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As the Middle East conflict shakes markets, global companies are delaying IPOs and cutting dividends.
The Middle East conflict affected global financial markets, affected logistical systems and hindered supply of raw materials vital to a wide range of industries. The following list is alphabetical and includes some of the companies that have responded to the current crisis by delaying their initial public offering or withdrawing dividends: DOMETIC GROUP The Swedish outdoor technology company has withdrawn its SEK 1,00 ($0.11) dividend per share and instead proposed no dividends for 2025. The company said that geopolitical events had increased economic uncertainty, and there were signs that demand and trading conditions would be weaker than expected. LOVEHOLIDAYS Sources familiar with the situation have confirmed that Loveholidays, an online?travel agency, is preparing to postpone a London IPO of up to $1.33 billion due to the current conflict affecting the market and causing travel chaos. MCCOY GLOBAL The Canadian 'well' construction automation company announced that it would suspend the quarterly dividend in order to maintain "financial agility" in light of the conflict in the Middle East. It said the conflict had created uncertainty, and affected logistics and delivery schedules. PHONEPE Walmart-backed Indian Fintech firm announced that it has halted plans to launch an IPO due to volatility on global capital markets caused by geopolitical tensions. The company said that it would resume its IPO process when the global capital markets were stable again. SEVEN & i HOLDINGS 7-Eleven announced on April 9 that it would delay the listing of the North American division until the?2027 financial year or later, from the second half 2026. The company cited market uncertainty and risks to consumer spending. TURKISH AIRLINES The Turkish carrier announced on April 10, that it would not be distributing any dividends from its net profit of?2025, but instead will retain the earnings in order to conserve cash. XED EXECUTIVE?DEVELOPMENT The executive education platform is the first company in India's low tax GIFT City area to launch an IPO. It said that it had withdrawn the IPO due to a?weakness of market sentiments? caused by the conflict?in the Middle East, and the delays in completing the mandatory video-based verification for foreign investors and non-resident Indians linked to this conflict.
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Airline cancels flights due to Middle East conflict
The global air travel industry is still severely affected by the Iran War. Many people are unable to reach their destinations as planned after major Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai, Doha, and Abu 'Dhabi were closed. The latest flight information is listed below alphabetically: AEGEAN AIRLINES The largest airline in Greece has cancelled flights to Riyadh, Amman and Tel Aviv until June 27 and to Beirut and Beirut till June 26. The airline cancelled flights to Erbil, Baghdad and Dubai until June 29, and also to Erbil and Baghdad between July 2 and July 2. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has announced that flights to Tel Aviv are cancelled until May 31. Dubai flights are cancelled until 24 October. AIR CANADA The Canadian carrier has canceled?flights? to Tel Aviv until September 7. AIR EUROPA Spanish Airlines has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv from May 3 until now. AIR FRANCE-KLM Air France has suspended Tel Aviv flights to Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh until May 3. KLM suspends flights to Riyadh and Dubai until the 17th of May. CATHAY PACIFIC Hong Kong Airlines has cancelled all flights to Dubai and Riyadh up until 30 June. In April, the airline will increase its passenger flights from London, Paris, and Zurich to Europe to meet the increased demand. The U.S. carrier cancelled all flights between New York and Tel Aviv, and has delayed the start of the Atlanta-Tel Aviv flight until September 5. The launch of the Boston-Tel Aviv flight, which was originally scheduled for late October, has now been postponed until further notice. EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES Customers who had planned to leave Israel by April 18th have been informed that their flights, including return flights, have been cancelled. From April 13, the number of destinations will be increased to 30 and then gradually increase throughout the rest of the Month. EMIRATES After a partial opening of the regional airspace, Emirates Airlines has announced a reduced schedule. ETIHAD AERWAYS The UAE carrier said that it operates a commercial flight schedule from Abu Dhabi to around 80 destinations. FINNAIR The Finnish airline has canceled its Doha