Germany

The German fashion group Hugo Boss announced a better-than expected annual operating profit on Tuesday, despite a difficult market environment. It also said that it has not yet felt the impact of the Middle East conflict. The company's earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), which were 391 million euro ($455million) in 2025, are up from 361 millions euros a year ago, and well above the average analyst forecast of 379million euros, according to a poll conducted by the company. Early trading saw a 4% rise in shares of the company. The stock has risen 1.3% from the beginning of the...

During a 'online meeting' with the Group of Seven Finance Ministers, Satsuki Katayama, Japanese Finance minister told a press briefing that IEA called for a coordinated release?of emergency?oil reserve during a?online meeting on Monday. Katayama stated that the IEA had asked each country to release oil reserves in a coordinated manner. "In response to current conditions... the G7 has agreed to closely monitor developments on the energy?market, and to take the necessary measures to support the global energy supply. This includes releasing oil reserves." Katayama stated that the IEA and the Ministers were joined by executives from the World Bank,...

CEO Flemming Ornskov stated on Thursday that 'Galderma continues to see the Middle East as a 'attractive market. The conflict in the region is unlikely to have any major impact on the Swiss skincare firm because it only represents a small part of their business. Ornskov stated that less than 2% (of Galderma's) business is currently located in the Middle East. However, the company has made efforts to expand in this region, highlighting its recent entry into Saudi Arabia, and expansion in United Arab Emirates. He said that Galderma was pursuing its plans in the region, citing that there were...

Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday that the U.S. Government will exempt Rosneft's German unit from sanctions indefinitely. A person familiar with this matter was quoted as saying so. Could not verify immediately the report. The German economy ministry didn't immediately respond to an 'ask for comment'. Germany placed local units of Rosneft, a Russian oil company, under trusteeship by 2022 following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. This broke Berlin's decades long energy relations with Russia. Assets include a'stake' in the PCK Schwedt refinery, which is a major supplier of fuel for the capital area. Bloomberg News reported that the U.S. Treasury’s...

Spanish stocks slid Wednesday following fresh threats of a trade embargo from the White House. Other regional benchmarks also climbed after a brutal global sell-off that dragged stock prices to more than one-month lows amid fears about the Middle East conflict. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was up 0.6% to 607.92 by 0939 GMT. This follows two sessions in which the index lost more than 4% since Friday's record high. The benchmark index rose the most in the Technology and Healthcare sectors. The STOXX Volatility Index, Europe's fear gauge after four sessions of gains, has slipped 2.3 points. Spain also...

Investors paused on Wednesday to re-energize themselves after a global stock market crash that sent the benchmark index plummeting more than a month ago amid fears of a prolonged and widened conflict in the Middle East. By 0810 GMT, the pan-European STOXX 600 index was up 0.6% to?607.62. Since Friday's record high, the index has lost nearly 5%. The travel and luxury stocks that were at the forefront of this sell-off were each up by more than 1%. The index was boosted by the technology and healthcare sectors. Vistry fell 22% after the UK homebuilder announced that Greg Fitzgerald, its...

Safe haven currencies like the Swiss franc, Japanese yen and the euro strengthened as currency trading returned after the weekend when the United States and Israel launched their most ambitious attack on Iran since decades, killing the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It dropped by 0.34%, to $1.1776, compared to around $1.18 at the end of New York trading on Friday. The euro fell by 0.5% against the Swiss Franc, to 0.9039. This is its lowest level since 2015. The dollar dropped 0.26%, to 155.65yen. However, the greenback gained against sterling and Australian dollars. U.S., Israeli, and Iranian strikes, as...

According to correspondence seen by, the management of a Russian owned oil refinery located in Germany privately warned Berlin that U.S. Sanctions were hurting their business and threatened fuel supplies for the capital and region. In a letter sent to Katherina Reiche in January, the management of Rosneft's PCK Schwedt refinery made an "urgent" appeal to her to resolve the standoff between the United States and the refinery. The letter details the escalating issues at the refinery which supplies fuel to Brandenburg, eastern Germany, and nine out of ten cars in Berlin. It also supplies key chemicals and ingredients for...

