DAX:
- Bayer (BAYN TH) +3.5%
- Bayer Floats Revised Plan to Resolve Future Roundup Lawsuits (1)
- Deutsche Bank (DBK TH) +2.9%
- Deutsche Bank CFO Sees Positive Trading Momentum in ‘21: TOPLive
- Continental AG (CON TH) +0.6%
- Deutsche Boerse (DB1 TH) +0.5%
- Fresenius SE (FRE TH) +0.3%
- Fresenius SE Cut to Hold at Deutsche Bank; PT 39 euros
- Daimler (DAI TH) -0.5%
- Daimler CEO Goes Bold in Biggest Shake-Up Since Chrysler Sale
- NOTE: Shares soared 8.9% Wednesday on trucks spinoff plan
- VW (VOW3 TH) -0.6%
- Delivery Hero (DHER TH) -1.2%
- Delivery Hero May Take $1.7 Billion Impairment on Korean Deal
- HeidelbergCement (HEI TH) -1.2%
- HeidelbergCement Cut to Sell at Goldman; PT 58 euros
MDAX:
- Cancom (COK TH) +3.4%
- Cancom Prelim FY Ebitda About EU123.1M
- Hannover Re (HNR1 TH) +1.5%
- Hannover Re Prelim FY Net Income Beats Estimates
- Nemetschek (NEM TH) +1.1%
- Freenet (FNTN TH) +1%
- Fraport (FRA TH) +1%
- Deutsche Lufthansa (LHA TH) -0.3%
- Airbus (AIR TH) -0.4%
- Aroundtown (AT1 TH) -0.5%
SDAX:
- DWS (DWS TH) +2.5%
- DWS FY Net Inflows Beats Estimates
- Home24 (H24 TH) +2.1%
- Home24 Unit Mobly Sets Offer Price for IPO at BRL21 Per Share
- flatexDEGIRO (FTK TH) +1.7%
- Deutsche PBB (PBB TH) +1.5%
- Encavis (CAP TH) +1.3%
- Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Owns 5.96% Encavis Voting Rights
- Deutsche Euroshop (DEQ TH) -0.2%
- Hamburger Hafen (HHFA TH) -0.4%
- Nordex (NDX1 TH) -0.5%
- SMA Solar (S92 TH) -0.7%
- Bilfinger (GBF TH) -1%
- Bayer (BAYN TH) +3.5%
- Bayer Floats Revised Plan to Resolve Future Roundup Lawsuits (1)
- Glaxo (GS7 TH) +3.3%
- Astra, Glaxo Join Rush Back to Lab to Target Covid Variants
- NOTE: Glaxo shares sank 6.3% on Wednesday after results
-
Deutsche Bank (DBK TH) +2.9%
- Deutsche Bank Caps Bumper Year for Debt Trading With 17% Gain
- Carnival Plc (POH1 TH) +2.2%
- AstraZeneca (ZEG TH) +1.9%
- Astra, Glaxo Join Rush Back to Lab to Target Covid Variants
- BAT (BMT TH) +1.6%
- Imperial Brands (ITB TH) +1.5%
- Reckitt (3RB TH) +1.4%
- Ferrari (2FE TH) +1.3%
- Barclays (BCY TH) +1.2%
-
Shell (R6C TH) -0.9%
- Shell 4Q Adj. Profit Misses Ests.; Sees Increase in 1Q Div. (2)
- ING (INN1 TH) -0.9%
- ProSieben (PSM TH) -0.9%
- Deutsche Lufthansa (LHA TH) -0.9%
- Vestas (VWS TH) -1.1%
- Renault (RNL TH) -1.2%
- Delivery Hero (DHER TH) -1.3%
- Delivery Hero May Take $1.7 Billion Impairment on Korean Deal
-
Infineon (IFX TH) -1.4%
- Infineon Monitoring Chip Supply Chain Risks, Raises 2021 Outlook
- Qiagen (QIA TH) -1.4%
-
HeidelbergCement (HEI TH) -1.5%
- HeidelbergCement Cut to Sell at Goldman; PT 58 euros
Americans Are Buying Guns At "Blistering Pace", FBI Data Shows
Newly released background check data from January shows Americans are buying guns at a “blistering pace,” a firearms expert said.
