customers to place orders earlier, which boosted earnings in the third quarter. EBITDA FORECAST IS UNCHANGED Wacker reported higher earnings by division despite lower sales. This was due to lower operating costs. The polysilicon unit was the exception, with sales and EBITDA slipping due to weaker demand for solar-grade material, partly offset by ?stronger semiconductor-related business. Wacker's full-year EBITDA projection remains unchanged, at between 550 and 700 millions?euros. This is due to the continued uncertainty surrounding demand, energy costs and geopolitical risk. Hartel noted that there have been no signs of a turnaround thus far. The group's sales forecast was raised to a high single-digit growth rate from a low single-digit range. It said it passed on higher raw materials and energy prices to its customers. Chemicals players were among the 'hardest hit' in a global analysis of actions taken during the first quarter. Just over half of the 27 actions in the sector were a result of financial pressures, guidance reductions or price increases in response to the rising cost for fuel and petrochemicals.
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Finland's Neste tops expectations for core profits as fuel prices soar
Neste, the Finnish oil refiner and biofuel producer, reported a higher-than-expected core income?for its first quarter of 2026, citing the soaring fuel costs due to the Middle East conflict. However, the company kept its forecast for the full year unchanged. Neste reported that its adjusted operating income before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), more than tripled in the first quarter to?861 millions euros ($1.0 billion). This was higher than the 755.8 million euros expected by average analysts in a poll conducted by Neste. Neste CEO Heikki?Malinen said in a press release that "we have benefitted from?the?fact that we source crude oils primarily from the North Sea, and the renewable feedstock supply chain is highly diverse." Malinen said that neither Neste's crude oil nor its renewable feedstock are transported through the Strait of Hormuz. The demand for renewable fuels is increasing globally due to the blockade of Iran's Strait of Hormuz, which has caused a shortage of fuel and pushed up prices. Neste said that it still expects sales of renewable fuel to be similar in 2026 as they were in 2018. Analysts on average expected $725 per metric ton. The sales margin for its renewables segment rose?276%, to $856 in the third quarter. The volume of sales in the?business fell by 2%, to 874,000 tonnes. This included 69,000 tons sold of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a drop from 130,000 during the same period last year. European airlines have been pointing out the "scarcity" of SAF and calling for changes to EU rules that require them to use it.
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Powell's remarks on Iran War impact are expected to be heard soon.
Gold was largely unchanged on Wednesday as investors awaited the comments of U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to assess the economic impact of the Iran War as peace negotiations stall. As of 0611 GMT spot gold was down 0.1%, at $4,590.80 an ounce. It had fallen to its lowest level in April 2 the previous session. U.S. Gold futures for delivery in June?fell by 0.1% to $4604 Investors are expecting the Fed to maintain interest rates at the end its two-day meeting, later that day. War-driven energy shocks have reignited already-high inflation. "Much market resilience since last April's panic-driven by tariffs has been based on the assumption that Fed will step in if the conditions deteriorate. Ilya Spivak is the head of global macro at Tastylive. The efforts to end the Iran conflict are at a standstill. U.S. president Donald Trump is unhappy with the latest Iranian proposal, saying that Tehran had told the U.S. they were in a state of collapse and were figuring out their leadership situation. Brent crude oil remains above $111 per barrel on reports that the U.S. is extending its blockade against Iranian ports. The likelihood of interest rates increasing is increased by higher crude oil prices. Gold is often seen as an inflation hedge, but high interest rates reduce its appeal as a non yielding asset. Investors are also focusing their attention on the central bank decisions of the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada this week. Goldman Sachs said in a late-Tuesday note that it expects the gold price to reach $5400 by year's end as central bank diversification continues. The bank said that "gold is vulnerable to further liquidation if the disruptions caused by Hormuz continue - and if bond or equity prices correct further." Silver spot rose by 0.8%, to $73.63 an ounce. Platinum fell by 0.3%, to $1,934.40. Palladium dropped 0.3%, to $1,455.57. (Reporting and editing by Subhranshu, Rashmi, and Harikrishnan Nair in Bengaluru)
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Siltronic's quarter results are affected by a slow inventory recovery, despite AI-driven growth.