flights up to July 2 and continues to avoid the airspaces of Iraq, Iran Syria, and Israel. Dubai flights will only be resumed in October. FLYNAS Saudia, the budget airline, has suspended flights until April 15 to Dubai, Abu Dhabi Sharjah Doha, Bahrain Kuwait Iraq and Syria. British Airways, owned by IAG, will reduce flights to the Middle East once services resume. Jeddah is no longer a destination and it will be permanently removed. From July 1, it plans to reduce the number of flights to Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv from two daily flights to just one. Riyadh's two daily flights will be reduced to just one starting in mid-May. The changes will apply until the end of the summer season on October 24. One Dubai service will restart on October 16. Iberia Express, the Spanish low-cost carrier of IAG, has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until May 31. JAPAN AIRLINES Japan Airlines suspends scheduled Doha-Tokyo and Tokyo-Doha flight schedules until May 10. Japan Airlines has also announced additional flights between Tokyo, London and Doha on April 25. The Polish airline has suspended flights to Tel Aviv till May 31. The airline also cancelled flights from March 31 until May 30, and to Beirut between June 30 and 30. The airline will operate its winter route from Dubai to?October. LUFTHANSA GROUP Lufthansa and Swiss Airlines suspended flights from Dubai and Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi until May 31. They also suspended flights to Amman, Beirut and Dammam. Riyadh and Erbil were also affected. Lufthansa Cargo will remain the same except for Tel Aviv, which is suspended until April 30. Eurowings, a low-cost carrier, plans to suspend flights to Tel Aviv through April 30, and to Beirut, Erbil, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until October 24. MALAYSIA AIRLINES Malaysian Airlines has suspended all flights to Doha through June 14. NORWEGIAN AIR Low-cost carrier has delayed the planned launch of Tel Aviv and Beirut flights until June 15. PEGASUS Pegasus Airlines, Turkey's national airline, has cancelled all flights to Iran, Iraq, Amman Beirut, Kuwait Bahrain Doha Dammam Riyadh Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharjah and Abu Dhabi until May 1. ROYAL MAROC Moroccan airline cancels flights to Doha until June 30, and those to Dubai until May 31, QANTAS Australia's national carrier has added flights to Rome, Paris and other European destinations to meet the increased demand. The number of flights to Paris is to increase to five return flights a week, up from three. Perth-Singapore will also go from daily service to 10 flights. A new schedule for flights will be implemented gradually from mid-April until late July. QATAR AIRWAYS The airline said that it will gradually increase the number of flights from Doha, to more than 120 destination by mid-May. SINGAPORE Airlines In response to increased demand, the carrier has extended its suspension of Singapore-Dubai flights until May 31. It also added services on Singapore-London Gatwick as well as Singapore-Melbourne from late March through October 24. TURKISH AIRLINES SunExpress, Turkish Airlines joint venture with Lufthansa has cancelled flights from Dubai to April 30. WIZZ AIR Low-cost carrier suspends flights from Europe to Amman, Dubai and Abu Dhabi until mid-September. All flights to Medina are suspended indefinitely. (Compiled by Josephine Mason and Jamie Freed. Elviira Loma, Tiago Branao, Agnieszka Olenka, Bernadette HOG, Boleslaw LaSocki, Romolo Tosiani. Editing by Sumana Nady, Joe Bavier Mark Potter and Milla Nussi-Prussak
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Due to the price surge, Russia will increase LPG export duties in May.
According to LSEG and industry sources, Russia is likely to 'raise its export duties on liquefied petroleum gases in May - by about 25 times compared to april. Export duty on a propane-butane mixture is currently $5.2 per ton. The levy has been reinstated for the month of April, after being?zero between June 2025 to March 2026 due to?weak prices. Sources said that the export 'duty' on a mix of butane and iobutane could be as high as $119 per tonne in May. Since the U.S. - Israel war with?Iran began in late February, LPG exports have plummeted from the Middle East. Asia's largest supplier of the.fuel used for cooking as well as feedstock for chemical plants. According to Argus, the supply shock pushed spot prices?for butane and propane loading?in to April from Gulf countries to record highs - $250 per ton over March 'Saudi contract 'price swaps made on March 30. Reporting by. Mark Potter (Editing by Mark Potter).
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Shipping data shows that Congo quarterly copper exports are down by almost 15%, while cobalt is on the rise.
