Oct 16 ,2025
Synopsis
European equity markets are set for a negative open amidst mostly higher Asian equities Thursday. Kospi outperforming following positive signals on US-South Korea trade deal. ASX building on initial gains amid dovish implications from soft jobs data. Japan and Taiwan also in positive territory while Hang Seng leading China market declines. S&P 500 futures flat afterhours.
French political developments likely to be front and center later in the session with PM Lecornu facing two no confidence votes; one tabled by the far-right and the other by the left-wing bloc. The motion by RN is set to fail after left-wing MPs said it vote for it, but outcome of other vote is uncertain, though Lecornu has put forward compromises to secure support of the Socialists. Outcome to be determined by a few votes.
Chancellor Merz will deliver a government statement in the German Bundestag on the European Council, which will take place on 23/24-Oct. EU Commission due to present defence roadmap. Arctic Circle Assembly (through Sat) in Reykjavík. Uruguayan President Orsi to visit Europe for meetings with European leaders and EU officials, others.
In central banks, ECB's Machado speech at 10:05CET at SSM Conf on Digitalisation and Donnery panellist at 13:45 at event organised by Toronto Centre. ECB's Lane panellist at 17:45CET at IIF Annual Membership Meeting, whilst Lagarde participates at 18:00CET in IMF's Debate on the Global Economy. BOE's Greene panellist at 19:30BST at JPMorgan Investor seminar. Switzerland's SECO releases its latest economic forecast at 9:00CET followed by Institute for Fiscal Studies event at 9:30BST title Green Budget will assess the state of the UK economy and the government's fiscal position ahead of the Autumn Budget. Bundesbank publishes its latest monthly report at 12noon CET having issued pre-releases of select articles earlier in the week.
On the macro data front, early focus in Europe on UK monthly activity data with marginal expansion forecast in August GDP. Final Italian CPI also out as well as Italy Aug trade balance, Eurozone Aug trade balance and Netherlands Sep unemployment rate
A busy morning for earnings include from the DACHs region, ABB Limited (ABBN.SW) reports Q3 EPS $0.66 vs consensus $0.63 whilst Nestle (NESN.SW) reports 9M revenue CHF65.87B vs consensus CHF65.77B with FY organic sales growth is expected to improve compared to 2024. Merck (MRK.GR) released a CMD update saying it targets mid-term annual organic sales growth in the mid-single-digit percentage range and confirms 2025 guidance whilst Sartorius (SRT3.GR) reports 9M EPS €3.52 vs year-ago €3.01 and now expects FY Sales revenue growth of around +7% vs prior guidance around +6%. In France, Pernod Ricard (RI.FP) reports Q1 revenue €2.38B vs consensus €2.35B and continues to expect improving trends in FY26 organic net sales, skewed toward H2. VINCI (DG.FP) reports September airport passenger traffic +3.6% y/y and Sartorius Stedim Biotech (DIM.FP) whilst reports 9M EPS €2.24 vs year-ago €1.34 and raises FY guidance. In the Nordics, Nordea Bank (NDA.SE.SS) reports Q3 EPS €0.36 vs FactSet €0.33.
