>>> ZIM Integrated shipping board updates on ongoing strategic review process

ZIM Integrated shipping board updates on ongoing strategic review process
  • "As part of the review of strategic alternatives that has been on-going during the past several months, the ZIM Board of Directors received competitive proposals from multiple strategic parties to acquire all the outstanding ordinary shares of the Company, and it is currently evaluating such proposals with a focus on delivering significant value to all the Company's shareholders. The ZIM Board of Directors has also received a revised proposal from an entity owned by Eli Glickman, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and President, and Rami Ungar.
  • After careful consideration, the ZIM Board of Directors concluded that this proposal significantly undervalued the Company and informed the management-led entity that its revised proposal was declined. The strategic review, which is in advanced stages, includes consideration of potential value creation alternatives, such as a sale of the Company and capital allocation and potential return opportunities, with the goal of maximizing shareholder value.
  • There is no assurance that any transaction will occur as a result of this review or the proposals received, and the ZIM Board of Directors does not intend to provide additional updates until an agreement is reached or the review is otherwise completed."

>>> US After Hours Summary: ZIM +13.7% following updates on ongoing strategic re

After Hours Summary: ZIM +13.7% following updates on ongoing strategic review; PSN +5.6% nicely higher SHIELD contract; NBIX -1% after Phase 3 study did not meet primary endpoints
After Hours Gainers:

Companies trading higher in after hours in reaction to earnings/guidance: None.

Companies trading higher in after hours in reaction to news: ZIM +13.7% (updates on ongoing strategic review), PSN +5.6% (awarded a Missile Defense Agency SHIELD contract worth up to $151 bln), STNE +1.7% (authorizes new R$ 2 bln share repurchase program), ITRG +1.3% (full conversion and repayment of Beedie Capital convertible debenture), RTX +1.1% (awarded a $841 mln Army contract), IAG +0.9% (completes acquisition of Mines D'Or Orbec), AMRX +0.8% (FDA approves its Biologics Licensing Applications for Boncresa), OII +0.8% (names new CFO), NB +0.7% (Board approves Mine Portal Project), SVM +0.6% (reports PEA for Condor Gold Project in Ecuador), EOSE +0.5% (non-exec Chair to step down; appoints new non-exec Chair), BXP +0.2% (extends employment agreement with Chairman/CEO), HBAN +0.2% (HBAN and CADE received all regulator approvals of pending merger), GEV +0.1% (agreement to supply turbines for Australian wind farm)

After Hours Losers:

Companies trading lower in after hours in reaction to earnings/guidance: None.

Companies trading lower in after hours in reaction to news: JACK -2% (completes sale to Yadav for about $119 mln), NBIX -1% (Phase 3 KINECT-DCP study did not meet primary or secondary endpoints), UMAC -1% (receives purchase order value at $3.75 mln), PR -0.5% (corporate reorganization), UPXI -0.5% (files $1 bln mixed shelf offering), BYND -0.1% (files mixed shelf offering)

FT : Novo Nordisk weight-loss drug wins US approval as a daily pill

Novo Nordisk weight-loss drug wins US approval as a daily pill
Danish company will be first to market with oral obesity treatment but rival Eli Lilly is not far behind

The US drug regulator approved a daily pill version of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy injection, giving the Danish drugmaker a head start as the first to market in the next big competitive frontier in weight-loss treatments.

The company said it is manufacturing the drug and expects to be ready for a full launch in early January. Rival Eli Lilly is also expected to soon receive regulatory approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its pill version of popular injectable Zepbound, after announcing positive results from its latest trial last week.

Dave Moore, executive vice-president of US operations at Novo Nordisk, said: “We are confident that the expansion of Wegovy to a pill will help patients who may have not sought or accepted treatment before.”

Researchers have spent decades investigating how to bring weight-loss pills to market, which could be easier to sell than injectables that some consumers find off-putting. Pfizer, Amgen and Roche have all scrapped potential obesity pills after disappointing trials in recent years.

Novo Nordisk’s early achievement will help it win back market share from rival Eli Lilly. The Denmark-based company last month said it expected sales growth to be at the lower end of its guidance this year because of lower than expected sales of Wegovy and its tandem diabetes treatment, Ozempic.

Meanwhile, Lilly has continued to benefit from surging consumer demand for its weight-loss drugs, with purchases for the treatment more than doubling in the most recent quarter thanks to strong sales in new markets.

Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss pill contains semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic. Lilly’s weight-loss pill contains orforglipron, while the active ingredient in its weight-loss injectable Zepbound is tirzepatide.

