Category: Financial news

The European Commission has conditionally approved Prosus’ €4.1 billion ($4.77 billion) bid to acquire Just Eat Takeaway.com, removing a major regulatory hurdle for the Dutch tech investor and paving the way for the deal to close, which oversees competition policy across the European Union, granted approval after Prosus agreed to a series of concessions aimed at preserving competition in the food delivery sector. Among the commitments, Prosus will reduce its stake in German delivery firm Delivery Hero and refrain from influencing its governance or exercising voting rights tied to its remaining shares. Prosus, a subsidiary of South African conglomerate Naspers and the largest shareholder in Tencent, announced the acquisition plan in February. The deal is expected to position the company as the world’s fourth-largest food delivery platform, enhancing its ability to compete with global players such as Uber Eats.

The food delivery industry has faced increased scrutiny in Europe amid rising prices and shifting consumer behavior post-pandemic. Earlier this year, the Commission fined Delivery Hero and Spain’s Glovo €329 million for anti-competitive practices, including sharing sensitive business information and agreeing not to recruit each other’s employees. Prosus stated that the acquisition will allow Just Eat to integrate advanced AI tools into its operations, improving efficiency and customer experience. In a joint statement, both companies confirmed that all necessary regulatory approvals have now been secured.

“We’re thrilled by the European Commission’s swift approval,” said Prosus CEO Fabricio Bloisi. “Our ambition is clear: to build a true European tech champion and lead the next chapter in food delivery innovation.”

The transaction is expected to close later this year, following the extended acceptance period which runs through October.

Silver (XCMX-SI1!) continues to ascend in global markets, with spot prices rising 1.6% to $37.59 an ounce marking the highest level since September 2011. Meanwhile, US futures for September delivery reached an even steeper $38.46, a divergence that highlights a rare and persistent dislocation between major trading venues.

Historically, arbitrage activity tends to quickly neutralize such discrepancies. However, earlier this year, potential US tariffs on silver imports prompted a spike in domestic futures prices, creating a rush to transfer bullion to COMEX-affiliated storage facilities in New York. This movement subsided only after US authorities clarified that silver would not be exempt from proposed levies.

Current market dynamics point to a tightening supply environment. Borrowing costs in London a key indicator of physical availability have surged to approximately 4.5% annualized, well above normative levels. This spike correlates with increased inflows into silver-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which on Thursday alone added 1.1 million ounces to their holdings, according to Bloomberg data.

Silver’s dual role continues to intensify demand. In addition to its value as a financial asset, the metal remains indispensable for industrial applications particularly in renewable energy technologies such as solar panels. With global demand rising and supply shortfalls persisting, industry analysts forecast a fifth consecutive annual market deficit.

Apple Inc. (XNAS-AAPL) is reportedly setting its sights on acquiring U.S. broadcasting rights for Formula 1, positioning itself to rival current rights holder ESPN in a bold move to grow its presence in live sports streaming.

The tech giant’s interest comes on the heels of its highly successful F1 themed film featuring Brad Pitt, which generated over $300 million at the box office reinforcing Apple’s belief in the sport’s global appeal and its power to draw new viewers to Apple TV+. The movie’s performance is seen as a vote of confidence in Formula 1’s entertainment value and its potential to boost subscriber engagement.

Apple’s growing investment in sports is nothing new. In recent years, the company has struck deals to stream Major League Baseball’s Friday matchups and secured exclusive rights to Major League Soccer. Adding Formula 1 to its portfolio would signal a significant leap, placing Apple in direct competition with established players like Amazon, Netflix, and Disney in the race for premium sports content.

With ESPN’s exclusive renewal period for Formula 1 rights expiring without a deal, the bidding field is now open. Apple’s substantial resources and appetite for strategic expansion suggest it could play a defining role in shaping the next chapter of sports broadcasting in the U.S.