CMD/events include Merck KGaA (MEK.GR), Cellectis (ALCLS.FP), Infineon (IFX.GR) OktoberTech Silicon Valley, Biotalys (BTLS.BB) retail investor assn Probus
Politics/Macro/World News
ECB should only cut rates further if new shocks hit, Dolenc says (Reuters)
Fiscal storm warning for Reeves as IFS flags £50B gap (Bloomberg)
Reeves faces £22B fiscal gap ahead of November budget (FT)
Reeves launches Sterling 20 to steer pension billions into UK growth (FT)
Pension giant warns against deeper UK fund mergers (FT)
French business leaders decry Lecornu's 'betrayal budget' (FT)
French PM braces for survival vote amid unrest (Reuters)
Netherlands Sep Unemployment Rate 4.0% vs consensus 3.8% and prior 3.9%
Top company news
Earnings/updates
Benelux:
FAST.NA (Fastned) -- Q3 update: revenue related to charging €31.5M, + 44% y/y
SLIGR.NA (Sligro Food Group) -- reports Q3 revenue €664M vs FactSet €691.0M [1 est]
DACHs
ABBN.SW (ABB Limited) -- reports Q3 EPS $0.66 vs consensus $0.63
NESN.SW (Nestle) --
reports 9M revenue CHF65.87B vs consensus CHF65.77B; organic sales growth is expected to improve compared to 2024
plans global headcount reduction of ~16,000 over next two years; increases savings target to CHF 3.0B by the end of 2027
MRK.GR (Merck KGaA) -- Capital Markets Day 2025: targets mid-term annual organic sales growth in the mid-single-digit percentage range and confirms 2025 guidance
SRT3.GR (Sartorius) -- reports 9M EPS €3.52 vs year-ago €3.01; now expects FY Sales revenue growth of around +7% vs prior guidance around +6%
VACN.SW (VAT Group) -- reports Q3 revenue CHF257.9M vs StreetAccount CHF270.1M
DRW3.GR (Drägerwerk) -- reports prelim Q3 EBIT of "around €57M" vs FactSet €35.6M
FTK.GR (flatexDEGIRO) -- reports preliminary Q3 net income ~€39M vs FactSet €31.7M [4 est, €28-33.9M]
EMSN.SW (EMS-Chemie Holding) -- reports 9M revenue CHF1.49B, (6%) vs year-ago CHF1.59B
ARBN.SW (Arbonia) -- acquires Portuguese door manufacturer Cicomol SA and German metal door frame manufacturer Rüthener Zargenbau GmbH (RZB); terms undisclosed
KURN.SW (Kuros Biosciences) -- reports 9M adjusted EBITDA $12.2M vs year-ago $6.5M
DOCM.SW (DocMorris) -- reports Q3 external revenue CHF282.3M vs FactSet CHF288.5M [2 est, CHF287-290M]; on track to achieve its 2025 outlook
HYQ.GR (Hypoport) -- operational update: Europace transaction volume for mortgages increased by 10.0% y/y in Q3
DAM.GR (Data Modul) -- reports preliminary Q3 EBIT (€2.1M) vs year-ago €2.1M; to explore strategic options include sale of the majority stake
France:
RI.FP (Pernod Ricard) -- reports Q1 revenue €2.38B vs consensus €2.35B; continues to expect improving trends in FY26 organic net sales, skewed toward H2
DG.FP (VINCI SA) -- reports September airport passenger traffic +3.6% y/y
DIM.FP (Sartorius Stedim Biotech) -- reports 9M EPS €2.24 vs year-ago €1.34. Raising FY guidance
MAU.FP (Maurel et Prom) -- 9M activity report: working interest production 37,749 boepd, +4% y/y
ALMDG.FP (MGI Digital Graphic Technology) -- reports H1 net income €2.5M vs year-ago €2.6M
FDJU.FP (La Francaise des Jeux) -- reports Q3 revenue €864M, (3%) vs year-ago €890M
OSE.FP (OSE Immunotherapeutics) -- reports H1 net income (€15.1M) vs year-ago €57.2M
ADOC.FP (Adocia) -- reports Q3 revenue €0.4M vs year-ago €0.0M
GNRO.FP (GeNeuro) -- SA postpones publication of 30-Jun-25 half-yearly financial report to take into account the financial impacts of the restructuring
Nordics:
EQT.SS (EQT AB) -- reports Q3 FAUM €138.7B vs year-ago €134B
NDA.SE.SS (Nordea Bank) -- reports Q3 EPS €0.36 vs FactSet €0.33 [18 est, €0.29-0.35]
PRS.NO (Prosafe) -- reports Sept fleet utilization 100%; Q3 utilization 86%
ENTRA.NO (Entra ASA) -- reports Q3 EPRA NTA 165.0 vs FactSet 168.0; approves cash dividend of NOK 1.10 per share for H1 under revised dividend policy
BWLPG.NO (BW LPG) -- updates on Product Services' Q3 segment performance
VEI.NO (Veidekke) -- presents market update for Scandinavian contracting markets for period 2025-2027
UK/Ireland:
CEAIR.IR (Icelandair Group) -- reports preliminary Q3 results; guides EBIT ~$74M vs year-ago $83.5M