The Wegovy pill was effective at an average weight loss of about 17 per cent of body weight at 64 weeks, compared to Eli Lilly’s average reduction of 20.2 per cent at 72 weeks.

The Wegovy pill will be available at $149 a month after the company negotiated with Donald Trump’s administration to cut prices for obesity drugs. The White House last month said Eli Lilly’s pill would cost $346 a month through TrumpRx but future pills would also be priced at $149 a month.

FT : Alphabet agrees to buy Intersect Power for $4.75bn

Alphabet agrees to buy Intersect Power for $4.75bn
Deal will help Google’s parent company expand access to generation needed to power AI development

Alphabet agreed to acquired data centre energy group Intersect Power for close to $5bn, boosting the Google parent’s power generation as it races to develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence.

The deal, announced on Monday, would enable Alphabet to bolster its data centre capacity, said Sundar Pichai, the group’s chief executive.

“Intersect will help us expand capacity, operate more nimbly in building new power generation in lockstep with new data centre load, and reimagine energy solutions to drive US innovation and leadership.”

Intersect, which is backed by private equity group TPG, develops infrastructure, including renewable power sources, for data centre campuses.

The deal to buy Intersect for $4.75bn in cash, plus debt, broadens Alphabet’s access to power at a time when the technology giant is competing with rivals including OpenAI, Elon Musk’s xAI and Meta to train and run energy-intensive AI models.

Each of those companies has sought ways of expanding their access to power, either via the grid or by generating power on-site.

Alphabet said the deal would augment its “ongoing commitment to partnering with utilities and energy developers across the sector to unlock abundant, reliable, affordable energy supply that enables the build-out of data centre infrastructure”.

The Big Tech company took a minority stake in Intersect last year, partnering with the group to develop energy plants for data centres. Those assets, as well as Intersect’s staff, are included in the transaction.

Intersect has $15bn of assets operating in the US or under construction, according to the company. Those assets, in Texas and California, were not included in the deal and would remain under the Intersect brand, the companies said.

FT : US halts offshore wind licences over national security concerns

US halts offshore wind licences over national security concerns
Shares in Ørsted, the world’s largest offshore wind developer, fell by more than 14% after announcement

The Trump administration has suspended leases on all large offshore wind projects in a fresh attack on the sector, which the US president has repeatedly criticised.

The US government cited national security concerns as it said it was pausing the leases to the “expensive, unreliable, heavily subsidised projects”, effective immediately.

In a post on X, interior secretary Doug Burgum said President Donald Trump was “bringing back common sense to energy policy and putting security FIRST!”

Shares in Ørsted, the world’s largest offshore wind developer, fell by more than 14 per cent after the announcement, while those in wind turbine maker Vestas fell more than 4 per cent.

Both companies are listed in Denmark. US-listed Dominion Energy’s stock dropped 5 per cent in early morning trading.

The suspensions include Dominion Energy’s $11.3bn Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind. The project was thought to be in a favourable position because of its advanced stage of construction and the advocacy of the state’s Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin.

In a statement Dominion Energy said suspending the project for any length of time would threaten the reliability of the grid as well as thousands of jobs, and risked pushing up energy costs.

“CVOW is American owned and benefits all of our Virginia customers,” it added.

Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, said the president’s “obsession with killing offshore wind projects is unhinged, irrational and unjustified”. He said the move was a “backwards step that will drive energy bills even higher. It will kill good union jobs, spike energy costs and put our grid at risk”.

Trump has previously described wind as the “worst” and “most expensive” form of energy and has taken several steps to thwart offshore projects since taking office. 

In a press release, the Department of the Interior said Monday’s move followed “national security risks identified by the Department of War in recently classified reports”.

It also pointed to what it claimed were “inherent” risks of radar interference from the turbines. 

The announcement covers five wind farms in total. Some have previously been targeted by the administration, including Ørsted’s Revolution Wind and Equinor’s Empire Wind. Equinor said it was evaluating the order and seeking “further information from the federal government”.

Vineyard Wind, a project off the coast of Massachusetts, and Sunrise Wind, which is between Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island, were also named in the announcement. 

In recent weeks the Trump administration’s push against offshore wind encountered a setback when a Massachusetts district court struck down a ban on issuing new permits after 17 states, Washington DC and clean energy groups sued the government. 

A federal judge in September also allowed Ørsted to continue work on the Revolution Wind farm, blocking a stop work order issued by the Trump administration. 

Today’s decision is a major blow for the developer, which had to tap shareholders for an extra $9bn in a rights issue in October after Trump’s hostility to the sector stymied its efforts to sell a stake in its Sunrise Wind project. 

The Department of the Interior said in a statement that the pause would give the government “time to work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects”.