According to data from the shipping industry, copper exports in Democratic 'Republic of Congo dropped by 14.6% during the first quarter, after reaching a record high a year ago. Meanwhile, cobalt shipments recovered sharply following a long-term freeze. Congo is the largest cobalt producer in the world, accounting for 70% of the global reserves. It's also the second-largest copper supplier, which makes it an important pillar of the global supply chains of electric vehicles and clean energy transition. According to Access World data viewed by?Monday, it exported approximately 4.83 million metric tonnes of?copper in 2025 and 245,700 of cobalt. The group for commodities logistics and warehouses did not immediately respond to a comment request. Global?copper production is expected to decline this year, after a strong increase in?2025. The data show that between January 2026 and March 2026 the Congo shipped approximately 955,000 metric tons of copper, down from around 1.09 million tons one year earlier. The Congo's copper flow in early 2026 was supported by large operations, including Ivanhoe and China's CMOC. Glencore, and Chinese-backed Sicomines. Cobalt exports took a very different path. Congo exported 48,800 tonnes of cobalt to start?2026 compared with 123,000 tons during the same period in?2025, when exports had been frontloaded prior to the four-month export freeze. Tightening Chemicals Supply The U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has disrupted the shipments of key chemicals that are used in the?copper-and-cobalt processing?, forcing some operators into cutting back on usage. Chemical import flows are strained, which is critical to leaching ore and maintaining output. Congo imported approximately?414,600 tonnes of sulfur, 113,000 tonnes of sulfuric acid, and 7,300 tons caustic soda during the first quarter of 2025. The data shows that in the same time period of this year, imports of sulfur were around 368,500 metric tons. Meanwhile, caustic and sulfuric acids had fallen to 29,200 and 3,900 metric tons respectively. The Congo's Mines Ministry did not immediately respond to a comment request.
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Gulf Airlines slowly recovers as Iran Conflict drags
Middle Eastern Airlines, among the 'biggest in the world, have been severely affected by the 'Iran conflict, which has seen air strikes across the Gulf region. This has disrupted busy airport hubs, and forced the redrawing of traffic routes. After the initial strikes on February 28, the flight numbers of major state-backed carriers, including Emirates, Etihad Airways (flydubai), Qatar Airways (air Arabia) and flydubai (Qatar Airways), dropped to a near zero level. After the initial February 28 strikes by?U.S. forces, flight numbers for major state-backed carriers in the region including Emirates, Etihad Airways and flydubai dropped to near zero. Flightradar24.com data shows that despite a two-week-old ceasefire, the number of flights from the United Arab Emirates (which includes Abu Dhabi and Dubai) has'slowly increased since then. However, they are still 'well below their pre-conflict level. Recovery has been uneven. Flightradar24.com shows that Dubai-based Emirates has returned to nearly 70% of the flight volume it had before the conflict, while Etihad is at a comparable level. Qatar Airways and Air Arabia are back at near 50% of their pre-conflict flight volume, while flydubai is just above 40%. War on Iran has affected fares and demand. It has also hit airlines who do not hedge against oil prices as jet fuel costs soar. This has disrupted schedules across Europe and Asia. Airlines have been forced to store planes, and long "flights into nowhere" are the result. Qantas Airways warned on April 14, 'of soaring costs.' Lufthansa said it might have to ground planes. Virgin Atlantic also flagged an upcoming supply crisis, as the Iran conflict squeezed fuel supplies.
