Welcome to the Brussels Edition. I’m Suzanne Lynch, Bloomberg’s Brussels bureau chief, bringing you the latest from the EU each weekday. Make sure you’re signed up . European markets breathed a sigh of relief today on news of a conditional two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, with stocks and European bonds rallying and oil dropping below $100 a barrel. While the relief rally gives some repr...
Welcome to the Brussels Edition. I’m Suzanne Lynch, Bloomberg’s Brussels bureau chief, bringing you the latest from the EU each weekday. Make sure you’re signed up . European markets breathed a sigh of relief today on news of a conditional two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, with stocks and European bonds rallying and oil dropping below $100 a barrel. While the relief rally gives some reprieve to markets, trust in the US might take longer to repair. Trump’s brinkmanship and threat to wipe out a civilization has frayed the already shaky transatlantic alliance. As Alex Wickham reports, the ceasefire has reinforced views among both adversaries and the NATO alliance that Trump’s campaign against the Tehran regime marks a strategic setback, bolstering China and Russia while squandering American strengths Meanwhile, NATO chief Mark Rutte ’s approach in handling Trump is under scrutiny as he prepared to meet Trump later today. European allies are starting to question whether Rutte’s deferential approach to Trump — which at times turns into political cheerleading — is appropriate or even working. As Rutte readies to meet Trump, the EU welcomed the news of the temporary ceasefire. A European Commission spokesperson this lunchtime said that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz should be guaranteed, in line with international law and the law of the sea. Around 15 countries now involved with planning to help unblock the key waterway, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. A key concern remains Lebanon. Macron said this morning that the ceasefire should “fully include” Lebanon even as Israel said it would not be included. Meanwhile, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas is traveling to Saudi Arabia today in a surprise visit. She’s due to meet Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud as well as the head of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Her trip comes as the FT reported that Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline was hit in ...
My top 10 things to watch Wednesday, April 8 1. Stock futures are flying after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire at the 11th hour last night. Washington has committed to halting missile attacks, and Tehran has agreed to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz oil transport route during the truce. Oil prices are plunging, with WTI crude down more than 17% to $93 a barrel. With the war paus...
My top 10 things to watch Wednesday, April 8 1. Stock futures are flying after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire at the 11th hour last night. Washington has committed to halting missile attacks, and Tehran has agreed to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz oil transport route during the truce. Oil prices are plunging, with WTI crude down more than 17% to $93 a barrel. With the war paused, expect the transports and tech stocks to be the biggest winners. 2. This morning is yet another reminder that trading in and out of the markets is a fool's errand. Good luck trying to catch all the big moves with that strategy. Over the long run, missing the market's best days damages your returns. This is what we preach at the CNBC Investing Club , and it was also a big focus of my latest book, "How to Make Money in Any Market." 3. Anthropic's new AI model will initially be rolled out to a select group of companies as part of a cybersecurity initiative called Project Glasswing . Club names CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks are among the participants. Important. These stocks were wrongly crushed on AI disruption fears. They can go much higher now. Both are rallying this morning. CrowdStrike's George Kurtz will join me on "Mad Money" tonight to talk about it. 4. Seaport downgraded Club name Broadcom to hold from buy, saying the custom chipmaker is confronting the limits of the industry. Talk about a call that makes no sense whatsoever. Broadcom just landed two key wins (Google and Anthropic), and it's the best alternative to Nvidia for AI compute, even though Marvell needs to be taken seriously , too. 5. Johnson & Johnson landed a buy call at TD Cowen. The analysts said its product portfolio is strong and will drive 7% annual sales growth through 2032. This is the drug stock I have most wanted to buy for the Club. Best growth from pharma. J & J says it has a line of sight to double-digit expansion by the end of the decade. 6. Wolfe Research downgraded Otis Worldwide to ...
Gorilla Technology ( GRRR ) announced on Wednesday that the UK Financial Conduct Authority had approved the change of control of Shackleton Finance , a unit of Shackleton Ventures. Pursuant to FCA approval, the company ' s acquisition of Shackleton Finance is expected to close soon, after which the unit will be rebranded as Gorilla Tech Capital and serve as its FCA-regulated platform. Through Gori...
