Germany

Luxcara, a German company, said Monday that it could switch to Siemens Gamesa wind turbines for the 300 megawatt Waterkant Wind Farm. This would mean scrapping an agreement with a Chinese firm which had attracted political scrutiny and criticism by European turbine manufacturers. Luxcara, an asset manager based in Hamburg, has reserved 19 Siemens Gamesa wind turbines. Siemens Gamesa is a subsidiary owned by Siemens Energy of Germany. The same type was already purchased for the 1.5-gigawatt Waterekke Project, the largest offshore wind project ever undertaken in the German North Sea. The turbines would be replacing the ones that Ming...

Thyssenkrupp nucera's CEO announced on Wednesday that the company is currently in discussions with all stakeholders regarding its U.S. project portfolio and has abandoned those projects no longer considered feasible because of tax and spending reforms initiated by U.S. president Donald Trump. The global demand for green hydrogen had stagnated amid concerns among clean-tech industry players about what Trump's policy would mean for the sector. Werner Ponikwar, the chief executive of Thyssenkrupp Nucera, said that the company was more confident about the financial viability for U.S.-based projects following the passage of U.S. laws eliminating some tax credits on low-carbon sources...

Covestro, a German chemicals manufacturer, missed its second-quarter sales targets on Thursday due to the impact of U.S. tariffs on prices. However, it expressed confidence that ADNOC's acquisition by Abu Dhabi would still be completed this year in spite of an EU investigation into competition. Covestro's products include foam chemicals that are used in mattresses, car seat and building insulation. The prospect of higher tariffs in the U.S. led to an oversupply in the U.S. market, especially from Asia-Pacific, which then caused a large drop in price. The company's revenue fell by 8.4% in April-June to $3.86 billion, falling short...

The EU's antitrust regulators may have opened an investigation Monday into possible distortions due to foreign subsidies. This could affect ADNOC, the state-owned oil company of Abu Dhabi. ADNOC has struck the Deal to Buy Covestro Last October, the Gulf state made its largest acquisition ever and was one of the biggest foreign takeovers by an EU company. The European Commission opened a detailed investigation Monday after reviewing the deal in May under its rules on foreign subsidies. It warned that foreign subsidies given by the United Arab Emirates may distort the EU's internal market. The Commission, acting as enforcer...

The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on Monday that the government has not yet decided if it will take a stake of the German division owned by the Dutch state-owned power grid operator TenneT. He also said the Netherlands and Germany were still in discussions. The Netherlands announced last month that it would decide in September if it wanted to sell a minority stake in TenneT Germany, or pursue a partially IPO. This could be Europe's largest deal in 2025. After a failed partial sale of TenneT Germany to the German state lender KfW in June last year, the Dutch...

Germany's chemical industry lobby VCI does not expect a sector upswing before 2026, even though the rapid downtrend the chemical-pharmaceutical industry has seen in recent years seems to be over, it said on Thursday. VCI reported that the chemical industry, including pharmaceuticals, recorded sales of 107.6 billion euros ($124.66 billion) during the first half 2025. This was down 0.5% compared to a year ago, due to lower output in industry as companies announced plant closures and layoffs. The situation is still tense. "Our industry has produced about 15 percent less in the first half of the year than it did...

Brazil's stock exchange fell on Thursday. However, the real recovered the next day, after U.S. president Donald Trump shocked the world by imposing 50% tariffs instead of the 10% originally indicated. Trump cited political disagreements as the reason for his shock decision. The currency volatility gauges reached their highest level since April's tariff announcements. After the real fell as much as 2,8% on Wednesday, in response to what Deutsche Bank called an escalation in tensions. The currency fell 2.3% on Wednesday, but rebounded on Thursday to be up 0.5% against the dollar. U.S. listed shares of Brazilian companies dropped, with...

In the months to come, activist shareholders will be more determined to press for corporate change. They'll also feel more confident to launch new campaigns now that the pace of deals is picking up. Investors, bankers and lawyers predict a rise in corporate leadership disputes, operational improvements, and spin-offs during the second half 2025. They said that many global corporations would prepare for time-consuming and costly battles. However, some activist investors might be willing to compromise. Alfredo Porretti is global co-head Shareholder Engagement and M&A Capital Markets for JPMorgan Chase. He said that the activity in the second half of...

Commodity traders reported on Friday that low water levels following a heatwave and drought have prevented cargo vessels from being fully loaded up the Rhine in Germany, despite this week's rain. Traders said that low water levels are hampering shipping along the entire river, south of Duisburg, Cologne and the chokepoint at Kaub. In general, ships are only able sail half-full. Traders said that cargo is still delivered by multiple vessels, rather than one. The rain this week only stabilized the water level and did not result in a significant improvement. Shallow water is when vessel operators increase freight rates...

Nextwind, an European renewable energy provider said that on Tuesday it had secured debt financing of 1.4 billion euro ($1.6 billion) for the expansion a German wind energy project. This deal allows the Berlin-based company to raise an additional 1.3 billion euro in the next five year if it meets its capacity targets. The financing is the largest ever by an independent German wind energy company. According to a source familiar with the deal, Deutsche Bank, ING Bank, and LBBW participated in the financing as well as acting as underwriters. Nextwind has stated that it plans to increase the total...

Foreign ministers of Europe's three largest powers met their Iranian counterparts in Geneva on Friday to try to diffuse the tensions over Iran's nuclear program. These hopes were dashed Saturday, when U.S. president Donald Trump ordered airstrikes against Iran's main nuclear sites in support of Israel’s military campaign. Abbas Araqchi - Iran's Foreign Minister - told reporters in Istanbul, Sunday, that it was "inappropriate" to ask Iran to resume diplomacy. He promised a "response", to the U.S. strike. It's not the time for diplomacy. Trump warned that the U.S. would attack other Iranian targets if a peace agreement was not...

On Saturday, a senior Iranian official claimed that the proposals made by European powers during talks in Geneva on his country's nucleo programme were "unrealistic", and that it would be hard to reach an agreement if they stuck with them. On Friday, there were few signs that progress had been made after the E3 (Britain, France, Germany and the EU) and their Iranian counterpart met to try and prevent the conflict between Israel, Iran and the EU from escalating. The Europeans' discussions and proposals in Geneva were unrealistic. "Insisting on this position will not bring Iran or Europe closer to...

The only British aluminium coil factory has invested millions to reduce its carbon footprint, save energy and protect itself from some the highest electricity prices in the world. When Bridgnorth Aluminium falls below the threshold for government subsidies that help businesses pay their bills, they ramp up everything to make sure they don't miss out. Our finance guy told us at the end the year that it was okay to keep the lights on more. "It's kind of strange and counterproductive," Adrian Musgrave said, head of sales for Bridgnorth Aluminium. The paradoxical situation is caused by the high electricity prices...

The German automaker Porsche AG has scrapped its plans to manufacture high-performance battery at Cellforce, citing a slowdown in demand for electric cars and changing conditions in China and America. According to a source familiar with the situation, the move will result in the loss of 200 out of nearly 300 jobs. This is another blow to European efforts at challenging Asia's dominance when it comes to automotive battery manufacturing. Cellforce is to be transformed into an independent unit for research and development, the company announced in a Monday statement. Oliver Blume, CEO of Porsche and Volkswagen, stated on Monday...

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...