Germany

Ankur Banerjee gives us a look at what the day will bring for the European and Global markets. And then we're back to screen-gazing, as the yen edged towards?160 a dollar, fueling intervention concerns, as the prospect a snap election in Japan next month turbocharges so-called "Takaichi trading". Investors are selling the Japanese government bonds and the yen because they fear low interest rates and additional stimulus for an economy that has one of the largest debt burdens of any developed country. After local media reported that Prime Minister Takaichi may call for general elections in February, the Nikkei index...

Rocky Swift gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. While Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro waits for his fate in a New York jail, it appears that nearly $2 billion of Venezuela's oil is also destined for the United States. Donald Trump's recent use of military force in achieving policy goals has resulted in the toppling of a?leader? and the country's oil reserves. He has hinted in recent days at possible strikes against Colombia, Mexico and Greenland. The markets have largely taken these events in stride. Crude oil has reacted the most to the...

The Kremlin stated on Monday that Ukraine must withdraw its troops from the part of Donbas it still controls, if it wants peace. If Kyiv does not strike a deal it will lose more territory. Putin and Trump spoke Sunday, ahead of Trump's Miami meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, said that another call was planned for very soon. Peskov declined to comment on the idea that a "free economic zone" could be created in Donbas, or the future of Zaporizhzhia's nuclear power plant (controlled by Russia), saying the Kremlin deemed it inappropriate. Peskov, when asked...

The Kremlin announced on Sunday that?Russian President Vladimir Putin and the U.S. The Kremlin said on?Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and?U.S. Yuri Ushakov, Kremlin's foreign policy aide, said that a phone call between Putin - and Trump lasted an hour and fifteen minutes - at Trump's request ahead of Trump meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Miami. Ushakov stated that "the main thing is that the presidents from Russia and the United States share the same view that the temporary ceasefire option proposed by the Ukrainians or the Europeans, under the pretext of preparation for a referendum (or...

Gregor Stuart Hunter gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. Shanghai copper futures have reached a new'record high' today, as more stimulus from China is expected. Investors are looking to real assets as the U.S. Dollar falls to its lowest level in two months after the Fed's rate cut this week and the policy stance that pushed against the market’s hawkish view. Dollar debasement had already lifted the price of silver. The stock markets in Asia were up despite fears about the AI bubble. The MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan Index rose 0.8% on the...

Donald Trump's peace plan in Ukraine includes proposals to?restore Russian energy flows into Europe and major U.S. The Wall Street Journal reported that investment in Russian rare earths, energy, and frozen Russian sovereign assets was being considered. The newspaper reported that the plans were included in annexes to peace proposals sent to European counterparts over recent weeks. The plan includes a plan to use $200 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets for projects in Ukraine. This would include a new major data center powered by the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, now under Russian control. U.S. firms would invest in strategic...

Rae Wee gives us a look at what the European and global markets will be like tomorrow. Investors have focused their attention on the Federal Reserve rate decision this week, but on Wednesday the currency markets briefly turned to the Japanese yen. After a sudden fall in the yen's value against the euro, and a drop of nearly 0.9% versus the Aussie dollar, the yen appeared to be slurring its words. The dollar was also on the verge of breaking through the 157-yen mark. The move was not a major event, but it could have been a way to position...

Ankur Banerjee gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets Investors are on edge about the U.S. financial policy outlook, ahead of the?expected Federal Reserve rate cut this week. A divided central 'bank and the prospect that a dovish Fed Chair will replace?Jerome Powell have investors worried. Welcome to the almost-Fed Day! The traders are almost certain that the Fed will cut rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday. Let's face it, most traders are focused on what Powell says and how many rate reductions the dot plot for 2026 will show. The markets...