Gorilla Technology ( GRRR ) announced on Wednesday that the UK Financial Conduct Authority had approved the change of control of Shackleton Finance , a unit of Shackleton Ventures. Pursuant to FCA approval, the company ' s acquisition of Shackleton Finance is expected to close soon, after which the unit will be rebranded as Gorilla Tech Capital and serve as its FCA-regulated platform. Through Gorilla Tech Capital, the company plans to structure SPVs to co-invest in infrastructure projects, including AI data centers and GPU-as-a-Service programs, while targeting $2B to $3B in assets under management by end-2027. Following completion, Shackleton Finance is expected to retain its senior management team to support regulatory continuity and continued oversight of existing funds. Shares -2.68%. More on Gorilla Technology Group Gorilla Technology: Wide Guidance, Massive Hidden Upside Gorilla Technology Group Inc. (GRRR) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Gorilla Technology: A Critical $1.4 Billion Opportunity To Capture Gorilla Technology Group GAAP EPS of -$0.51 misses by $0.31, revenue of $101M beats by $1.32M Gorilla Technology updates share repurchase program, $9.6M capacity remaining
Microsoft (NasdaqGS:MSFT) has launched Project Glasswing, a cybersecurity alliance that uses AI to help identify and address software vulnerabilities. Azure is being integrated into EY's audit platforms and Beasley Group's supply chain finance systems to support AI driven enterprise workflows. For investors watching Microsoft (NasdaqGS:MSFT), these moves sit at the intersection of two core areas f...
Microsoft (NasdaqGS:MSFT) has launched Project Glasswing, a cybersecurity alliance that uses AI to help identify and address software vulnerabilities. Azure is being integrated into EY's audit platforms and Beasley Group's supply chain finance systems to support AI driven enterprise workflows. For investors watching Microsoft (NasdaqGS:MSFT), these moves sit at the intersection of two core areas for the company: cloud computing via Azure and security across its software ecosystem. Cyber...
The Cboe Volatility Index , a gauge of expected stock-market turbulence over the next month, tumbled after President Donald Trump agreed to a temporary ceasefire in his war against Iran. The index, known as the VIX, slid 5.6 points to 20.18, the lowest since Feb. 27, before the US started its attacks. If sustained, that would mark the biggest one-day drop since Trump paused his tariff rollout a ye...
The Cboe Volatility Index , a gauge of expected stock-market turbulence over the next month, tumbled after President Donald Trump agreed to a temporary ceasefire in his war against Iran. The index, known as the VIX, slid 5.6 points to 20.18, the lowest since Feb. 27, before the US started its attacks. If sustained, that would mark the biggest one-day drop since Trump paused his tariff rollout a year ago after it unleashed havoc in global markets. The president’s decision to pull back from his threat Tuesday to significantly escalate the war was met with similar relief, with stock futures rallying, bond yields tumbling and oil prices retreating sharply. The ceasefire agreement could be the catalyst for a “sustained move higher in equities” Vishal Vivek and Stuart Kaiser , trading desk strategists at Citigroup Inc. , said in a note to client. Investors have largely sat on their hands during the war, with many having bought insurance against a drop in stocks before it began. And many speculated that Trump would ultimately pull back from the conflict, which left the stock market little changed Tuesday even as he said “ a whole civilization would die ” that evening if some sort of deal with Iran didn’t emerge. “Investors were broadly well hedged even before the escalations,” explained Vivek and Kaiser. That hedging activity helped limit equity losses over March, despite soaring oil prices and widespread disruption to global commerce. Portfolio managers reacted by winding back leverage, while futures-focused hedge funds turned bearish on US stocks, indicating investors have been in “hands off” mode in recent weeks, the Citi strategists said.
Tim Boyle/Getty Images News In the aftermath of a massive fire at its Ontario, California warehouse, Kimberly-Clark ( KMB ) reassured customers and investors that mitigation measures—including securing additional warehouse space—will maintain supply chain continuity and minimize short-term disruptions. To offset costs associated with both fire damage and business interruptions, Kimberly-Clark ( KM...
