Euro-area companies expect substantially higher selling prices and input costs due to the Iran war, adding to inflation concerns at the European Central Bank . Firms anticipate a 3.5% increase in selling prices over the next 12 months, according to the ECB’s most recent survey on the access to finance of enterprises, or SAFE. That’s up from 2.9% in the previous round, an increase the ECB called si...
Euro-area companies expect substantially higher selling prices and input costs due to the Iran war, adding to inflation concerns at the European Central Bank . Firms anticipate a 3.5% increase in selling prices over the next 12 months, according to the ECB’s most recent survey on the access to finance of enterprises, or SAFE. That’s up from 2.9% in the previous round, an increase the ECB called significant. Projected input costs rose to 5.8% from 3.6%. The ECB said daily responses collected before and after Feb. 28, when the conflict began, showed “firms questioned later in the fieldwork period had reported higher cost and price expectations.” At the same time, inflation expectations also rose “markedly” for the one-year horizon — to 3% from 2.6%. For three and five years, they remained unchanged at the same level. The poll — conducted Feb. 19-April 1 — comes days before the ECB next sets interest rates and has been highlighted by officials as a key input in assessing potential fallout from the fighting in the Middle East. The accompanying surge in energy costs is already pushing up inflation and weighing on economic sentiment in Europe, though the medium-term implications are still murky. The ECB has signaled it will stand pat on Thursday, with officials keeping their options open and investors and economists seeing June as the likelier juncture for a hike. While companies’ selling price and inflation expectations rose significantly, those for wages — a major focus for policymakers — moderated a touch, to 2.8% from 3.1% in the final quarter of 2025. According to the ECB, companies reported an increase in rates on bank loans and other financing costs like charges, stable needs for credit and a small perceived decline in availability. “As a result, the bank-loan financing gap – an index which captures the difference between the need for and the availability of bank loans – remained positive but was slightly lower at 2%, down from 3% in the previous quarter,” the ECB ...
The private credit market has grown enormously fast in recent years — so much so that by some estimates it’s now bigger than the market for junk-rated corporate bonds. So what’s driven all that growth? What impact has private credit had on other types of corporate debt? And why are there so many concerns around the space right now? In this episode, we speak with John Sheehan and Craig Manchuck, tw...
The private credit market has grown enormously fast in recent years — so much so that by some estimates it’s now bigger than the market for junk-rated corporate bonds. So what’s driven all that growth? What impact has private credit had on other types of corporate debt? And why are there so many concerns around the space right now? In this episode, we speak with John Sheehan and Craig Manchuck, two veteran portfolio managers for the strategic income fund at Osterweis Capital Management. We talk
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was purpose-built for being uncontrollable. It can't be issued by any central bank, and it has no single point of failure, nor any real gatekeepers. On April 20, Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) , formerly known as MicroStrategy, disclosed a $2.5 billion purchase that lifted its Bitcoin holdings to 815,061 coins, or roughly 4% of the circulating supply. For an asset whose narrative is...
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was purpose-built for being uncontrollable. It can't be issued by any central bank, and it has no single point of failure, nor any real gatekeepers. On April 20, Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) , formerly known as MicroStrategy, disclosed a $2.5 billion purchase that lifted its Bitcoin holdings to 815,061 coins, or roughly 4% of the circulating supply. For an asset whose narrative is built on decentralization and a wide distribution, having one company as its largest single holder is a strange plot twist, to say the least. But does this concentration in Strategy's coffers threaten Bitcoin's investment thesis, or is it something worth monitoring rather than an emergency? Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Tokyo Gas Co. will raise its base charge for the first time in nearly half a century to offset higher costs and declining consumption. A standard household’s monthly bill will climb by about 2.6% from October, the company said in a notice on Monday. It marks the first hike in the fixed portion of the bill — the basic charge — since 1980, according to a spokesperson. The increase reflects higher co...
Tokyo Gas Co. will raise its base charge for the first time in nearly half a century to offset higher costs and declining consumption. A standard household’s monthly bill will climb by about 2.6% from October, the company said in a notice on Monday. It marks the first hike in the fixed portion of the bill — the basic charge — since 1980, according to a spokesperson. The increase reflects higher costs to maintain services, including call centers and information systems, as well as efforts to ensure the safety of gas-related equipment, the spokesperson said. Read More: Japan’s Inflation Picks Up as Oil Clouds Outlook Ahead of BOJ The move comes just as Japanese households and businesses grapple with a pick up in inflation, with the war in the Middle East boosting gasoline and electricity costs. The variable portion of power and gas bills — the fuel-cost adjustment — is updated monthly to reflect changes in overseas prices.
Veolia Environnement ( VEOEY ) said on Monday it is working with Amazon ( AMZN ) to develop reclaimed-water systems for cooling data centers in Mississippi, part of the companies’ push to curb freshwater use as AI-driven infrastructure expands. The first facility is expected to begin operating in 2027 and would be the first Amazon data center in Mississippi to use reclaimed water for cooling, Veol...
Veolia Environnement ( VEOEY ) said on Monday it is working with Amazon ( AMZN ) to develop reclaimed-water systems for cooling data centers in Mississippi, part of the companies’ push to curb freshwater use as AI-driven infrastructure expands. The first facility is expected to begin operating in 2027 and would be the first Amazon data center in Mississippi to use reclaimed water for cooling, Veolia said. The French utility company plans to make modular treatment systems that convert wastewater effluent and other local sources into water suitable for industrial cooling. Once fully operational, the project is expected to reuse more than 83M gallons of potable water annually. The partnership also includes broader use of Amazon Web Services technology to help Veolia improve water-treatment operations through AI tools for predictive maintenance, real-time optimization and operational analytics. More on Veolia Environnement SA Veolia Environnement SA (VEOEY) Shareholder/Analyst Call Transcript Veolia Environnement SA (VEOEY) Discusses Innovation for Environmental Security Transcript Veolia Environnement SA (VEOEY) Discusses Integration of ESG as a Value Driver in Financial and Operational Strategy - Slideshow Veolia targets more than €1B in annual revenues from data centers, chips by 2030 Veolia Environnement SA reports FY results; introduces FY26 outlook
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) was supposed to be somewhat of a comeback story over the last year. Instead, it became one of the most dramatic reversals in the fast-casual space. The stock hit a 52-week high of $58.42 in early July 2025 and now trades near $34 -- a drop of roughly 42%. For patient investors, that kind of markdown on a premium brand usually sounds like an opportunity to buy on ...
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) was supposed to be somewhat of a comeback story over the last year. Instead, it became one of the most dramatic reversals in the fast-casual space. The stock hit a 52-week high of $58.42 in early July 2025 and now trades near $34 -- a drop of roughly 42%. For patient investors, that kind of markdown on a premium brand usually sounds like an opportunity to buy on the dip. But the question isn't just whether Chipotle is cheap . It's whether the worst is actually over. The short version: Consumers pulled back, and Chipotle's pricing model stopped working the way it used to because the value of the consumer dollar is dropping. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Virtu Financial stock benefits from market volatility, delivering strong earnings growth, but unpredictable trading trends make performance hard to forecast.
Virtu Financial stock benefits from market volatility, delivering strong earnings growth, but unpredictable trading trends make performance hard to forecast.