German lawmaker Bernd Lange, chairman of the European Parliament's ’ trade committee, warned in the coming weeks that the longstanding Airbus-Boeing dispute could jeopardize the EU-US trade deal signed last summer if transatlantic tensions flare up again.
July 2025’te The Turnberry Agreement finalized in ’, Scotland by US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der LeyenThe implementation of ’ is entering its final phase, which EU lawmakers are expected to ratify in a vote next Tuesday.
However, the five-year truce between US aviation giant Boeing and European Competitor Airbus over mutual subsidy claims ends on July 11, ’; The Trump administration and the European Commission have not yet reached an agreement on an extension.
Lange, parliament's chief negotiator on the EU-US deal, told reporters at a meeting with Socialist lawmakers on Thursday, “Will this lead to another tension? Nobody knows, ” said.
A member of the European Parliament worries that a renewed aviation and space dispute could further strain transatlantic trade ties after a year of intense tensions.
Lange euronews’e “I hope this doesn't blow up, ” said.
Turnberry deal remains fragile
The war between Boeing and Airbus goes back more than two decades. The United States first sued the World Trade Organization (WTO) for allegedly providing AB’ with illegal financial support to Airbus’. Brussels responded with its own complaint, accusing Washington’ of illegally supporting Boeing’.
The dispute eventually turned into a tariff war; Both sides imposed punitive taxes on products ranging from wine and spirits to cheese and tobacco, affecting $11.5 billion in trade.
In 2021, a ceasefire was reached under the Biden administration in ’, which came into force on July 11 of that year, and retaliatory measures were suspended for five years. However, no extension has been announced since then.
Olof Gill, vice-president of the commission, told euronews’e: “ Negotiations with the United States are underway to ensure stability and certainty and to continue the suspension of countermeasures on both sides.”
The Trump administration said on Trade Policy Agenda 2026 that the U.S. Trade Representative in ’ will decide in July whether to take action in the Section 301 investigation involving the enforcement of U.S. rights in World Trade Organization disputes over large civilian aircraft in “.
Under Article 301 of the 1974 Commercial Code, the U.S. may impose customs duties on its trading partners.
Last week at Washington ’ was threatenedImplementing a 10% customs duty on EU goods instead of forced labour following the Section 301 investigation. If implemented, these taxes will be added to the most privileged country tariffs available, and average U.S. tariffs on EU goods will rise above the 15 percent ceiling agreed under the Turnberry agreement.
Under the agreement, which EU lawmakers are expected to adopt next week, the EU has pledged to eliminate tariffs on U.S. goods. But lawmakers have fought hard to protect the deal from future U.S. tariff threats and take security measures to ensure compliance with the 15 percent ’ limit.
The deal always seemed fragile. Trump has repeatedly used tariffs as leverage in non-commercial disputes, from his attempts to buy Greenland ’ earlier this year to his more recent initiative. The threat isGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz’in will impose a 25% tariff on EU cars after Iran criticized the war with ’.
If the Airbus-Boeing dispute flares up again, this could give the US president another excuse to terminate the 2025 agreement.
Remy Cointreau SA reported a sharp decline in annual profit, but the result exceeded analysts' expectations; Increasing performance in the Americas helped offset the impact of tariffs on key markets, including the US and China.
Euro’'s strong performance against major currencies has made cognac and other liquors more expensive in global markets, while high production costs have also negatively impacted profit margins.
The group has struggled in recent years against U.S. President Donald Trump ’'s tariffs and retaliatory taxes imposed on Chinese ’'s imports of cognac.
In a statement, CEO Franck Marilly said “ had won several major battles in the ever-complicating macroeconomic and geopolitical environment.
Net profit, sales %From €121.2 million in the previous year to €78.7 million in the fiscal year to the end of March, €935.3 million dropped to ’, down 5 percent to €935.3 million.
Remy Cointreau, the current operating profit margin from ’ .7 He saw ’ fall; However, although the company expects U.S. and Chinese tariffs and the strong euro to ultimately put pressure on the margins for the current year, “ is predicting a slight improvement in ”.
However, the company's shares were on the rise with the opening of trades on the Paris stock exchange. Shares around 9:45 a.m. %It was trading at €42.12, up around 12.
This happened at a time when the French spirits group was trying to regain its market share in a challenging economic environment, with the company launching a three-year return plan designed to boost growth and strengthen its business model.
Under the RC Forward program, the company plans to expand in emerging markets and global travel retail, drive growth from its premium cognac portfolio, and increase operational efficiency.