Tim Boyle/Getty Images News In the aftermath of a massive fire at its Ontario, California warehouse, Kimberly-Clark ( KMB ) reassured customers and investors that mitigation measures—including securing additional warehouse space—will maintain supply chain continuity and minimize short-term disruptions. To offset costs associated with both fire damage and business interruptions, Kimberly-Clark ( KMB ) has insurance that will compensate the company for losses. Additionally, the blaze did not impact any manufacturing assets. At the time of the fire, no Kimberly-Clark employees were onsite, and all employees of NFI Industries (which operates the warehouse) were safely evacuated. A warehouse employee was reportedly arrested on suspicion of arson. Kimberly-Clark ( KMB ) shares are modestly higher into Wednesday’s open. Source: Press Release More on Kimberly-Clark Kimberly-Clark: Better Margins Offset Weak Revenue Growth Kimberly-Clark: The Bad Omen Of Large Deals 3 Reasons To Own Kimberly-Clark In 2026 Massive fire at Kimberly-Clark California warehouse weighs on shares Most and least shorted large-cap consumer staples at March end
First Two Ships Pass Through Strait Of Hormuz Since Ceasefire As Iran Demands Payment In Crypto Last night we reported that no less than 800 ships were still trapped in the immediate aftermath of the US-Iran ceasefire agreement, unsure what the fine print of the deal meant for transits. This morning we are down to ~798, after the first two cargo vessels have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the ...
First Two Ships Pass Through Strait Of Hormuz Since Ceasefire As Iran Demands Payment In Crypto Last night we reported that no less than 800 ships were still trapped in the immediate aftermath of the US-Iran ceasefire agreement, unsure what the fine print of the deal meant for transits. This morning we are down to ~798, after the first two cargo vessels have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire, according to ship tracking data. The Liberia-flagged Daytona Beach, destined for the United Arab Emirates, crossed just before 8am UK time, while the Greek-owned NJ Earth followed about two hours later, with its destination undisclosed, the tracking platform Kpler showed. The ships are the first large vessels to transit the critical waterway since the agreement of a two-week ceasefire, under which Iran has claimed it would maintain control of the strait. It was unclear if they paid any tolls to make the crossing. Around 175 million barrels of crude and refined products are currently loaded on to 187 tankers in the Gulf, according to Kpler data — which could now start to move, depending on what happens in the strait. Regarding Hormuz transit, Iran said it will demand that shipping companies pay tolls in cryptocurrency for oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, as it seeks to retain control over passage through the key waterway during the two-week ceasefire, the FT reported . Hamid Hosseini, a spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, told the FT on Wednesday that Iran wanted to collect tolling fees from any tanker passing and to assess each ship. “Iran needs to monitor what goes in and out of the strait to ensure these two weeks aren’t used for transferring weapons,” said Hosseini, whose industry association works closely with the state. “Everything can pass through, but the procedure will take time for each vessel, and Iran is not in a rush,” he added. Decisions on the conditions for passing the strait are taken by I...
Welcome back to Bloomberg’s Real Estate Monitor , a weekly breakdown of emerging trends, strategic challenges and blockbuster deals shaping the industry. Sign up now if you’re not already on the list. This week, you’ll find out about a mansion sale to top them all , a potential lifeline for a New York icon and a jump in San Francisco home prices . We’ll also tell you why that beachfront vacation i...