Alphabet Inc. (XNAS-GOOGL) Google’s parent company, is under pressure as generative AI tools reshape how users interact with search. In 2025, its stock declined 5%, while competitors like ChatGPT and Perplexity offer direct answers, disrupting Google’s traditional link based model. In response, Google introduced AI Overviews conversational summaries now used by over 1.5 billion monthly users. The long-term impact on search ad revenue remains uncertain. Analyst Michael Nathanson argues that market fears may already be priced in, and Google is actively accelerating AI integration to close the competitive gap.

Alphabet’s cloud division reported a 28% revenue increase in Q1, with growth expected to rise as more AI server infrastructure ramps up. A key development includes OpenAI’s decision to run workloads on Google’s TPU accelerators, signaling confidence in Alphabet’s AI infrastructure. The $32 billion acquisition of cybersecurity firm Wiz also strengthens its cloud positioning against Amazon and Microsoft.

However, Alphabet faces serious antitrust challenges. Federal judges have ruled the company used monopolistic practices in search and advertising, especially through its billion-dollar deals with Apple. Remedies, expected in August, could involve the divestiture of Chrome or changes to its business model. Meanwhile, Waymo Alphabet’s autonomous driving subsidiary continues expanding. It now handles over 250,000 paid robotaxi rides weekly, and has announced plans to enter more U.S. cities including Atlanta, Austin, and Miami. A partnership with Toyota hints at future innovation in personal autonomous vehicles.

Alphabet’s valuation reached a ten-year low of 19 times forward earnings. Despite regulatory and competitive headwinds, its investments in AI, cloud services, and autonomous technologies offer long-term potential. Investors may view the current dip as a buying opportunity though caution remains warranted.

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (XPAR-MC)’s flagship cognac brand, Hennessy, has secured an exemption from China’s newly announced anti dumping tariffs on European brandy, shielding the luxury group from a potential blow to one of its key export markets.

China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed on Friday that it will impose duties of up to 34.9% on brandy imports from the European Union, effective immediately and lasting for five years. However, producers that have agreed to a price undertaking with Chinese authorities among them LVMH, Remy Cointreau, and Pernod Ricard will be spared from the levies.

The move concludes a 17 month investigation and comes amid escalating trade friction between Beijing and Brussels, particularly following the EU’s decision to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. China’s response appears calibrated: while asserting pressure through broad duties, it also offers relief to major players willing to cooperate on pricing. For LVMH, the exemption is a strategic win. Hennessy is a cornerstone of the group’s wines and spirits division, with China representing a critical growth market. The decision helps preserve LVMH’s competitive edge in the region, even as broader EU China trade relations remain strained.

Airbus SE (XPAR-AIR), in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), has completed the successful launch of the Sentinel 4 atmospheric monitoring instrument, enhancing the region’s ability to track and respond to environmental challenges.

Deployed aboard the Meteosat Third Generation Sounder (MTGS1) satellite, Sentinel 4 represents a technological milestone for Europe’s Copernicus Earth observation program. The instrument, a UV VIS NIR spectrometer manufactured in Germany, will deliver high-resolution data on critical air pollutants including nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, and atmospheric aerosols.

This initiative supports EU environmental policy goals and signals robust investment opportunities in climate-focused aerospace technologies. By merging atmospheric chemistry with meteorological forecasting, the platform enhances risk management models relevant to industries like insurance, energy, and agriculture. Stationed in geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometers, Sentinel-4 will deliver near-real-time air quality data across Europe and North Africa on an hourly basis. This wealth of open access data available through the Copernicus platform can underpin a variety of economic, academic, and policy applications.

Airbus solidifies its leadership within the Earth observation market. Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus, emphasized that the successful launch reflects not only technological excellence but also the strength of pan-European cooperation in aerospace innovation.

Siemens has completed its $5.1 billion acquisition of Dotmatics, a Boston-based company specializing in R&D software for the life sciences sector. The deal marks a strategic expansion of Siemens’ Digital Industries Software division, enhancing its Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) capabilities and deepening its footprint in the high-growth life sciences market.

