Scandinavia

Investors took comfort in some corporate earnings and weighed the potential impact of higher oil prices on monetary policy. The STOXX 600 index, which measures the performance of all European markets, rose 0.6% to 644.67 for a second consecutive week. SAP, the software giant, gained 10% on Germany's DAX after it reported that second-quarter cloud backlog growth was ahead of analyst expectations. The technology index gained 1.7% after STMicroelectronics' and BE Semiconductor's quarterly reports failed to impress investors on Thursday. Investors are trying to balance AI growth with stretched valuations and returns on large investments in technology. This has led...

Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, said that the?new U.S. attacks on Iran? were "absolutely needed" The?U.S. The?U.S. Rutte said to reporters in Ankara, before the NATO summit. "When there is a ceasefire and Iran basically violates the ceasefire I think that it is absolutely crucial that the U.S. react forcefully." The European leaders will try to persuade Donald Trump to commit to the alliance after he renewed his disagreements with them regarding the Iran War and Greenland. Rutte stated that there was no doubt about the "complete commitment" of the United States to NATO, which he added also worked to...

The Danish brewer, Carlsberg, has filed a confidential application for an IPO of its Indian operations, the company announced on Thursday. It joins a growing number of multinationals seeking to tap India's booming equity markets. The 'confidential - route allows companies to keep the IPO filings they make with the country’s markets regulator secret until the launch. Two sources familiar with the matter said that Carlsberg India's planned listing would not raise new capital, but it would allow its parent company to sell a portion of its stake. The brewery is a fully owned subsidiary of Carlsberg Group. This move...

The U.N. Human Rights Council decided on Tuesday to hold an emergency debate on the situation 'in Sudan's al-Obeid' later this week. Britain's envoy warned of the 'risk of mass atrocities' The request was made after reports that Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies were massing forces in the area of al-Obeid, which could lead to an escalation in the conflict. Human Rights Ambassador of Britain,?Eleanor Sanders, described the "siege-like" conditions that thousands are trapped in and isolated from humanitarian aid due to increasing drone strikes. She told the Geneva-based Council that "up to 500,000 civilians now...

Spanish renewable energy company, 'Audax Renovables' announced on Thursday that it plans to make a voluntary takeover bid for Norway's Elmera Group. The bid is valued at 4.5 billion Norwegian crowns (US$456 million). Elmera also said that another strategic player had made a non-binding offer with a "significantly" higher price. Early trade saw Elmera's shares up by about 43% while Audax's shares fell 1.4%. The Norwegian 'company' said in a press release that it had entered into an?exclusive agreement and due diligence agreement? with the unnamed interested party, adding that this process has been ongoing for several weeks. * Elmera...

Jarle Roth, a member of the board at Equinor's Norwegian oil group, was voted by its nomination committee as the?new chairman after Jon Erik Reinhardsen announced his decision to step down. Reinhardsen has been the chairman of the board since nearly a decade. He has overseen a push to expand into low-carbon and renewable businesses. This expansion has slowed down in recent years due to rising costs, concerns about energy security and U.S. headwinds. Equinor issued a statement in which it said that Jon Erik Reinhardsen - who has been the chair of the Board since 2017 - would like...

Data exclusively shared with shows that demand for electric vehicles has risen in Europe as fuel prices linked to the 'Iran War' have pushed sales of second-hand and new EVs. This is a boost for the auto industry. While?sales for fully electric cars in Europe are expected to grow 30% by 2025, the adoption of EVs on the continent is still behind industry expectations. 'Carmakers - from Fiat-owned Stellantis to Volkswagen, who had invested heavily to meet the expectation of a much higher EV market, have booked multi-billion dollar charges in the past year to cover asset writedowns. The rise...

The central bank of Sweden can wait until it has a better picture to adjust policy. Erik Thedeen, Governor of the Riksbank, said that "the focus is on inflation risks and we will be monitoring closely any signs that 'inflationary trends are spreading more widely in the economy." It is too early to tell if a "change of direction" is required, but we are "ready to change our stance". Oil prices have risen dramatically due to the war in the Middle East. There is a growing consensus on the impact this will have on the global economy. Currently, conditions in...