M&A
BAVA.DC (Bavarian Nordic) -- board maintains recommendation in respect of consortium's improved takeover offer; recommends shareholders accept the offer
ORA.FP (Orange) -- seeking to raise €400-500M in stake sale of some French data centers - Bloomberg
EN.FP (Bouygues) -- Telecom, Free-iliad and Orange maintain offer to acquire a large part of Altice's activities in France; wish to engage in constructive dialogue to assess how to progress going forward
EL.FP (EssilorLuxottica) -- acquires RetinAI; terms not disclosed
BAVA.DC (Bavarian Nordic A/S) -- Consortium consisting of Nordic Capital and Permira increases offer price for Bavarian Nordic to DKK 250 per share from DKK 233; extends offer period to 5-Nov
SPT.LN (Spirent Communications) -- Keysight Technologies completes acquisition of Spirent Communications
ARBN.SW (Arbonia) -- acquires Portuguese door manufacturer Cicomol SA and German metal door frame manufacturer Rüthener Zargenbau GmbH (RZB); terms undisclosed
SRP.FP (SRP Groupe) -- Showroomprivé signs LOI for sale of The Bradery to its founders
HANZA.SS (HANZA AB) -- acquires BMK in Germany
Blackstone seeking to sell Western Australia self-storage business - The Australian
Healthcare
NOVN.SW (Novartis) -- Fabhalta (iptacopan) meets Phase III primary endpoint, slows kidney function decline in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN)
ROG.SW (Roche Holding) -- presents major updates on innovative sequencing by expansion (SBX) technology at ASHG 2025 in Boston, US
FYB.GR (Formycon) -- announces Klinge Biopharma concludes an exclusive license agreement with Actor Pharmaceuticals for the commercialization of FYB203 in Australia
Other
MC.FP (LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton) -- Street Takeaways - LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton Q3 Sales
STLAM.IM (Stellantis) -- Canada threatening legal action against Stellantis following plans to move production to US - Bloomberg
ABBN.SW (ABB Limited) -- announces Christian Nilsson to succeed Timo Ihamuotila as CFO, effective 1-Feb-26
GLE.FP (Societe Generale) -- completes €1B share buyback
FER.SM (Ferrovial) -- declares second 2025 interim scrip dividend
SPM.IM (Saipem) -- announces three new offshore contracts for $600M in Azerbaijan
NDA.SE.SS (Nordea Bank) -- to launch share ECB approved buy-back programme of up to €250M
RBI.AV (Raiffeisen Bank International) -- appoints Kamila Makhmudovasas CFO effective 1-Jan-26
RECSI.NO (REC Silicon) -- announces request for commencement of Norwegian investigation process dismissed
Key rating changes
Upgrades
VOLCAR.B.SS (Volvo Car) -- buy from hold at SEB
AD.NA (Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize) -- neutral from sell at UBS
Barclays upgrades CNA.LN, EDPR.PL; downgrades ELE.SM, H2O.RO, RED.SM
MC.FP (LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton) -- to buy from neutral at UBS
NKT.DC (NKT A/S) -- to buy from hold at DNB Carnegie
TIT.IM (Telecom Italia) -- to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank
Downgrades
WIHL.SS (Wihlborgs Fastigheter) -- hold from buy at Kepler Cheuvreux
Berenberg downgrades KER.FP, LVMUY, MC.FP, and PPRUY
REP.SM (Repsol) -- to equal-weight from overweight at Morgan Stanley
RXL.FP (Rexel) -- to equal weight from overweight at Barclays
FHZN.SW (Flughafen Zuerich) -- to neutral from buy at Goldman Sachs
Initiations
EXENS.FP (Exosens) -- buy at Berenberg
ISP.IM (Intesa Sanpaolo) -- outperform at RBC Capital Markets
GTT.FP (Gaztransport & Technigaz) -- buy at Jefferies
BMPS.IM (Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena) -- buy at Jefferies
Other Actions
UBXN.SW (u-blox Holding) -- Kepler Cheuvreux recommends u-blox holders accept offer; prior rating was hold
Data
Nikkei +1.20% to 48244.82
Hang Seng (0.79%) to 25705.03
Shanghai Composite (0.19%) to 3904.80
S&P futures +2.3 vs prior close of 6715.0
€-$ +0.0013 or +0.11% to 1.1660
$-¥ (0.00) or (0.00%) to 151.06
€-¥ +0.19 or +0.11% to 176.14
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