Mar 18 ,2025
Synopsis
European equity markets set to open higher amidst Asian equities strengthening Tuesday. Hang Seng leading China markets with tech outperforming. Japan also seeing sizable gains while Korea, Australia and Taiwan logging milder moves. S&P 500 futures retreating afterhours.
Quiet session with markets awaiting some key events, including Trump's talk with Putin today. Elsewhere, NVDA CEO Jensen Huang is to deliver the keynote address at the GPU Tech Conference later Tuesday, where pipeline updates, GM recovery timing, China opportunities and DeepSeek commentary are among items of interest. On Wednesday, the Fed is expected to hold, but greater focus will be on updated SEP and Powell commentary (especially on tariff impact). On Thursday, the SNB interest rate decision is seen as a close call, with a cut in the benchmark interest rate of (25bps) to 0.25% expected, whilst Riksbank's interest rate decision is expected to be left unchanged at 2.25%. BOE interest rate decision will also be due, with the benchmark rate expected to be left unchanged at 4.5%.
On the political front, special session of the Bundestag with expected discussions on easing the debt brake on defense spending and on the special fund for infrastructure. Chancellor Scholz hosts France's President Macron in the evening, in preparation for the European Council. EU General Affairs Council. In UK, there's MPs questions on energy security and net zero at 11:30GMT, whilst committee topics include Grenfell and building safety at 10:00 the same time as the pre-appointment hearing for Niamh Moloney to the Prudential Regulation Committee and Industrial Strategy (14:00 includes execs from Airbus, AstraZeneca, Babcock International, BAE Systems and Tata Steel). EU's von der Leyen meets with WTO's Director-General Okonjo-Iweala, and has dinner with President of the European Council Costa and UN's Secretary-General Guterres. EU's Kallas meets with UK's Chief of the Defence Staff and Secretary of State for Defence. EU's Hoekstra delivers a keynote speech at the EU Tax Symposium. EU's Albuquerque delivers a keynote speeches at conf organised by Forum Europe/Forum Global and at the 13th edition of the Euronext annual conf. Bruegel hosts event at 12:00CET title 'A trade policy framework for the EU-UK reset'. OMFIF hosts public sector debt summit 2025. Also, Nordic Co-operation's Nordic Day in Norway: Are we prepared in the Nordic countries?. Finarch Week 2025 (through Thu).
In central banks, SNB releases its Annual Report 2024 at 7:15CET. Bank of Finland's Rehn speech at 9:00GMT at event hosted by MNI Connect. Bank of Spain's Escrivá speech at 10:00CET at V Observatorio Finanzas event organized by El Español and Invertia (livestream, through Thu). Latvia central bank organizes an expert discussion title "Latvian credit unions. How big is their development potential?". Switzerland's SECO publishes its economic forecasts Spring 2025.
Macroeconomic releases due today include Germany ZEW survey, Italy Jan trade balance, Eurozone Jan trade balance.
In earnings news, DACHs names kicked off the session with Springer Nature (SPG.GR) and Fraport (FRA.GR) reported FY earnings this morning, whilst Lithium Americas (Argentina) (WUC.GR) also reported FY earnings yesterday after market closed. In France, Bolloré (BOL.FP) reported FY earnings and proposed a dividend of EUR0.08/share including an interim dividend of €0.02 already paid in September 2024, +14% y/y.
In other corporate developments, Volkswagen's Audi (VOW3.GR) announced it will cut 7,500 jobs in indirect areas by 2029, based on target scenarios and plans to invest around €8B at its home locations through 2029. In M&A, Allianz (ALV.GR) enters into binding share purchase agreements with Bajaj Finserv Ltd. to sell its 26% stake in its Indian Non-Life and Life Insurance Joint Ventures for a total consideration of ~€2.6B.
Politics/Macro/World News
Europe's defence spending spree risks debt crisis, warns Dutch politician - FT
Trump to hold call with Putin in test of deal-making strength- Reuters
Bundestag votes today on billion-euro package - Handelsblatt
Israel Strikes Targets Throughout Gaza as Ceasefire Frays - Bloomberg
Top company news
Earnings/updates
DACHs
WUC.GR (Lithium Americas (Argentina)) -- reports FY EPS (cont ops) ($0.09) vs year-ago $0.11FRA.GR (Fraport) -- reports FY net income €501.9M vs consensus €461.2M
MED.SW (Medartis Holding) -- reports FY core net income CHF11.4M vs FactSet CHF10.1M [5 est, CHF7.7-13.1M]
SPG.GR (Springer Nature) -- reports FY adjusted operating profit €512M vs FactSet €517.5M [5 est, €515-521.9M]
VETN.SW (Vetropack Holding) -- reports FY net income CHF13.7M vs FactSet CHF26.3M [3 est, CHF20.4-35.5M]
EXL.GR (Exasol) -- reports final FY earnings inline with prelim. release; reaffirms 2025 guidance
France
ADP.FP (Aeroport de Paris) -- reports Total Paris Aeroport February traffic 7.36M, +4.8% y/y
BOL.FP (Bolloré) -- reports FY net income €1.82B vs year-ago €268M
