France

Technip Energies, a French energy infrastructure company, posted a first-quarter profit that was below market expectations on Wednesday. This helped to drive its shares down. The company's shares were down 7.6% at 0720 and ranked among the worst performers in France's SBF 120 mid-cap index SBF120. The group, which specializes in energy technology, reported a first-quarter profit of 101 million euros (114.9 million dollars), lower than the 109 million euro consensus estimate from analysts. Bernstein wrote in a client note that the performance of TPS, the company's Technology, Products and Services segment (TPS), was "disappointing". The TPS revenue fell by...

By America Hernandez PARIS, 30 April - TotalEnergies, the French oil giant, reported an 18% decline in adjusted net profit for the first three months to $4.2 billion. This was slightly below expectations as earnings declined across all segments, except LNG. According to a LSEG Refinitiv consensus, analysts had predicted $4.3 billion. The lower oil price has resulted in a 6% drop in upstream profits despite a 4% increase of oil and gas production over a year earlier. TotalEnergies, however, said that it would continue to buy back shares up to $2 billion during the second quarter despite Brent crude...

The U.S. Interior Department announced on Thursday that it had implemented new guidelines regarding pressure differentials allowed in certain types of oil drilling, in a part of the Gulf of Mexico. The department expects these changes to boost U.S. output of oil. The Energy Dominance Council, led by Doug Burgum, Interior Secretary to President Donald Trump, is seeking ways to reduce costs for oil and natural gas producers, lower regulations, and increase oil production, which was at record levels during the tenure of former President Joe Biden. Operators working in the Wilcox formation, which is part of the waters Trump...

Putin's investment representative said that the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. president Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, was very productive. However, various countries were trying to disrupt dialogues between Moscow Washington. Putin and Witkoff spoke for nearly five hours in St. Petersburg, the former imperial city. Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's investment envoy, were also present. Kirill Dmitriev, a reporter in the Kremlin at the time of a visit to Moscow by Qatari Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, said that "the meeting was extremely fruitful." Dmitriev added that a variety of unidentified media spread misinformation....

Hazeltree, a data and technology firm, said that shortsellers had targeted a broader range of equity sectors before President Donald Trump announced his "Liberation Day", or April 2, tariff announcement. They also raised negative bets against a group of large tech stocks. Super Micro Computer was the most popular security. It knocked oil and gas producer Chevron from the top spot it held for two months. Prior to this, tech stocks dominated the top 10 list of most-shorted U.S. Large Caps. Hazeltree reported that only five of the top 10 stocks most shorted in March were tech shares, compared to...

According to the chairman the Saudi Arabian Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, after sponsoring and hosting a Grand Prix, Saudi Arabia could own a Formula One Team. Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, in a video conference with reporters ahead of the race this weekend in Jeddah, said that there was interest. He said: "It's possible, and it might happen soon. "If you're going to buy an F1 team, people will do it for the money. Especially if one of PIF's (Saudi Public Investment Funds) companies is going to purchase it. "We are seeing Formula One reaching new markets and sales...

Patrick Martin, the leader of France's main business federation said on Wednesday that he was wrong about Donald Trump. He claimed that French companies who applauded his pro-business policies back in January had no idea he would implement tariffs. Trump shocked business leaders both on the Atlantic and on the other side of the Atlantic by announcing a series of new tariffs against dozens of U.S. Trading Partners on "Liberation Day", which caused a stock-market meltdown around the world. LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault who attended Trump's inauguration spoke of a "wind" of optimism in the U.S., and CMA CGM announced...

Here are some company news and stories that could impact the markets in France and Benelux or even individual stocks. TRUMP/TARIFFS - President Donald Trump's "reciprocal tariffs" on dozens countries went into effect on Wednesday. These included massive 104% tariffs on Chinese goods. This deepened his global trade conflict even as he was preparing for negotiations with certain nations. France/Economy: The French economy performed marginally better than anticipated in the first three months of the year, but the business environment in the industrial sector will ease due to new U.S. Tariffs. This was stated by the central bank in its...

