Παρά τα μικτά πρόσημα που κατέγραφαν οι ευρωπαϊκοί δείκτες στο πρώτο μισό της συνεδρίασης, πολλοί από αυτούς κατάφεραν να διαγράψουν τις απώλειες τους στο δεύτερο μισό της διαπραγμάτευσης και να κλείσουν τελικά σε θετικό έδαφος.
Υπό συζήτηση η απάντηση της ΕΕ στους δασμούς των ΗΠΑ
Ο δείκτης Stoxx 600 έκλεισε στις 547,40 μονάδες με άνοδο 0,27%, πραγματοποιώντας ενδοσυνεδριακά ιστορικό ρεκόρ στις 547,54 μονάδες.
Στην Φρανκφούρτη ο δείκτης DAX έκλεισε στις 22.037,98 μονάδες με άνοδο 0,48%, πραγματοποιώντας νέο ιστορικό υψηλό στις 22.047,03 μονάδες, με το σήμα να παραμένει σε strong buy, και με την στήριξη να βρίσκεται στις 20.433 μονάδες και την επόμενη στις 19.854 μονάδες.
Μεγαλύτερη άνοδος
Μεγαλύτερη πτώση
Στο Λονδίνο ο δείκτης FTSE 100 έκλεισε στις 8.778,55 μονάδες με άνοδο 0,12%, πραγματοποιώντας νέο ιστορικό υψηλό στις 8.791,45 μονάδες, με το σήμα να διατηρείται σε strong buy, και με την στήριξη να βρίσκεται στις 8.440 μονάδες και την επόμενη στις 8.367 μονάδες.
Μεγαλύτερη άνοδος
Μεγαλύτερη πτώση
Στο Παρίσι ο δείκτης CAC 40 έκλεισε στις 8.030,02 μονάδες με άνοδο 0,30%, με το σήμα να παραμένει σε strong buy, και με την αντίσταση να βρίσκεται στις 8.213 μονάδες και την στήριξη στις 7.966 μονάδες με την επόμενη στις 7.705 μονάδες.
Μεγαλύτερη άνοδος
Μεγαλύτερη πτώση
Recommendations
Diageo: Analyst James Edwardes Jones from RBC research gives the stock a Neutral rating. The target price continues to be set at GBX 2400.
UBS: Already positive, the research from RBC and its analyst Anke Reingen still consider the stock as a Buy opportunity. The target price continues to be set at CHF 36.
LEG Immobilien: UBS is positive on the stock with a Buy rating. The target price is revised upwards from EUR 105 to EUR 98.
Vinci: In a research note published by Ruairi Cullinane, RBC advises its customers to buy the stock. The target price has been raised to EUR 135 from EUR 130.
ABB: Daniela Costa from Goldman Sachs retains his Neutral opinion on the stock. The target price has been lifted and is now set at CHF 56 compared to CHF 53 before.
Εταιρικά νέα
BP (NYSE:BP)’s fourth-quarter profit fell to $1.17 billion on Tuesday, marking the lowest earnings for the oil major in four years as weak margins dented its refining business.
The 61% drop in quarterly profit from last year, coming just days after reports of activist investor Elliott Investment Management building a stake in the company, has heightened investor hopes for board changes and strategic shifts to boost returns, putting additional pressure on CEO Murray Auchincloss.
BP’s results were the weakest since the fourth quarter of 2020, when profits plummeted during the pandemic, intensifying challenges for Auchincloss, who has pledged to improve BP’s performance amid investor concerns about its energy transition strategy.
BP’s underlying replacement cost profit, the company’s definition of net income, dropped to $1.17 billion in the fourth quarter ended December 31, from last year’s $2.99 billion.
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis (SIX:NOVN) said on Tuesday it has agreed to acquire biopharma firm Anthos Therapeutics for up to $3.1 billion.
Anthos was founded by Blackstone (NYSE:BX) Life Sciences and Novartis in 2019 to develop, manufacture, and commercialize abelacimab, a treatment to prevent stroke and the recurrence of blood clots.
The transaction, expected to close in the first half of this year, will cost Novartis $925 million upfront with potential additional payment of up to $2.15 billion, the company said.
“With its deep roots in the cardiovascular space, Novartis is especially well positioned to advance abelacimab’s clinical development and bring this innovative product to healthcare providers and patients,” said Bill Meury, CEO at Anthos.
