Thomas Barnet

Seoul Tests Arctic Route to Bypass the Suez Canal

On Saturday a South Korean container ship is set to depart for Europe via the Northern Sea Route, which has been made more accessible by melting ice. Seoul hopes to cut transit times, although the push requires delicate cooperation with Russia.

August 20, 2026 at 03:43 pm

France analyst views: UBS turns positive again on Sartorius Stedim Biotech

Two notable changes this morning from research desks: JP Morgan turns positive on Michelin and UBS goes back to a buy on SSB.

August 20, 2026 at 03:02 pm

US debt tops $40tn for the first time

Total US debt has crossed a historic threshold, further fueling concerns about the sustainability of federal finances. Rising social spending, mounting interest costs and insufficient revenue are threatening a budget path that is already under intense pressure.

August 20, 2026 at 02:36 pm

Strait of Hormuz: how the United States is moving millions of barrels past Iran

The US military is organizing nightly tanker transits through a channel off Oman, Axios reports. Nearly 10 million barrels are now believed to move through each day, albeit about half the volumes recorded before the conflict.

August 20, 2026 at 02:22 pm

Samsung reportedly preparing a huge back-to-school gift for its shareholders

Riding the AI-driven chip supercycle, Samsung Electronics is reportedly preparing a sweeping shareholder payout plan. The South Korean group could devote more than 100,000 billion won to it, or about €61.7bn.

August 20, 2026 at 01:46 pm

Strait of Hormuz: how the United States is moving millions of barrels right under Iran's nose

The US military is arranging nightly transits of oil tankers through a channel running along Oman, Axios reports. Nearly 10 million barrels are now said to move through each day, about half the volumes recorded before the conflict.

August 20, 2026 at 01:43 pm

French analyst calls: RBC drops Hermès, UBS downgrades Scor

The main news this morning is RBC's downgrade of Hermès. Scor is also cut by UBS.

August 18, 2026 at 02:58 pm

At Stellantis, bad news is coming in waves

Stellantis shares fell sharply yesterday after the company announced a major global vehicle recall due to the risk of a malfunction in rearview cameras. The stock is now down 53% in 2026, has hit a new low since 2013, and has managed the dubious feat of being the worst performer in both the CAC 40 and the FTSE MIB, its two benchmark indexes.

August 18, 2026 at 01:49 pm

Fastned and ArgenX make Benelux shine, SIG Group stirs concern

News flow is fairly thin in the wake of August 15. Declines are scarce, with the exception of SIG Group. On the upside, Fastned continues to benefit from broker target hikes, and ArgenX is posting encouraging Phase III results.

August 17, 2026 at 04:45 pm

L Catterton sells $1bn of Birkenstock shares

Birkenstock's majority shareholder is taking advantage of the stock's recent rally to trim its stake. The sandal maker will simultaneously buy back nearly half of the shares being sold, or about $500m.

August 14, 2026 at 02:02 pm

Norsk Hydro Restarts Alumina Production in Brazil

The Brazilian Alunorte refinery is gradually moving back toward full capacity after a temporary agreement with its gas supplier CELBA. The disruption hit an already tight aluminum market, against a backdrop of war in Iran and low global inventories.

August 14, 2026 at 01:31 pm

Adyen picks up speed in the first half and slightly raises its growth ambitions

The Dutch payments specialist saw net revenue rise 19% in the first half of 2026, driven by a 24% increase in volumes. Following the acquisitions of Talon.One and Orb, the group is targeting 21% to 23% growth at constant exchange rates for the full year, slightly higher than previously expected.

August 13, 2026 at 02:21 pm

Candle Lake launches a mandatory tender offer at 695 SEK per share for Evolution AB

Kenneth Dart's investment vehicle is offering 695 kronor per share for Evolution AB after crossing the threshold that triggers a mandatory bid. But it does not intend to take control of the Swedish online casino solutions company serving the gambling industry.

August 13, 2026 at 02:01 pm

EssilorLuxottica on the back foot

EssilorLuxottica posted yesterday's steepest decline in the CAC 40, in a luxury sector that is already under pressure. A complaint has been filed in Germany against the connected glasses developed with Meta, accused of infringing on privacy. Another pebble in the shoe of a stock that is down 39% since the start of the year, even if the matter seems unlikely to affect the group's fundamentals.

August 13, 2026 at 01:37 pm

France analyst views: recommendation upgrades for Arkema and Robertet

Analyst adjustments are generally pointing in the right direction this Wednesday. Barclays takes Arkema out of 'underweight', while Kempen upgrades Grasse-based Robertet to 'buy'. Several price targets are being raised on already well-rated names such as L'Oréal, Orange, Nexans and Tikehau.

August 12, 2026 at 02:49 pm

Washington secures Kyiv's halt to strikes on tankers tied to Kazakh crude

US Vice President JD Vance reportedly asked Volodymyr Zelensky to stop Black Sea attacks on vessels and infrastructure linked to the CPC pipeline, crucial for Kazakh oil exports, the Financial Times reports.

August 12, 2026 at 02:17 pm

Warship builder TKMS raises its targets again

The German shipbuilder posted a 19% increase in revenue over the first nine months of its fiscal year, while its adjusted EBIT rose 13%. With an order backlog of €20.1bn, TKMS is raising its full-year guidance and reaffirming its medium-term ambitions.

August 12, 2026 at 01:18 pm

SpaceX Jumps 20% and Moves Back Above Its IPO Price

SpaceX moved back above its IPO price during Monday's session. The stock had already staged a sharp rebound on Friday (+15.8%), then added another 4.2% on Monday to close at $138.74. The IPO price was $135. The stock has since swung between a high of $225.64 on June 16 and a low of $104.83 on August 3.

August 11, 2026 at 02:57 pm

SpaceX jumps 20% and moves back above its IPO price

SpaceX moved back above its initial public offering price during Monday's session. The stock had already rebounded sharply on Friday (+15.8%), before adding another 4.2% on Monday to close at $138.74. The IPO price was $135. The stock has since swung between a high of $225.64 on June 16 and a low of $104.83 on August 3.

August 11, 2026 at 02:31 pm

Australia holds its policy rate at 4.35% as inflation remains stubbornly high

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) left its policy rate unchanged at 4.35% for a second straight meeting, after three increases since the start of the year. It judges policy to be restrictive now, but does not rule out further hikes if inflation pressures persist. The decision was in line with expectations.

August 11, 2026 at 01:12 pm

Rush on robot maker Unitree on the Shanghai stock market

Chinese robot maker Unitree set the price of its IPO at 150.8 yuan per share, a 6.1 bn yuan deal ($904m) that would make it the first listed humanoid robot maker in mainland China. Retail investors subscribed 8,000 times more than the number of shares on offer.

August 10, 2026 at 09:06 pm