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Aid groups deliver humanitarian aid to Iran via land routes
On Tuesday, international humanitarian groups announced that they had delivered emergency relief 'through overland routes' to Iran. This was a few of their first aid deliveries since the?U.S. - Israeli strikes began late February. After six weeks of strikes and a slew of airstrikes, aid workers report that the need for humanitarian supplies is high. However, due to the conflict's expansion, stocks of emergency humanitarian products are stuck in Dubai warehouses. The U.N. Refugee Agency estimates that up to 3.2 millions people have been displaced by the war. The International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies has delivered 200 trauma kits, tents and blankets via trucks that were sent from Turkey along a newly opened route. Tommaso Della Longa, spokesperson for the IFRC, stated that the trucks crossed the Iranian border Sunday and will arrive in the capital Tehran by Tuesday. He told a Geneva Press Briefing that it was "very important" to him because it represented a new way of getting aid into Iran. It was easy before to fly or take a boat to bring aid to Iran within a few hours. Five trucks arrived from Jordan on Monday, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Nine more trucks are expected to arrive later this week. The Iranian Red Crescent, a humanitarian organization that works across Iran with 100,000 responders and four of which have been killed in the war, also received supplies. Della Longa stated in a statement that "needs are high. Medical needs, in particular, as well as the psychological toll, is immense." "Our partners from the Iranian Red Crescent provided psychological care in addition to the work that they did, literally digging people out. The ICRC trucks were stocked with buckets, mattresses, blankets, and other supplies to help?about 25,000 people who have been displaced due to the 'conflict. Sources say that after the weekend's failed negotiations to end the conflict, negotiating teams from Iran and the U.S. could return to Islamabad to resume the talks this week. (Reporting and editing by Aidan Lewis; Olivia Le Poidevin, Emma Farge)
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United-American mega-deal pitch drives up shares; antitrust issues loom
The merger of United Airlines with American Airlines would create an industry giant and attract the scrutiny of regulators, unions, and consumer advocates who are concerned about higher fares and less competition. According to two sources, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby floated a merger between the 'two carriers' to U.S. president Donald?Trump? in late February. However, industry officials quickly highlighted the significant antitrust hurdles such a deal could face. Details of Kirby’s proposal weren't immediately clear. Both carriers' shares rose on Tuesday morning, despite the fact that oil prices were still high due to the conflict between Israel and Iran. This has affected travel demand. Investors viewed the?potential agreement' as a rare bright point for an airline that has struggled to produce consistent profits in recent quarters and keep?costs in check. United shares rose about 2% in pre-market trading. American Airlines has been working to catch up with its rivals Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. These airlines have benefited from the strong demand for premium travel, while also better tailoring their product to market shifts. A deal of this size could give United the boost in market share and capacity it needs to take the lead from Delta Air Lines. Delta has long been the leader in the industry for profitability and premium revenue. American Airlines shares have fallen by 14.1%, and United Airlines' share price has dropped by 10.4% since the U.S. - Israel war against Iran began late in February. Executives from the airline and aviation industries have warned of the potential impact of a sustained period with high fuel prices on the industry. This could result in a reshaping by cutting margins, restricting capacity growth and increasing pressures on financially-weak carriers. Sources say that Kirby brought up the idea of a merger during a meeting at the White House on February 25, which was centered around the future of Washington Dulles International Airport. This meeting took place three days before conflict broke out. He said that a combined carrier would be 'better positioned to compete in the international market, where foreign carriers are responsible for the majority of long-haul capacity between and to the United States. Despite U.S. citizens being a large portion of these travelers. Antitrust experts and industry officials?said that any attempt to gain approval would face'steep obstacles,' citing concerns over competition, higher fares and job losses, as well as significant route overlap on a U.S. market already dominated primarily by four major airlines. United and American did not comment on the matter, nor did the White House. Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary, Rashika Singh and Harikrishnan Nair; Editing by Tasim Zahid and Harikrishnan Nair
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Cuba's top destinations are deserted and without fuel or power due to US sanctions