Welcome back to Bloomberg’s Real Estate Monitor , a weekly breakdown of emerging trends, strategic challenges and blockbuster deals shaping the industry. Sign up now if you’re not already on the list. This week, you’ll find out about a mansion sale to top them all , a potential lifeline for a New York icon and a jump in San Francisco home prices . We’ll also tell you why that beachfront vacation is so expensive , and how an upcoming hybrid-work law is playing out in an Australian city. There’s more, so read on. — Christine Maurus Market Snapshot Zillow Group Inc $40.92 -2.1% Compass Inc $6.68 -1.8% Lennar Corp $85.62 -3.3% Vornado Realty Trust $26.03 +2.0% Market data as of 09:04 AM ET. Data is subject to provider delays. The big story British entrepreneur Nick Candy sold his mansion in London’s posh Chelsea district for more than £270 million. In US terms, that was about $350 million, an eye-watering sum topping the nearly $240 million that Citadel’s Ken Griffin paid six years ago for a multistory Manhattan penthouse with sweeping views of Central Park. In fact, Candy’s deal is believed to be the biggest single house sale in history — anywhere. No buyer was disclosed, leaving us all to wonder who in the world could afford a house at that price? Bloomberg reporters Deirdre Hipwell, Damian Shepherd and Jack Sidders were first to report the sale of the home, which sits on 2 acres that are landscaped to emulate a grand country estate. People familiar with the transaction said there was a bidding war for the property, even though it was never marketed publicly. Candy is best known in London for teaming up with his brother Christian to develop One Hyde Park, where apartments sell for tens of millions of pounds and where he owns a duplex penthouse. He wouldn’t comment on his mansion sale, but local records show it dwarfs recent home purchases in the area. The priciest deal in London last year was a £41 million purchase by Charles Lorenceau, founder of private equity firm ...
Apple's ( AAPL ) foldable iPhone does indeed appear to be on track for a September launch, Morgan Stanley said, corroborating a Bloomberg report from Tuesday. “To-date, we have not picked up on any delay in the Foldable iPhone launch timing, with an iPhone component supplier telling us earlier today that they had not seen any order adjustment for the Foldable iPhone,” analyst Erik Woodring wrote i...
Apple's ( AAPL ) foldable iPhone does indeed appear to be on track for a September launch, Morgan Stanley said, corroborating a Bloomberg report from Tuesday. “To-date, we have not picked up on any delay in the Foldable iPhone launch timing, with an iPhone component supplier telling us earlier today that they had not seen any order adjustment for the Foldable iPhone,” analyst Erik Woodring wrote in a note to clients. “Therefore, we make no adjustments to our CY26 iPhone shipment or seasonality forecasts.” Nikkei Asia reported this week that issues surrounding the engineering of foldable iPhones are more complex and are taking more time to resolve than Apple had expected. The news outlet added that in the worst-case scenario, the foldable device could be delayed by months. Separately, MacRumors suggested there may be some late-stage snags with production. Woodring, who has an Overweight rating and a $315 price target on Apple, said parsing through the conflicting reports requires historical context. Apple goes through “multiple phases” of testing, known as Engineering Validation Testing, to verify the functionality and design of its products to make sure there are no issues during mass production. EVT testing has historically been done between June and August on the iPhone, but EVT testing with the foldable iPhone has already started. To Woodring, that suggests Apple may have “encountered an engineering hiccup” that may need additional attention, perhaps related to the upcoming phones' foldable display hinge. “Since Apple is early in the EVT phase, it's likely not yet 100% certain how any engineering snag will impact the Foldable iPhone launch timing, leaving open the possibility for a delayed launch,” Woodring added. “However, given our supply chain checks and other public reporting indicating no change to Foldable component shipments / launch timing, we believe this is an issue Apple expects to solve ahead of mass production this summer, leaving the Foldable on-tim...
Apple's ( AAPL ) foldable iPhone does indeed appear to be on track for a September launch, Morgan Stanley said, corroborating a Bloomberg report from Tuesday. “To-date, we have not picked up on any delay in the Foldable iPhone launch timing, with an iPhone component supplier telling us earlier today that they had not seen any order adjustment for the Foldable iPhone,” analyst Erik Woodring wrote i...