Kevin Buckland gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The market is focused on the bets that the Federal Reserve will cut rates next week, and the murkiness in the economic data used by Fed officials to make policy decisions. The Fed is focusing on the state of the labour markets, so the Fed will release the most important data - the monthly payroll figures - in mid-December instead of today. This is the result of a record-breaking government shutdown. But at least the Fed will get key data pertaining to the other...

Rae Wee gives us a look at what the European and global markets will be like tomorrow. In the last month, there have been several instances where a rally in the market was suddenly halted due to sudden risk aversion. Sometimes this happened without any obvious cause. Shortly afterward, an upswing followed. Wednesday was another example of this. After a Monday drubbing, global stocks rose and bitcoin reclaimed its $90,000. It was at its highest level in almost two weeks. The European markets were also poised for a steady opening, as investors waited for the remarks of European Central Bank...

Tom Westbrook gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The dollar's weekly drop was the largest in four months, and traders were looking ahead to 2026 as markets slowed down for Thanksgiving in the U.S. The U.S. is looking to further ease interest rates, while the rest of world seems to be finishing off their rate cuts. South Korea is the latest country to adopt a hawkish stance, abandoning its easing bias. Bonds have fallen. Asahi Noguchi, a former Bank of Japan dove, also adopted a slightly hawkish tone in his speech to...

Gregor Stuart Hunter gives us a look at what the markets will be like in Europe and around the world. It is make-or-break for Britain's Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, who will unveil her budget later today. The budget could contain tens or hundreds of millions of pounds worth of new taxes. In Asian trading, the pound is up 0.2% to $1.3193, a rise of a fifth day in a row ahead of her speech at 1230 GMT. Sources say that after the meeting between the new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takayichi and BOJ governor Kazuo Ueda last week, the Bank...

India and the European Union concluded negotiations on the long-awaited Free Trade Agreement as both sides sought to soften the impact of the strained relations with the United States. The pact opens the way to?freer trade of goods and services' between India and the EU, which together represents a market with approximately 2 billion people. The following are the key details of this deal: BENEFITS TO EU EXPORTERS - Indian tariffs will 'fall to zero' on goods traded with EU immediately. Tariffs on 90% of EU exports will be reduced or eliminated EU firms can save up to $4.74 billion...

The German metal trading and recycling company Heraeus has set aside $540 million for the risk of "irregularities", which were revealed by a whistleblower. Frankfurt prosecutors said Friday they have been investigating suspicions since June that materials delivered to Heraeus by customers for processing had been 'illegally taken over a period of 2015-2025. In an email, prosecutors stated that there is "reason to suspect" that illegal withdrawals have been made from delivered customer materials. Financial Times was the first to report on the investigation. Heraeus revealed in its annual report for 2024 a provision amounting to 457.7 millions euros (537.29...

In a joint statement issued on Friday, Italy and Germany committed to ensure safe'supply chains' for raw materials that are vital to their economies. Rome is urging partners to join forces to combat China’s increasing influence on price. The document seen by was part of an Intergovernmental Summit The two countries will be meeting in the Italian capital, with the Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Giorgia Meroni. Antonio Tajani, Foreign Minister of Italy and Germany, said: "We cannot?accept China as the sole authority to determine the price of raw material." "Italy, Germany and other countries should share a similar...

The European share market was subdued Friday due to weakness in mining and luxury stocks. This marked a gloomy end to a week that had been dominated by?the beginning of a busy earning season along with geopolitical concerns. The pan-European STOXX 600 index finished at 614.38, while the luxury index fell 3.2%. This was its largest daily drop since early October. Richemont, one of the biggest losers, fell 5.4%, after BofA Global Research cut its recommendation for the Swiss jewellery firm to neutral from buy, and advised investors to "wait", citing inflated valuations following a recent rally. "European stocks are...