Benelux
SEQUA.BB (Sequana Medical) -- reports FY net loss (€44.7M) vs FactSet (€17.5M) [4 est, (€21.6)-(14.8M)]
BSGR.NA (B&S Group) -- reports FY EPS €0.47 vs FactSet €0.50 [2 est, €0.45-0.54]
Also due to report today includes:
Earnings:
DACHs: Mayr-Melnhof Karton (MMK.AV)
France: Assystem (ASY.FP), Deezer (DEEZR.FP)
Southern Europe: Brembo (BRE.IM), Aquafil (ECNL.IM)
UK: National Atomic Company Kazatomprom (KAP.LN), Close Brothers Group (CBG.LN), Midwich Group (MIDW.LN), Trustpilot Group (TRST.LN), Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB1.LN), Sabre Insurance Group (SBRE.LN), Genel Energy (GENL.LN), H&T Group (HAT.LN), RM (RM.LN), The Pebble Group (PEBB.LN), Renalytix (RENX.LN), Fintel (FNTL.LN), Atalaya Mining (ATYM.LN)
Trading Update: SThree (STEM.LN)
CMD/events: Zotefoams (ZTF.LN), Enento Group (ENENTO.FH)
M&A
ALV.GR (Allianz) -- Allianz to sell its 26% stake in its Indian Non-Life and Life Insurance Joint Ventures to Bajaj Group for a total consideration of ~€2.6B
BT.LA.LN (BT) -- BT Group's largest shareholder Sunil Bharti Mittal considering increasing stake above current 24.5% - FT
NOS.PL (NOS SGPS) -- NOS completes the acquisition of Claranet Portugal (post EU close 17-Mar)
ENTRA.NO (Entra ASA) -- Castellum increases stake in Entra ASA to ~33.7% as result of mandatory offer and purchase of additional shares (post EU close 17-Mar)
SAF.FP (Safran) -- offers remedies to EU to gain approval for acquisition of Collins Aerospace's actuation and flight controls business (17-Mar, seemingly around 10:40 ET/15:40 CET)
OMV.AV (OMV) -- announces signing of framework agreement with ADNOC on combination of Borealis, Borouge and NOVA
DKSH.SW (DKSH Holding) -- DKSH Technology acquires technology distribution companies in Taiwan Taqkey Science and Quantum Biotech; price not disclosed
ITP.FP (Interparfums) -- acquires all intellectual property rights relating to Maison Goutal held by Amorepacific Europe worldwide; terms undisclosed
(INSTAL.SS (Instalco) -- completes acquisition of minority stake in Fabri AG
SEQUA.BB (Sequana Medical) -- announces convertible financing and committed share subscription facility; extends Company's cash runway to the end of 2025
PEUG.FP (Peugeot Invest) -- announces sales process for half of stake in SPIE
SET suspends trading in Gulf Energy Development Public and Intouch Holdings Public shares for 21-Mar to 2-Apr
NIO, CATL enter strategic partnership agreement on battery swapping network
Healthcare
BIM.FP (bioMerieux) -- bioMérieux receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for its VITEK COMPACT PRO, a new ID/AST system to fight against antimicrobial resistance
NANO.FP (Nanobiotix) -- amends global licensing agreement for JNJ-1900
BIOA.B.SS (BioArctic) -- confirms FDA orphan drug designation for exidavnemab in the US
EFYA.GR (PharmaCyte Biotech) -- SEC filing: 10-Q
Other
VOW3.GR (Volkswagen) -- Volkswagen's Audi to cut 7,500 jobs; plans to invest ~€8B in German locations through 2029
SAN.SM (Banco Santander) -- seeking to expand US operations through partnership that taps into Verizon's customer base - Reuters
LDO.IM (Leonardo) -- approves the new organizational structure (post EU close 17-Mar)
BAER.SW (Julius Baer Group) -- Julius Baer receives regulatory approvals to enter the Italian onshore market
TE.FP (Technip Energies) -- refinances €750M revolving credit facility
SPIE.FP (SPIE) -- holder Peugeot Invest places ~4.3M shares at €38.8/share through BNP Paribas and Morgan Stanley
TIGO.SS (Millicom International Cellular) -- SEC filing: SCHEDULE 13D/A (Filed by Atlas Investissement)
PSM.GR (ProSiebenSat.1 Media) -- supervisory board opposed to terms of proposed deal to give up to 10% stake to General Atlantic - Bloomberg (17-Mar, 15:47 CET)
Nvidia conference to feature quantum computing tech; Trump to block methane fee rule in ESG intraday news (17-Mar)
Key rating changes
Upgrades
AAL.LN (Anglo American) -- to sector perform from underperform at RBC Capital Markets
ELE.SM (Endesa) -- to overweight from equal weight at Barclays
OMV.AV (OMV) -- to buy from hold at Berenberg
Downgrades
IBE.SM (Iberdrola) -- to equal-weight from overweight at Morgan Stanley
QQ.LN (QinetiQ Group) -- to hold from buy at Kepler Cheuvreux
RUI.FP (Rubis) -- to hold from buy at Kepler Cheuvreux
EMSN.SW (EMS-Chemie Holding) -- to reduce from hold at Kepler Cheuvreux
EVD.GR (CTS Eventim) -- to neutral from buy at Redburn Atlantic
KOG.NO (Kongsberg Gruppen) -- to hold from buy at Nordea
Initiations
VIE.FP (Veolia Environnement) -- outperform at Bernstein
EVO.SS (Evolution) -- neutral at Cantor Fitzgerald
Other Actions
RIO.LN (Rio Tinto) -- reinstated overweight at JPMorgan; prior rating was overweight
Data
Nikkei +1.20% to 37845.42
Hang Seng +2.07% to 24645.84
Shanghai Composite +0.09% to 3429.37
S&P futures (13.3) vs prior close of 5732.3
€-$ (0.0006) or (0.05%) to 1.0917
$-¥ +0.57 or +0.38% to 149.78
€-¥ +0.56 or +0.34% to 163.52
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