German semiconductor materials provider Siltronic reported lower-than expected quarterly sales on Tuesday, as the company continued to be affected by an?uncertain market environment. According to a LSEG poll, the average analyst's forecast was 317 million euro. The German company's EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) was?65.1 million euros compared to 78.3 millions euros last year. This is below analysts' expectations of 67.4million euros. It is encouraging that the growth of AI-driven end market has continued to strengthen. But capacity constraints at our customers, particularly in the memory-chip sector, and persistently high inventories for 200 mm products are dampening confidence," said CEO Michael Heckmeier in a press release. The slowdown in recovery of inventory levels among customers has affected chip makers and suppliers, since the demand for AI chips only partially offsets weakness in other sectors, such as automotive, PC, and memory chips. Quarterly results of companies in the 'chip -industry', such as TSMC, Texas Instruments, Intel. ASML, ASM International, and Besi, show that this sector continues to benefit from the surging demand for AI.chips and memory chip shortages. Heckmeier said that geopolitical uncertainty related to the Middle East has no direct impact on the company's business at the moment, but the company monitors the situation closely. Siltronic has confirmed its full-year guidance. Reporting by Ozan Egenay, Gdansk; editing by Matt Scuffham.
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India's gold demand tops jewellery in the March quarter for the first time.
India's gold investment demand surpassed jewellery consumption for the first quarter in history, according to the World Gold Council. Investors turned to the precious metal due to a subdued equity market. The WGC reported that a rise in gold prices had led to a drop in jewellery sales in the second largest consumer of the metal. This helped keep the overall demand steady. Sachin Jain is the chief executive officer of WGC's Indian operations. He said that for the first time, investment demand has surpassed jewellery. Investors will be more interested in gold, both retail and financial. The World Gold Council (WGC), in a report released on Wednesday, said that investment demand in the quarter of March rose?52% compared to the same period a year ago, to 82 tons. Meanwhile, jewellery demand dropped 19.5% to 66 tons. The data shows that total gold consumption in the nation increased 10.2% during the third quarter to 151 tons. The investment demand has now accounted for more than half of the total consumption, reaching 54.3%. Investors are now buying gold bars, coins and exchange-traded fund (ETF)s due to rising prices. WGC reported that inflows to gold ETFs increased 186% from a year ago, reaching a record of 20 tons. Jain said that investors have been drawn to gold ETFs by the weak stock market performance of recent quarters. This trend is likely to continue. Since the beginning of 2025 the domestic gold price has nearly doubled, and India's benchmark index Nifty 50 is up 2.4%. (Reporting and editing by Rashmi aich; Reporting by Rajendra jadhav)
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Mike Dolan: The ROI-Transatlantic Rate Convergence may be a mirage
The interest rate differentials are telling a story right now, and it is a complex one. Transatlantic policy rate gaps are closing quickly, but if you look farther out, a different picture emerges. The euro/dollar rate is the pivotal currency pair in the world. It accounts for over $2 trillion of daily currency market turnover, and more than one fifth of all global flows. The U.S. premium on short rates over the euro zone may well disappear by the end of this year. This is likely to be a powerful headwind for the dollar. It may struggle to maintain the renewed safety flows that it has enjoyed in the last two months. The Federal Reserve and European Central Bank will likely hold their rates at the same level when they meet in this week. The Iran war, and the oil shock that accompanied it, have distorted inflation expectations and rate horizons both on the US and European sides. Fed policy rates are consistently higher than ECB counterparts, despite the pandemic when all major central bank cut their rates to near zero. This is largely due to superior U.S. equity market and growth performance. The ECB returned inflation quickly to its target after the pandemic and Ukraine. Since June last year, the ECB has been in a "happy place" with a 2% deposit rate and a real short-term rate of about zero. The Fed has continued to ease late last year, but since then it's been on hold. Inflation is still above the 2% target. This was first caused by tariffs, and now fuel prices have been a major factor in recent weeks. The Gulf conflict, and the subsequent oil market hiatus, has frozen both banks. The regional energy impact, and the inflation?and policy fallout--are very different. Money markets have priced at least two ECB interest rate increases this year. Many bets are hovering around 2.6% by the end of the year - which is coincidentally what March's euro zone inflation rate was. As the war and oil shock unfolded last month, that pricing reached 2.80%. Some forecasters expect a more aggressive ECB reaction than markets currently price. HAWKISH TILTS Citadel strategist Frank Flight cites the rise in consumer inflation expectations for the euro zone over the next year to 4% as proof that a hawkish