Dec 13 ,2023
Synopsis
European equity markets are set to open mixed/flat following Asian equities trending lower Wednesday. Japan set to close higher and Australia also finished up but the rest of the region largely lower. US futures higher. US dollar flat. Treasury yields lower at the long end, higher at the short. Crude blends extending overnight falls, iron ore leading industrial metals lower. Gold hovering just below $2K. Cryptocurrencies down again.
On today's agenda, EU-Western Balkans Summit takes place. EU's von der Leyen participates in the EP plenary debate. In the meantime, Netherlands parliament debates the election result and the next step in the coalition formation process with the scout beginning at 10:15CET. Also, Chancellor Scholz will make a government statement at 13:00CET in the German Bundestag regarding the upcoming meeting of the European Council. In UK, weekly PMQs at 12noon GMT, committee topics include governance of artificial intelligence (AI) (9:15GMT), keeping the power on: our future energy technology mix (14:00). Elsewhere, OPEC oil market report is also due
Macroeconomic releases today include: UK Oct manufacturing/industrial production, trade balance, construction output, Nov monthly GDP tracker - NIESR, Eurozone Oct industrial production. In addition, Switzerland KOF and SECO economic forecasts as well as FOMC interest rate decision after the EU market close.
In corporate news, Storebrand (STB.NO) presents Group's strategic direction and financial ambitions towards 2025 in connection with today's CMD; targets ROE of 14%. Meanwhile, DFDS (DFDS.DC) presents updated strategy and financial ambitions at CMD today. On M&A front, Vertex has commenced a public tender offer for 100% of the shares of Pagero (PAGERO.SS) at a price of SEK36 in cash per share, equivalent to a total tender value of $555M.
Macro/Politics
How the EU is scrambling to strike a deal with Viktor Orbán - FT
COP28 leaders announce newest attempt to seal long-fought climate compromise - Politico
Rishi Sunak sees off Tory rebellion in Rwanda bill vote - BBC
Zelenskyy meets Biden and US lawmakers with aid for Ukraine at risk of collapse - euronews
Top company news
Earnings/updates
FRA.GR (Fraport) -- reports November Frankfurt Airport traffic statistics: passengers 4.6M, +12.2% y/y
COLR.BB (Colruyt Group) -- reports H1 EPS continuing ops €1.51 ex-items vs FactSet €1.12 [1 est]
FHZN.SW (Flughafen Zuerich) -- reports November traffic statistics
KIT.NO (Kitron) -- reiterates FY guides EBIT €65-75M vs FactSet €70.1M [4 est, €69.5-71.0M]; guides on 2024, 2027
STB.NO (Storebrand) -- presents Group's strategic direction and financial ambitions towards 2025 in connection with today's CMD; targets ROE of 14%
PUUILO.FH (Puuilo) -- reports Q3 EPS €0.13 vs year-ago €0.13; specifies FY23 outlook
FLU.AV (Flughafen Wien) -- reports Nov Group total passenger traffic +13.8% to ~2.67M
DFDS. DC (DFDS) -- reports Nov Freight volume (1.5%)
M&A
IDS.LN (International Distributions Services) -- may offer up to €500M (£429.6M) for Packeta - London Times
OBII.SS (Tobii) -- to launch SEK300M rights issue in 1Q24 to fund acquisition of AutoSense business from Xperi
SRI.IM (Servizi Italia) -- Servizi Italia's board publishes opinion in connection with €1.65/share offer from Cometa S.r.l (post EU close12-Dec)
IPEL.LN (Impellam Group) -- The Panel on Takeovers and Mergers has consented HeadFirst Global and Impellam.to a further extension to the Deadline to 13-Dec-23 at 5pm London Time
PAGERO.SS (Pagero Group) - Vertex, Inc offers SEK36/share in cash for Pagero Group
Healthcare
AZN.LN (AstraZeneca) -- Three indications for AstraZeneca's Soliris included on China's National Reimbursement Drug List
PHARM.NA (Pharming Group) -- announces expansion of its rare disease pipeline with plans to develop leniolisib for additional primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) beyond activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase delta syndrome (APDS)
IBAB.BB (Ion Beam Applications) -- IBA, CMI and Life Molecular Imaging announce Japanese approval for the reimbursement of amyloid-PET diagnostic Neuraceq in Alzheimer's disease
EGTX.SS (Egetis Therapeutics) -- provides update on the expanded access program for tiratricol (Emcitate) in the USA
Other
SHEL.LN (Shell Plc) -- Shell announces FID for phased wells campaign at Perdido spar in US GoM
BA.LN (BAE Systems) -- awarded $8.82B US Army contract
SW.FP (Sodexo) -- announces the composition of Pluxee's future Board of Directors
KBC.BB (KBC Group) -- KBC has been informed by ECB of its new minimum capital requirements
NEL.NO (NEL ASA) -- HyCC cancels previously announced purchase order for 40 MW electrolyser, cites market conditions and client postponing project till 2028
MTRO.LN (Metro Bank Holdings) -- Metro Bank ends attempts to get PRA to let it use its own risk calculations - FT
BPOST.BB (bpost) -- bpostgroup comments on government decision on distribution of newspapers and magazines in Belgium
MMB.FP (Lagardere) -- decided to co-opt Yannick Bolloré as a director, replacing René Ricol, who wished to step down
Key rating changes
Upgrades
P911.GR (Porsche) -- to buy from hold at HSBC
WKL.NA (Wolters Kluwer) -- to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan
AKE.FP (Arkema) -- to buy from neutral at UBS
CGG.FP (CGG) -- to outperform from neutral at Oddo
PAG.LN (Paragon Banking Group) -- to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital Markets
BAS.GR (BASF SE) -- to buy from sell at UBS
Downgrades
MC.FP (LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton) -- to neutral from overweight at JPMorgan
AAL.LN (Anglo American) -- to hold from buy at HSBC
ADE.NO (Adevinta) -- to equal weight from overweight at Barclays
RACE.IM (Ferrari) -- to hold from buy at HSBC
WPP.LN (WPP) -- to neutral from overweight at JPMorgan
AKZA.NA (Akzo Nobel) -- to neutral from buy at UBS
Initiations
BETCO.SS (Better Collective) -- buy at Jefferies
Data
Nikkei +0.25% to 32926.35
Hang Seng (1.03%) to 16205.40
Shanghai Composite (0.83%) to 2978.49
S&P futures +5.3 vs prior close of 4697.3
€-$ (0.0008) or (0.07%) to 1.0786
$-¥ +0.33 or +0.22% to 145.78
€-¥ +0.20 or +0.13% to 157.21
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