“That’s undoubtedly connected to President Joe Biden’s plans to attack the firearm industry by undoing and rewriting regulations and executive actions to target the firearm industry,” Mark Olivia, director of public affairs at the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said in a statement.
Olivia pointed to the Biden administration freezing the publication of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s “Fair Access” banking rule, and promises to try and repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act to tighten restrictions on gun licenses, and to ban AR-15 style rifles.
The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment.
According to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check (NCIS) data, 4.3 million firearm background checks were initiated in January. That’s the highest number on record, and up over 300,000 in comparison to December 2020. Three of the top 10 highest weeks are now from January 2021.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s adjusted background check figure of 2 million, reached by subtracting out background code permit checks and permit rechecks and checks on active concealed carry permits, was a jump from its adjusted figure of 1.1 million in January 2020.
“These are jaw-dropping figures to start the New Year. Americans are claiming their Second Amendment rights to provide for their own safety in record numbers,” Olivia said.
Jurgen Brauer, the chief economist for Small Arms Analytics, said in a statement that the new year “certainly started off with a sales ‘bang’ due to the turmoil surrounding the confirmation and inauguration of Mr. Biden as the new U.S. president.”
“The 79 percent year-over-year increase, however, was NOT unprecedented—an even higher increase, of just over 100 percent, was experienced in January 2013, the month Mr. Obama’s second presidential term began,” he added.
Everytown for Gun Safety said the continued increase in background checks highlights the need for Congress and Biden to implement gun restrictions.
“As the country reels from multiple crises, the gun industry has cashed in with record sales that have made Americans less safe,” Nick Suplina, managing director of law and policy for the group, said in a statement.
“Without swift changes in policy, our already devastating gun violence epidemic could get even deadlier. The good news, though, is that we finally have leaders in the White House and in both chambers of Congress who recognize that this crisis demands action.”
>>> Up
* Fresenius Medical Cut to Neutral at JPMorgan; PT 51.10 euros
* HelloFresh PT Raised to 99 euros from 68 euros at Deutsche Bank
* JM Raised to Hold at SEB Equities; PT 300 kronor
* Prudential Raised to Buy at Jefferies; PT 1,450 pence
* Saint-Gobain Raised to Buy at Goldman; PT 50 euros
* Tele2 Raised to Hold at ABG; PT 110 kronor
* Voestalpine Raised to Add at Baader Helvea; PT 35.50 euros
* Voestalpine Raised to Add at Baader Helvea; PT 35.50 euros
* Volvo Raised to Buy at SEB Equities; PT 250 kronor
* Yara PT Raised to 460 kroner from 420 kroner at Citi
>>> Down
* Ahold Delhaize Cut to Hold at R5 Capital; PT 26 euros
>>> Down
* Ahold Delhaize Cut to Hold at R5 Capital; PT 26 euros
* Aker Solutions Cut to Hold at Pareto Securities; PT 15 kroner
* Alstria Office Cut to Hold at HSBC; PT 15.50 euros
* Fresenius Medical Cut to Neutral at JPMorgan; PT 51.10 euros
* Glaxo Cut to Sell at Deutsche Bank
* Glaxo Cut to Hold at Intron Health; PT 1,400 pence
* HeidelbergCement Cut to Sell at Goldman; PT 58 euros
* Immofinanz Cut to Hold at HSBC; PT 20 euros
* TGS Cut to Hold at Pareto Securities; PT 130 kroner
>>> Initiation
* FDJ Rated New Buy at Deutsche Bank; PT 40 euros
>>> Initiation
* FDJ Rated New Buy at Deutsche Bank; PT 40 euros
* Grenergy Renovables Rated New Outperform at Oddo BHF
* STELLANTIS INITIATED OVERWEIGHT AT MORGAN STANLEY, PT EU16
* Supermarket Income Rated New Buy at Jefferies; PT 120 pence
>>> Call
>>> Call
* ABB’s Improved Op. Ebita Margin Encouraging, Bergos Says
* Commerzbank Acting to Create More Profitable Bank, Citi Says
* Nordea’s 4Q Robust, Cost-Base Guidance in Line: Jefferies
* Stellantis ‘Cheap,’ Has Synergy Opportunities: Morgan Stanley
* Voestalpine Earnings Improving, Momentum May Continue: Baader
* Voestalpine Earnings Improving, Momentum May Continue: Baader
A three-day rally in global stocks faded on Thursday after Asian shares retreated with U.S. and European futures as earnings rolled in. Treasuries held overnight losses and the dollar edged higher.