shock is coming. He said that Hawks would "absolutely" push for an April rate increase based on the print. They have a good reason to do so. "I wouldn’t rule out an additional 50 basis points in June, if the rates remain unchanged this week. If the conflict continues." This week, the Fed's meeting will be the last one for Jerome Powell, who is the Fed's chair until May 15. The futures markets sees that there is less than 20% chance for another reduction in the Fed's mid-rate of 3.625%, at least over the next year. By the end of the year, the rate will be significantly lower - as the oil price shock subsides and President Donald Trump's new appointee Kevin Warsh takes over the chairmanship. Powell is also nearing the end?of his term on the board. It is possible that the policy rate will eventually converge to 3%. The two-year differentials in the yields of transatlantic government bonds tell part this story. They reached their tightest level in nearly five years at the beginning of this month. For the first time since four years, the actual two-year gap in rates fell below 50 basis points. When you look at 10-year maturity, the picture is a little different. The gap between nominal and real yields remains large. In fact, it's even wider when comparing inflation-adjusted yields. Since the start of the Iran War, there has been a rise in the 10-year real rate gap between Treasuries (US Treasury bonds) and eurozone debt. This is reflected in the euro zone's numbers this week, which show a sharply increased inflation expectation combined with tightening of bank credit. This reinforces stagflationary effects and leads to a slower rate of growth and higher rates of inflation in the long-term. On the other hand, the U.S. is expected to grow faster over a longer period of time, thanks in part to the booms in artificial intelligence and tech. This helps to explain why Wall Street stocks led by tech surged despite the energy crisis related to Iran. Goldman Sachs analysts note that profits anticipated more than 10 years in the future, often referred to as terminal value, now account for about 75% the S&P 500 equity value. This is near a record high. The more things change in the North Atlantic, the more they seem to remain the same. The opinions expressed are those of Mike Dolan a columnist at. This column is great! Open Interest (ROI) is your new essential source of global financial commentary. Follow ROI on LinkedIn and X. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast daily on Apple, Spotify or the app. Subscribe to the Morning Bid podcast and hear journalists discussing the latest news in finance and markets seven days a weeks.
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Powell's remarks on Iran War impact are expected to be heard soon.
Investors waited for a U.S. report on gold. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's comments will be used to assess the economic impact of the Iran War as the peace talks stagnate. As of 0439 GMT spot gold rose 0.2% to $4,602.82 an ounce after dropping to its lowest level in April 2 the previous session. U.S. gold futures for June delivery rose 0.2% ?to $4,616.40. Investors anticipate that the Fed will hold interest rates at a steady level after its two-day session later in the day. The market's resilience has been built on the assumption that the Fed will step in to help if the situation worsens. Ilya SPivak, global macro head at 'Tastylive, said that if it sets a high bar, gold could extend lower. The efforts to end the Iran conflict are at a standstill. U.S. president Donald Trump is unhappy with the latest offer from Tehran. He said that Tehran had told the U.S. they were in a state of collapse and figuring out their leadership situation. Brent crude oil, meanwhile, remained above $100 a barrel despite reports that the U.S. would extend its "blockade" of Iranian ports. The likelihood of interest rates increasing is increased by higher crude oil prices. Gold is often seen as an?asset that can be used to hedge against inflation. However, the high interest rates have a negative impact on its appeal. Investors are also likely to be focusing their attention on the decisions of other central banks this week. These include those of the European Central Bank (ECB), the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada. Standard Chartered stated in a report that they expect gold prices to remain 'fragile' in the short term but to gain traction over the next few months and re-test previous highs as the structural drivers of the rally (geopolitical conflicts, tariffs, and uncertainty in trade) continue to hold. Silver spot rose by 1%, to $73.82 an ounce. Platinum fell 0.3%, to $1,933.75, while palladium dropped 0.2%, to $1,457.39. (Reporting and editing by Subhranshu, Rashmi, Harikrishnan Nair and Noel John from Bengaluru)
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MORNING BID EUROPE - Fed sails into uncharted waters as Powell bows away
