Germany

As the deadline for U.S. president Donald Trump to reach a trade deal looms next week, most Asian equity markets struggled and European stocks appeared set to open lower, despite Wall Street's overnight record highs. As traders weighed the implications of Trump's expected signing of a sweeping spending bill later that day, the dollar lost some of its gains from Thursday. U.S. S&P futures dipped by 0.3% after the cash index had risen overnight by 0.8% to a new closing high. Wall Street will be closed for Independence Day on Friday. The price of STOXX futures in Europe fell by...

As President Donald Trump's trade deadline looms next week, most Asian equity markets struggled Friday, despite overnight record highs on Wall Street. As traders weighed the implications of Trump's sweeping spending bill, the dollar lost some of its gains from Thursday. Japan's Nikkei gained 0.3% at 0152 GMT, after trading in the early hours saw gains and losses. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.3% while mainland Chinese blue-chips edged lower. Taiwan's equity index lost its early gains and fell by 0.2%. South Korea's KOSPI fell more than 1%. The U.S. S&P futures index dipped by 0.2% after the cash index...

The dollar rose after the U.S. payrolls data was stronger than expected, which indicated that the labor market might not be degrading as rapidly. The Labor Department Nonfarm payrolls increased 147,000 jobs in June, after a 144,000 increase in May that was revised upwards. This is well above the 110,000 estimates of economists polled. Markets dialed Back expectations According to LSEG, the Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates this year in response to the new data. The nearly 25% chance of a rate cut has all but disappeared, and expectations for a reduction in September are now down to...

Gold Reserve's $7.38bn bid was selected by a U.S. court as the winning bid. Preliminary winner After intense competition, Citgo Petroleum (owned by Venezuela) held an auction for its parent company. Robert Pincus is the court officer who oversees this auction. He made his recommendation Wednesday, after evaluating five bids submitted during the "topping period" of the bidding rounds, which was completed at the end of June. The auction is a result of a case Crystallex, a Canadian miner, filed in Delaware eight years ago against Venezuela. Citgo Holding's parent company, PDV Holding was found liable by the federal court...

The dollar and global shares both fell for the ninth consecutive session on Tuesday as investors analyzed a torrent of U.S. data and Jerome Powell's comments to determine the timing of interest rate cuts. Powell said that he couldn't say whether July was too soon for a rate reduction, but "it will depend on the data and we go meeting by meeting". According to CME's FedWatch Tool, market expectations for a cut in July have increased to 21,2% from 18,6% the previous session. The Dow Jones advanced on Wall Street but the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Nasdaq retreated to record...

On Monday, global stocks rose on the hope that U.S. Trade Negotiations with Key Partners would continue to advance. Meanwhile, the dollar fell and was on course for its worst performance in more than 50 years during the first half. Canada has halted the digital services tax that was to be imposed on U.S. tech firms, just hours before its scheduled implementation. This is part of an effort to move forward with stalled negotiations between Washington and Ottawa. Mark Carney, the Canadian Prime Minister, and Donald Trump, President of the United States will try to reach a trade agreement by...

In remarks published Sunday, the Kremlin stated that the stronger the sanctions Europe imposes on Russia, the greater the pain for Europe's economies. This is because Russia has become resistant to these "illegal" sanctions. Russia's invasion in Ukraine in 2022 has triggered a wave Western sanctions against Russia. It is now the world's most heavily sanctioned economy. The West said it hoped that its sanctions would force Vladimir Putin to seek peace with Ukraine. Although the economy contracted by 2022, in 2023 and in 2024 it grew faster than the European Union. The European Commission proposed new sanctions against Russia...

U.S. Investors sought refuge on Friday in safe-haven assets such as the dollar and gold after oil prices soared following Iran's retaliation against Israel's largest-ever military attack against the major producer of crude. Iran launches airstrikes against Israel After unprecedented Israeli strikes, some fear a regional conflagration. On Friday, explosions were heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv - the two largest cities of Israel. Israel had earlier destroyed Iran's vast underground nuclear facility at Natanz and killed top military leaders. Investors believe that the markets will likely survive the latest hostilities, unless Iranian oil installations are attacked or if other...