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. &...

The company reported on Wednesday a higher-than-expected increase in profits for the first quarter, boosted by a record production and the fact that oil and gas prices rose in March because of the Middle East war. Equinor's poll of 23 analysts predicted $9.0 billion for the Norwegian energy group. This quarter, we?deliver exceptional performance in the field and record-high output... "We present strong financial results, combined with higher prices," said?CEO Anders Opedal in a press release. Equinor has maintained its decision to reduce share buybacks this year by 70%, despite the possibility of windfall profits resulting from Middle East supply...

The government of Sweden announced a spring mini-budget that will slash fuel taxes, and increase electricity subsidies. This is to help ease the burden on households who are paying higher energy costs due to the war in Iran. The additional spending will be 7.7 billion crowns (825 million dollars) ahead of the September parliamentary elections. This is on top of an 80 billion crowns in new spending announced last September in the full year budget bill for 2026. "Sweden's on the right track." The Swedish economy remains strong despite war and uncertainty overseas. We continue to build safety barriers. Since...

The minutes from the most recent meeting of the Riksbank on monetary policy showed that the future is uncertain. Erik Thedeen, Governor of the Riksbank, said that it was difficult to assess?the effects? of war but warned of the dangers of stagflation (higher inflation and lower growth). Thedeen stated in the minutes that "given the length of time the crisis has been going on and the effects already being felt by the energy infrastructure, I am concerned about the long-term impact this may have on the supply of oil and natural gas in the world." On March 19, the Riksbank...

Sweden declared the mining of critical metals,?rare earths, and other minerals to be a national interest on Thursday. The government said a new strategy for mining was required to 'counter China's dependence. China is the dominant producer of rare earth minerals, which are essential to clean energy production, defence, and electric vehicle manufacturing. Export controls have been a powerful tool in Beijing's trade war with Washington, as well as other disputes. The Per Geijer discovery, near LKAB’s?existing Kiruna Mine, is also one of the European Union’s flagship projects to reduce reliance upon China. Per 'Geijer' is crucial to Europe because...

Norsk Hydro, the Norwegian aluminium manufacturer, reported a quarterly profit that was?above expectations? on Wednesday. Higher aluminium prices and higher?recycling? margins outweighed lower energy output and negative currency effects. Hydro enjoyed a windfall from the higher aluminium prices, regional premiums and disruptions in Middle East supplies during the second quarter. However, reduced production at its Qatalum Joint Venture limited this. The company's adjusted earnings, before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, rose 15% year-over-year to 8.92 billion Norwegian Crowns ($927.0 million) during the April-June period, while the average estimate of analysts polled was 8.22 billion Norwegian Crowns. Hydro's Aluminium Metal division,...

President Donald Trump signed an executive directive on Monday that makes it more difficult for U.S. Defense contractors to get waivers to purchase critical minerals and materials from China or other banned foreign suppliers. This is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to reduce its reliance on overseas supply chain for weapons production. Defense contractors must now do more than just show that a Chinese supplier offers the cheapest or easiest option. Companies requesting a waiver must prove that they have looked for alternatives, disclosed the origins of materials and provided a plan on how to reduce their reliance...

The Iran War has caused a supply shock that is reviving the old Western aluminum smelters. Magnitude 7 Metals in the U.S. is reactivating its New Madrid smelter located in Missouri. Over the Atlantic, Norwegian producer Hydro announced the partial restart of the Slovalco joint-venture smelter. The two plants were idled due to low aluminum prices and a spike in energy prices that followed the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Washington and Brussels are both desperate to reduce their reliance on an import of a metal used in a wide range of industries. The return of these zombies smelters will not...