By America Hernandez PARIS, February 5, 2019 - French oil giant?TotalEnergies signed two agreements to supply Airbus with 3.3 terawatt hours of electricity. The companies stated that this amount would cover half the sites’ power needs in the next decade. Germany and Britain are key growth markets for Total. Total is focusing on markets that have deregulated electricity markets, where it can own and build renewable assets and sell directly to clients. The company has a'strategy' that includes owning gas-fired plants and signing supply deals to provide continuous power sourced both from renewables and gas assets. These contracts, which are...

The U.S. economic system is experiencing a productivity boom, and it may even be spreading globally. Artificial intelligence will accelerate the trend of technological leaps that have been a hallmark of U.S. efficiency, flexibility and dynamism. However, there are some early signs that AI's benefits may be spreading. The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), released on Friday, showed that British businesses have started the year off on a good footing. Demand at home and abroad has been robust since April 2024. The pace of job loss has also increased since December. Since late 2024, the sub-indices of employment in Britain's PMI...

India and the European Union have completed negotiations on a long-coveted deal which will be announced Tuesday, said?the South Asian nation’s trade secretary on Monday. Both sides hail this agreement as?historic in light of strained U.S. relations. The agreement paves way for the free exchange of goods between India and the 27 European nations, who together account for a quarter the world's Gross Domestic Product and have a combined market of over 2 billion consumers. "It's a deal that is balanced and forward-looking for better integration of the EU into the economy." "The deal will boost trade and investment between...

The U.S. economic system is experiencing a productivity boom, and it may even be spreading globally. Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to accelerate these trends. However, there are some early signs that AI's benefits may be spreading. The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), released on Friday, showed that British businesses have started the year off on a high note. Demand at home and abroad has been robust. This is the fastest growth in output since April 2024. The pace of job loss has also increased since December. Since late 2024, the sub-indices of employment in Britain's PMI have been below that...

Michael Flacks, the CEO of Flacks Group, said that if current attempts to sell Thyssenkrupp's steel division fail, they would be "ready" to bid for it. Thyssenkrupp and Jindal Steel International have been in discussions since the autumn about a possible sale for Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe. However, these discussions are yet to produce a formal bid. Flacks Group was selected by Italy in 'December' to conduct exclusive negotiations on the sale Acciaierie d'Italia, a bailed out steel company. Flacks stated that "our main interest in Italy is now, but we're interested in major companies and, if talks about an acquisition...

Germany's leading industrial union is 'fighting for more power' at Tesla's gigafactory near 'Berlin', where staff will vote for a new work council following a campaign that was marked by mudslinging and court challenges. The voting began at Tesla's Gruenheide factory, the only European production facility of the U.S. electric vehicle maker. Results are expected on Wednesday. The current council is dominated largely by non-unionists. The IG-Metall union has 116 candidates running to gain a simple majority of 19 seats. The union won 16 seats in the previous election, two years ago, when the council held 39 seats. IG Metall...

Buy expensive steel that is made using a "nascent" technology powered by green hydrogen, which barely exists? Under European Union plans, which aim to bolster the steel industry of the EU while still meeting?its environmental targets, this is what Europe's automakers face. They are already under pressure from a fiercer competition in China. The EU changed its CO2 emission targets for new cars in December to 90% by 2035, from 100%. This was a shift from the earlier 100% target. EU WANT TO BOOST EUROPEAN STAINLESS SECTOR The new proposal is tied to the EU Industrial Accelerator Act, due to...

Geoff Gilmore, Worthington Steel's chief executive officer, said that the U.S. company would have a 'decent number of other acquisition targets if a $2.4 Billion deal to buy German metals distribution?Kloeckner & Co falls through. Worthington must secure at least 66% of Kloeckner shares by March 12 to seal the deal. Worthington is looking at around 10 targets, including Kloeckner, a German company, that Gilmore has said he's "highly confident" he can achieve. He already secured?53% of Kloeckner from Swoctem, Kloeckner’s largest shareholder, and other tenders. Gilmore said, "We felt that Kloeckner was the best choice for us in terms...

