(RTTNews) - European stocks edged up in cautious trade on Friday after two sessions of losses. Investor sentiment was underpinned after data showed Germany's industrial output unexpectedly rose for a third straight month in November, helped by a rebound in car production. Retail sales from the euro area, U.S. jobs data for December and an expected Supreme Court's ruling on Donald Trump's trade tar...
(RTTNews) - European stocks edged up in cautious trade on Friday after two sessions of losses. Investor sentiment was underpinned after data showed Germany's industrial output unexpectedly rose for a third straight month in November, helped by a rebound in car production. Retail sales from the euro area, U.S. jobs data for December and an expected Supreme Court's ruling on Donald Trump's trade tariffs will be in focus later in the day. The pan European Stoxx 600 edged up by 0.4 percent to 606.45 after falling 0.2 percent on Thursday. The German DAX was marginally higher, France's CAC 40 surged 0.6 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 gained 0.3 percent. Mining giant Glencore jumped nearly 8 percent while Rio Tinto slumped 6 percent. The companies have confirmed they are in preliminary discussions on a possible combination of some or all of their businesses, which could include an all-share merger between them. Peer American advanced 1.6 percent after reports that its proposed merger with Canada's Teck Resources is heading for antitrust clearance ?in Europe. Gurit Holding soared 14 percent. The Swiss supplier of advanced composite materials, engineering services, and equipment has signed a five-year core material kits supply deal worth about CHF 250 million. J Sainsbury lost 5 percent. The U.K.'s second-largest supermarket chain reported a fall in sales at its Argos chain over the all-important Christmas quarter. Herald Investment Trust surged 7.3 percent. To resolve ongoing tensions with activist investor Saba Capital, the company has announced plans to launch a tender offer allowing shareholders to sell up to 100 percent of their shares at close to net asset value. Halma, a life-saving technology company, rose 1.4 percent after it agreed to acquire Italian firm Safetec Srl. German arms maker Rheinmetall rose about 1 percent on bagging a contract worth EUR 118.5 million. Fresenius Medal Care added 1.2 percent after announcing it will continue its share buyback program in...
The son of a slain communist leader is rattling markets ahead of Colombia’s presidential election, as investors weigh whether he can win — and how radically he would govern if he does. Senator Iván Cepeda heads into Sunday’s first-round vote as the frontrunner, backed by many of the working-class, Black and Indigenous voters who helped make Gustavo Petro Colombia’s first leftist president four yea...
The son of a slain communist leader is rattling markets ahead of Colombia’s presidential election, as investors weigh whether he can win — and how radically he would govern if he does. Senator Iván Cepeda heads into Sunday’s first-round vote as the frontrunner, backed by many of the working-class, Black and Indigenous voters who helped make Gustavo Petro Colombia’s first leftist president four years ago. That has generated worry that Cepeda, a close ally of the president, would push on with Petro’s project — an often-confrontational agenda that included halted oil exploration, battles with the central bank and Washington, as well as mounting debt. The deeper concern is that Cepeda would go further, borrowing at unsustainable levels and effectively scrapping an inflation-targeting regime that has helped keep price rises low and stable for most of the past quarter-century. “His statist view of the economy is much more profound than Petro’s,” said Sergio Guzmán, director of Colombia Risk Analysis. “He sees the state as a central player in the economy.” The question is whether Cepeda can turn a likely first-place finish this weekend into an actual election win. He’s highly likely to face a runoff against one of two conservatives — Abelardo de la Espriella or Senator Paloma Valencia — boosting expectations among investors that Colombians will choose a candidate who wants to revive the nation’s pro-business tradition. Cementing Petro’s Revolution Last year, it seemed implausible Colombians would back another leftist. Petro’s approval ratings had plunged amid a series of graft scandals and setbacks in congress. But the president, who isn’t allowed to seek reelection under Colombia’s constitution, rebounded in recent months after implementing a record minimum wage increase and a labor law that boosted overtime pay and other workers’ rights. That’s benefited Cepeda, who is now trying to persuade core supporters to help him cement Petro’s revolution. He’s taken that anti-elit...
Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies said it had found a way to make semiconductors on a par with the best worldwide without having to use cutting-edge chipmaking equipment it is unable to access due to US sanctions. The breakthrough will allow Huawei to make high-end chips that are equivalent to 1.4 nanometres by 2031, He Tingbo, president of the company’s semiconductor business, told a tech co...
Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies said it had found a way to make semiconductors on a par with the best worldwide without having to use cutting-edge chipmaking equipment it is unable to access due to US sanctions. The breakthrough will allow Huawei to make high-end chips that are equivalent to 1.4 nanometres by 2031, He Tingbo, president of the company’s semiconductor business, told a tech conference in Shanghai on Monday. TSMC, the world’s biggest producer of advanced semiconductors, plans...
Getty Images Elbit Systems Ltd.'s ( ESLT ) latest quarter mostly backs up the main idea for sticking with the stock. Since my last review , where I pointed out the company was picking up speed but questioned how well the stock could hold up at these prices, shares are down 15%. Q1 2026 revenue came in at $2.19 billion. That's up both from last quarter and a year ago. Non-GAAP EPS hit $3.87, which ...
Getty Images Elbit Systems Ltd.'s ( ESLT ) latest quarter mostly backs up the main idea for sticking with the stock. Since my last review , where I pointed out the company was picking up speed but questioned how well the stock could hold up at these prices, shares are down 15%. Q1 2026 revenue came in at $2.19 billion. That's up both from last quarter and a year ago. Non-GAAP EPS hit $3.87, which beat estimates by $0.54. So, the company is actually pulling more profit out of higher sales, not just talking about it. The order backlog is now at a record $30.2 billion. That's the number management keeps coming back to, and for good reason: 71% of those backlog dollars are attributable to orders from outside Israel, and 49% of the backlog is scheduled to be performed during the remainder of 2026 and 2027. Operating cash flow last quarter was $281 million, which is solid compared to revenue, and it supports the idea that backlog growth is being matched by actual execution and cash generation. Non-GAAP operating profit came in at $222 million, and margins jumped to 10.1% from 8.7% a year ago. That's clear evidence that getting bigger is helping profits. ESLT Spending Discipline On the Q1 2026 release , management said it is “scaling production capacity, increasing the use of automation, robotics, and AI,” while recent company releases also included advanced airborne munitions contracts. That lines up with capex guidance now bumped to $300 million for 2026 and R&D spending at 6.9% of quarterly revenue. They're putting a lot back into the business, which should help them stay ahead, but it also means that spending discipline matters more as capex and R&D rise. Non-GAAP net margin is at 8.5% now, up from 6.2% last year. So, all this investing isn't eating into profits. Instead, they're turning backlog into sales quickly, with Q1 revenue up 15.5% year over year and operating cash flow up to $281 million. Even with higher capex, free cash flow still covered capital spending, w...
The S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.61%) and Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC +1.19%) dropped sharply when President Trump launched military operations in Iran earlier this year. Investors worried that a protracted conflict would upend the economy by raising oil prices. Somewhat surprisingly, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite have already recouped their losses and rocketed to new highs. In fact, the S&P 500 has moved hig...