Apple's ( AAPL ) foldable iPhone does indeed appear to be on track for a September launch, Morgan Stanley said, corroborating a Bloomberg report from Tuesday. “To-date, we have not picked up on any delay in the Foldable iPhone launch timing, with an iPhone component supplier telling us earlier today that they had not seen any order adjustment for the Foldable iPhone,” analyst Erik Woodring wrote in a note to clients. “Therefore, we make no adjustments to our CY26 iPhone shipment or seasonality forecasts.” Nikkei Asia reported this week that issues surrounding the engineering of foldable iPhones are more complex and are taking more time to resolve than Apple had expected. The news outlet added that in the worst-case scenario, the foldable device could be delayed by months. Separately, MacRumors suggested there may be some late-stage snags with production. Woodring, who has an Overweight rating and a $315 price target on Apple, said parsing through the conflicting reports requires historical context. Apple goes through “multiple phases” of testing, known as Engineering Validation Testing, to verify the functionality and design of its products to make sure there are no issues during mass production. EVT testing has historically been done between June and August on the iPhone, but EVT testing with the foldable iPhone has already started. To Woodring, that suggests Apple may have “encountered an engineering hiccup” that may need additional attention, perhaps related to the upcoming phones' foldable display hinge. “Since Apple is early in the EVT phase, it's likely not yet 100% certain how any engineering snag will impact the Foldable iPhone launch timing, leaving open the possibility for a delayed launch,” Woodring added. “However, given our supply chain checks and other public reporting indicating no change to Foldable component shipments / launch timing, we believe this is an issue Apple expects to solve ahead of mass production this summer, leaving the Foldable on-tim...
Former Channel 4 chair and boss of Kingfisher to be appointed at crucial time for UK’s media regulator Business live – latest updates The UK media regulator Ofcom has named the City veteran Ian Cheshire as its next chair. Ofcom, which oversees the UK’s media and internet sectors, named Cheshire as its preferred candidate for chair on Wednesday. He will be formally appointed to the role for a four-...
Former Channel 4 chair and boss of Kingfisher to be appointed at crucial time for UK’s media regulator Business live – latest updates The UK media regulator Ofcom has named the City veteran Ian Cheshire as its next chair. Ofcom, which oversees the UK’s media and internet sectors, named Cheshire as its preferred candidate for chair on Wednesday. He will be formally appointed to the role for a four-year term once he has been approved in a parliamentary hearing. Continue reading...
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions ( KTOS ) on Wednesday said it has been awarded an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) with a total potential value of $446.8 million, contingent on the exercise of all options. Kratos will serve as the prime contractor supporting the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command for the Ground Management and Integration (GMI) agreement on the Resilient Missile Warning ...
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions ( KTOS ) on Wednesday said it has been awarded an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) with a total potential value of $446.8 million, contingent on the exercise of all options. Kratos will serve as the prime contractor supporting the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command for the Ground Management and Integration (GMI) agreement on the Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking (MWT) program. KTOS +6.79% premarket to $76.85. The GMI agreement supports Space Force’s efforts to build and operate an integrated ground architecture capable of managing the Resilient MWT’s multi-orbit satellite constellation. The Resilient MWT system provides persistent detection, tracking, and custody of advanced missile threats—especially hypersonic glide vehicles and maneuvering ballistic missiles. Kratos will serve as the system integrator, leading a team including Northrop Grumman, Auria, ASRC Federal Systems Solutions, and Rise8, to establish fully operational primary and backup mission operations capabilities. Source: Press Release More on Kratos Defense & Security Kratos Defense: The Upside Is Real, The Risk Is Too Kratos Defense: Leading The Charge In Hypersonics And Defense Tech (Rating Upgrade) Kratos: Multiple Growth Drivers To Launch This Stock Kratos shares jump after analyst upgrade points to hypersonics upside Cheap drone ‘Lucas’ is said to signal shift in U.S. war strategy
Specialist lender says it expects its slice of £9.1bn compensation set by FCA to be about £320m Close Brothers shares surged on Wednesday after the UK bank declared it could “comfortably absorb” its slice of a £9.1bn compensation bill over the motor finance scandal, hours after one of its rivals announced it was selling its UK operations over looming costs. The specialist lender said it expected t...
Specialist lender says it expects its slice of £9.1bn compensation set by FCA to be about £320m Close Brothers shares surged on Wednesday after the UK bank declared it could “comfortably absorb” its slice of a £9.1bn compensation bill over the motor finance scandal, hours after one of its rivals announced it was selling its UK operations over looming costs. The specialist lender said it expected the final terms of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) compensation scheme to cost roughly £320m, a sum that is “broadly similar” to previous estimates and the £294m put aside to date. Continue reading...