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), which is the UK's nuclear regulatory agency, announced on Monday that the Office has moved Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station in northeast England operated France's EDF to a higher level of safety regulation. The ONR stated that the station was still safe to operate but the decision had been made after identifying areas for improvement. EDF wants to extend the lifespan of the plant for another year, until March 2027. The ONR stated that the increased scrutiny was not related to EDF’s decision to extend its operating life, which is subject to the demonstration of...

Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, the continent's 2nd largest steelmaker, announced on Friday that it had decided to terminate a contract with HKM. This is a step further to sever ties to the business, which it owns in part and wants to sell. Thyssenkrupp has been under pressure to streamline its steel business due to high energy prices and low-cost Asian competitors. It warned that it might have to close or sell HKM, which is a 50-30-20 joint enterprise between Thyssenkrupp and Salzgitter. Dennis Grimm said that due to the market conditions we would have to reduce production capacity from 11.5 million...

The Trump administration ordered French companies that have contracts with the U.S. federal government to comply with its executive order prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion programs. This highlights the extraterritorial impact of U.S. policy and their possible impact on European corporate practice. Companies have been asked to fill out a form entitled "Certification regarding compliance with applicable federal anti-discrimination law." The questionnaire has been seen. The move comes amid increasing economic and political tensions in the United States and Europe after Donald Trump's election, which was based on a "America First" platform. The differences in approaches between France and the...

According to financial filings, the activist hedge fund Elliott Management in the United States, which is currently campaigning in its capacity as a BP investor for more changes at BP, has taken a large short position in Shell. Elliott's short positions, designed to earn money in the event that Shell's shares fall, amount to around 0.5% of Shell according to the data published by the Financial Conduct Authority on their website on Thursday. The data shows that this is the largest short position the company has had since 2016. Elliott took a position Tuesday when Shell provided an investor update...

The erratic tariff policy of U.S. president Donald Trump is making some European smaller companies question whether they should expand into the U.S. Trump wants to encourage foreign companies to invest in the United States by imposing levies on steel, cognac, cars, and sandals. This will lead to new factories being built and thousands of American jobs. The announcements of rollbacks, exemptions, and other changes have made some smaller companies hesitant to commit. EuroGroup Laminations, an Italian company, pays no import duties on the rotors, stators, and other components it provides to U.S. automakers, such as Ford and GM. These...

Eramet, a French mining company, maintained its full-year production targets on Thursday despite lower manganese and Nickel volumes which contributed to flat sales in the first quarter. The company reported quarterly sales adjusted to 742 million euros (842 million dollars) and said that sales volumes at its manganese mining in Gabon were down 15% on an annual basis due to a strike by workers and logistical issues at Owendo Port. Eramet, the Indonesian nickel ore miner, attributed this decline to destocking of local processing plants. The Chairwoman and CEO Christel Bories also attributed the "more difficult" than expected first quarter...

The mining ministry announced on Tuesday that the Chilean government is moving ahead with a simplified procedure to award contracts for lithium in three salt flats. The agency announced that it had accepted applications from Eramet for the Agua-Amarga salt plain; Eramet, Quiborax and the state-copper giant Codelco for the Ascotan Salt Flat; and the Caliche Kairos Consortium for the Coipasa Salt flat. The leftist president Gabriel Boric has introduced a plan that will increase state control of lithium, which is a key metal in electric vehicles and energy transition in 2023, and create public-private partnerships in order to expand...

The FIM Cisl union reported on Tuesday that Stellantis' Italian car production fell further in the first three months after falling to a 70-year low by 2024. New models won't support activity until next year. In a report issued by the union, vehicle production, which includes passenger cars and vans, was down 35.5% from a year ago to approximately 110,000 units. The automaker added that activity contracted at all six of its assembly plants in Italy. Production of the Dodge Hornet fell by 80% in Pomigliano to 1,356 units. The Hornet is one of only a few Stellantis models that...