The group said the plan is expected to deliver an additional operating profit of around €100 million and productivity gains by 2028-29’ compared to 2025-26’.
Referring to duty-free sales at airports, Marilly said in a statement that “Our brands are regaining ground in ’, Remy Martin China is strengthening its leadership and market share in ’, and our Travel Retail business is slowly recovering with the goal of doubling its size in three years.” said.
Analysts say rising tensions in the Middle East ’ could create more uncertainty for consumer goods companies if high energy prices continue to weaken spending.
For the next fiscal year, the company aims for a moderate improvement in its current operating margin, as well as a return to organic sales growth.
The company, “Remy Cointreau, expects a return to sustainable organic sales growth in 2026-27’, and the momentum is expected to grow steadily over the year.” said.
Foreign investment is widely seen as the main driver of economic growth, innovation and job creation. When companies open new fields, build factories or establish research centers, they not only bring capital to the country, but also create jobs and strengthen local supply chains.
As a result, competition to attract international investors intensified. Governments use investment incentives, tax cuts and international investment forums to persuade companies to choose their own markets.
France has also made attracting foreign investment an important priority in recent years. The government has been promoting the country through the ’ initiative since 2018“FranceSelect ’.
At this year's summit, President Emmanuel Macron said foreign companies had pledged investments worth €93 billion, which ’ described as a record figure.
How successful are European countries in attracting international investors? Which countries attract the most investment projects?
France EuropeContinues to be ’'s largest investment destination
The EY European Attractiveness Survey provides a useful benchmark for international investors to measure competition. Unlike traditional foreign direct investment (FDI) statistics, which can deteriorate due to large transactions or in-house financial flows, the survey tracks the number of individual investment projects.
These include new projects announced or registered by foreign companies in a given year, such as the opening of new facilities, the construction of production facilities or the expansion of existing operations.
According to the last number of the survey, 5,026 new investment projects were announced across Europe in 2025. EY defined the European ’ as a geographical region rather than the European Union. This figure is according to 2024’ %It declined by seven to its lowest level in 11 years.
Despite a sharp decline, France has maintained its position as Europe’'s leading destination in terms of foreign investment. Number of projects 2025’te declined to 852’ye; This represents the largest drop among Europe’'s major investment destinations.
United Kingdom, compared to the previous year %It ranked second with 730 projects, down 14.
Germany remained ’'s third largest foreign investment destination with 548 projects. However, the total %It fell 10 times to its lowest level since 2009 ’.
The long-term trend is even more striking. Compared to 2019, GermanyNumber of investment projects in ’ is down; this, France’ya (%-28) or United Kingdom ’a (%-34) is a much steeper drop compared to.
2025Spain and Turkey were among ’'s strongest performers. Number of investment projects in Spain %He placed fourth, increasing by 20 to 383’e. Turkey is %It ranked fifth with 376 projects, up 7 percent.
Poland, compared to the previous year %With an increase of 10, 2025’te continued its upward trend, registering 285 investment projects. This made it the sixth largest destination for foreign investment in Europe’. The Netherlands also %It was among the few countries that recorded growth with the number of projects increased by 8 to 159’.
Italy, Belgium and Portugal also saw a decline in investment activity in ’. Number of projects Italy’da %8 down to 206’ya, Belgium’da declined to 187’ compared to the previous year in Portugal’ 6 projects were registered with 5 decreases.
Who invests in Europe’?
In 2025, the United States continued to be ’'s largest source of foreign investment projects. American companies have announced 943 projects across the continent, maintaining the position of Europe’'s leading foreign investor.
German firms took second place despite the sharp decline in investment activities abroad. Compared to the previous year in other European countries in 2025 %They announced 484 investment projects, down 24. In recent years, the decline has been unusually high, as the number of projects has generally exceeded 600’.
Despite the decline, Germany remained ’'s largest intra-European investor. France has once again become the leading destination for German investments, attracting 101 projects. For the first time, Turkey ranked second after England ’.
Europe is losing ground globally.
To put ’'s performance in a global perspective, it would be useful to look at foreign direct investment (FDI) flows. UNCTAD’'s 2025 World Investment ReportAccording to ’, global foreign direct investment 2024’te compared to the previous year %It dropped by 11 to about $1.49 trillion.
Europe has been hit particularly hard. According to UNCTAD’, the region attracted nearly $182 billion in foreign direct investment in 2024. That's up from $439 billion last year. %It went down 58.
North America, annually %It ranked second with a foreign direct investment inflow of $343 billion with an increase of 23. and asian, spite a modest decline of 3’, it has attracted $605 billion, continuing to be the world's largest destination for international capital.