As the sun sets in Palpite - a small village on the edge the vast Zapata Swamp - the road suddenly becomes a hive of activity. The red?land crayfish that used to attract hundreds of thousands tourists each year are no longer present. A U.S. energy blackout has left a large part of the island without electricity. What tourist would want to come here in these conditions? Manuela Arencibia Baez, owner of a rental home, laments that it is now mostly empty. It's located just 2 miles down the road, in Playa Larga. This beachfront resort is the top destination for overnight stays. She said she had lost track of how many reservations she had to cancel. This included those made by tourists who were already in Cuba and couldn't find a driver with enough gas to travel the two-hour trip from Havana to the south and east. Arencibia is not alone in his concerns. The number of international tourists dropped 56% from the previous year in February. Both hotels in Playa Larga are closed. The majority of Playa Larga's tourist attractions have also been closed. Cuba has been suffering from shortages for decades, due to a state-run economic system and Cold War-era restrictions. Trade embargo complicates financial transactions and fuel imports. More than a dozen tourism workers and residents of the Zapata area told us that this time was different. Arencibia said, "We're worse off than we were during the coronavirus outbreak." He rattled off a long list of cancelled reservations from countries such as Switzerland, Canada France and Germany. The power cuts are now 22 hours long, and residents have only a few hours of light to 'call their loved ones in Miami or Havana or prepare food before the food rots. Many communities are running out of water. The availability of medical services, which was always difficult in remote areas of the country, is now limited due to power outages and a lack of communication. Fuel for independent travelers who used to rent cars and flock to the area is now scarce. Trump's fuel ban coincided with the peak tourist season in Cuba. This was a disaster for an industry that had already been crippled by shortages, but which still contributed 10% to foreign currency earnings as late as 2024. Fuel shortages forced many airlines to reduce flights, forcing hotels and other services to close. This affected destinations like Varadero and Cayo Coco as well as the east coast of Havana. "These months, I'm always booked," said Fidel Silvistre Fuentes. The 67-year old rental home owner has been providing accommodations for birdwatchers from around the globe who have come to see the bee-hummingbird, one of the smallest species in the world, as well as other endemics. "Now, we're empty." GHOST TOWN Varadero, Cuba's most popular sun and beach destination has fewer private rental homes than the Zapata Swamp area. It feels now like a ghost city. Potholes are getting deeper on the single access road to the region. The coast between Playa Larga at the bottom of the bay and Playa Giron further out feels abandoned. It is inhabited mostly by crabs and wayward residents riding horses and on bicycles. Even the top attractions in the region are closed. A guard revealed to a reporter that the Cueva de los Peces - a transparent, seemingly bottomless 'cave filled with tropical fish in vibrant colors - has been closed for more than two months. In areas like Zapata where there are few options for residents to work other than tourism, the impacts can be particularly severe. Jorge Alberto Brito is a hats and souvenirs seller who lives on a few pesos per day. "Without doubt, we've hit rock bottom." LUCKY FEW Fidel Fuentes, who rents an apartment in Playa Larga is one of the few lucky ones with enough money to buy solar panels and lithium batteries for storage. This gives his apartment a competitive edge over the competition. He says it hasn't worked. "Tourists don't come to Cuba to stay in comfortable accommodations, they come for the National Park, to enjoy bird watching, dive services, boat rides and fly fishing...experiences that are simply?not available right now," he stated, citing transportation and fuel shortages. Few tourists are still willing to take the risk of traveling to the area. Blair Andrews is an American tourist who has visited Cuba so many times that he knows the guides of a Bay of Pigs diving operation by first names. She said that electricity and mobile service was the least of her worries. She said, "I'm coming back because Cubans are great hosts and have beautiful cultures," as she strapped her tank on before diving into the aqua-green waters of the Bay of Pigs. "I am very saddened by what is happening to them." (Reporting and editing by Dave Sherwood, Alistair Bell and Ayose Naranjo)
As Iran's war chokes jet-fuel supply, airlines urge EU to step up
A document seen by?by shows that European airlines have called on the European Union (EU) to take emergency measures in order to deal with the consequences of the 'Iran War, such as widespread airspace closings and growing concerns about jet?fuel shortages.
In a document, the industry group "Airlines for Europe" (A4E), has asked the EU to introduce a number of crisis response actions, including EU level monitoring of jet fuel supply, a suspension of the EU carbon market for aviation and the scrapping of certain aviation taxes.
Since the U.S. and Israel war against Iran began on February 28th, the aviation sector has been affected by airspace closings. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has banned European airlines from operating within the airspace of'several Gulf nations including the UAE's and Qatar up until April 24th.
After the Strait of Hormuz was closed, the sector also faces a?crunch in jet fuel. Airports Council International Europe, a group of industry professionals, warned last week that Europe might face a severe jet fuel shortage within three weeks.
The A4E paper urged Brussels, which is a type of jet fuel, to consider a joint EU purchase of kerosene.
After Russia cut gas deliveries to Europe in 2022, the EU implemented a joint gas purchase program to try to maintain supplies. The model hasn't been used for oil or kerosene yet.
A4E's members, which include Lufthansa and Air France-KLM, as well as easyJet, have also called on the EU to amend their legal requirement that?countries maintain?90 day of emergency oil reserve, since this does not currently include a requirement regarding jet fuel.
The document also asked for clarifications on the existing legislation. This included confirmation that "airspace closures resulting from conflict and operational effects" will be treated as justified non-uses of slots.
The European Commission has said that it will present a package of measures to counter the impact of the Iran War on energy markets on April 22. However, this has not been confirmed to include any specific measures for jet fuel.
(source: Reuters)