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Hapag-Lloyd reports that one ship has passed Strait of Hormuz
Hapag-Lloyd, a container?shipping company, said that one of their ships had crossed the 'Strait of Hormuz' on Friday. However, they did not have any information about the circumstances. A spokesperson said that four of the six initial ships are still in the Gulf after the charter agreement for one ship expired. This means the ship no longer belongs Hapag-Lloyd's fleet. He said that the four Hapag vessels still in the Gulf have 100 crew members who are supplied with "food and water". The United States struggles to keep control of the Strait of Hormuz - one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Since a ceasefire was declared on April 8, the Iran war that Israel and the U.S. launched on February 28 has been put on hold. The?U.S. The?U.S. Tehran has said it won't consider opening the Strait until Washington lifts the "blockade" of Iran shipping that Washington imposed in the truce, and which Tehran views as a violation. This week, the?Iran showed off its control?over a large cargo ship with a video showing commandos storming it in a speedboat. (Reporting and writing by Elke Ahlswede; editing by Miranda Murray).
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China denies Trump's claim that the intercepted Iranian ship was a 'gift' from China
China's Foreign Ministry rejected on Friday an accusation made by U.S. president Donald Trump, that a cargo ship?flagged with Iranian flag?was seized by the United States. The "gift" from China was the armed forces. The U.S. claimed it had fired and seized a cargo ship from Iran that was trying to evade the blockade of Iranian ports. The Iranian military claimed that the ship was en route from China, and promised retaliation for what it called "armed piratery by the U.S." military." Trump told CNBC on Tuesday that the ship had "some things on it, which weren't very nice." "A gift from China, perhaps? I don't really know." The Chinese Foreign Ministry has rejected these comments. Reporters in Beijing were told by ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun that "China is against any accusations or associations without a factual base". "Normal international commercial relations between countries shouldn't be subject to interference or disruption," he added. According to maritime security sources, the 'container ship Touska', which was boarded by U.S. forces on Sunday and seized, likely has dual-use items, that Washington considers could be used by the military, on board.
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Geely Caocao will deploy thousands of robotaxis fully customized in 2027
Caocao Inc., the ride-hailing division of Chinese automaker Geely Holding Group, said that it plans to deploy thousands?of robotaxis worldwide next year. Its CEO announced this on Friday. This could create a rivalry between Tesla's Cybercab and Caocao Inc. Caocao CEO Gong Xin said that the first large-scale deliveries and deployments of the Geely-made robotaxi Eva Cab are expected to begin in 2028, before the fleet grows to 100,000 vehicles by 2030. He said that the Eva Cab would first be deployed on the roads in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and five cities of mainland China next year. Production, delivery, and deployment will be nearly simultaneous. The robotaxi is a 'purpose-built' vehicle with a redesigned cabin that has a simplified storage system and no door pockets. This reduces the risk of passengers forgetting their belongings. Gong, without disclosing an exact price, said that the cost of driverless cars with a luxury interior but without a powerful motor and without luxuries would be lower than the private cars. This approach is in contrast to the majority of robotaxis that are currently on public roads. These vehicles are usually modified versions mass-market cars, limiting interior optimization and cost control. Geely Holdings incubated Caocao in 2015. It is now the core platform of its shared mobility operations and robotaxis. It will be listed in Hong Kong by 2025. In the fourth quarter, it made its first ever quarterly adjusted net profit. Chinese automakers are moving towards autonomous driving and mobility solutions amid increased competition in the world's largest automobile market. Brian Gu, Xpeng's president, said on Thursday that the company will probably produce hundreds to thousands robotaxis over a period of 12 to 18 months. He said that Xpeng will initially focus on manufacturing robotaxis, and it is still looking for operating partners who can work together on a global robotaxi venture. The move by Chinese manufacturers to robotaxis could lead to a confrontation with Tesla. Elon Musk has said that the production of Cybercabs will increase gradually, before accelerating sharply. The vehicles are expected to replace modified cars as Tesla expands their driverless fleet. (Reporting and editing by Qiaoyi Li, Liz Lee)
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Truckmaker Volvo raises European market forecast as North American orders soar
Volvo Group announced a'sharp?rise' in truck orders for the first quarter on Friday. This was driven by strong demand from Europe and North America. Volvo Group also raised its forecasts for European heavy trucks registrations. The U.S. markets showed signs of improvement after a long downturn. Orders from North America increased by 78% in the first quarter. The European market continued to grow steadily. "Demand for our products in Europe continued to increase gradually while orders in North and South America increased dramatically." The recent increase in North American orders will allow production to be more balanced?from may", CEO Martin Lundstedt stated in a press release. Hampus Engellau, an analyst at Handelsbanken, said that the high?U.S. The order intake means that operating leverage should improve during the second half of this year. Volvo shares rose by 2.5% on the opening of the market. According to a LSEG survey, the average analyst's forecast for this quarter was 11.4 billion Swedish crowns ($1.2billion). However, operating profit dropped 20% from last year and fell to 10.7 billion Swedish Crowns ($1.2billion) in the third quarter. Bernstein and Handelsbanken, however, said that adjusted earnings of 12,2 billion crowns was above expectations. The global truck order intake increased by 14%, to 62 755 vehicles. Volvo has increased its forecast for Europe's heavy truck market to 310,000 units this year, up from the 305,000 vehicles forecast in January. The company maintained its forecast for North American heavy truck sales of 265,000 vehicles. Volvo's forecasts are viewed as conservative by many. Bernstein analysts predicted that attention would be focused on 'why Volvo didn't raise its North American market outlook. The group also said that the conflict in the Middle East has not caused major disruptions to its supply chain.