Reuters reported in December 2023 that Blackstone was exploring the sale of Anthos.
UniCredit (ETR:CRIG) on Tuesday reported strong FY24 results, achieving a stated net profit of €9.7 billion, up 2% YoY.
Excluding deferred tax assets (DTA), net profit stood at €9.3 billion, an 8% increase, while underlying net profit, excluding €1.3 billion in extraordinary charges, was €10.3 billion.
The bank maintained a strong RoTE of 17.7%, rising to 20.9% on a 13% CET1 ratio, and EPS surged by 22% to €5.74.
Total (EPA:TTEF) net revenue grew 4% YoY to €24.2 billion, driven by fees up 8% to €8.1 billion on strong client activity and product expansion. Net interest income (NII) rose 3% to €14.4 billion, showing resilience despite a challenging rate environment.
Costs were €9.4 billion, down 1% YoY, keeping UniCredit’s cost/income ratio at an industry-leading 37.9%, even after absorbing inflation and strategic investments.
“The macroeconomic and geopolitical backdrop remains complicated and unpredictable. We are however well positioned to absorb a normalization of interest rates and cost of risk and cost inflation,” said Andrea Orcel, chief executive at UniCredit in a statement.
Net revenue for the quarter was €5.6 billion, including €2.0 billion in fees (up 8.9% YoY) and €3.7 billion in NII.
The cost of risk (CoR) increased by 34 basis points, resulting in LLPs of €357 million in the fourth quarter. Overlays totaled €1.7 billion, supporting CoR at 15 basis points for the whole year.
UniCredit maintained a strong capital position, with a CET1 ratio of 15.9%, unchanged from FY23 despite higher distributions and investments.
The bank generated €12.6 billion in organic capital and improved capital efficiency by reducing risk-weighted assets (RWAs) to €277.1 billion, down €750 million QoQ.
Shareholder returns increased, with €9.0 billion in total distributions, including €3.7 billion in cash dividends (DPS of €2.40, up 33% YoY) and €5.3 billion in share buybacks. For FY25, UniCredit expects distributions to exceed FY24, increasing the cash dividend payout to 50% of net profit.
While economic headwinds persist, net profit and RoTE are expected to remain consistent with FY24.
FY25 net revenue is forecasted above €23 billion, with fees growing mid-single digits, though NII is expected to decline due to a lower interest rate environment and Russia-related impacts.
RWAs are projected to rise to about €300 billion due to regulatory changes under Basel IV. By 2027, UniCredit aims for €10 billion in net profit and a RoTE above 17%, maintaining strong capital generation and efficiency.
Inorganic expansion remains selective, with the €10.1 billion public exchange offer for Banco BPM and an increased Commerzbank (ETR:CBKG) stake (about 28%).
Germany’s Merck KGaA said it is in advanced talks for a potential acquisition of SpringWorks Therapeutics, a U.S. biopharmaceutical company that specializes in rare diseases and cancer.
The German life-sciences and chemicals company said late Monday that no legally binding agreement has been entered into and that there is no certainty that any transaction will materialize. Critical conditions have yet to be met, Merck added.
SpringWorks in late 2023 launched its first drug, Ogsiveo, a therapy for a rare type of tumors that occur in connective tissue known as desmoid tumors in adults. It is awaiting a decision from U.S. drug regulators on its application for mirdametinib, a drug candidate for the treatment of rare genetic disorder neurofibromatosis type 1, or NF1.
Shares in SpringWorks jumped Monday after Reuters reported that the company was in talks with Merck, closing 34% higher. This gave the Stamford, Conn.-based company a market value of $4.02 billion, according to FactSet.
Shares in Merck fell 3.7% Monday, valuing the company at 58.67 billion euros ($60.47 billion).
Darmstadt, Germany-based Merck has operations spanning three segments–pharmaceuticals, life-science equipment and chemicals, and materials for the semiconductor and electronics industries.
The company had signaled at an investor update in October that it was on the lookout for deals, saying acquisitions were an integral part of its strategy. Merck said at the time that it was focusing on its life-science business for larger future transactions and that it would seek to intensify the in-licensing of drug candidates in its healthcare segment, which houses its pharma operations.
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