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ABB says US tariffs have not affected its 'robust' market so far
ABB, a Swiss engineering company, said that the uncertainty caused by U.S. Tariffs has had little effect on the demand of its customers. ABB, a manufacturer of motors and drives for factory production lines said that operating earnings before tax, interest and amortization (EBITA), rose by 12% in the three-month period ending September. Analysts' consensus for the company had predicted $1.70 billion. The actual figure was a little higher. Orders rose 12%, and revenue rose 11% at the company that also manufactures electrification systems for data centres. Tariffs have not yet had a material impact on the economy. Morten Wierod, Chief Executive of GE Energy, said that he saw a "robust market situation", with customers continuing to spend on electrical power and automated systems. Wierod stated that "there are still uncertainties in the market due to U.S. tariffs, but we haven't seen any impact on profitability or demand." US ORDERS JUMP, CHINA FALLS ABB's U.S. orders increased by 27% in the third quarter with steep growth across all business areas. In Brazil, orders were up 38%. China, on the other hand, saw a drop of 4% in new orders due to a sharp decline in automation and electrification. Orders in India also dropped by 7%. ABB's performance is a good indicator of the state of the industrial economy. ABB products are used to control and electrify buildings, mines, and data centres. ABB expects to see its comparable sales grow by a mid-single-digit percentage for the fourth quarter. ABB also announced on Thursday that Chief Financial Officer Timo ihamuotila would leave the company by 2026. Christian Nilsson will replace him, who is the current CFO of ABB's electrification division. (Reporting and editing by Ludwig Burger, Lincoln Feast and John Revill)
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Ardian, a private equity firm, raises $20 billion to fund infrastructure in Europe
Ardian, a French private equity company, announced on Thursday that it had raised a record-breaking $20 billion for the next-generation fund, which is dedicated to Europe's energy, transport, and digital connectivity. This shows heightened investor interest in critical infrastructure. As U.S. president Donald Trump changes global trade and alliance policies, Europe seeks private investment in order to pursue new avenues of economic growth, and strengthen its independence, particularly with regards to infrastructure, defence, and energy. Mathias Burghardt, CEO of Ardian France, told journalists that the volatility is high and events are surprising and violent. This has led to investors feeling they have rediscovered diversification. International BACKING Burghardt stated that Ardian Infrastructure Fund VI targets physical and virtual connectivity to attract growing investments from United States. This fund is the largest infrastructure platform of Ardian Investments, backed up by 229 investors. It represents a 90 percent increase over Ardian Infrastructure V. Ardian stated that 32% of the investments made in the fund came from investors from Asia-Pacific. The fund's fundraising follows the closing of Sweden's EQT Infrastructure VI Fund at 21.5 billion Euros earlier this year. This was 35% higher than its predecessor. Reporting by Alessandro Parodi. (Editing by Mathieu rosemain and Mark Potter.)
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After Axis Bank, private banks are leading the Indian benchmark share price increase
India's benchmark stocks rose on Thursday as private banks gained after Axis Bank reported better than expected net interest margins and improved asset quality in its second quarter results. As of 10:23 a.m. IST, the BSE Sensex rose 0.51% and the Nifty 50 increased 0.48%. The Nifty and Sensex trade at about 3% and 3.5 % below the record highs they reached in September 2024. Twelve out of 16 major sectors saw gains. Axis Bank, a private bank, grew by 3% and grew 0.8%. Analysts cited improved asset quality and operating performance as positive factors, despite the fact that the private lender reported a lower-than-expected profit for the third quarter. The broad small-caps and middle-caps both gained 0.4% and respectively 0.3%. HDFC Bank, the largest stock, and ICICI Bank each gained 0.6%. Reliance Industries added 0.3%. Three companies will announce their quarterly results in the coming week. Amnish Aggarwal is director of research for institutional equities, PL Capital. He said that the demand outlook has improved after recent tax cuts. This could lead to a virtuous circle of earnings growth and lift overall sentiment. Information technology stocks fell by 0.4%. Infosys is the second largest software services provider in India. Infosys, the country's No. 2 software services provider fell by 0.7% before its quarterly results that are due after market hours on Thursday. Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals, a stock that has a quarterly profit after a loss last year, grew 2.4%. Oberoi Realty, a developer of real estate, jumped by 4.1% following a reported 29% increase in its second-quarter profits. Huhtamaki India, a packaging solutions provider, jumped 12% following a tripled quarterly profit. Westlife Foodworld increased its profit by 2% as it kept the status quo in relation to the royalty rate that is payable to McDonald's. This was deemed a positive development for Westlife Foodworld's operating profit and cash flow.