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Wall Street Journal, April 24,
These are the most popular?stories from the Wall Street Journal. These stories have not been?verified? and we cannot vouch for their accuracy. Pershing Square Inc., an investment firm owned by Bill Ackman, plans to sell up to 33.12 millions shares at a price of $50 each in its initial public offer. Nike plans to reduce its workforce by 1,400 employees, or 2% of its total, in order to simplify its global operations. Donald Trump, the president of the United States, said that the 'U.S. Spirit Airlines is a struggling budget airline that could be taken over by the government to save both jobs and the airline. U.S. Federal Authorities charged a U.S. Army Soldier who 'took part in operation to capture Nicolas Maduro' with using classified data?to earn more than $400,000. A preliminary safety report states that the emergency responder who was in the firetruck that was involved?in the fatal crash last month at?LaGuardia Airport heard the air traffic controller ask him to stop crossing an active runway but didn't realize the transmission had been intended for his vehicle.
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Kuehne+Nagel raises profit forecast on the back of strong early-year performance
Kuehne und Nagel, the Swiss logistics company, slightly raised 'the bottom end' of its operating profit guidance on Friday, less than two month after it was announced. The group cited continued cost discipline as well as a good start to the year for air, road, and contract logistics. The freight forwarder that operates in over 100 countries has a forecast of recurring earnings between?1.25 and 1.40 billion Swiss Francs ($1.59 to $1.78billion) in 2026. This is up from the previous guidance of 1.2 to 1.4 billion Swiss Francs. Its EBIT in 2025 was 1.24 billion Swiss francs. Geopolitical tensions are adding to the already stressed logistics sector in Europe. Analysts expected the first quarter profits of the sector to be boosted by the U.S./Israel war against Iran. K+N's sea logistics business has been negatively impacted by the Middle East disruption in the short-term. CEO Stefan Paul made a statement that said, "We closely monitor the situation. Especially with regards to the rising energy prices and their?possible effect on consumer demand." Sea logistics, a group business, posted a 46% drop in operating profit for the first quarter compared to 210 million last year. However, it beat analyst's expectations of 103 millions francs. This decline was also due to the?strong quarter last year, when shipping volumes were high before U.S. president Donald Trump's?Liberation Day tariff announcements.