Aluminum prices dropped on Thursday, as improved supply expectations overshadowed the support of resilient manufacturing data. Benchmark -three-month aluminum on the London Metal Exchange fell 0.46% to $3,062 per metric tonne by 0700 GMT. It fell to $3,040 a metric tonne earlier in the day, its lowest level since February 19. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's most traded aluminium contract fell 0.38%, to 22,400 Yuan ($3,300.09). Emirates Global Aluminium announced that it would be able to restore production at its Al Taweelah Complex - one the largest aluminium production facilities in the world - sooner than expected, signaling an "improving outlook"...

Ferrari and BMW have introduced new models with lightweight, cost-effective aluminum wiring. This is accelerating the shift away from copper as the dominant material for electric wiring ever since the invention two centuries ago of the electric batteries. JPMorgan predicts that the decisions will affect around 2% global copper demand in this year. Tesla and Chinese EV makers have also made similar moves. The structural increase in copper prices could lead to even more copper being switched over to aluminium. This is due to the increased demand for data centres and green energy, as well as the shortage of copper....

Energy Transition Minerals hopes to expand in Spain's Galicia Province as it waits for a resolution of the?legal challenges regarding its massive rare earths project on Greenland. Daniel Mamadou said in an interview with? In an interview, Daniel Mamadou told? Mamadou stated that "Galicia has an ambitious plan to revive its mining industry." He added that up to 52 mines will be put out to tender for development. "We think that the Penouta operation can be at the heart of an expansion of Galicia... We might be able to?benefit from economies of size and position." ETM has not provided any...

According to a notice received by?on Saturday, Norsk Hydro declared a second case of force majeure for?aluminum sales from Qatar. This was after the Qatalum joint-venture?had unexpectedly terminated its marketing agreement with Norsk Hydro. Hydro, which holds a?50%?share in the Qatalum project, which produces 648,000 metric tonnes per year, along with Qatar Aluminum Manufacturing Co, also known as Qamco issued a force majeure order in early March, after the Middle East war interrupted the gas supply to the plant and Qatalum began a shutdown. The?force majeure clause - which exempts parties from any liability in the event of a failure...

The Finnish?elevator manufacturer Kone announced on Wednesday that its shareholders had approved the planned $34 billion purchase of German rival TK Elevator. This will create the largest lift group in the world. LSEG data shows that the deal announced with Advent International and Cinven in April is one of Europe's?"biggest takeovers" in recent years, and it is also the largest private equity sale in Europe since records began in 1980. Kone said shareholders who controlled 74% of the voting power pre-committed themselves to support the deal. After the shareholders meeting, CEO Philippe Delorme spoke at a press briefing. "Now we...

The new CEO Berta De Pablos Barbier is struggling to deal with the weak consumer sentiment that has been affecting the U.S., Europe and the Middle East due to the "Iran War". Pandora is under pressure due to high U.S. tariffs on imports and an increase in the price of silver. The Danish company sells silver charms bracelets starting at $70, made in its factories in Thailand. The company's poll of analysts predicted a first-quarter revenue of 7.089 billion crowns, which sent the shares of Pandora up by 9% at?early trade. Sales in Europe, Middle East, and Africa declined by...

The shares of German automakers fell on Monday after President Donald Trump decided to increase U.S. tariffs on imported European vehicles to a 25% levy from the previously agreed 15% levy, dealing 'a 'fresh blow to an already battered industry. As of 1046 GMT the pan-European auto and parts index had fallen 2.3%, while shares for Porsche, BMW Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen all fell between 2% and 3%. Trump claimed on Friday that Brussels had failed to comply with an agreement reached between Washington DC and Brussels in 2017 that reduced U.S. tariffs on automobile imports by 15%. The implementation by...

Analysts say that after a half dozen flat earnings seasons in the European Union, steelmakers are poised for a recovery. The first quarter of 2026 may be an inflection-point. Steel prices increased faster than anticipated in recent months, despite the fact that demand has not?recovered?to 2022 levels. This is due to rising energy prices and a decrease in imports outside of the EU as a result of the EU's newly implemented safeguards. The price of hot-rolled coils in Europe has increased by around 20% over the last six months. Oddo BHF analyst Maxime Kogge said that, excluding demand, the planets...