The S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.61%) and Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC +1.19%) dropped sharply when President Trump launched military operations in Iran earlier this year. Investors worried that a protracted conflict would upend the economy by raising oil prices. Somewhat surprisingly, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite have already recouped their losses and rocketed to new highs. In fact, the S&P 500 has moved higher in eight straight weeks, its longest winning streak since December 2023. But the rebound may have been premature. Oil prices are still 60% higher than where they started the year, and U.S.-Iran tensions remain elevated. To that end, during his final press conference as Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell warned that the Middle East conflict had clouded the economic outlook. Interest rate cuts, once considered a given in 2026, are now highly unlikely. Instead, soaring Treasury yields hint at interest rate hikes and a steep decline in the stock market. Jerome Powell finished his term as Federal Reserve chairman with an urgent warning The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Federal Reserve branch responsible for setting monetary policy, left interest rates unchanged for the third straight time following a two-day meeting in April. Afterward, Jerome Powell hosted his final press conference as Fed chairman, and he passed along an urgent warning. "The economic outlook remains highly uncertain, and the conflict in the Middle East has added to this uncertainty," Powell said. "In the near term, higher energy prices will push up overall inflation. Beyond that, the scope and duration of potential effects on the economy remain unclear." Powell also ruled out the possibility of rate cuts for the foreseeable future. Why? The combination of President Trump's tariffs and high oil prices tied to the Iran conflict has already pushed inflation to a multiyear high. CPI inflation increased to 3.8% in April 2026, the highest reading since April 2023. However, high energy prices now...
Key Points During his final press conference as Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell warned of a highly uncertain economic outlook tied to tariffs and elevated energy prices. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond recently reached 5.18% due to expectations that the Fed will raise interest rates to combat inflation. The 30-year Treasury bond has not paid such a hefty yield since 2007, and the S&P 5...
Key Points During his final press conference as Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell warned of a highly uncertain economic outlook tied to tariffs and elevated energy prices. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond recently reached 5.18% due to expectations that the Fed will raise interest rates to combat inflation. The 30-year Treasury bond has not paid such a hefty yield since 2007, and the S&P 500 declined more than 20% the last time it happened. 10 stocks we like better than S&P 500 Index › The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) and Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) dropped sharply when President Trump launched military operations in Iran earlier this year. Investors worried that a protracted conflict would upend the economy by raising oil prices. Somewhat surprisingly, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite have already recouped their losses and rocketed to new highs. In fact, the S&P 500 has moved higher in eight straight weeks, its longest winning streak since December 2023. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » But the rebound may have been premature. Oil prices are still 60% higher than where they started the year, and U.S.-Iran tensions remain elevated. To that end, during his final press conference as Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell warned that the Middle East conflict had clouded the economic outlook. Interest rate cuts, once considered a given in 2026, are now highly unlikely. Instead, soaring Treasury yields hint at interest rate hikes and a steep decline in the stock market. Jerome Powell finished his term as Federal Reserve chairman with an urgent warning The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Federal Reserve branch responsible for setting monetary policy, left interest rates unchanged for the third straight time following a two-day meeting in April. Afterward, Jerome ...
Germany and Spain are leading opposition to European Commission plans to ban Chinese technology suppliers from telecom networks as part of new cybersecurity rules, according to people familiar with the negotiations. Officials from the countries want to keep state-level control, and have expressed concerns that banning products from Huawei Technologies Co. and other Chinese suppliers at the EU leve...
Germany and Spain are leading opposition to European Commission plans to ban Chinese technology suppliers from telecom networks as part of new cybersecurity rules, according to people familiar with the negotiations. Officials from the countries want to keep state-level control, and have expressed concerns that banning products from Huawei Technologies Co. and other Chinese suppliers at the EU level risks retaliation from Beijing, the people said, asking not to be identified as the discussions aren’t public. The states also warned that a ban risks making the bloc’s plans to build out artificial intelligence infrastructure more expensive, they said. Read More: China Threatens EU With Retaliation if It Bans Huawei Gear The commission has labeled Huawei and compatriot ZTE Corp. “high-risk suppliers” for telecom networks, and Brussels has urged member states to exclude the two companies from connectivity infrastructure. While infrastructure decisions are made by national governments, the EU’s executive governing body is pushing for stronger oversight via a revision to its Cybersecurity Act. The changes would expand cybersecurity assessments to include the risks of foreign state influence and dependency on particular suppliers, and would make the commission’s recommendations legally binding across the EU. European governments are caught in the middle of a power struggle between the US and China, balancing the benefits of trading with the Asian nation and the need to scrutinize foreign sources of critical infrastructure. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz , previously critical of over-reliance on China, said this year that he’ll push ahead with a new effort to strengthen Sino-German ties. The EU is also planning to propose temporarily lifting sanctions on a Chinese chip supplier to shore up the automotive supply chain. Lawmakers and security experts in Europe and the US have for years raised concerns that Chinese companies could embed backdoors into their equipment that woul...