Gregor Stuart Hunter gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. Fed Day is upon us, and it looks more certain than ever that Jerome Powell will be the next chair. The Senate will vote on Kevin Warsh by the end of the Federal Open Market Committee, setting the stage for the most important period at the world's largest central bank. Fed funds futures indicate a 100% likelihood of a hold. No policy changes are expected before 2027. Warsh's ability to navigate the relationship between the FOMC and the White House is still in question, especially with the FOMC more divided than ever. Powell's legacy debate will probably 'focus' on his defense of the Fed's independent in the face of Trump's relentless pressure - the man who appointed him. Powell's future as Fed governor is not clear yet, either. His term as Fed chair ends officially on May 15th. The markets are cautious on Wednesday. S&P 500 futures rose 0.1%, while?MSCI’s broadest Asia-Pacific share index outside of Japan erased earlier losses and traded flat. The markets are being impacted by the Fed's uncertainty, a geopolitical standoff and the diplomatic impasse that Washington and Tehran have over the end of the war. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing U.S. government officials, that Trump had instructed his aides in order to prepare for a prolonged blockade against Iran. Tech didn't offer much comfort either. The Journal reported that AI giant OpenAI missed its internal targets of weekly users and revenue. This raised concerns over whether ChatGPT's parent company could sustain the massive expenditure on data centres. Shares of Oracle and CoreWeave had been impacted by the report in Wall Street trading. Early European trades showed that pan-regional futures and German DAX were flat. FTSE Futures were down by 0.2%. M&A advisers might be suffering from a hangover after mixing too many spirits. Pernod Ricard & Brown-Forman have ended their merger talks after they failed to agree on terms. The following are key developments that may influence the markets on Wednesday. Earnings in Europe Deutsche Bank, Amundi , ?Mercedes-Benz , Norsk Hydro, AstraZeneca, GSK , TotalEnergies, Universal ?Music Group . U.S. earnings: Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon.com, Meta, AbbVie, Qualcomm Economic Events Euro Zone: Money M3 Annual Growth in March, Business Climate and Consumer Confidence for April, Economic Sentiment Industrial Sentiment Services Sentiment Germany: CPI and HICP preliminary data for April Debt auctions Germany: 10-year bund auction
Stocks rise on optimism about earnings as Fed meeting nears
The markets found their feet in Asian trading on Wednesday, as concerns about the Iran conflict, the health of the AI industry, and corporate earnings eased. Investors also focused more attention on the Federal Reserve decision due later. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific share index outside of Japan reversed earlier losses and rose 0.2% as gains in Hong Kong stocks stabilized the index. The Japanese markets were closed on a public holiday. S&P 500 futures rose by 0.2% while Brent crude climbed 0.2% to $111.51 a barrel, as efforts to resolve the Iran conflict reached a deadlock.
Kate Moore, Chief Investment Officer at Citi Wealth, said, "For us, the earnings are most important right now." She said that Q1 earnings were tracking growth year-over-year and increasing. Analysts usually spend the earnings season revising down numbers. The opposite seems to be occurring this season." Corporate America has shown resilience against the Iran conflict. With slightly more than one-third of S&P500 sectors already reporting profits, 81% have beaten expectations.
The AI-driven rally will be further tested by the earnings of U.S. technology giants Microsoft Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta Platforms due on Wednesday.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that AI giant OpenAI missed its internal targets of weekly users and revenue. This raised concerns about the parent company ChatGPT's ability?to support massive expenditure on data centres. Shares of Oracle and CoreWeave were impacted by the report on Wall Street on Tuesday. The S&P 500 fell?0.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.9%. Investors also assessed the Iranian impasse. U.S. President Donald Trump was not happy with the latest proposal by Tehran, as he wanted nuclear issues addressed from the start. The Journal reported Tuesday, citing U.S. government officials, that Trump instructed his aides on how to prepare for a prolonged blockade against Iran.
The market will focus on the Federal Reserve meeting in April, which is Jerome Powell's final meeting as Fed chairman. The traders believe that a hold will be a certainty. Fed funds futures price a 100% implied probability that the U.S. Central Bank will maintain rates. No policy changes are expected until the end of 2027.
Analysts from ING wrote a research report that "given the challenging inflation environment caused by war, it will not?cost the Fed much to adopt a hawkish stance; while remaining on a wait and see mode." There will also be questions about the intention of Powell and Kevin Warsh to remain or leave. The yield on a 10-year Treasury bond in the United States was up by 0.8 basis points at 4,344%. Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar?index which measures the strength of the greenback against a basket six currencies edged up by 0.1% to 98.71. This is the second consecutive day that the index has risen. The markets also digested United Arab Emirates' surprise withdrawal from OPEC. However, the rest of OPEC is expected to remain together.
The UAE produces around 10% of OPEC's output. This news could have caused the Brent price to drop $5 or $6 on any given day.
Brent futures front-month quickly recovered the initial loss. Gold fell 0.2% to $4,583.40. Bitcoin gained 1.1% to $77,296.62 and ether rose 1.5% to $2,331.23. (Reporting and editing by Jacqueline Wong, Kate Mayberry and Gregor Stuart Hunter)
(source: Reuters)