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Morning bid Europe- News overload splits the markets
Kevin Buckland gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. Investors are unable to find the right information with so much information. Investors are now looking in multiple directions simultaneously, and this is creating a clear split between asset classes. The stock markets in Asia are rallying on Thursday. From Taipei to Seoul, and Sydney to Sydney, they have all reached new highs. This is due to the AI euphoria, which has been a driving force in the tech-heavy North Asian market. The SOX semiconductor index also rose 3% over night. ASML, a Dutch manufacturer of semiconductor equipment, sent out a bullish message on Wednesday when its third-quarter bookings beat market expectations. This has boosted expectations for strong ASML results later today. The big banks also kicked off the U.S. earnings period with strong results, which paint a picture of an economy that is resilient. These figures are getting more attention due to the lack of official macro-data because of the government shutdown. Gold has been rising to record highs and the dollar is falling, especially against the traditional safe havens of the yen, the Swiss franc and the euro. Outside of the equities market, traders are worried about an escalation in tensions over trade between Washington and Beijing. On Wednesday night, President Donald Trump said that they were "in a war of trade" despite his Treasury and Trade chiefs expressing some hope for a de-escalation. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted, for instance, at an extension of tariff reprieves and said Trump still expected to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping this month in South Korea, but without providing a date. This type of market tug-of war creates an inherent tension and increases the risk that something, or several things, will snap back. European stock futures currently point lower. A rebalancing may already be underway. The following are key developments that may influence the markets on Thursday. Estimate of UK GDP, Services, Industrial Output, Manufacturing Output (all August). Italy CPI (September). -Euro area trade balance (August)
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Gold continues record rally amid US-China tensions and rate outlook
Gold reached a record-high on Thursday, increasing for a fifth consecutive session as investors increased their bets in safe-haven assets amid rising trade tensions, a U.S. government shutdown, and higher rate-cut betting. As of 0311 GMT, spot gold had risen 0.8% to a new high of $4,241.77 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for December Delivery gained 1.2%, to $4253.70. U.S. officials criticised China on Wednesday for its expanded controls on rare-earths, calling them a threat to the global supply chain. They also signalled potential retaliatory actions, as both countries had introduced reciprocal fees at ports on their ships on Tuesday. "The Fed's comments that they are more likely to cut rates in the future is encouraging, and Donald Trump calling this a trade conflict is also a strong boost for gold," stated OANDA Senior Analyst Kyle Rodda. Bessent said that Washington could take further measures, such as export controls, should Beijing continue. He also added that Washington was ready to impose tariffs on China for its purchases of Russian crude oil as long as European allies joined him. A Treasury official stated on Wednesday that the two-week federal government shutdown could cost the U.S. economic system as much as 15 billion dollars a week due to lost production. Investors expect a rate cut of 25 basis points at the Federal Reserve meeting this month, followed by another one in December. In a low interest-rate environment, non-yielding, or "non-yielding" gold tends to perform well. This is due to a variety of factors including geopolitical risk, bets on rate cuts, central bank purchases, de-dollarization and strong inflows into exchange-traded gold funds. ANZ expects the gold price to reach $4400 per ounce before year's end. The SPDR Gold Trust is the largest gold-backed ETF. Its holdings increased to 1,022.60 tonnes on Wednesday. This was their highest level since July 2022. Silver spot was up by 0.2% to $53.17 an ounce, following the gold rally and the short squeeze on the spot market. Palladium increased 0.8% at $1,548.75, while platinum gained 0.7% to $1,671.65. (Reporting and editing by Rashmi aich, Sherry Jacob Phillips, and Ishaan arora in Bengaluru)
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Shanghai copper prices rise as countries warn about low processing fees; trade problems persist