Worthington Steel is planning to purchase Germany's Kloeckner and?Co. The deal values the metals trading company at $2.4 billion. Kloeckner & Co., with over 100 locations in North America and Europe, provides a wide range of products, including?carbon flat-roll?steel, electrical steel and aluminum. Swoctem is the largest shareholder of Kloeckner & Co. and has agreed to offer?its 41,53 % stake in the offer. This will be subject to a minimum acceptance threshold of 65%??of all outstanding???shares. Kloeckner & Co's shares rose by 25% in the pre-market. Worthington stated that the all-cash transaction will be conducted via a voluntary bid offer...

Allegro, a Polish ecommerce company, announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to sell its operations in Slovenia and Croatia?to Mutares of Germany. Allegro is aiming to simplify?its global footprint. Allegro claimed that the sale was the last step to turning around Mall Group. The group bought the company in 2022 as a first move beyond its home market Poland. Allegro expanded its presence in Central Europe with the deal, but so far international operations have weighed on its profitability. Allegro announced in March that it would pause the rollout of its third-party market in other countries until it increased...

China's refined copper exports surged to records levels in the last year, as the world’s top buyer found themselves in unusual competition with the U.S. CME's U.S. Copper contract continues to command an impressive premium over the London Metal Exchange's (LME) international copper price as the "market prices" in anticipation of possible U.S. Tariffs. The decision was deferred to June of this year. The ripple effect of U.S. metal delivery premiums is now emptying China’s bonded storage zones. China's exports jumped from 698,500 tons to 143,000 in November. This is already a record. The total for November included 57.700 tons...

Four people who are familiar with the talks say that Germany's Thyssenkrupp may sell its steel division to India Jindal Steel International over a period of time, as they try to reach a deal on the complex business. Jindal Steel began conducting due diligence in October, after making a bid indicative for Europe's largest steelmaker. Thyssenkrupp needs to focus on becoming leaner. The deal will help them achieve this. The people who spoke to us said that Jindal would take a majority share in?TKSE in a first move, most likely 60%. The remaining 40% could be acquired in two 20%...

Four people familiar with the discussions said that Germany's Thyssenkrupp might sell its steel division in several stages to India's Jindal Steel International, as both sides attempt to reach a deal for this complex business. Jindal Steel is conducting due diligence on Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe (TKSE) after submitting an indicative bid to acquire Europe's second largest steelmaker. Thyssenkrupp needs to focus on becoming leaner by acquiring the deal. The people who spoke to us said that Jindal would take a majority share in TKSE in a first move, most likely 60%. The remaining 40% could be acquired in two 20%...

European stocks rose on Monday as investors bought up defense stocks following the U.S. military strikes against Venezuela. This sparked new 'geopolitical' concerns. The STOXX 600 pan-European index was 0.3% higher by 0810 GMT. As investors return from their New Year holidays, trading volumes should normalize. Defense?index grew by 2.7%, reaching its highest level in two months. The technology and basic resources also rose by 2.1% and 2% respectively. Investors continue to monitor the impact of the 'dramatic capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas?Maduro over the weekend by U.S. forces. Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would temporarily place Venezuela...

A report released by the U.N. Human Rights Office Thursday revealed that over 1,000 civilians died when a paramilitary group from Sudan took control of a famine stricken displacement camp in Sudan's Darfur. About a third were executed summarily. According to a U.N. Report, for months before the April 11-13 attack, the Rapid Support Forces had blocked the entry of food and other supplies into the Zamzam Camp in Sudan's western Darfur region, which houses nearly half a milllion people who have been displaced by the civil war. The U.N. reported that the RSF had attacked civilians during the takeover....

The construction industry in Germany, which has been mired in crisis for many years, is about to 'a'revive, according to the main trade association of the sector. This comes as the German government pours hundreds of billions into a massive plan of infrastructure renewal. The Central Association of the German Construction Industry ZDB forecasts that the sector will see a real increase of 0.6% in turnover this year. This would reverse three years of decline and be followed by an explosive 2.5% growth in 2026. The forecast is for revenues to reach 168 billion euros ($196.61billion) in 2025. This represents...