Dotmatics is expected to generate over $300 million in revenue in 2025, with an adjusted EBITDA margin exceeding 40%. Siemens anticipates the acquisition will contribute immediately to its financial performance, excluding potential synergies.

Looking ahead, Siemens projects medium-term revenue synergies of approximately $100 million annually, with long-term synergies forecasted to surpass $500 million. The acquisition aligns with Siemens’ broader strategy to integrate advanced digital tools across industries and capitalize on the growing demand for specialized software in scientific research and development.

Novo Nordisk is facing growing challenges in the obesity treatment market, with its stock down over 50% in the past year. The decline reflects rising competition, unmet expectations for new drugs, and regulatory uncertainty.

U.S. based Eli Lilly has gained ground with its drug Zepbound, which shows greater average weight loss than Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy. While Novo Nordisk argues that comparisons are misleading due to dosage differences and patient profiles, the market has responded more favorably to Eli Lilly’s results. Novo Nordisk’s experimental drug CagriSema showed promise, with patients losing up to 22% of body weight. However, only 40% reached the 25% target investors had hoped for, leading to disappointment.

The company also struggled with unauthorized compounded versions of its drugs in the U.S., sold at a fraction of the price during supply shortages. Although regulators have moved to limit these practices, some pharmacies continue to offer them. Adding to the pressure, a new U.S. policy aims to align drug prices with those in other developed countries. This could hurt European exporters like Novo Nordisk more than domestic U.S. firms.

TotalEnergies has announced a strategic partnership with the Tour de France, securing its position as the official energy sponsor for both the men’s and women’s races from 2026 through 2028. This move marks a significant step in the company’s broader effort to deepen its engagement with the French public and reinforce its visibility across the country.

Beginning with the 113th edition of the Tour in 2026, TotalEnergies will activate a wide-reaching promotional campaign, including a presence in the Tour’s iconic publicity caravan across all 21 stages of the men’s race and the 9 stages of the women’s event. The initiative is designed to connect with the millions of spectators who line the roads each summer, many of whom are already customers of the company’s 3,300 service stations and 6 million electricity and gas accounts. In addition to its official partnership, TotalEnergies has finalized a jersey sponsorship agreement with the INEOS Grenadiers cycling team, further embedding its brand within the professional cycling ecosystem.

Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné highlighted the importance of the partnership, noting that it reflects the company’s century-long presence in France and its commitment to serving communities where its 33,000 employees live and work. “This collaboration allows us to meet millions of French citizens each year and celebrate a shared passion for cycling,” he said.

The Tour de France remains one of the most beloved sporting events in France, offering TotalEnergies a powerful platform to enhance brand loyalty and demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and innovation in the energy sector.

Mars Incorporated’s proposed $36 billion acquisition of KELLANOVA (XNYS-K), the parent company of Pringles and Kellogg’s cereals, is facing a formal investigation by the European Commission (EC) over concerns it could give Mars excessive market power and lead to higher consumer prices.

The deal, one of the largest ever in the food industry, would significantly expand Mars’ already dominant portfolio, which includes iconic chocolate brands like Mars, Snickers, M&M’s, and Twix, as well as pet food labels such as Sheba, Whiskas, and Pedigree. By acquiring Kellanova, Mars would add popular snack and breakfast brands to its lineup, including Pringles and a wide range of Kellogg’s cereals.

Retailers across Europe have voiced concerns to the EC, warning that the merger could reduce competition and force them to accept steep price increases costs that would likely be passed on to consumers. With food inflation still high across the continent, regulators are particularly wary of any consolidation that could further strain household budgets.

European Commissioner Teresa Ribera emphasized the potential risks: “By acquiring Kellanova, Mars would integrate several highly popular brands of chips and cereals into an already broad and powerful product portfolio. At a time when food prices remain elevated, we must ensure this deal does not exacerbate the cost of living for European households.”