However, these figures also bring with them an important methodological warning. UNCTAD excludes so-called “channel economies, such as Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Ireland, from ” to avoid distortions caused by holding company structures and in-group financial transactions.
Why are investors being more cautious?
According to EY’, weak economic growth in much of Europe’ was the main factor behind the decline in investment activities. High energy prices, geopolitical uncertainty and a more cautious corporate investment environment have also put pressure on business decisions.
Concerns over trade tensions and potential new tariffs are increasing pressure on investment plans.
Many investors are increasingly concerned about the combination of Europe’'s relatively high costs and weak growth prospects. EY also points out that frustration stemming from regulatory complexity has increased across the continent.
The labor market rebounded in May, traditionally marked by the start of hiring in conjunction with the summer season. Number of people registeredThe number of employment offices decreased by 36,323 compared to April to 2.32 million, Lowest figure since 2007’ in MayAccording to data released Tuesday by the Ministries of Labour and Participation, Social Security and Migration.
Registered unemployment chart showing each month of May for each year.
Compared to the same month last year, unemployment fell by 134,162 people. The decline has spread to all productive sectors, but a slight increase was noted in the group of people who had not previously worked in any job.
Social Security membership continued to increase. An average of 231,975 contributors were added to the system during the month, with the total number reaching 22.3 million registered employees, the highest level since the start of comparable registrations. Seasonally adjusted figure that corrects calendar effectsAfter 64 consecutive months of growth, the number of employees reached 22.1 million.
Record levels of membership were repeated in different population groups, including youth, women, men, self-employed and foreign nationals. The second reached 3.36 million.contributors and currently all registered employees are approx. %They make up 15 ’ini.
The hospitality sector was the most job-generating sector in May, with nearly 66,000 more registrations than in April. Thus, the sector is approaching 1.68 million participantsIt is due to the increase in tourism and service activities depending on the summer.
Significant gains were also noted in administrative and support service activities; About 27,000 registered workers were added last month, leaving close to 1.5 million workers behind. Health activities and social services on an annual basisWith more than 77,000 registered employees, it has made the biggest contribution to employment growth.
Monthly Changes in Unemployment
The private agriculture plan regained membership in May, adding about 21,000 participants, although it still showed a negative balance compared to the previous year. In turn, the special program for housekeepersIt continued to reduce the number of registered members on both a monthly and an annual basis.
The rate of self-employment also reached a new record; 3.46 million people are self-employed. Nearly 46,000 self-employed have joined the system in the last 12 monthsespecially in professional, scientific and technical activities. By gender, Social Security’te recorded 11.7 million men depositing premiums and 10.6 million women depositing premiums. Women are all working people now. %It's 47.45 ’ini.
In terms of unemployment, the number of unemployed women fell to 1.4 million, the lowest level since 2008 ’ in May. Even so, it stays on a little over 900,000’ menRegistered as unemployed. Youth unemployment fell again to 164,955 people under the age of 25, the lowest level since the beginning of the series. The number of unemployed women in this group was less than that of men.
List of registered unemployment under 25 years of age
The largest sector-by-sector drop in unemployment was in the services sector, with 29,829 fewer unemployed than in April. Unemployment has also declined in industry, construction and agriculture.The only group that increased were people who had never worked in any business before.
Regional differences continued to be important. The Balearic Islands recorded the largest monthly reduction in unemployment and the largest increase in membership, with almost 48,200 more participants than in April. On an annual basis, Madrid takes a leading position in job creation in absolute numbersThere are 127,841 more registered workers than a year ago.
In May, 572,061 permanent contracts were signed for recruitment, which %He created 43.2’sini. Such contracts have increased both compared to the previous monthand in the year to date.
In the meantime, Latest available data on unemployment protectionThe figure, which corresponds to April, shows that 1.78 million social benefits have been paid. The average amount received per beneficiary reached 1,168.30 euros per month; This was 22.6 euros more than a year ago.
French President Emmanuel Macron said at an international conference on Monday that he expects foreign investment of €93 billion in “rekor”, including artificial intelligence and data centers.
Macron’'s annual “FranceChoose ’ event is expected to feature nearly 200 ” executives from around the world at the Versailles palace west of Paris’.
The projects announced at last year's conference set a record of 20 billion Euro’.
But according to a figure from Macron’'s office, the money pledged for this year is expected to exceed a total of 87 billion Euro’ collected over the past eight years.
Macron, “FranceChoose ’This edition of ’ alone will allow clarification of a record amount of approved investment of €93 billion for more than 15,000’ jobs. By far a record edition and a historic event, ” said.
