Germany

Powerus, a U.S. drone manufacturer and radar maker, announced on Thursday that it had signed a contract for approximately $22.3 million to supply counter-drone technologies aimed at protecting oil infrastructure in the Middle East. According to the company, the system would track, detect and classify drone threats. It would then feed information to a central hub located at the customer site, giving 'operators an overall picture of aerial activity within the area. Powerus declined to disclose the name of the customer or the exact deployment sites. The contract demonstrates the growing demand for counter-drone defences in the Middle East where...

German fashion group Hugo Boss announced its operating profit for the second quarter ahead of expectations and maintained its outlook for the full year despite a subdued demand from consumers. In a poll conducted by the company, earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), which were 81 million euros in 2014, fell to 59 million euros. This was higher than analysts' average predictions of 52 million euro. The currency-adjusted sale fell by 9%, to 905 millions euros. This was slightly lower than analysts' expectations, which were 907 million euro, as strategic realignment and a weak consumer background continued to weigh on...

Beiersdorf, the maker of Nivea, said that the conflict in the Middle East was disrupting sales and deliveries in key Gulf markets. This highlights how geopolitical tensions continue to impact consumer goods companies in the region. Vincent Warnery, Chief Executive of the company, said that due to the conflict the company was unable to ship some products to Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates. "This is something that impacts not only our costs, but also consumption." We hope the war will end soon so that we can get back to business as usual," he said in a press conference....

Fuchs, a German lubricants manufacturer, announced on Friday that the production of its jointly-owned facility in Yanbu (Saudi Arabia) had been suspended until further notification after a Saturday fire caused significant damage to the site. The cause of the fire is not known. It may have been caused by the Houthi?militants who attacked Saudi ports on Saturday. A spokesperson for Fuchs told us that the company relied solely on information supplied by its partner, and was unable to provide further details. The company confirmed that no employees were injured. Yanbu is Saudi Arabia's Red Sea oil port and has now...

This week, it's all central banks. Rising energy prices are likely to keep rate-setters in Tokyo, Washington and London alert even if oil is below $100. Tariffs from the United States are now back on the list of worries for markets that worry about inflation and growth risks due to war. Rae Wee, Dhara Ranasinghe and Alun John are in London. Lewis Krauskopf is in New York. 1/ DOUBLE THREAT Investors are now watching two chokepoints for energy shipping to see how much oil and natural gas comes out of the Middle East. Houthi attacks may make the Bab el-Mandeb...

Next week, it's all central banks. Interest rate-setters in Tokyo, Washington and London are growing more nervous due to the Middle East war escalate. Oil prices have returned to $100. Tariffs from the United States are now back on the list of worries for markets that worry about inflation and growth risks due to war. Rae Wee, Dhara Ranasinghe and Samuel "Indyk" and Alun John are in London. Lewis Krauskopf is in New York. DOUBLE TROUBLE Investors are now watching two chokepoints for energy shipping to see how much oil and natural gas comes out of the Middle East. Houthi...

Investors are increasingly interested in whether this temporary boost can offset weak demand and the mounting competition of Asian producers. The Middle East conflict has tightened supply conditions, which have helped to support pricing. This has given breathing space to Europe's chemical sector. However, weak demand, overcapacity globally and increasing competition from Asia are still weighing on the long-term outlook of the industry. Investors are also interested in whether the companies have reported sustained volume gains or only temporary price increases, as well their outlooks for second half of the calendar year. Brenntag, BASF, and Evonik are among the chemical...

China's export engine will post another trillion-dollar trade surplus in this year. It is ignoring tariff tensions and energy shortages, while focusing on the still undervalued Yuan. While the focus is on Washington, the second-largest economy in the world is growing rapidly. Its?global influence is just as strong as that of Washington. China's housing crises, demographic decline, and bilateral trade conflicts with Washington, which have occurred amid the geopolitical tensions since the pandemic and amidst the geopolitical tensions that followed, have?overshadowed the biggest economic shock of the century, according to some -- even though China's economy is still posting impressive...