Shanghai copper rose on Thursday as investors focused their attention on the supply risks, with several countries warning of tumbling processing fees, and U.S. China trade tensions ahead of a high-stakes summit between leaders from both nations. As of 0320 GMT, the most active copper contract traded on Shanghai Futures Exchange rose 0.34%, to 85,250 yuan (11,967.77 dollars) per metric tonne. The benchmark copper price for three months on the London Metal Exchange has barely changed. It is now $10,638.5 per ton, down just 0.02%. Japan, Spain and South Korea expressed concern on Wednesday over the plummeting treatment and refining fees (TC/RCs) for copper. They said the decline in this key revenue source threatened the sustainability of the copper industry. Three copper importers have warned that a persistently low or even negative TC/RC could reduce refined production by eroding profits. The warning was issued to intensify concerns about the refined copper supply, due to falling TC/RCs. This has given some support to red metal. Investors also pay attention to the latest developments in trade tensions between the United States and China. The top U.S. officials including Trade Representative Jamieson Grer and Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent warned that China's controls on rare earth exports were a threat to supply chains. They urged Beijing not to continue with its current course and warned of further decoupling. Beijing, on the other hand, defended its measure by saying that it did not constitute an export prohibition. The remarks were the latest development in the lead-up to a possible meeting between U.S. president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping later this month, although the recent flare up of tensions has raised questions about whether or not the meeting will actually take place. Aluminium, lead, tin, and zinc all posted increases of 0.37%. Zinc, however, only showed a slight decrease of 0.2%. Nickel was not affected. Aluminium, zinc, nickel, and lead all rose in price on the LME. Tin also increased by 0.51%.
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Van Oord Receives Hydraulic Engineering Accolades for Offshore Wind Work
Dutch offshore installation firm Van Oord has been awarded the prestigious Jan Agema Award 2025 for its contribution to the offshore wind project Borssele III, IV and V.The jury praised the project for its technical innovation, societal relevance, and future-proof design, highlighting it as a powerful response to the urgent energy transition in the North Sea.The Jan Agema Award, established by the Dutch Association of Hydraulic Engineers in honor of Jan Agema, encourages innovation in hydraulic engineering.The award is presented every five years to the most innovative project of the preceding period.For the first time, an offshore wind project was submitted and selected, marking a milestone in recognizing sustainable energy solutions within the hydraulic engineering sector.Van Oord has now received the Jan Agema Award twice, having previously won in 2015 for the Second Maasvlakte project.The Borssele wind energy area (1,400 MW), located off the coast of Zeeland, comprises five sites. Borssele V features several scalable and reusable innovations, including the slip-joint technique for fast, safe and maintenance-free foundation installation in deep waters. Oyster reefs have been integrated into the scour protection around the turbines to enhance seabed biodiversity.“This project brings together everything the sector stands for: technical innovation, societal relevance and future resilience. The jury sees this wind farm as a powerful response to a pressing societal challenge: the transition to sustainable energy in the North Sea. At the same time, the project demonstrates that this transition offers opportunities for technical breakthroughs and international impact,” said the Jury of the Jan Agema Award:Van Oord played a pivotal role as Balance of Plant contractor, with early involvement in both design and execution. Thanks to close collaboration with clients, research institutes and industry partners, the project was successfully delivered. Borssele illustrates how trust and integrated supply chain cooperation lead to sustainable innovation.“Offshore wind is vital for the future of sustainable energy. Strong collaboration and open communication between all parties are essential to realise these projects. It’s also crucial to actively involve young people in these developments, as their insights and ideas are of great value. After all, it’s their future we’re building,” added Jan Willem Elleswijk, Project Director, Van Oord.In addition, the Afsluitdijk dyke reinforcement project, carried out by construction consortium Levvel (Van Oord, BAM, Rebel and Invesis) on behalf of Rijkswaterstaat, was awarded second place.