alexsl Stock index futures edged higher Wednesday, a day after the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 ended higher, helped by a rally in tech stocks. S&P 500 futures ( SPX ) rose 0.28% to 7,540.46, while Dow futures ( INDU ) advanced 0.43% to 50,676.99. Nasdaq 100 futures ( US100:IND ) were essentially flat at 29,998.01. Investors were preparing for economic data later in the session, with the Richmond ...
alexsl Stock index futures edged higher Wednesday, a day after the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 ended higher, helped by a rally in tech stocks. S&P 500 futures ( SPX ) rose 0.28% to 7,540.46, while Dow futures ( INDU ) advanced 0.43% to 50,676.99. Nasdaq 100 futures ( US100:IND ) were essentially flat at 29,998.01. Investors were preparing for economic data later in the session, with the Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index and Survey of Business Uncertainty due on the calendar. U.S. Treasury yields edged lower across the curve. The 10-year Treasury yield ( US10Y ) fell 2.5 basis points to 4.47%, while the 2-year Treasury yield ( US2Y ) slipped 2.8 basis points to 4.03%. The 30-year Treasury yield ( US30Y ) dipped 0.7 basis points to 5.01%. Top gainers in premarket trading included Omnicom ( OMC ) +11.23%, Micron Technology ( MU ) +4.53%, and Becton, Dickinson ( BDX ) +4.24%. Decliners included Electronic Arts ( EA ) -15.46%, CBRE Group ( CBRE ) -5.87% and Insulet ( PODD ) -5.18%. More on markets Big Stock Market Warning Signs: Red Hot IPOs, Record Margin Debt, Lowest Ever S&P 500 Yield, Meme ETFs There Is No 'Cash On The Sidelines' Is The U.S. Running Out Of Oil? Setting The Record Straight
It wasn’t long ago Hong Kong was being written off as a financial center, an exodus thinning the ranks of professionals and its capital markets in the doldrums. But last year the city bounced back, with IPOs surging, family offices increasing and the benchmark Hang Seng Index jumping 28%. The strength of that rebound is underscored by a report showing Hong Kong has overtaken Switzerland as the wor...
It wasn’t long ago Hong Kong was being written off as a financial center, an exodus thinning the ranks of professionals and its capital markets in the doldrums. But last year the city bounced back, with IPOs surging, family offices increasing and the benchmark Hang Seng Index jumping 28%. The strength of that rebound is underscored by a report showing Hong Kong has overtaken Switzerland as the world’s biggest cross-border wealth hub for the first time, fueled by inflows from mainland China. Wealth managers booked $2.9 trillion of international assets in Hong Kong last year, up about 11% from a year earlier, according to Boston Consulting Group. BCG forecasts that Asia’s rapid wealth accumulation will widen the gap between Hong Kong and Switzerland to nearly $600 billion by 2030, bolstered by China’s manufacturing dominance and the revival in Hong Kong’s IPO market. Hong Kong has been aggressively pitching its low taxes, deep talent pool and booming capital markets. Geopolitical tensions, including instability in the Middle East, are prompting the ultra-wealthy to diversify into Asia. The shift comes as global private fortunes expand at their fastest pace since 2021 to reach $333 trillion. What You Need to Know Today HK Banks Tighten Scrutiny of Chinese Clients After Trading Curbs Hong Kong banks are ramping up scrutiny of mainland Chinese clients opening savings and investment accounts, part of a broader push to stem capital flight after Beijing launched an unprecedented crackdown on illegal cross-border trading. Read more The AI boom continues to send certain stocks into the stratosphere . SK Hynix and Micron Technology are the latest companies to reach $1 trillion in market value, following Samsung earlier this month . SK Hynix controlled 57% of the high-bandwidth memory market by revenue in the last quarter of 2025, according to Counterpoint Research data. Samsung and Micron have 22% and 21%, respectively. Investors and analysts expect memory shortages to last th...