LONDON/DUBAI - U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio warned on Tuesday that negotiations with Iran could "take several days." This was after the U.S. launched what they called 'defensive strikes' in southern Iran. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated earlier that many of the topics covered in a possible 14-point memorandum were concluded, but this does not mean an agreement to end the war will be reached anytime soon. What is the current stage of the discussions? After a "ceasefire" in early April, both sides remain at odds over difficult issues, including Iran's nuke ambitions, Israel’s war with the Hezbollah militia,...

Two sources familiar with the investigation said that the Brazilian federal police had targeted the former governor of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro, and the owner Refit Refinery Ricardo Magro as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion. Castro and Magro did not immediately respond to a request for comment from. The police, without naming any suspects, said that they had launched an investigation into a conglomerate in the fuel industry suspected of concealing assets, faking assets and transferring money abroad. According to a statement, the Supreme Court ordered that assets worth approximately 52 billion Reis ($10.4 Billion) be...

Brenntag, a German chemical distributor, posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday. Price increases and cost reductions helped, but the company warned of higher crude costs due to Middle East conflict in the months ahead. The U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has affected the global fuel and feedstock markets and driven up prices in the energy-intensive chemicals industry. Thomas Reisten, CFO of the company, said on a conference call with analysts and reporters that the higher costs for fuel and transportation due to the tensions in the Middle East were being passed onto customers via surcharges and increased prices....

European shares fell on 'Thursday, after a steep rise?in the prior session. Investors analyzed?progress toward a U.S. Iran peace deal which pushed crude oil prices sharply down. STOXX 600, the pan-European index of stocks, ended up 1.1% lower than it was on Wednesday after gaining more than 2%. The majority of regional bourses in France, Germany, and Britain also declined. European energy stocks fell 2.5% when crude oil dropped below $100 per barrel. Shell fell 2.9%, despite exceeding first-quarter profits estimates and increasing its dividend by 5%. Sources and officials reported that oil prices were under pressure when?the U.S. &...

According to the website of the Supreme Court in Singapore, Japan's Mizuho Bank Ltd has filed a lawsuit against the Singapore-based operating entity 'Radiant World' that trades iron ore. A court listing on Friday showed that Mizuho Bank is the banking division of Mizuho Financial Group and it has filed an injunction to stop Radiant World Corporation from doing business. The court listing didn't provide any details about the injunction that was sought. Bloomberg News, citing court documents, reported that another creditor, the?Singapore-based trade-finance company Incomlend is suing Pinkesh Nahar and his company for $34million. Radiant World has been 'frozen...

According to the website of the Singapore Supreme Court, Japan's Mizuho Bank Ltd filed a case against the Singapore Iron Ore Trader Radiant World's 'operating entity'. A court listing revealed that Mizuho Bank is the banking division of Mizuho Financial Group and they are seeking an injunction to stop Radiant World Corporation from doing business. Could not find any other public legal action taken by a Radiant World creditor. Radiant World accounts have been frozen by some banks and trading houses have cut ties with the company over concerns that it had submitted invalid invoices to raise funding. Singapore Police...

Monte dei Paschi di Siena has made simultaneous offers to acquire Banco BPM, Banca Generali and Banco BPM. This is the latest of a series aimed at transforming Italy's formerly dormant banking sector. The MPS offers were made last week in an effort to repel the hostile takeover attempt by Italy's largest bank, Intesa Sanpaolo. This would result in the third largest banking group of Italy. This is a list of all other completed and attempted M&A deals in the Italian banking sector since 2025. 1. MONTE DEI PASCHI?DI??SIENA (MPS), BANCO BPM, BANCA GENERALI MPS announced on August 21, separate...

According to a document obtained by the. The funding comes just weeks after President Donald Trump announced a goal of making the U.S. a "minerals powerhouse" in the world and reducing reliance on the market leader China. The administration has used grants, loans, and government investments to encourage new mining and processing projects. It also aims to create a more secure supply chain of minerals that are considered vital to the economy and to national security. The war with Iran has heightened the urgency of the project, highlighting the stress that a major conflict could put on U.S. weapon inventories...