>>> What to look at today - 22nd of December 2025

Global stocks climbed as investors bet on a strong finish to the year for markets following a rally in US shares on Friday. The MSCI All Country World Index — one of the broadest measures of the equity market — rose for a third day and was headed for its highest close since Dec. 11. It is up about 20% in 2025. A gauge of Asian stocks jumped as much as 1.1%, led by tech, while US futures also advanced. Commodity markets were in the spotlight, with gold and silver hitting record highs and oil gaining amid heightened geopolitical tensions as US President Donald Trump intensified a blockade on Venezuela. Copper also reached a new peak. In Japan, bond yields rose to multi-year highs following Friday’s rate hike, while the yen strengthened after the nation’s chief currency official sent a warning on recent moves. Hopes for a year-end rally in equities grew as dip buyers late last week helped US stocks recover from a slide driven by doubts over AI exuberance and the scope for Federal Reserve easing. The S&P 500 Index added 0.9% on Friday in a second day of gains, wiping out the week’s loss as volumes spiked during a quarterly options and futures expiry, and as traders positioned for gains into 2026.  Precious metals rallied, with their haven appeal boosted by geopolitical tensions and expectations of more Fed rate cuts. Looser monetary policy is a tailwind for gold and silver, which don’t pay interest. Spot gold strengthened more than 1% to surpass the previous record of $4,381 an ounce set in October. Silver also climbed to a record and platinum advanced for an eighth straight session. Brent climbed to around $61 a barrel with US forces boarding one tanker and pursuing another one near Venezuela within weeks of first capturing a vessel. Washington has been stepping up pressure on Venezuela’s government, with Trump aiming to choke off its key revenue stream. Copper approached $12,000 a ton at the tail end of a momentous year dominated by trade turmoil, tight supply and optimism for long-term demand. The metal is on track for its biggest annual gain since 2009. Japanese markets remained in focus after the central bank raised its benchmark interest rate to the highest in 30 years on Friday. Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda chose to keep his options open rather than bolster the yen, delivering a cautious rate hike that left the currency sliding toward levels which have triggered intervention in the past.
The yen, which had weakened to as much as 157.78 per dollar, found some strength on Monday as Atsushi Mimura, the nation’s chief currency official, said he was “deeply concerned” about what he termed as “one-directional, sudden moves,” especially after the monetary policy meeting. “We’d like to take appropriate responses against excessive moves,” Mimura told reporters. Meanwhile, Japan’s benchmark 10-year yield climbed 7.5 basis points to 2.095%, a level unseen since February 1999. The two-year yield, which is sensitive to monetary policy expectations, rose to the highest since 1997. Treasuries also fell ahead of a two-year auction while a gauge of the dollar edged lower. Elsewhere, China’s commercial banks kept the one-and five-year loan prime rates unchanged, as expectations grow that the People’s Bank of China may ease policy next year. In terms of data, UK and US growth readings are due this week, as well as minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia’s December policy meeting which may give clues to whether it could hike in February. In Japan, Tokyo inflation as well as national jobs data are due, which may help traders assess the outlook for BOJ’s policy.

Nikkei +1.79% Hang Seng +0.08% CSI +0.89% Shanghai +0.67% Shenzen +1.20%

Eur$ 1.1717 CNH 7.0334 CNY 7.0406 JPY 157.35 GBP 1.3398 CHF 0.7948 RUB 80.0964 TRY 42.8165 WTI$ 57.15 +1.13% Gold 4,400 +1.42% BTC 88,808 0.74% ETH 3,028 +1.81% SOL 126.1690 +1.02%

S&P +0.28% Nasdaq +0.46% EuroStoxx -0.10% FTSE -0.08% Dax +0.03% SMI -0.15%

Macro :
- Trump Administration Proposes Models to Cut Medicare Spending
- EU Probes Chinese Mobile Crane Imports, Manitowoc Says
- Nine Drugmakers Strike Pricing Deals With Trump to Avoid Tariffs