S&P 500 futures slipped after the gauge closed barely in the green Wednesday following its biggest two-day rally in almost three months. South Korean and Hong Kong stocks led Asian bourses lower. Chinese shares retreated amid hawkish comments on a trade blacklist from President Joe Biden’s nominee for Commerce secretary Gina Raimondo. Earlier, the Nasdaq 100 closed lower as Amazon.com Inc. slumped.
Oil continued its ascent as OPEC+ said it will keep pushing to quickly clear the surplus left behind by the pandemic. A widely watched segment of the Treasury yield curve reached its steepest level since 2016. The pound dipped.
US After Hours APPS +13.3%, EBAY +10.3%, ALGN +8.5%, PYPL +6.1% jump on earnings; QRVO -7.1%, QCOM -6.3%, CTSH -4.2%, NTGR -1.4% fall on earnings
Nikkei -1.06% Hang Seng -0.98% CSI -0.19% Shqnghqi -0.47% Shenzen -1%
Eur$ 1.2014 CNH 6.4633 CNY 6.4606 JPY 105.17 GBP 1.3606 CHF 0.9002 RUB 75.9713 TRY 7.1656 WTI$ 56.10 +0.75%
S&P +0.03% Nasdaq +0.26% EuroStoxx +0.13% FTSE +0.25% Dax +0.20% SMI +0.03%
Macro :
- Fed’s Bullard Says Unemployment May Continue to Fall Rapidly
Macro :
- Fed’s Bullard Says Unemployment May Continue to Fall Rapidly
- U.K. Car Sales Off to Worst Start Since 1970 With Showrooms Shut
Keep an eye on :
Keep an eye on :
- ABBN SW : ABB 4Q Operating Ebita Beats Estimates
- AF FP : Air France Airport Slots Emerge as Flashpoint in State Aid Talks
- AAPL US ; *APPLE RISES 2% ON REPORT FINALIZING KIA EV MANUFACTURING DEAL
- AXFO SS : Axfood 4Q Operating Profit Beats Estimates
- BAYN GY : Bayer, Plaintiffs Agree About $2b Class Plan for Roundup Suits
- BC8 GY : Bechtle Prelim FY Revenue About EU5.82B, Est. EU5.80B
- BPER IM : BPER Banca 4Q Net Income Beats Estimates
- BHG SS : BHG Group to Offer Up to 12m Shares via Carnegie, Danske Bank
- CNH IM : Nikola Gains as CNH Sees Road Testing Trucks in Coming Months
- COFB BB : Cofinimmo to Put EU1.4b of Offices Into Separate Subsidiary
- CBK GY : Commerzbank Supervisory Board Backs New CEO’s Cost-Cutting Plan
- COP GY : CompuGroup Sees 2021 Adj Ebitda EU210M to EU230M, Est. EU225.4M
- DST FP : Dassault Systemes 2021 Non-IFRS Revenue View Misses Est.
