Esteban Gustave

Oil plunge: who bet ahead of Trump?

As Donald Trump ramps up messages on Truth Social to dial down tensions with Tehran, massive money flows recorded just ahead of his posts are setting Wall Street buzzing. Between colossal oil volumes, record stock-market gains and Iranian denials, suspicions of manipulation are increasingly focusing, very seriously, on the president's inner circle.

March 25, 2026 at 11:29 am

Shadow Finance: How $257 Trillion Escapes the Rules of the Game

Half of the global financial system now operates outside the safeguards established after the 2008 meltdown. This is not massive fraud; it is shadow banking. A colossal, legal ecosystem that poses a major systemic risk to our economies as of March 2026.

March 25, 2026 at 05:30 am

Grifols to list plasma unit to tackle massive debt pile

The announcement of an IPO for its US biopharmaceutical division sent Grifols shares up over 7% as the market opened, as the market welcomed a concrete deleveraging signal for a group burdened by an estimated net debt of about EUR8bn.

March 25, 2026 at 05:16 am

Shadow finance: how $257,000bn slips past the rulebook

Half of the global financial system now operates outside the guardrails put in place after the 2008 shock. This is not mass fraud, it is shadow banking. A legal, colossal ecosystem that is putting a major systemic risk on our economies as of March 2026.

March 25, 2026 at 04:44 am

Grifols takes its plasma unit public to lighten a colossal debt load

The announcement of an IPO for its U.S. biopharmaceutical division sent Grifols shares up more than 7% at the open, as the market read it as a concrete sign of deleveraging for a group carrying net debt estimated at around €8bn.

March 25, 2026 at 04:36 am

Gold loses its safe-haven status, falling 20% in nine sessions

The yellow metal plunged by more than 7% this Monday, marking its ninth consecutive session of decline. What appears to be a flight to safety actually masks an inverse movement, driven by interest rate mechanics.

March 23, 2026 at 05:19 am

Pandora Shines, Telecom Italia Jumps on Takeover Bid, Spire Healthcare Left Without a Buyer

Poste Italiane has launched a €10.8bn takeover bid for Telecom Italia at a 9% premium, Pandora is benefiting from the drop in gold and silver that is lowering its production costs, while Spire Healthcare is collapsing after Bridgepoint and Triton abandoned their buyout plan. Diasorin sinks after cutting its 2026 outlook. Delivery Hero is selling its Taiwan operations for $600m.

March 23, 2026 at 05:11 am

Nine straight sessions, down 20%: gold is no longer a safe haven

The yellow metal is plunging more than 7% this Monday, marking its 9th consecutive down session. What looks like a flight to safety is, in reality, the opposite move, driven by the mechanics of interest rates.

March 23, 2026 at 04:23 am

Comfort Systems: The Company Seeing Tomorrow's America Two Years Ahead

Mechanics, electricians, pipefitters. Comfort Systems USA (FIX) is anything but a tech company. Yet, its stock is already up 50% since the start of the year, and its order book is driving a performance of nearly 900% over three years. If investors are flocking to this industrial plumbing giant, it is because its USD 11.94 billion backlog has become one of the most reliable signals of the realization of major industrial and technological projects in the United States.

March 18, 2026 at 10:00 am

Pasqal: The Alchemy of Neutral Atoms to Win Over the Nasdaq

Against a backdrop of dwindling capital flows to the tech sector and increased scrutiny of balance sheets, French star Pasqal is accelerating its destiny. By targeting a valuation of $2.6bn through a merger with Michel Combes' SPAC, the unicorn co-founded by Nobel laureate Alain Aspect is attempting to transform scientific breakthroughs into a resounding stockmarket success across two continents.

March 14, 2026 at 06:17 am

Stellantis in talks with Xiaomi and XPeng over European assets

Stellantis is in discussions with Chinese automakers Xiaomi and XPeng regarding a potential investment in its European assets, amid record impairments and a strategic shift of investment toward the United States.

March 13, 2026 at 04:56 am

Meta pushes back the launch of its Avocado model

Meta is delaying the launch of its Avocado AI model until at least May, after it underperformed in internal testing versus rivals, despite massive spending aimed at securing a place in the AI race.

March 13, 2026 at 04:55 am

What if the real value in defence isn't where you're looking?

The reflex is almost mechanical. As soon as missiles fly somewhere in the world, weapon makers' share prices jump. The day after the first US-Israeli strikes against Iran, US defence stocks were up about 3%.

March 11, 2026 at 11:15 am

Continental shifts toward pure-player status, Alstom gains momentum on the rails

Continental is moving forward with the sale of ContiTech to become a tire pure player. ArcelorMittal provides reassurance as BofA believes energy costs can be passed on, while STMicroelectronics surges following a Deutsche Bank upgrade on AI cloud prospects. Meanwhile, Ithaca Energy drops alongside the collapse of Brent crude, and Cosmo Pharmaceuticals plunges after revenue was halved.

March 10, 2026 at 05:11 am

Sectra is in rude health as Zealand Pharma loses too much weight

Sectra surges on booming cloud revenue and orders despite a drop in profit. IMI wins over investors with a massive £500m buyback, Soitec rises after a Deutsche Bank upgrade. By contrast, Zealand Pharma collapses after disappointing phase II results for its anti-obesity candidate. Lanxess disappoints as the Envalior listing is pushed back, Spie slips on the departure of its long-serving CEO.

March 06, 2026 at 04:19 am

SMAIO Accelerates Its Expansion in the United States

March 06, 2026 at 03:00 am

-12%! Koreaés Kospi posts sharpest fall since 2008

After a spectacular rally since the start of the year (+40%), the Seoul stockmarket plunged on Wednesday, extending a second day of capitulation. After -7.2% on Tuesday, the benchmark Korean index shed a further 12.1%, its worst one-day performance since the 2008 crisis.

March 04, 2026 at 06:15 am

-12%! Korea's Kospi logs its worst session since 2008

After a spectacular rally since the start of the year (+40%), the Seoul stock market abruptly broke lower on Wednesday, chalking up a second straight capitulation day. After -7.2% on Tuesday, the benchmark Korean index shed another 12.1%, its worst intraday performance since the 2008 crisis.

March 04, 2026 at 04:54 am

EssilorLuxottica and Meta: Is the romance starting to crack?

Six years of collaboration, seven million pairs of glasses sold, and a 10-year extension signed in 2024. On paper, the alliance between Meta and Essilor Luxottica is an unprecedented industrial success in smart glasses. However, behind the sales records, strategic differences are said to have emerged. On one side, a tech giant ready to flood the market to impose its ecosystem. On the other, the world's leading eyewear group, forced to protect its margins and its reputation.

March 04, 2026 at 03:18 am

Europe Starts to Worry as Spot Gas Prices Spike

The military escalation between Iran, the United States and Israel has sent a shockwave through energy markets. Oil is higher (+4%), but it is European natural gas (TTF) that is posting unprecedented moves: up more than 30% on Monday, then again on Tuesday, jumping from €31 to €60.2/MWh. This sudden break raises the specter for Europe of a physical shortage and a surge in industrial energy bills.

March 03, 2026 at 10:13 am

Rolls-Royce takes off, Puma rebounds on Anta news, and Syensqo sinks

Rolls-Royce unveils a massive buyback program after hitting targets two years early, Puma is counting on China’s Anta to restart sales momentum, and Engie raises its outlook after the UK acquisition. Bayer faces the first legal pushback on its Roundup settlement plan, while Munich Re loses ground on a drop in profit.

February 26, 2026 at 04:49 am