Macron said the commitments included 45 billion Euro’s from Japanese technology investor SoftBank’.
Its founder, Masayoshi Son, said he would spend 75 billion euros on artificial intelligence infrastructure over the weekend, of which 45 billion euros will be spent on data centers in northern France, ’, by 2031.
Macron said other investments will be spent on “artificial intelligence, data centers”, as well as semiconductors, critical minerals, tractors and trucks, steel and healthcare.
French President Emmanuel Macron watches Schneider Electric CEO’ and SoftBank Group Corp. CEO’ sign agreements at Paris’te, June 1, 2026
‘EuropeanComputer capabilities in ’
Macron said that the projects will help “ to become the leading country hosting ’ France's data centers by far” and “ Europe’ to computing capacity in ”, as well as creating an advanced foundation for the production of “ya artificial intelligence robots and industrialization through artificial intelligence.
Compared to the US and China, “Europe is clearly bridging the gap we have in computing capacity at ’, ” added.
SoftBank’'s Son, France, said ’'s nuclear-powered electricity was an important factor in choosing France’.
Now we can convert electricity into higher-value intelligence as “hammad, including for export, ” added.
Canadian asset manager Brookfield will invest $10 billion (€8.5 billion) in a data center in the Escaudain region of northern France.
SoftBank Group Corp. CEO Masayoshi Son, Paris’te, June 1, 2026
Investment firm Ardian and Scandinavian data platform Verne will invest $5 billion (€4.2 billion) in a data center in the Paris region.
US firm Salesforce has announced that it will invest $2 billion (€1.7 billion) by 2030, including its artificial intelligence center in Paris’.
Taiwanese group Foxconn’ is expected to invest €120 million in the western city of Angers for a motherboard production line for artificial intelligence in partnership with French supercomputer expert Bull, sources told AFP news agency.
Earlier this month, France's retail giant Amazon said it would invest more than €15 billion in ’ over the next three years to create 7,000 jobs, adding that it would create an extra 1,000 jobs at three logistics centers.
‘Most foreign investments’
Announcements about rare earth elements were also presented at the conference.
According to the Élysée Palace’, a year after Macron’ came to power, 2018Select the first ’France“ in ’Since ”, more than 230’ projects representing several thousand jobs have been announced.
France has attracted the most foreign investment in Europe ’ for seven years in a row, according to consultancy EY’, but Macron said this did not come out of “.
EY, France’ pulled 852’ out of 5,026 projects recorded in 47 European countries last year, making this a challenge in the international environment. %He said it was a fall of 17’.
French President Emmanuel Macron watches Schneider Electric CEO’ and SoftBank Group Corp. CEO’ sign agreements at Paris’te, June 1, 2026
The country received more interest from AI-related projects than elsewhere in Europe’, but the industry, particularly the automobile, chemical and metallurgical sectors, suffered.
Economist Sylvain Bersinger said the announcements at Versailles’ should not overshadow the fact that overall institutional investment in “France’ is stagnant, that reindustrialization is more of a religious wish than a reality, and that France’ does not look more attractive to foreign investors than its neighbors.
Macron wants to make ’ a world leader in artificial intelligence and has announced a public investment of €1.55 billion to develop quantum technologies and semiconductors.
After decades of seeing military budgets as a pen to be quietly cut or ignored, Europe has decided it wants to defend itself on its own terms.
The turning point was Russia’'s full-scale invasion of Ukraine’ in 2022’, but the showdown had been going on for years. According to the European Defence Agency ’, AB’'s defense spending increased from 218 billion Euro’ in 2021 to an estimated 381 billion Euro’ in 2025’te; And that's only in four years. %That's an increase of 75’.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ’ne (SIPRI), global military spending reached a record $2.9 trillion that year; The main driving force was the European ’; %It increased by 14 to $864 billion (742 billion euros). For the first time since 1990, Germany has exceeded the target of 2% ’ of NATO’'s GDP, reaching 2.3% ’.
Then came the political mechanism to make it permanent. AB’'s ReArm European Plan, officially Preparatory 2030, the European Commission aims to unlock €800 billion in defence investment, with ’ raising up to €150 billion in funding from capital markets through a new tool called SAFE (European Security Action).
The escapist clause in the Stability and Growth Pact now allows member states to increase defense spending outside of normal financial rules. The Committee on Defense Budgets %It estimates that a 1.5’ GDP increase could create nearly 650 billion euros in fiscal space in four years.
A handful of sectors are reaping the fruits of this, as leading members of AB’ take action to revive previously delayed military production.