The worst-case scenario for investors, which is a full-blown Middle East war, is now becoming a reality. This will unleash a massive capital flight from risk assets to classic safe havens. Israel said on Friday that it launched an attack against Iranian nuclear facilities and missile factories and killed a number of military commanders. This could be the start of a long-term operation to stop Tehran from building an atomic bomb. Oil, which makes up roughly 30% of the global energy demand, has soared, with gains as high as 14%. Gold and government bonds have also briefly fallen. Airlines led...

Johann M. Cherian gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The mood of European investors is set to change as a result of the rapidly increasing tensions in Middle East, and another tariff salvo by U.S. president Donald Trump. This has triggered a wave dollar selling and risk off moves. The U.S. and China talks, which were much hyped up, ended in a fragile truce. This may have temporarily quelled the simmering tensions on trade between the two largest economies of the world. However the investors are still uneasy due to the lack...

Wayne Cole gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. They have a concept for a proposal for a framework to end the latest U.S. China trade impasse. This was all because President Trump tweeted that Beijing had violated the old agreement. The deal must now be approved by Trump, Chairman Xi and implemented. The Chinese thought that the talks were "rational", so this was a positive step. The details were scarce, but the U.S. team claimed that they would remove China's restrictions on magnets and rare earth minerals. Beijing's return is still unclear....

The dollar fell on Monday as the United States and China began talks in London to settle a trade conflict between their two largest economies. The trade dispute has now expanded to include restrictions on rare earths. This could cripple global supply chains and slow growth. The talks will need to continue for a while before we can decide if there is any progress. Most investors are still hopeful for positive results, said Peter Andersen of Andersen Capital Management. Wall Street saw the S&P 500, Nasdaq and the S&P 500 Tech sector all rise. The Dow fell modestly, with weakness...

Thyssenkrupp Nucera, a German supplier of hydrogen equipment, reported an unexpected loss for the third quarter on Wednesday. The company continues to experience project delays in a weak market for hydrogen. Clean-tech companies are worried about what U.S. president Donald Trump's plans for taxation and spending will mean for this industry. They fear that his tax and expenditure plans will stifle the U.S. green hydrogen industry because they will remove crucial tax credits. Thyssenkrupp reported a net profit of 1 million euros, below the analysts' poll conducted by Vara-research. This compares to a 7-million euro profit during the same period...

BMW Germany maintained its full-year forecast on Thursday, despite U.S. Tariffs and a drop in quarterly earnings of a third. It argued that its large manufacturing footprint in the country gave it an advantage over its rivals. Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, have reduced their outlooks. The European automakers have yet to digest a new 15% auto tariff that was agreed upon between the European Union (EU) and President Donald Trump. Although this is lower than the existing rate of 27,5%, it still represents a significant obstacle for their export-focused business. BMW, which has its largest plant in...

Heidelberg Materials, the second largest cement manufacturer in the world, announced a second-quarter operating income that was better than expected on Thursday. The company cited price adjustments and strict management of costs. The company's poll predicted that the group's RCO would be 1.03 billion euro, but it actually rose to 1.05 billion. Dominik von Achten, CEO of Dominik von Achten, said that our cost-management system has been particularly effective during the second quarter. The company has also confirmed that its full-year RCO forecast is between 3,25 billion and 3,55 billion euros. This is based on the assumption that the demand...

Holcim announced better than expected recurring operating profits during its second-quarter results on Thursday. This was the first time the building materials manufacturer has reported its North American operations separately. The Swiss manufacturer of cement and roofing products posted an operating profit of 955 millions Swiss Francs ($1.17billion) in the three-month period ending June. The 944 million francs figure from a year ago was up 1.2%, beating consensus expectations of 929 million. Sales dropped 3.8%, to 4,18 billion Swiss francs. This was slightly lower than forecasts of 4,19 billion Swiss francs. The decrease was due to the strength of the...