- DHER GY : Delivery Hero Sees Up to EU1.4B Impairment Loss on Korean Ops
- DHER GY : Delivery Hero's Woowa Rationale Intact Despite Impairment
- DBK GY : Deutsche Bank Caps Bumper Year for Debt Trading With 17% Gain
- DWS GY : DWS FY Net Inflows Beats Estimates
- EL FP : EssilorLuxottica-Cooper JV to Buy SightGlass From Cooper
- RF FP : Eurazeo Says Investor Group to Take 32% Stake in Growth Assets
- EPR NO : Europris 4Q Adjusted Ebitda Beats Estimates
- HABA GY : Hamborner REIT FY FFO Per Share Beats Estimates
- HNR1 GY : Hannover Re Prelim FY Net Income Beats Estimates
- H24 GY : Home24 Unit Mobly Sets Offer Price for IPO at BRL21 Per Share
- IFX GY : Infineon 2Q Segment Result Margin Forecast Matches Estimates
- IFX GY : *INFINEON SEES 2Q SEGMENT RESULT MARGIN 16.5%, EST. 16.5%
- JD LN : JD Sports to Offer Shares via Investec Bank, Peel Hunt LLP
- KARO SS : Karo Pharma Buys European OTC Brand Portfolio From Teva
- KCR FH : Konecranes 4Q Net Sales Beat Estimates
- LHA GY : Air France Airport Slots Emerge as Flashpoint in State Aid Talks
- LHA GY : Lufthansa’s Leisure Thrust Sends Rival Condor to the Brink
- LUN DC : Lundbeck 2021 Revenue Forecast Misses Estimates
- NOKIA FH : Nokia 4Q Adj. Operating Profit Beats Ests.; Keeps Margin Outlook
- NDA SS : Nordea CEO Says Nordic Economies Weathering Covid Crisis Well
- NOD NO : Nordic Semiconductor 4Q Ebitda Meets Estimates
- NVDA US ; U.K., EU Set to Open Probes on Nvidia’s $40b Arm Deal: FT (1)
- OMV AV : OMV 4Q Clean CCS Operating Result Beats Estimates
- PNDORA DC : Pandora 4Q Ebit Misses; Revenue, Net Beat
- PHIA NA : Big Firms Eye Billion-Dollar Paydays From Unit IPOs: ECM Watch
- PRS NO : Prosafe 4Q Ebitda $0.7M
- RAA GY : Rational Prelim 4Q Sales Beat Estimates
- ROG SW : Roche FY Core EPS Misses Estimates
- ROG SW : Roche Granted FDA Orphan Drug Status for Cevostamab
- RYA IN : Ryanair to Stop Non-EU Flights From U.K.: Telegraph
- SEV FP : Suez Chairman Says Talks to Solve Veolia Stalemate to Start Soon
- SCMN SW : Swisscom Sees 2021 Ebitda About CHF4.3B, Est. CHF4.34B
- STAN LN : Standard Chartered Gives Up Multiple Floors in Hong Kong Offices
- FTI FP : TechnipFMC Sets Timings, Details for Split Into Two Companies
- TEL NO : Telenor Gets Myanmar Govt Order to Block Facebook Temporarily
- TOM2 NA : TomTom 2021 Revenue Forecast Misses Estimates
- FR FP : Valeo to Invest EU400M to Cut Carbon Emissions by 45%: Echos
- VAR1 GY : Varta Sues GN Store’s Jabra for Royalties on Earbud Batteries
- VIE FP : Suez Chairman Says Veolia Situation in Stalemate
- VOLVO SS : Volvo Cars Reports 4.9% Revenue Growth in Second Half of 2020
- WDP BB : WDP Offering Prices 6.84m Shares at EU29.25/Share
Germany’s grand coalition under stress as vaccine tensions grow
Social Democrats chart risky path in seeking to distance themselves from Merkel’s CDU over pandemic
Entering a critical election year, and amid growing anger at European vaccine shortages, Germany’s Social Democrats are making a risky political play: they are turning against their own partner in government.