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French and Benelux stocks: Factors to watch
Here are some company news and stories that could impact the markets in France and Benelux or individual stocks. ACCOR: The French hotel group Accor announced Q1 revenues of 1,31 billion euros - with RevPAR increasing by 5.1%. They noted that the Iran War had a greater impact on Middle East business activities from mid-March. ADYEN: Dutch payment?company Adyen has announced that it will acquire Talon.One in exchange for 750 million euros. The company also reported a 20% increase in revenue during the first quarter, reaching 628.8 millions euros. AEROPORTS de PARIS (ADP), Groupe ADP, a French airport operator, announced that it had sold securities representing around 3.4% of GAL’s equity share capital for 924 million euro to GMR Group. It also proposed a special dividend per share of 0.8 euros for 2025. A further special distribution per share of 1.0 euros could be made upon completion of the deal. BOLLORE: Bollore, a French conglomerate, reported a 6.5% increase in Q1 2026 revenues to 815 millions euros and proposed a special dividend of 1.5 euros each share. CARMILA : French shopping center operator Carmila announced a Q1 gross rental revenue of 112.3 millions euros, and proposed a dividend of 1,36 euros per share by 2025. This is 9% higher than the previous year. Clariane, a French provider of elderly care services, reported a 4.9% increase in organic revenue to 1,336 millions euros for the first quarter of 2026. FNAC DARTY The French electronics and entertainment retailer Fnac Darty announced Q1 revenues of 2,310 million Euros, with a gross margin rate that was up by 10 basis points compared to the previous quarter. It also confirmed its forecasts for 2026 and 2030. SEB: French small appliances manufacturer Groupe SEB reported Q1 2026 sales at 1,885 millions euros, an increase of 2.7% compared to the same period last year, and operating results up by 42%, reaching 72 million euros. LISI, a French aerospace fasteners manufacturer, reported Q1 2026 revenues of 468 millions euros, an increase of 10.9% on a comparable basis. The company also has a solid order backlog in the aerospace industry. SAINT-GOBAIN: Saint-Gobain, a French manufacturer of building materials, reported sales of 11.11 billion euros in Q1 - down 2.3% on a like-for-like basis and 2.3% on a local currency basis. The company also confirmed that its EBITDA target for 2026 is?over 15%. TIKEHAU CAPITAL: Tikehau Capital, a French alternative asset manager, reported 53 billion euro in assets under management for Q1 - an increase of 7% over last year. Net new money raised was 1.0 billion euro across private markets strategies. UNIBAIL-RODAMCO-WESTFIELD: European shopping center operator Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield reported Q1 proportionate total turnover of 908.2 million euros with tenant ?sales up 5.0% and ?confirmed its 2026 adjusted recurring earnings per share guidance of 9.15 to 9.30 euros. VALEO: Valeo, a French auto parts manufacturer, reported sales of 5.12 billion Euros in Q1, above the consensus estimate of?5.01billion euros. It also confirmed its outlook for 2026. VINCI: Vinci, a French construction and concessions company, reported stable Q1 revenue at 16.3 billion euro, an increase of 1% when exchange rates are constant. Net financial debt was reduced by 1.4 billion euro year-on-year, and the group confirmed its outlook for 2026. Pan-European market ?data: European Equities speed guide................... FTSE Eurotop 300 index.............................. DJ ?STOXX index...................................... Top 10 STOXX sectors........................... Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors...................... Top ?10 Eurotop 300 sectors..................... Top 25 European pct gainers....................... Top 25 European pct losers........................ Main stock markets: Dow Jones ............... Wall Street Report ..... Nikkei 225............. Tokyo report............ London report ........... Xetra DAX............. Frankfurt items......... CAC-40................. Paris items............ World Indices..................................... Survey of global bourse outlook ......... European Asset Allocation........................ News in a glance Top News ............. Equities.............. Main Oil Report ........... Main currency report .....
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Indian shares drop on higher oil prices and weak Infosys predictions
Indian shares fell on Friday as they headed for a third straight session of losses, pressured by rising oil prices due to Middle East tensions and a fall in IT stocks after Infosys released a weak revenue forecast. As of 9:37 a.m. IST, the Nifty 50 index fell 0.66% and the BSE Sensex dropped 0.76%. This week they are down by 1.4% and 1.8%, on track to end a winning streak of two weeks. On the day, all 16 major?sectors fell. Small-caps and midcaps both fell by about 0.5%. IT index fell 2.3% due to a drop of 3% in Infosys. The No. 2 IT company in the country?forecast annual revenue growth below market expectations due to macroeconomic uncertainty and tepid client spending. The country's No. The outlook was more important than the better-than expected?fourth quarter results. Jefferies said that "growth concerns will continue to weight on the stock" and added that Infosys's?FY2027 guidance for growth was "disappointing due to multiple growth headwinds." Brent crude hovered at $106 following a video of Iran's commandos storming an cargo ship after the Strait of Hormuz was seized by Iran. This came in response to the failure of peace talks and the extension of the ceasefire announced by U.S. president Donald Trump. Bajaj Broking Research said that "persistent uncertainty due to the escalating U.S. - Iran tensions and the sharp rise in crude price is keeping sentiments fragile." The brokerage stated that "additionally, the rupee's weakening at the 94-mark and continued foreign outflows from domestic stocks are contributing to the overall market gyrations." LTM, among other stocks, fell 3.4%, despite a marginal revenue increase in the fourth quarter. Multiple brokerages claimed that a weak outlook for growth would lead to a devaluation of valuations. Cyient's quarterly profits missed expectations due to a?one-time fee and higher costs. Inventurus Knowledge Solutions, which bucks the 'trend,' jumped 9% after announcing a cross-border deal, signing a contract to purchase U.S. based healthcare IT company TruBridge, for up to $565,000,000.