FILE – German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Australian Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy during a visit to Rheinmetall Defence in ’, Australia, 27 March 2026
1. Manufacture adjacent to defense
’'s traditional defense contractors, – Rheinmetall, Leonardo, Saab, and the like, are living a seemingly unreasonable moment a decade ago, at a time when defense stocks were seen as politically awkward investments.
EU ammunition production capacity alone increased from about 300,000 rounds per year in 2022’ to an estimated 2 million by the end of 2025’; This is a rate of industrial expansion that, according to the Financial Times and the European Parliament Think Tank ’, exceeds peacetime growth rates by three times.
Domestic orders linked to the defense industry in ’ compared to already high levels after the occupation in late 2025’ %Increased by more than 50’.
The European Commission is now directing the funds specifically to expand the production lines of large contractors and shorten delivery times for some air defense systems, which currently span several years.
The structural problem is that the European ’'s defense market was never originally properly integrated; According to the Munich Security Conference, only contracts that have been awarded in the past %9’u is given to suppliers from other EU member states; Domestic companies earned more than three-quarters of the total.
This is the inefficiency that the new wave of spending has so far sought to rectify with limited success.
Ukrainian soldiers of the – Khartia brigade launched a drone on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, towards Russian positions on the frontline in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine’.
2. Category: Drones
If there is one technology that the Ukrainian ’ has incorporated into the military thinking of the European ’, it is the drone ’. It's cheap, disposable, deadly, and produced by Russia at a pace that ’'s own industry has yet to reach.
The response was quick and expensive. France stocks explosive drones before 2030’ %Under the updated military planning law, including an increase of 400’, it pledged €8.5 billion to expand its stockpiles of ammunition and drones.
April 2026In ’, Germany and Ukraine signed a defence package of €4 billion, which includes agreements on joint drone production as part of a broader initiative to increase European autonomous system production.
The EU launched the European Drone Defense Initiative ’ni (EDDI) in early 2026, and aims to create a multi-layered, 360-degree counter-drone shield between member states by 2027.
Vector drone’u UkraineThe German company Quantum Systems, which was tested in the ’ war, emerged as one of the leading ISR manufacturers in Europe’ with combined revenue streams in both military and commercial segments.
FILE – This May 18, 2021 photo shows a woman writing on a laptop on a train in ’, New Jersey.
3. the Cyber Security
Cyberspace is now a recognized area of warfare and European governments are spending accordingly; but the focus is on “BT security, which has shifted from ” to the protection of critical infrastructure.
In 2025, the EU allocated €145.5 million to strengthen cybersecurity across SME ’s, public administrations and healthcare providers.
20 January 2026In ’, the European Commission proposes a new cybersecurity package that includes amendments to the NIS2 directive, which aims to simplify compliance and strengthen AB’'s ICT supply chain against third-country risks.
The European Investment Bank explicitly lists cybersecurity among its defence and security financing priorities. Although the methodologies differ according to the research firms, the market figures are large.
According to the figures of CONTEXT’in Panel Europe, Europe’'s cybersecurity revenues April 2026’'s annual %increased by 10; Identity and Access Management is most directly linked to the protection of sensitive government and military systems. is increased.
The dual-use nature of cybersecurity investments means that defense spending drives commercial security spending up with it.
FILE – A visitor walks behind tools at the Intec and Z engineering trade fairs in Leipzig, central Germany, Wednesday, March 8, 2017.
4. Category: Industrial metals
The logic is simple: Military equipment is heavy and made of metal. Ships, armored vehicles, artillery systems, missile launchers; all of these are metal-intensive, unlike software contracts and consulting fees.
Goldman, EuropeAbout ’'s increase in defense spending ’'s, NATO’'s typical %He estimates that it will flow into the purchase of metal-heavy equipment, which is roughly twice the norm of 20.
Total impact is important. Goldman believes that the re-armament of ’ will increase the region's overall demand for industrial metals by 2027. %He estimates that it will increase by 6 percent; the European Union's use of metals in 2023 %This is a dramatic increase, given that it represents 2’sini.
Bank calls for global defense-induced increase in copper demand %0.9, with nickel %1,3 and steel %He estimates it could increase by 0.4. Copper, which passes through almost every military system (vehicles, weapons, cables, energy infrastructure, communications), stands out as the most obvious beneficiary.
ING’nin's 2026 EU sector outlook marks artificial intelligence and electrification infrastructure, as well as metal-heavy defense manufacturing, as one of the main drivers of manufacturing sector growth.