Here are some company news and stories that could impact the markets in France and Benelux or even individual stocks. Airbus Airbus, the European planemaker, posted a second-quarter profit that was higher than expected, thanks to its helicopter and defence units. It also maintained its full-year predictions as it strives to catch up with delayed jetliner delivery. BIC French stationery BIC reported Q2 revenues of 598 millions euros, and is expecting a full-year growth of 0-3%. The company's H1 adjusted EBIT for 2025 was 147 millions euros with a 13.7% margin. BIC's adjusted EBIT margin is expected to be 15.0%...

Mercedes-Benz cut its forecasts for annual sales and profit margins on Wednesday. The company cited a $420 million hit from U.S. Tariffs in the second-quarter. The German luxury automaker expects to achieve a profit margin between 4% and 6% in its car business for this year, and a group revenue that is "significantly lower" than the levels of 2024, for both its cars and vans. In February, before the U.S. Tariff Changes, the company said that they expected the profit margin of its car division this year to be 6-8%, after 2024 earnings had fallen 30%, with a 40% drop...

Moeve, the second largest oil refiner in Spain, which was formerly called Cepsa said Monday that its net profit had fallen 19% during the first half of this year, mostly due to an impact from a massive blackout of power in April in Spain, Portugal and other countries. The company's net profit dropped to 324 millions euros ($378.92 million), and earnings before interest taxes, amortization, and depreciation (EBITDA) fell by 33% compared to a year earlier to 733.92 million euros. The company said that the decline in core profit was primarily due to the costs of stopping and restarting their...

European governments and businesses reacted on Monday with relief and concern to the framework deal reached with U.S. president Donald Trump. They acknowledged that it was an unbalanced agreement, but one which avoided a more serious trade war. The U.S. will impose an import tariff of 15% on the majority of EU goods, which is half the rate threatened, but more than the Europeans had hoped. The deal was not entirely clear at the time. As we wait for the full details of the EU-U.S. trade agreement, one thing is clear: this is a moment of relief but not celebration,"...

On Thursday, during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UK, Britain and India signed an historic free trade agreement. The deal will reduce tariffs on products from textiles to cars and whisky. It will also allow businesses to have more access to markets. The following are the main points of the Agreement: Tariff Cuts India will reduce tariffs on almost 90% of UK products. Whisky and Gin levy will fall from 150% down to 75% then 40% within a decade. Tariffs on automobiles will fall from 100% plus to 10% under the quota. Other goods, such as...

Vulcan, a start-up, has received 104 millions euros ($122million) from the German government to produce clean Lithium, the company announced on Tuesday. Berlin is aiming to increase electric vehicle production and reduce its reliance on imported raw materials. Vulcan said that the grants issued by both the Federal Government and the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, and Hesse will be used to support a project "designed for building Germany and Europe's crucial raw materials supply chains resilience". According to the German Raw Materials Agency, Germany's demand for lithium could reach 170,000 tons per year by 2030. The country's automotive industry relies on...

According to EU diplomats, the European Union is looking at a wider range of countermeasures that could be taken against the United States. This comes as the prospects for a trade agreement between Washington and Brussels are fading. Diplomats report that a growing number of EU member states, including Germany are considering the use of wide-ranging anti-coercion measures, which would allow the bloc to target U.S. service providers or restrict access to public procurements in the event of no deal. The European Commission (which negotiates trade deals on behalf of 27 member countries) had seemed to be on track for...

Boris Pistorius, German Defence Minister, will discuss with Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary for Defence of Defence in Washington the possibility that Germany could pay for American Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said on Sunday that the U.S. will send an unspecified number of Patriots into Ukraine and the European Union will pay for them. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked for additional defensive capabilities including Patriot missiles and systems to counter daily Russian missile and drone attacks. Here are some important facts about the Patriot What is the Patriot System? The Patriot is a...