Global Markets Sunday News
Tops of the week
Lottomatica +21,32 %: The Italian gaming provider surprised positively with a convincing outlook for 2026. The group’s reported EBITDA was higher than in the previous year and the dividend was increased.
Neste +18,32 %: The Finnish oil company is benefiting from opportunities arising on the European refinery market as a result of the crises in the Middle East and Russia. The company is also benefiting from the optimization of its internal organizational structure.
Teleperformance +10,33 %: Given the low EV/EBITDA multiple of 5 and a margin of 9% recorded for the market leader in business process outsourcing (BPO), it is hardly surprising that investors have snapped up the stock on favorable terms—despite the ever-present threat posed by the AI boom.
Harbour Energy +13,89 %: Record production volumes and a new distribution policy, whereby up to 75% of cash flow is returned to shareholders, are boosting the British oil producer. Assuming that oil prices will remain high in the longer term, the company has revised its production forecast for the current year upwards.
Galderma +6,92 %: Nemluvio’s market success is boosting the Swiss dermatology group’s share price. The estimated sales potential of the product has doubled to USD 4 billion, profit growth is enormous, and the outlook is solid.
AP Moller Maersk +9,06 %: The disruptions caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the rising oil price are benefiting the Danish shipping giant, as the expected sharp rise in freight rates should largely offset the suspension of routes to the Persian Gulf.
Venture Global +28,79 %: The US LNG exporter benefited from rising gas prices and the suspension of production in Qatar. The company presented outstanding figures for 2025 and is well positioned to cover 20% of the global supply gap.
Flops of the week
Zealand Pharma -35,43 %: The Danish biotech company’s stock took a nosedive after disappointing Phase II data on its obesity drug. Within 42 weeks, administration of the drug led to a weight loss of only 10.7%. Eli Lilly’s competing product was significantly superior, with a weight loss of 20%.
Schaeffler -25,1 %: Following disappointing prospects for 2026 and ongoing losses in the field of electromobility, the automotive supplier suffered a severe setback. In light of the figures, even the enthusiasm surrounding humanoid robots is not helping.
Beiersdorf #-21,88 %: The company known for its Nivea brand plummeted after management forecast near-zero growth and declining margins for 2026. Even the company’s flagship product is currently generating a margin of only 0.9%. Disruptions in US distribution and Chinese travel retail are also contributing to the negative trend.
Nexi -19,93 %: The leading European payment service provider went downhill. The decisive factors here were the weak outlook for 2026 and disappointing strategic planning. The decision to forego share buybacks in favor of dividend payments further exacerbates the situation.
Air France -17,97 %: As a result of the suspension of flights to the Middle East and the rise in oil prices, the conflict between the US and Iran is having a major impact on the airline. The picture is further clouded by a fine imposed for illegal agreements on air freight prices.
Reckitt -14,31 %: After the group presented a cautious outlook for the beginning of 2026, its share price went into a tailspin. The leading manufacturer of cleaning agents and hygiene products is suffering from the effects of a weaker-than-expected virus season and a difficult business environment in Europe. These developments are putting pressure on sales volumes in the short term.
MongoDB -17,66 %: The significant slowdown in growth of the Atlas cloud platform, which generates three-quarters of revenue, is weighing on the database provider.
Waw materials
Energie: The blockade of oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz—a vital transport artery for the global transport of energy resources—has driven up crude oil prices. At $90 and $87.70, Brent and WTI crude oil prices reached their highest levels since April 2024. This week alone, prices rose by around 24%. In view of this price explosion, the Trump administration is attempting to calm the markets. Washington wants to ensure the safety of tankers with naval escorts and is considering drawing on its strategic oil reserves. In addition, the United States has granted exemptions for the purchase of Russian crude oil stored on tankers. This applies in particular to India. The aim is to mobilize the reserves “wandering” in the Asian region in order to reduce pressure on the supply side. Russia is likely to be the big winner in this crisis. Saudi Arabia is also reorganizing the transport of part of its production to the Red Sea in order to bypass the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Nevertheless, oil prices are currently only moving in one direction: upward. Insurers are canceling insurance coverage for tankers crossing the conflict zone, and it will likely be some time before military escort measures take effect. The geopolitical risk premium will probably keep prices high until oil transport through the Strait of Hormuz returns to normal levels.
Metals: The price of aluminum rose above the USD 3,400 mark in London due to supply disruptions in the Middle East. Prices climbed by more than 5% over the course of the week. The closure of an aluminum plant in Qatar and the halt in exports from Bahrain led to a sharp rise in prices, especially as stocks have fallen to their lowest level since 2023. Copper prices, on the other hand, fell, weighed down by a rapid increase in inventories, which points to a short-term oversupply. A ton of copper is trading at around USD 12,900 (spot price) on the LME. In the precious metals market, the price of gold is trading at around USD 5,080 per troy ounce in a turbulent environment. On the one hand, the military escalation in the Middle East is supporting demand for gold, which is considered a safe haven in times of uncertainty. On the other hand, the strength of the dollar and the rise in bond yields are dampening demand for the precious metal, which does not yield any returns. In addition, the rise in oil prices is fueling inflation concerns, which means that the US Federal Reserve may keep interest rates high for longer.
Agricultural commodities: Agricultural markets moved in different directions last week. Soy continued its upward trend, supported by the rise in oil prices (an increasing proportion of harvests is being used for the production of biofuels). Wheat, on the other hand, remained under pressure in view of the large global supply. A bushel of corn rose slightly in price to around 590 cents (contract maturing in May 2026).
Cryptocurrencies: Surprisingly, Bitcoin (BTC) rebounded this week in an environment that was not particularly favorable for risk assets. After falling for six consecutive weeks, BTC gained 4% since Monday and settled at around $68,500. The rise was particularly pronounced at the beginning of the week, with BTC gaining 12% in the first three days before retreating on Thursday and Friday. Bitcoin spot ETFs set the tone, recording net inflows of over $1.1 billion between Monday and Wednesday. Although US lawmakers want to continue promoting the crypto universe (as evidenced in particular by Donald Trump’s call for the rapid passage of the Clarity Act, which is intended to underpin US dominance in the cryptocurrency sector), the price gain seems to be primarily due to a recovery after a prolonged period of turbulence in the crypto market. Within six weeks, BTC had lost nearly $30,000 in value, slumping from $93,000 to $63,000. Investors took advantage of this correction to buy in at a low price, which helped stabilize the BTC price. It remains to be seen whether this trend will continue. The coming week will show where the journey is headed.
S&P 500 Heatmap
S&P 500 performance in 2025
U.S. bond yield
2-year US bond yield
10-year US bond yield
Correlation between the price of gold and the US dollar