For 12 of the past 16 years, the SPD has been the junior member in a “grand coalition” with chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU). Yet it has seen few of the benefits. Popular support for the government’s stewardship of the coronavirus pandemic has raised the CDU’s approval rating above 35 per cent, from below 30 per cent before the virus took hold. The SPD, meanwhile, has remained stuck at or around 15 per cent for the past year.
Now, however, it aims to capitalise on popular frustration with the EU’s botched procurement programme, and the rollout of jabs in Germany, which has been slow, even by European standards. The three politicians most exposed in the vaccine debate all belong to the CDU: Ms Merkel, health minister Jens Spahn and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission and a former German defence minister.
Earlier this month the SPD’s Olaf Scholz, finance minister, sent a list of pointed questions on vaccines to Mr Spahn. Michael Müller, Berlin’s SPD mayor, wrote a letter to Ms Merkel, demanding a vaccination plan that German news magazine Der Spiegel called “a declaration of war”. And the state premier of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Manuela Schwesig, ruffled CDU feathers in a television interview by saying “even the United States under [former President Donald] Trump” — highly unpopular in Germany — had “obviously done a better job”.
“The party is desperately looking for a way to build its own profile,” said Uwe Jun, a political scientist at Trier University. “But the probability that this will backfire for them is higher than the chance of profiting from it.”
For the SPD, this is a critical moment — a “super-election year”, in which Germany holds Bundestag elections in September and a series of state government elections throughout the year. It faces its first serious contest in six weeks’ time, when it will fight to hold on to the premiership of Rhineland-Palatinate. Some party leaders argue that loyalty in government has yet to work in their favour.
“I’ve been for seven years with the SPD as part of the grand coalition, and for seven years we said we won’t get credit for being critics of our own government,” said Jens Zimmermann, an MP from the state of Hesse. “Yet for seven years, we’ve been in decline in the polls.”
Once one of the most influential parties of the centre-left in Europe, the SPD had its worst election results ever in 2018, receiving only 20.5 of the vote. Ever since, it has struggled to chart a new course. On the right, it is stuck beneath the CDU’s long shadow, while on the left it must contend with the growing popularity of the Greens.
The problem, critics say, is that attacking the vaccination campaign cannot solve the party’s identity crisis.
“Voters will be asking: ‘What are you going to do with the economy, how are you going to get jobs?’ Those are the questions people will be asking,” one CDU official said. “No one will be looking back at what went wrong now.”
The SPD offensive has also been criticised by some on the left, such as Konstantin von Notz, a Bundestag member for the Greens, who denounced the party’s stance as a combination of “vaccine populism and vaccine nationalism”.
Even some within the SPD itself find the strategy questionable. Ralf Stegner, a Social Democrat politician from Schleswig-Holstein, well known for taking on his conservative foes, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper that there was “nothing to be won” from such “squabbling”.
The SPD has made other attempts at striking out on its own. In December, it withdrew its support for the use of armed drones by the German military. It has also promoted a bill to enshrine the right to work from home over CDU objections.
Yet no issue has proved as contentious as Germany’s vaccines strategy. The general secretary of the CDU, Paul Ziemiak, lambasted the SPD’s attacks: “Anyone who engages in cheap election campaign manoeuvring and mood-mongering shows first and foremost that they lack the sense of responsibility and the attitude to govern this country well,” he told the Weser-Kurier newspaper.
SPD officials say they took the decision to go on the offensive only after long internal debate and a recognition that there was growing public frustration with the government’s vaccine strategy.
“It’s too simple to accuse the SPD of doing politics,” Mr Zimmermann said. “It was up to Mr Spahn to come up with solutions for this vaccine rollout, but it was the SPD that proposed [Monday’s vaccine] summit. It was only after Mr Scholz sent his questions that Mr Spahn started to contact the pharmaceutical companies to talk about ramping up production.”
Giving a push to the vaccination drive is one thing, but whether doing so will offer the Social Democrats a political boost is another, according to Mr Jun. “I fail to see any strategy here,” he said. “Being the opposition within the government is not a promising idea.”