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Gold reaches record levels on the back of trade anxiety, as Asia stocks rally with Wall Street
The stock market rose in most of Asia, and the chip sector was buoyant after a strong overnight rally by U.S. counterparts. Wall Street's strong start to earnings season also lifted the mood. The simmering trade tensions between Beijing, Washington and Tokyo increased the appeal of safe-havens such as gold (which reached a new record high) and the Japanese yen while undercutting dollar. Crude oil prices rose after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi had promised to stop purchasing oil from Russia. This country supplies around one-third its imports. Nikkei gained 0.8% in Japan, as shares related to chip technology and artificial intelligence boosted the index. All three equity benchmarks reached new highs. The KOSPI in South Korea jumped by 1.8%, while Australia's equity index climbed by 1.1%. Taiwan's TSMC will report earnings in the afternoon, following Dutch chip-making tools manufacturer ASML, which reported third-quarter orders, operating income and profits above market expectations. Hong Kong and mainland Chinese stocks were also higher, after an initial wobble. This was despite the drag of trade tensions. The U.S. Stock Futures are flat after overnight gains of 0.4% for the S&P500 and 0.6% for the tech-heavy Nasdaq. The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index soared 3%. Stock investors were captivated by the AI narrative, and the signs of economic strength in the form of robust U.S. Bank earnings. This was despite Trump's announcement late Wednesday that "the U.S. has entered a trade conflict with China", which the markets already concluded based on recent comments made by both sides. Gold reached a record $4,234.41 an ounce in the last session. The dollar fell for the third consecutive session, falling 0.2% against a basket major counterparts. It fell as much as 0.4%, to 150.51yen. This brought the psychologically important 150-yen line into focus. The Swiss franc also fell 0.4%, another haven currency. The euro increased by 0.2% to $1.1667. Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury secretary, said that an extension of current tariff relief was possible and that Trump expected to meet Chinese Leader Xi Jinping later this month in South Korea. The brinkmanship that exists between the U.S.A. and China is still present, according to Kyle Rodda. Senior financial analyst at Capital.com. It will only calm down when China backs off its threat to restrict rare earth exports, and the U.S. reverses the tariff increase scheduled for November 1 to 100%. Markets will be trembling until then." Trump's trade maneuvers have also helped oil prices rise from five-month lows. Brent crude futures are up 0.9%, trading at $62.48 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures are also up 0.9%, trading at $58.81. The U.S. President said on Wednesday that India will stop buying oil from Russia, its largest supplier. Washington would then try to convince China to follow suit as it intensifies its efforts to cut Moscow's revenue and to pressure it to negotiate an agreement in Ukraine.
Dalian iron ore reaches a six-week low due to accumulating stocks of steel
Dalian iron-ore futures continued to decline on Thursday and hit a six-week low, as steel inventories in the world's largest consumer China cast doubt on demand prospects.
As of 0330 GMT, the most-traded contract for January iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange fell 0.83% to $774 yuan (US$108.65) per metric ton after hitting its lowest level since September 2, at 769.5 Yuan.
As of 0320 GMT on the Singapore Exchange benchmark November iron ore had fallen by 0.11%, to $105 per ton. This was due to hopes for further rate cuts from the U.S. Federal Reserve, which helped to curb some losses.
On Wednesday, the contract reached a low of $103.6 per ton. This was the lowest price in nearly a week.
A weaker dollar makes commodities priced in dollars cheaper for buyers who use other currencies.
Steven Yu, senior analyst at Mysteel, says that the market is now focusing on the stock accumulation in the steel sector, amid signs of a de-escalation in trade tensions between China and the U.S.
Yu said that "steel inventories have piled up as a result of the fact that demand is less elastic than supply."
The disappointing credit data from China has also raised concerns about the outlook for demand.
China's new loans to banks in September were lower than expected, as policymakers struggled to reverse the prolonged property slump and curb overcapacity.
The renewed U.S. - China trade war worries, despite the tit for tat port charges, weighed down on sentiment and drove ore prices and steel costs lower.
The benchmark steel prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange have fallen further. The Shanghai Futures Exchange saw a further decline in steel benchmarks.
Coking coal, coke and other steelmaking ingredients added respectively 1.22% and 0.67 percent. $1 = 7.1440 Chinese Yuan (Reporting and editing by Amy Lv, Colleen Waye)
(source: Reuters)