Trump threatens to strike Iran’s Kharg Island oil networks if shipping routes remain blocked
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, threatened to?order attacks on the petroleum infrastructure of Iran’s Kharg Island oil center unless Tehran stopped targeting vessels in the Strait of?Hormuz. This warning could further roil the markets that are already dealing with a historic supply disruption. Trump's ultimatum was accompanied by a post on social media claiming that the United States "totally destroyed" military targets on the island. The island is the export terminal of 90% of Iran's oil, and lies approximately 300 miles (483 kilometers) northwest from the Strait.
Trump wrote that U.S. strikes did not target Kharg’s oil infrastructure. However, "should Iran or anyone else interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships Through the Strait of Hormuz I will immediately revisit this decision."
The president said that Iran was unable to defend itself against U.S. attack. The president added that the Iranian military, as well as all those involved in this terrorist regime, would do well to lay down their weapons and save whatever is left of their country. He posted it on Truth Social.
Iranian media reported that Iran's armed force responded to any attack on its oil and energy infrastructure on Saturday, saying any strikes would result in strikes on oil companies cooperating closely with the United States of America in the region.
According to Iran's semiofficial Fars News Agency, which cited sources, more than 15 blasts were heard during the U.S. attack on Kharg Island. Sources said that the U.S. attacks were aimed at air defenses, airport facilities, a navy base and an airport. However, no damage was done to oil infrastructure.
The markets were looking for any sign that the U.S. strike had affected the intricate network of storage tanks, terminals, and pipelines on the island. Even minor disruptions can add pressure to a volatile market.
Iran's Tasnim reported that the Revolutionary Guard of Iran had carried out 'additional attacks' on Israel in conjunction with Lebanon's Hezbollah.
The Israeli military announced on Friday that its air force had hit more than 200 targets, including missile launchers, air defence systems, and weapons production facilities, in central and western Iran during the last day. U.S. troops have suffered "casualties". The U.S. Military confirmed on Friday that all six crew aboard a refuelling plane that crashed in west Iraq were dead.
The Wall Street Journal reported that five U.S. Air Force tanks at a Saudi Arabian base had been damaged by an Iranian missile attack and were currently being repaired.
GULF AND LEBANON ARE FLASHPOINTS The oil prices have swung dramatically on Trump's shifting comments about the duration of the conflict, which began February 28th with massive U.S.-Israeli bombardments against Iran. It quickly spread to a regional war with wide implications for the global energy and stock markets.
The war in Lebanon escalated as Israel's army and Hezbollah forces exchanged strikes around Beirut.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in addition to its missile and drone attacks against Israel and Gulf State allies of the U.S. has also sought to disrupt shipping along the Strait of Hormuz. This is a route for 20% of fossil energy supply around the world.
Trump told reporters Friday that the U.S. Navy would "soon start" escorting oil tankers along the waterway.
Trump, who has said that the war will last only a few weeks in the past, did not publicly announce an end date on Friday.
He told reporters, "I cannot tell you this." "I have my own ideas, but to what end? It will be for as long as necessary." Iran continued to sell crude oil, while other Gulf producers halted their exports for fear of Iranian attacks.
According to TankerTrackers.com, satellite images reviewed on Wednesday showed that multiple very large crude oil tanks were loading at Kharg. Iran exported between 1.5 million bpd and 1.1 million bpd?from February 28th to Wednesday.
Bob McNally, President?of Rapidan Energy Group said Trump's Friday comments "will focus the mind of the market on ways that this energy disruption could grow and last even longer."
Some industry experts expressed doubts about the safety of Kharg's oil installations.
Josh Young, Chief Investment Officer at Bison interests said: "Bombing the Kharg island but not the oil pipeline is like going to McDonald's and getting a hamburger without meat." "What's your point?"
The Middle East is now at war with Iran. Mojtaba Khmenei, Iran's supreme leader in his first public remarks on Thursday, vowed that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed and urged other countries to close U.S. military bases on their soil or face being attacked. French officials say that European powers have been trying to figure out how they can defend their interests. France has consulted with European, Asian and Gulf Arab countries over the last week in order to come up with a plan to eventually escort oil tankers through the Strait. After nearly two weeks of conflict, 2,000 have died, the majority in Iran but also in Lebanon, and an increasing number in the Gulf. This is the first time that the Gulf has been on the front lines of Middle East conflict in decades. More than a million people are displaced. Beirut's suburbs were bombarded by Israeli warplanes, and Lebanon's Interior Minister said that authorities could not accommodate the hundreds of thousand people who sought refuge in Beirut.
(source: Reuters)