Chinese companies will pour an additional €940 million ($1.1 billion) to expand their footprint in Serbia, in a major boost to the Balkan country’s economy, President Aleksandar Vucic said. Investments will go to projects such as production of auto parts, humanoid robots, energy and artificial intelligence, Vucic said on his website on Wednesday. The money will start flowing into Serbia from July,...
Chinese companies will pour an additional €940 million ($1.1 billion) to expand their footprint in Serbia, in a major boost to the Balkan country’s economy, President Aleksandar Vucic said. Investments will go to projects such as production of auto parts, humanoid robots, energy and artificial intelligence, Vucic said on his website on Wednesday. The money will start flowing into Serbia from July, he added. The agreements made with over 20 Chinese companies include Minth Group Ltd , Shandong Linglong Tyre Co. , Changzhou Xingyu Automotive Lighting Systems Co. , Yusei Holdings Ltd , Shanghai AgiBot Innovation Technology Co Ltd , Weichai Power Co., Zheijang EV-Tech Co., Jiangsu Reliance Energy and China Construction Fourth Engineering Division Corp . Vucic has overseen a surge in Chinese investments in the Balkan nation that’s trying to become a member of the European Union. Serbia received some €8 billion in direct Chinese investments over the past decade and almost as much in loans for infrastructure projects, such as the Belgrade-Budapest rail line that’s part of Beijing’s global Belt and Road Initiative. Serbia and China have had a free trade pact since 2024. Read more: Chinese Missiles, Robots Find Warm Welcome in EU’s Backyard (1)
Company Logo Key market opportunities in the battery market include growth in electric vehicles driven by CO2 reduction efforts, expansion in energy storage systems for renewable sources, and innovation in Li-ion technology for diverse applications, particularly in the thriving automotive and electronics sectors. Asia leads, with North America set for rapid expansion. Battery Market Battery Market...
Company Logo Key market opportunities in the battery market include growth in electric vehicles driven by CO2 reduction efforts, expansion in energy storage systems for renewable sources, and innovation in Li-ion technology for diverse applications, particularly in the thriving automotive and electronics sectors. Asia leads, with North America set for rapid expansion. Battery Market Battery Market · GlobeNewswire Inc. Dublin, May 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Battery Market: Industry Trends and Global Forecasts, till 2035: Distribution by Type of Battery, Power Capacity, Battery Self-Discharge Rate, Technology, End-User, and Geography" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global battery market is anticipated to expand from USD 140 billion this year to USD 450 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 11.2% This report provides an extensive analysis of the battery market, focusing on market size, opportunity analysis, and detailed segmentation by battery type, technology, end-user, and geography. It covers the competitive landscape, company profiles, patent analysis, and competitive forces influencing market dynamics. Growth reflects the increasing demand for batteries in various sectors, led by advancements in technology and a shift toward renewable energy sources. Among the advancements, technologies like lithium-ion (Li-ion) stand out prominently due to their application in everyday devices such as smartphones and electric cars, despite challenges with energy density and safety, especially in high-performance applications like EVs and energy storage systems. The push for renewable energy storage solutions and stringent CO2 emission regulations are driving the adoption of large-scale battery systems. With the transportation sector responsible for over a quarter of global CO2 emissions, the shift toward electric vehicles offers a significant opportunity for the battery market. BATTERY MARKET: KEY SEGMENTS Segmented by type, secondary batteries cu...