Thomas Barnet

Merkur to take control of Societe Francaise de Casinos

Germany's Merkur Group has signed a purchase agreement covering 95% of Casigrangi, the parent company of the 'Le Stelsia' group and an 81.21% shareholder in Societe Francaise de Casinos. The deal, which values SFC shares at €6.19, could be finalized in the first quarter of 2027 and followed by a public tender offer and then a delisting.

August 28, 2026 at 09:45 am

French analyst views: Oddo revisits Interparfums, Pernod Ricard under pressure

To close out the week, there were plenty of revisions on Pernod Ricard, after results and guidance that pushed the stock down 4.6% yesterday on the Paris stock exchange.

August 28, 2026 at 09:35 am

Nvidia Reportedly Ready to Acquire Hugging Face for $12.9bn

Nvidia has reportedly decided to acquire Hugging Face for $12.9bn, according to The Information. The deal would further cement its central role in the global AI ecosystem.

August 27, 2026 at 10:36 am

OVH's CFO is leaving in five days, the stock drops 8%

OVH is down 8% this Wednesday after announcing the departure of its chief financial officer, Stéphanie Besnier, who will remain in post until August 31 and will be replaced on an interim basis. Five days of public notice and no identified successor. It is a chance to recall why the market really does not like this kind of setup at all.

August 26, 2026 at 12:47 pm

France analysts' views: DB turns positive on Aeroports de Paris, Bernstein raises EssilorLuxottica target

A limited lineup this morning, with only four stocks.

August 26, 2026 at 09:43 am

Lotus Bakeries, the most expensive speculoos on the (stock) market in Europe

Lotus Bakeries shares topped the EUR13,000 mark this week to set a new record. The Belgian company is not only one of the most expensive stocks on European exchanges, it is also one of the richest-valued: 52x this year's expected earnings. That's the same multiple as names such as Robinhood, Salesforce and Dell.

August 25, 2026 at 05:36 pm

Gold tops $4,600 an ounce

The past few days have been dominated by rising geopolitical tensions around Iran. Precious metals have resisted well in this climate of uncertainty.

August 24, 2026 at 12:42 pm

Quadient appeals, Stellantis struggles

The week's first trading is favorable for Quadient, SSAB and Implantica. By contrast, Siegfried and Stellantis are under pressure.

August 24, 2026 at 11:04 am

Shell draws several suitors for its US chemicals assets

ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell, Apollo and Kuwait Petroleum are said to be among the bidders for Shell's US chemicals business. According to the Financial Times, the assets could be valued at as much as $8bn.

August 24, 2026 at 10:02 am

Eni is betting on a nuclear fusion plant in Europe by the 2040s

The Italian group wants to help roll out a commercial nuclear fusion plant in Europe by the early 2040s, and possibly sooner. Eni sees the technology as a business that could become its 'next refinery', an executive told the Financial Times.

August 24, 2026 at 09:59 am

France analyst views: property companies, Renault and Eurofins in the spotlight

To start the week, Barclays takes stock of France's property companies, and William O'Neil resumes coverage of Eurofins.

August 24, 2026 at 09:34 am

The Panama Canal cuts transits as El Niño threat looms

The Panama Canal will limit the number of ships allowed to cross starting in September, reversing what it was still projecting in the spring. Weak rainfall and the prospect of a prolonged El Nino episode are raising fears of another decline in water reserves.

August 21, 2026 at 12:12 pm

Broadcom Eyes Up to $100bn in Debt to Finance AI Chips

Broadcom is reportedly in talks with several investors over a massive financing package for Anthropic's computing infrastructure and other artificial intelligence companies, according to Bloomberg.

August 21, 2026 at 11:14 am

Gold climbs back to $4,500 an ounce, highest level since early June

The yellow metal is still rising, supported by a weaker dollar and debt buybacks announced by the US Treasury. Investors are now watching the Federal Reserve, whose next decisions will be decisive for whether the rally continues.

August 21, 2026 at 10:09 am

Gold climbs back to $4,500 an ounce, a high since early June

The yellow metal is rising again, supported by a weaker dollar and debt buybacks announced by the U.S. Treasury. Investors are now watching the Federal Reserve, whose next decisions will be decisive for whether the rally continues.

August 21, 2026 at 08:23 am

Shein Pushes Back Its Hong Kong IPO, Valuation Slumps

Shein plans to launch its Hong Kong initial public offering on Monday, with a first trading date now targeted for around September 1. The group hopes to be valued between $26bn and $27bn, far from the $100bn mark reached in 2022.

August 21, 2026 at 08:11 am

Seoul Tests Arctic Route to Bypass the Suez Canal

On Saturday a South Korean container ship is set to depart for Europe via the Northern Sea Route, which has been made more accessible by melting ice. Seoul hopes to cut transit times, although the push requires delicate cooperation with Russia.

August 20, 2026 at 10:43 am

France analyst views: UBS turns positive again on Sartorius Stedim Biotech

Two notable changes this morning from research desks: JP Morgan turns positive on Michelin and UBS goes back to a buy on SSB.

August 20, 2026 at 10:02 am

US debt tops $40tn for the first time

Total US debt has crossed a historic threshold, further fueling concerns about the sustainability of federal finances. Rising social spending, mounting interest costs and insufficient revenue are threatening a budget path that is already under intense pressure.

August 20, 2026 at 09:36 am

Strait of Hormuz: how the United States is moving millions of barrels past Iran

The US military is organizing nightly tanker transits through a channel off Oman, Axios reports. Nearly 10 million barrels are now believed to move through each day, albeit about half the volumes recorded before the conflict.

August 20, 2026 at 09:22 am

Samsung reportedly preparing a huge back-to-school gift for its shareholders

Riding the AI-driven chip supercycle, Samsung Electronics is reportedly preparing a sweeping shareholder payout plan. The South Korean group could devote more than 100,000 billion won to it, or about €61.7bn.

August 20, 2026 at 08:46 am