FILE An example of a – Toshiba semiconductor.
5. Category: Semiconductors
This may be the most disturbing item on the list, in part because the explosion is a result of the realization of how vulnerable Europe’ is to disruptions in semiconductor supply chains.
Modern defense platforms, from missile routing units to ISR architectures and encrypted communications, are working on advanced, secure processors that Avrupa’ largely does not produce.
For decades, the continent has relied on U.S. ’ suppliers for defense-grade chips while having foundries in Asya’ manufacture them. A supply chain that is efficient in times of peace but fragile in times of crisis.
According to CEPA’, the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), a 1.5 billion Euro’ cross-border procurement vehicle launched in 2026’, is directly addressing this issue with funding specifically earmarked for gallium nitride semiconductors used in radar and electronic warfare systems.
The European Defence Agency chief warned that the European defence base remains fragmented and reliant on microelectronics outside Europe.
As Global Policy Journal’ points out, Europe’'s structural position in the wider semiconductor ecosystem gives it an advantage, but turning it into dominant defense-class chip production is a longer-term project.
AB’'s new car market continued to grow steadily in the first four months of 2026, with approximately 3.8 million vehicles registered, compared to the same period in 2025. %It increased by 4.2. This is according to data released on Wednesday by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).
The numbers point to a market increasingly dominated by electric and hybrid vehicles, thanks to government incentives in major economies and growing competition from Chinese automakers.
According to ACEA’, between January and April 2026, battery-powered electric cars will be .7Created ’sini; This rate compared to the previous year %It was 15.3’. The growth was mainly driven by the bloc's four largest markets; from Italy (+,5), Spain (+,7), Germany (+%6,6) and France (+%2.3) recorded a profit.
Only in April, battery electric vehicle sales in AB’ compared to the same month last year .7 increase in market share for the month %He went up to 20.6’.
Hybrid electric vehicles in April %It continued to be the most popular single powertrain choice with 12 increases, with monthly sales of approximately %He made up his 36.9’.
Category: Plug-in hybrids %Increasing by 16.4 on April records %He received a share of 9.8’.
On the other side of the notebook are gasoline vehicle registrations. creased by 16.3 to 218,500 units, while diesel vehicle registrations also declined %It declined by 17.1 to around 74,000.
Gasoline and diesel cars accounted for less than 30 percent of vehicles sold across the EU in April.
2026 performance of European brands
Volkswagen Group retained its position as the bloc's largest automaker in the first four months of 2026, and %All new registrations with just over a million sales with an increase of 2.9 .7’sini formed.
However, performance varied across the group. Sales of ŠKODA %Audi increased by 15.5 %While it gained 8.6 percent in value, the main Volkswagen brand %With 3.2 losses, it lost value in many segments.
Stellantis, Fiat’taki For recovery and registrations over ’ increased Opel and VauxhallInfluenced by strong gains in ’ %With a strong increase of 7.8’ %It ranked second with a market share of 17.1 and more than 648,000’ units.
the Renault Group creased by 7.4 to approximately 384,250 units %With a market share of 10.1’, it was the group with the weakest performance in the top third; The Dacia is %It recorded a sharp decline of more than 15’.
BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz respectively %3.9 and %While earning 3.8 percent, Toyota and Hyundai Group %With a 2.5 %It recorded modest declines of 3.1.
The Chinese Fluctuation
The most important trend in April data was the continuation of the rise of Chinese car manufacturers.
According to ACEA figures, BYD’'s EU records have more than doubled year-on-year in the first four months of 2026’ %It increased by 152.9 to over 71,850 units.
Through the Chery Automobile, Omoda, Jaecoo and Jetour brands %Leapmotor, which distributes through its joint venture with Stellantis, increased by 267.1 to more than 48,350 units. %It increased by 558.8 to over 28,700 units.
SAIC Motor, which owns the MG brand and is the largest Chinese group by EU volume, %It increased by 10.4 to over 77,000 units.
Chinese brands have registered approximations of EU automobile registrations between January and April 2026. %6In the same period of the previous year, when forming the ’, this ratio %It was 3.2’. The total market share of Chinese brands in the wider European market, including the United Kingdom and EFTA countries, was %3.7’den during the same period roughly %Increased to 7.3’e.
Leading European indices were in the positive zone in early trading, backed by signs that the final round of US-Iranian talks could approach a breakthrough.
Although the conflict, which has shaken commodity and bond markets since late February, has been wary of false dawns, the prospect of a deal was enough to calm the nerves.