Keep an eye on :
- ADDVA SS : Amplex Increases Offer Price for ADDvise (Dec. 19)
- AIR FP : France Is Hiding Information on Airbus in China: US Lawmakers
- AKTS US : Aktis Oncology Seeks to List on NASDAQ Under Symbol ‘AKTS’
- AKZA NA : Akzo Nobel CFO Extends Tenure to Support Merger With Axalta
- ANTO LN : Chinese Copper Smelter, Antofagasta Agree to Zero Fee for 2006
- APO US : Apollo Builds up Cash as It Girds for Market Turbulence: FT
- BAC US : BofA to Boost Bonuses for Investment Bankers This Year: Reuters
- BPER IM : BPER, Trade Unions Sign Agreements on Generational Turnover
- BA US : Boeing Asks FAA to Waive Emissions Rule For 777 Freighter
- BW NO : Carlyle in Talks to Buy BW Offshore
- CLN SW : Clariant Rejects Allegations of Damages Tied to Ethylene Case
- CWAN US : Permira, Warburg Near $8.4 Billion Clearwater Analytics Deal
- CYTK US : Cytokinetics Up on FDA Nod for MYQORZO for Obstructive HCM
- DIS US : Disney’s ‘Avatar 3’ Hits Theaters With $88 Million Opening, ‘Avatar 3’ Tops China Box Office in Another Win for Disney
- DUE GY : Duerr See FY2025 FCF of €100M to €200M, Saw €0M to €50M
- EQT SS : EQT to Buy Arlanda Express Operator A-Train; Price Undisclosed
- FYB GY : *FORMYCON GETS FDA APPROVAL FOR NUFYMCO
- GL FP : Galeries Lafayette in Talks to Sell Iconic BHV Building in Paris
- Golden Goose : Golden Goose Sneakers Sold by Permira to Chinese Firm HSG
- GOOGL US : Waymos Froze, Blocked Traffic During San Francisco Power Outage
- GSK LN : Samsung Biologics to Buy GSK’s US Maryland Site for $280m
- ICAD FP : Icade to Sell Marignan Building in Paris for €402M
- IBKR US : Interactive Brokers Applies for National Trust Bank Charter
- IPN FP : Ipsen Gets Exclusive Global Rights to Simcere Zaiming’s SIM061
- JNJ US : Law Firm Says Jury Delivers $65.5M Verdict Against J&J
- LAZR US : Luminar Technologies to be Delisted From Nasdaq --> -39%
- Moore Threads Tech - 688795 CH : Ex-Nvidia Billionaire Unveils New AI Chips After China IPO Debut
- MOWI NO : Mowi Enters Into Strategic Feed Pact With Skretting/Nutreco
- MUX GY : Wartsila to Divest its Gas Solutions Business to Mutares
- NVDQ US : FTC Allows Nvidia, Intel to Finalize Their Deal
- P911 GY : Porsche to End about 200 Charging Stations in China: Yicai
- PST IM : Poste Italiane Buys 49% of PagoPA’s Share Capital
- RIO LN : Monadelphous Notice of Award for Pact at Brockman Mine Hub
- ROG SW : FDA Approves Roche’s Subcutaneous Lunsumio Velo for Blood Cancer
- STM SP : Seatrium Shares Jump on Dispute Resolution With Maersk Affiliate
- SEM PL : Semapa Sees €400 Million Capital Gain in 2026 from Secil Sale
- SRE US : Sempra Cuts FY EPS Forecast, Guides to High End for Adj. EPS
- SKAB SS : Skanska Gets SEK1.1b Contract for San Jacinto Expressway Project
- TSLA US : Tesla Touts Post-Crash Door Safety Feature for Some of Its Cars
- TGS NO : TGS Agrees Supermajor Deal for Licensing of Imaging Anyware
- TRMDA DC : Torm, Frontline Queried By Senator in Fuel Smuggling Probe
- UBER US : Uber, Lyft Team Up With Baidu to Start Robotaxi Trials in UK
- 2202 HK : China Vanke Enters Critical Day With Just Hours to Avoid Default
- WRT1V FH : Wartsila to Divest its Gas Solutions Business to Mutares

>>> Stoxx 600 Pre-Market Indications

  • Abivax (2X1 TH) +4%
  • Telecom Italia (TQI TH) +2%
    • Telecom Italia’s Board Backs Proposal to Convert Savings Shares
  • M&G (7MP TH) +1.8%
  • Sika (SIKA TH) +1.5%
  • DSM-Firmenich (ZX6 TH) +1.2%
  • Legal & General (LGI TH) +1.1%
  • Ferrovial (8ZQ TH) +1.1%
  • Aker BP (ARC TH) +1.1%
  • Fresnillo (FNL TH) +1%
  • BAE (BSP TH) +1%
  • Hensoldt (HAG TH) -1%
  • Leonardo (FMNB TH) -1%
  • Huhtamaki (HUKI TH) -1%
  • Novo (NOV TH) -1.1%
  • Voestalpine (VAS TH) -1.2%
  • Reckitt (3RB TH) -1.3%
  • Vodafone (VODI TH) -1.4%
  • TAG Immobilien (TEG TH) -1.4%
  • Carnival Plc (POH1 TH) -1.6%
  • Indra (IDA TH) -1.7%