Worthington Steel's Chief Executive said that if a $2.4 bn deal to buy German metals traders Kloeckner & Co falls through, it would still have a number of options to choose from. Geoff Gilmore's comments come just two weeks before the deadline for the 'offer expires, on March 12th. Worthington is required to secure at least 65% of Kloeckner shares in order to seal 'the deal'. Worthington has looked at around 10 targets, including Kloeckner, a German company, and Gilmore, who said he is "highly confident" of achieving his goal. He already secured 53% by Kloeckner's largest shareholder,?Swoctem, as well...

These are the most popular?stories from the Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal has not?verified?these stories or?guarantee their accuracy. The Washington Post has lost more than $100 million in the last year due to financial problems that led to the decision to reduce staff by 30% at an earlier date this month. BlueScope Steel, a company based in Australia, said that the revised 'A$15 billion (10.69 billion dollars) proposal by the U.S. Steel Dynamics consortium and 'SGH' does not address the valuation concerns of the firm. It added that there are other ways to increase shareholder value. Wayve, a...

Heidelberg Materials, world's 2nd largest?cement manufacturer, said that it expects its core construction markets, including Europe and North America to stabilize further in 2026. It also anticipates an increase of up to 10.3% in operating profit. The company expects to achieve a current-operations result (RCO), of between 3.4 and 3.75 billion euros this year ($4.0 billion – $4.4 billion), compared to 3.4 billion by 2025. In a survey conducted by the company, analysts expect RCO to be 3.7 billion euros. "We're?optimistic" about the current financial year 2026. We expect that our core markets will continue to stabilize, even though the...

Three people with knowledge of the matter have said that Thyssenkrupp is looking at separating, listing or selling its materials trading division this year. They are also considering changing the legal structure to maintain control in the event of a major sale. Thyssenkrupp Materials Services MX, which represents more than a quarter of Thyssenkrupp sales, is another step forward in the overhaul of the group under CEO Miguel Lopez. This comes after a spinoff of its Defence division and as talks continue to be held about selling its Steel unit. MX, with 11.4 billion euros in sales and more than...

Data from the German Statistical Office revealed on Wednesday that the number of housing permits rose for the first time in 2025 after three years of declines. The office reported that permits were granted last year for the?construction?of 238,500 residential units, in both new and existing buildings. This represents a 10.8% increase compared to 2024 when they reached their lowest level since 2010. The number of building permits reported is a good indicator of future construction. In recent years, the industry has been impacted by rising interest rates and high material costs. Verena Hubertz, German Minister of Construction, said that...

These are the most popular stories from the Wall Street Journal. These stories have not been?verified' and we cannot vouch for their accuracy. U.S. steelmaker Steel Dynamics and?Australian conglomerate SGH have submitted an offer that valued BlueScope Steel's equity at approximately $11 billion. They said they would not raise the price unless another bidder emerged. Warner Bros. Discovery announced?on Tuesday that it would restart deal negotiations with Paramount, setting the stage for a possible bidding war between Netflix and its preferred suitor. Paramount sweetened last week its hostile $77.9billion all-cash offer for Warner Discovery including its cable channels CNN and...

Thyssenkrupp CEO says that planned EU measures to protect the bloc's battered?steel industry?have improved investor sentiment, and have strengthened Thyssenkrupp’s position in negotiations to sell its steel business to India's Jindal Steel International. Jindal Steel International has made a nonbinding offer for Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, Europe's number one steelmaker. In September, Jindal Steel International made a non-binding bid for Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe (TKSE), Europe's No. Thyssenkrupp's CEO Miguel Lopez is focusing his strategy on turning the group into a holding by finding a solution for TKSE. This company has ties to Germany's history of industrial production. Lopez said that the...

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said that the EU must simplify its regulations to be more competitive with the United States and China. Over the last two decades, EU growth has consistently been lower than that of?the United States, with EU innovation and productivity, especially in fields such as AI, falling behind. "Let's take the U.S. as an example again." Von der Leyen stated on Wednesday that there is only one financial system and capital. "In Europe, we don't only have 27 different systems of financial supervision, each with their own supervisor. More than 300 trading...