Thyssenkrupp raised its 'lower end' profit outlook for 2026 on Thursday, thanks to its'steel, materials and marine trading units, as well as the cost reductions related to its ongoing efficiencies programme. The German company, which produces everything from 'car parts to fertilizer plants', is currently undergoing a radically new structure. It has spun off all of its divisions to improve performance and simplify the firm. Thyssenkrupp expects an adjusted operating profit between EUR600 and EUR900 millions, up from EUR500 to EUR900, as compared to EUR833 in the poll. Axel Hamann, finance chief, said: "The figures prove that our performance improvement...

Thyssenkrupp nucera announced?on Tuesday that it had abandoned a?plan to establish its own?mass-production capacity for solid oxide electrolysis?cell (SOEC) stacks. It took a?one-off EBIT loss of approximately EUR30 million during the fourth quarter. The German electrolysis equipment manufacturer said that the charge was primarily due to an impairment of their pilot plant and capitalized?development?costs. SOEC technology is used to create green hydrogen by high-temperature electrolysis. Thyssenkrupp?now anticipates a loss in earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of EUR105 to EUR75 million ($86.52 millions) for fiscal 2026. This is compared to its previous guidance of an EBIT loss between EUR80 to...

Thyssenkrupp shareholders will vote on Friday,?Feb. 14, on the proposal to spin off the materials trading division of the German conglomerate, which is its largest sales division. This is the latest step taken by the German conglomerate in order to streamline its complex structure. Thyssenkrupp would continue its overhaul by spinning off 49% of tk-accelis, which is a wholesaler of raw materials like steel and alloys and operates warehouses for them. Separate listings of the?hydrogen and defence divisions were made in recent years. Investors will vote on the matter at an "extraordinary general meeting" later on Friday. The move could...

Thyssenkrupp shareholders will vote on Friday on the proposed spin-off of the materials trading division. This is the largest division based on sales in the German conglomerate. Thyssenkrupp would continue its overhaul by separating the?hydrogen division and defence division in recent years. Investors are expected to vote on the issue at an extraordinary meeting on Friday. Analysts at Jefferies believe that tk Accelis, which has around 15,500 employees, is active across 30 countries, and generated sales of EUR11.4billion in the past fiscal year, could achieve an enterprise worth of EUR3.6billion ($4.2billion). During a capital market day held last month, tk...

Thyssenkrupp said on Monday that it expects the planned'spinoff' of its tk -accelis division, which deals with materials trading, to take effect at the end October. This was according to comments for a upcoming shareholder meeting posted on the company website. Thyssenkrupp said it will register?the spinoff? in the relevant commercial registries by the end of August. Thyssenkrupp, aiming to become a holding firm, announced plans in June to spin off its division, which accounts for almost a third of group sales. At an extraordinary meeting, shareholders will vote on whether or not to spin-off 49% of division. In an...

According to data released by the Labour Office on Friday, the number of unemployed people in Germany rose slightly higher than expected in July. They are now close to 3 million in adjusted seasonal terms. Labour Office data showed that the number of unemployed people increased by 6,000 in seasonally adjusted terms to 2,99 million. Analysts polled had predicted a rise of 5,000. The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 6.4% in November, up from the 6.3% recorded the month before. Daniel Terzenbach is a member of Regional Management Board at the Federal Employment Agency. He said that the weak trend in...

Heidelberg Materials said that it expects the war in Iran to further increase energy costs for this year. The German cement manufacturer also lowered its profit forecasts for 2026. The group stated that inflation and high financing costs would continue to have a negative impact on global residential construction. High energy costs were also cited as a major factor. Even though CEO Dominik von Achten highlighted "a?environment which remains geopolitically & economically'very challenging", he said that there were still first signs of a visible demand recovery in the core markets. Heidelberg Materials expects to see its operating profit drop from...

ASML is Europe's most valuable firm thanks to its dominance of lithography systems. These are?huge?chip printing? machines that cost up to $400 million and are essential to companies driving the?AI boom. Chipmakers have expanded their capacity quickly due to AI advances and the global expansion of data centers. ASML supplies memory chip makers such as SK Hynix and Micron, as well to TSMC which manufactures chips for Nvidia. In the middle of the product range, the company faces new competitors from China. It is also being pressured by the United States regarding exports of certain tools to?Asian nations. The Dutch...