DAX %Increased by 0.64, Deutsche Post AG %With 3.61, he had leading gains. CAC 40 index with support from STMicroelectronics’in %Increased by 0.65 %That's an increase of 3.43. London’da FTSE 100 %A gain of 0.38, while the 3i Group %Euro Stoxx is up by 2.31%, while Euro Stoxx is up by 50%. %It was valued at 0.88.
The euro and pound were generally flat against the dollar, trading at around 9 a.m. at $1,161 and $1,342 on CET’, respectively.
Germany, the eurozone's largest economy in the first quarter of the year %A little more pleased with the announcement of the growth expectation of 0.4 and the improvement of consumer confidence for the month of June; This is a temporarily encouraging signal for an economy that has developed very little in recent times.
Asian markets continue to rise
Tokyo’'s Nikkei 225 index, the four-year low of Japanese inflation in April %With the help of data showing that 1,4’e has fallen %increased by 2.7 to 63,339’a, leading to regional gains; Even if the war in ’ kept energy prices high, it was a significant cooling.
The figures provided markets with breathing space at a time when inflation was a serious global concern.
Taiwanese Taiex Index %Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closes with an increase of 2.2 %The Shanghai Composite index rose by 0.9 to 25,612 points, while the Shanghai Composite index rose by the same margin to 4,122 points. South Korea’nin Kospi index %Up 0.4 to 7,847 points, Australia’'s S&A P/ASX 200 index %Increasing 0.4 to 8.657 points and India’'s Sensex index %It increased by 0.6 to 8,657 points.
The move followed a quiet but positive session on Wall Street’. S&A P 500 %Dow Jones Industrial Average, up 0.2 points to 7,445 %0,6 increments to 50,285 points and Nasdaq %It increased by 0.1 to 26,293 points.
Nvidia, despite better-than-expected quarterly results %lost 1.8% of its value; some analysts still consider the stock as low value; This is a sign that even strong figures are met with caution in the current environment.
Oil climbs as disruption continues in Hormuz’
Oil prices remained under upward pressure. Brent crude oil at European opening 4.97 per barrel with an increase of 2.3 $’a rose to about 70 in late February, when the – conflict began $ While around – U.S. indicator crude oil showed a sharp increase %1.8 up to 98.10 $’a is up.
At the heart of the raid is the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, through which about a quarter of the world's maritime oil trade passes.
Maritime activity here falls well below pre-war levels, and there are few signs of an early return to normal flows as U.S.-Iran talks continue unsolved.
In a note Friday from ING commodity strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey, “, the markets are still looking for signs of progress in a possible deal between the US and Iran, ” said. “While there are signs of optimism, uncertainty prevails.”
Republican congressional leaders in Washington’ rejected Thursday's planned vote on the Democrats' war powers decision, which would force President Donald Trump ’ to withdraw from the conflict, after it was revealed that they did not have the numbers to invalidate the bill. The vote was postponed until June.
Rising oil prices have directly affected bond markets, where high inflation expectations have raised yields and lowered asset prices.
U.S. 10-year Treasury yield on Friday %At 4.57, the rise threatened to put pressure on stocks, real estate and other interest-sensitive assets around the world. %He went over 4.67’.
The euro traded slightly lower at $1,1605 during the day, while the US dollar rose from 158.98’ to 159.12 Japanese yen.
Lenovo ’ earnings increase by 20%
In corporate news, shares of Lenovo Group’, listed in Hong Kong’, after the tech company's fourth-quarter results far exceeded analyst expectations %It jumped more than 20’.
Income by year %It rose 27 percent to $21.6 billion (18.7 billion euros).
The biggest factor in this was the PC, tablet and smartphone division of Lenovo’; In the revenues of this section, approximately %While 20’ recorded an increase, the PC and smart devices unit recorded its strongest quarterly growth in five years.
Stock Europe’da in the middle of the morning .82 HK with an increase of 20.3$ It was trading at the level (1.87 €).
British low-cost airline EasyJet said on Thursday that its losses increased in the six months leading up to the end of March as the Iran war increased jet fuel costs and weakened booking visibility.
The conflict continues to disrupt global aviation; European jet fuel prices since late February due to shipping disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for about a fifth of the global oil supply %Increased by more than 80’.
Airlines across Europe responded by increasing their fares. reduction of costs and warning of pressure on margins.
EasyJet, in the first half of its fiscal year, compared to the previous year %£377 million (506 million) with 27 increases $) reported total after-tax loss in the amount. The airline said U.S.-Iran tensions also disrupted travel demand.
The airline said the Iran war had also disrupted travel demand and delayed bookings for the busy summer season.