The only option for U.S. trade partners in the current trade war with Donald Trump is to sue. Most countries that are hit by tariffs of 10%-50% on their exports, to the dominant economic superpower in the world, lack the firepower or political will to fight back, according to government officials, economists, and trade experts. The vast majority of Trump's trading partners didn't immediately respond and instead indicated their willingness to negotiate with him a compromise that would save face. Even those who have counter-measured left the door open to negotiations. China, who on Friday imposed an additional 34% tariff...

China announced an additional 34% tariff on U.S. products on Friday. This is the most significant escalation of a trade conflict with President Donald Trump, which has fueled fears of a worldwide recession and caused a stock market crash. Beijing announced that it had added several U.S. companies to an export control listing and classified others as "unreliable". From Canada to China, nations have prepared retaliation as a trade war escalates after Trump raised U.S. Tariff Barriers to their highest levels in over a century. This led to a drop in the world financial markets. Shigeru Shiba, the Prime Minister...

The erratic policies of U.S. president Donald Trump have given Europe a sudden spur to action. However, any "Europhoria," about the chances for a lasting revival in this region is probably premature. Germany's plans for hundreds of billions in defence and infrastructure spending is perhaps the best example of how Germany has responded to Trump's tariff threats and questions about America's future role as a security force in Europe. The growth forecasts for the Eurozone economy have also been revised upwards. Investors are abandoning U.S. stock for the long-neglected European stocks as the euro has increased. While some analyst notes...

Stellantis' chairman said that the European automotive industry doesn't need to switch to defence production. He also confirmed the group will appoint its new CEO by the end of the first quarter of the year. Adolfo Urso, Italy's Minister of Industry, said that Rome is preparing an Industrial Plan to foster connections between the automotive, aerospace and defence sectors. The plan will be revealed in June. Stellantis chairman John Elkann told the Italian parliament that the U.S.A. and China had both strong automotive and defence industries. Therefore, there was no need to choose between them. Elkann's multinational group, which includes...

After reports that the next likely government in Germany was considering a major fiscal overhaul for Europe's largest economy, Europe's defense stocks surged on Monday. Shares of defence contractors such as Thyssenkrupp Hensoldt Renk Rheinmetall BAE Systems, Leonardo, and Hensoldt rose by double-digits percentages after news broke that the conservatives, who won the elections, and the Social Democrats, centre-left, were considering debt-financed infrastructure and defence funds worth under one trillion euros. No party has confirmed officially that a special defence fund worth 400 billion euro ($417 billion), and infrastructure funds worth up to 500 billion euro, which would total 20%...

The U.S. president Donald Trump ordered on Saturday a new investigation into trade that could add more tariffs to imported lumber. This would be in addition to the existing duties on Canadian softwood timber and 25% tariffs due next week on all Canadian and Mexican products. In his third new investigation in a single week, Trump has signed a memorandum ordering Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that he initiate a national-security investigation into U.S. Lumber Imports under Section 223 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act. Trump used the same trade law to impose tariffs against global imports of steel and aluminum....

According to a document seen on Thursday, French prosecutors closed the case brought by Democratic Republic of Congo against Apple subsidiaries for using conflict minerals in their supply chain. In December, Apple's lawyers confirmed that the Congo had filed criminal complaints in France and Belgium against Apple subsidiaries. Apple strongly denied the allegations at the time and told its suppliers not to use minerals sourced from Congo or Rwanda. The Paris prosecutor's Office, in a document dated February 18 and seen by us, said that allegations of money laundering and deceptive practices were "not well-founded". It closed the case and...

Marc Ferracci, French Industry Minister, said that the European steel industry is in trouble and it's important to protect its ailing sector. The current safeguards on steel imports are not adequate and do not adapt to today's market. Ferracci said, "The European industry, and the steel sector, need protection. This means, in the short-term, strengthening safeguard measures," at an event for the European steel industry in Paris. He said that European steel plants would close if they did not take action to combat the heavily subsided imports from China, and the looming U.S. Tariffs. The European Commission is examining whether...