Number of passengers during the reporting period %Comes with 6 increases %It increased by 12 to £3.95 billion (€4.63 billion). The occupancy factor, which is a measure of how full the airline's planes are, compared to the previous year %2 increments %It's up to 90’.
The group said strong growth in the holiday division helped support performance and that the number of customers at easyJet Holidays’ was in the first half. %He said he's up 22.
EasyJet said the conflict in the Middle East’ was affected by high fuel costs and low forward visibility“.
An earlier estimate that the war added £25 million (€29 million) to the fuel bill was confirmed.
Although the group did not see any cuts in fuel supplies, the airline warned that the second half of its fiscal year will be affected by clashes in “Middle East’, high fuel costs and short-term uncertainty over customer demand.
“General bookings for the summer period lagged behind their level at this point last year, ” added.
EasyJet said it was 72 percent protected against increases in fuel prices over the next six months, providing some protection against further increases in oil prices.
The airline also reported an increase of £32 million (€37 million) in legal provisions linked to a number of historic cases.
Kenton Jarvis, chief executive of “, said that EasyJet’ is in a good position to manage the current environment, although conflicts in the Middle East’ have created uncertainty in the short term.
During his meeting with journalists, he added that the minimum ticket prices for the calmer winter season will increase.
Following the update, EasyJet’in shares approx. %2 increased but suffered minor losses in the afternoon.
Hargreaves Lansdown stock analyst Aarin Chiekrie, “, said the image is still compelling”.
“Demand is getting hit; Bookings for the second half are two percentage points below last year's levels, as sun-seekers leave later to lock into their travel plans, ” said.
Even if the conflict in the Middle East is resolved in the near term, fuel prices are likely to remain high for some time, “ added.
Rival airline Ryanair said earlier this week that its annual net profit had increased by more than one-third, but warned that the Iran war is overshadowing its outlook for the coming year.
Ryanair reported record post-tax profits of €2.26 billion for the year up to March 2026’; in relation to the previous fiscal year. %It represents an increase of 40’, warning that fluctuations in oil prices and geopolitical risks remain key concerns for the airline industry.
Despite ongoing delays in Boeing aircraft deliveries that have restricted capacity growth, the number of passengers in the 2025-26 period %4 increased to 208.4 million.
It happens to the passenger %Due to the high wages at the rate of 10 %7 increase, while operating costs are only %6 increase in unit cost %1’de held it. The Total Income increased to 15.54 billion Euro’.
CEO Michael O’Leary said Ryanair’'s fuel risk hedging strategy has mitigated the direct impact of the recent rise in oil prices caused by the Iran war and concerns over shipping routes in the Gulf ’.
Ryanair estimates fuel needs for the current fiscal year ’ini said it protected it from about $67 per barrel until April 2027’.
Middle East tensions overshadow airline's appearance
The carrier warned that instability in the Middle East’ continues to create uncertainty for airlines and energy markets globally.
Ryanair said in its earnings statement that the sector would continue to suffer potential disruption if tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route, escalated further.
But the company believes it is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the potential collapse of other European airlines.
In an interview with CNBC on Monday, CFO Neil Sorahan said that “I think prices will stay high longer, which puts Ryanair’i in a particularly strong position given our strong fuel protection.
In an interview with CNBC in April, the CEO of Ryanair’in confidently stated that the company could profit from the disruption of other airlines.
O’Leary said at the time: “, I think there will be failures. If it continues at $150 per barrel in July, August and September, then you will see that European airlines have failed, and this will probably be good for Ryanair’'s business in the medium term.”
It's a FILE. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary speaks at a press conference at ’ in Brussels’ in September 2022
The airline refused to publish detailed profit guidance for fiscal year 2026-27, citing limited visibility into future fees, consumer demand and fuel costs.
Ryanair said summer bookings remain generally strong, although customers continue to book flights close to departure dates due to wider economic uncertainty.
Boeing delivery delays remain a constraint
Ryanair said delays affecting Boeing aircraft deliveries continue to restrict European ’'s opportunities for expansion in the short-haul aviation market.
The airline expects traffic to increase to around 216 million passengers this year, with the gradual introduction of additional Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
O’Leary also warned that aircraft shortages and supply chain constraints affecting the wider aviation sector will likely continue for several more years, limiting industrial capacity growth across Europe.
Ryanair argued that tighter market capacity should continue to support fees, especially for low-cost carriers with a scale advantage and strong balance sheets.
The company also confirmed that negotiations are ongoing on the extension of its contract, which will allow O’Leary’ to serve as CEO until 2032.
