Year | Logistics Shipping

Europe’'s 2026’'s best-performing shares — %Including an increase of 947’

12/05/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

European stock markets have made a turbulent start to 2026.

Reference indicator of the region Euro STOXX 600 index 2026’da so far %Increasing by 3.5 US S&A P 500’ %8He lagged behind in his earnings of ’.

However, individual companies have seen much larger fluctuations, and some names have increased by one hundred percent to date.

Many stocks due to the artificial intelligence boom, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East’, renewed demand for energy infrastructure, and investors' growing appetite for defense and strategic technologies %It increased by over 100’.

This is a sector-by-industry review of top-performing companies with a market capitalization of over 1 billion Euro’ in the European market: What they do, how they make money, and why investors fill their shares.

The technology is: Artificial intelligence infrastructure increases chip shares

Swedish chipmaker Sivers Semiconductors shares %With an increase of 947 percent, Europe became ’'s largest stock market winner.

The company is developing photonic and semiconductor components used in artificial intelligence data centers and 5G networks. As the demand for optical technologies that could meet the broad computing requirements of artificial intelligence systems grew, investors turned to stocks.

Revenue is still small (2025’te yearly %SEK 304.1 million (approximately EUR 27 million) with an increase of 25, but the company believes that potential future business opportunities %He said 64 increased to $453 million (€385 million) and much of that growth was due to artificial intelligence photonics.

The rise was accelerated when Sivers’ announced in April that it would be placed on a second list at Nasdaq’ in New York’.

Soitec, the French semiconductor materials company, has also seen weak gains in recent years. %It has risen by 639.

2026Annual revenue of €160 million in the third quarter of ’ due to weak mobile and automotive demand is down.

What changed the narrative was that investors were focused on the company's position in the AI supply chain. Soitec is designing silicon (SOI) sheets on thin insulators, which are increasingly used by chip manufacturers for co-packaged optics in smartphone radio frequency components, automotive radar and AI data centers.

Investors are increasingly betting on the future of the company, as Soitec’in has an almost monopoly on SOI substrates for photonics, which may become necessary for the next generation of AI infrastructure, especially in optical interconnects used by hyperscale data centers.

The industrial sector: Hydrogen and fuel cells are back in fashion

In the industrial sector, investors have rediscovered hydrogen and fuel cell companies.

Ceres Power, which develops solid oxide fuel cell technology and is listed in ’, UK, has increased by 237 percent this year.

Ceres is a UK ’-registered solid oxide fuel cell developer that licenses its technology instead of building its own systems.

The company benefited from growing interest in alternative power systems for artificial intelligence data centers, especially after US’ group Bloom Energy’ signed a major fuel cell agreement with Oracle.

Another British hydrogen company is ITM Power. 3 increased.

The Sheffield-based group produces electrolyzers used to produce green hydrogen. Investors welcomed stronger revenues, increased profitability and a partnership with German defence giant Rheinmetall in synthetic fuel projects linked to NATO supply chains.

Another development that has attracted investors is the company's planned Chronos production line, which aims for a gigawatt capacity by 2028. The funding is based on a UK government grant of £46.5 million (€53.7 million) pending approval from the Competition and Markets Authority ’ in June.

The health services: clinical milestones and weight loss drugs

French biotech company Nanobiotix is up. since the beginning of the yearFollowing progress made in a recent stage cancer experiment backed by Johnson & Johnson, investors' confidence in future milestone payments has increased.

On May 4, ’, the FDA approved a protocol change for the important NANORAY-312 Phase 3 trial in head and neck cancer.

The change eliminates a planned interim analysis and reduces the number of events required for the final reading, potentially allowing future payments to be put forward. Nanobiotix has been awarded “hundreds of millions of ” milestone payments under its 2023 license agreement with Janssen.

The stock has already been in stock since the FDA announcement is up.

Healthcare companies linked to the emerging market for GLP-1 obesity and diabetes drugs have also made strong gains.

This year, Swiss manufacturer PolyPeptide competed with pharmaceutical companies to secure production capacity for peptide-based drugs. is up.

The company produces ingredients used in weight loss and diabetes medicines produced by some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies.

Revenue 2025’te .6 million euros increased to ’, while profitability increased. The company says it is on track to double its revenue from the 2023 level to 2028.

Demand has increased with the rapid growth of GLP-1 obesity drugs, and the market is expected to grow by 2034 ’e %It is expected to grow with a Compound Growth Rate of 12.7’.

Services of communication: satellites and artificial intelligence search beneficiary

French satellite operator Eutelsat emerged as one of the biggest geopolitical winners of the year.

Shares rose 64 percent as European governments increasingly sought alternatives to Elon Musk’'s Starlink network due to concerns over technological sovereignty and communications security.

The company's low-Earth orbiting OneWeb satellite network has attracted growing strategic interest from European policymakers, while demand for satellite connectivity has also increased during ongoing geopolitical tensions.

At the same time, Copenhagen-based review platform Trustpilot Group (TRST) has become one of the most unexpected beneficiaries of the prolific AI boom. Shares listed in London’ to date %It was valued at 57 percent.

Annual operating profit of 2025 in clicks from artificial intelligence search engines %Thanks to the increase of 1,490’, it quadrupled to 16 million dollars (14.7 million euros).

Trustpilot was the fifth most cited domain name worldwide on ChatGPT’ in January, according to Promptwatch data.

AI chatbots rely on vast databases of reviews written by more and more people to answer consumer questions. Trustpilot’'s library of 330 million reviews has become an authoritative resource for AI-generated responses.

The company has raised its profitability targets by 2030.

Analysts at Royal Bank of Canada recently described the platform as “, the winner of Artificial Intelligence.

Oil, shipping and tourism reshaped by Middle East tensions

The conflict around the Strait of Hormuz also reshaped European markets in 2026.

Nigerian producer Seplat Energy, trading in London and Lagos’, shares %With an increase of 97, he benefited from high oil prices.

CEO Roger Brown told investors: “The conflict in the Middle East has dramatically changed the outlook for the oil and gas industry in 2026 and possibly beyond.’

At the same time, Luxembourg-based tanker operator d’Amico International Shipping said that shipping disruptions forced ships to longer and more expensive routes. %It increased by 84 percent.

According to the company's May 7 result presentation, the company's net profit in the first quarter of 2026 is .5 million with an increase of 45.6 $’a (€25.2 million) rises, with average daily spot interest rate .264 with 53 increments $’a (€29,610) rose.

SpainThe largest hotel chain in ’ is Meliá Hotels. %Gained 43 percent.

Revenue for the first quarter of 2026 %EUR 461.6 million increased to ’ with an increase of 3.8; The company noted that travelers are increasingly opting for Mediterranean destinations, such as Spain, instead of parts of the Middle East’.

CEO Gabriel Escarrer told shareholders that the group's summer bookings for luxury resorts and city hotels in Spain’ are growing at a double-digit pace, with high single-digit income per room (RevPAR) expected to increase in the second quarter.

The financials are: Insurers and travel groups are recovering

Croatia with a market capitalization of approximately 1 billion Euro’'s largest insurance company Croatia Osiguranje’'s share price this year is up. The company has benefited from renewed interest from investors in the country since ’ accepted the euro and joined the Schengen area.

Croatia Osiguranje operates in many Balkan markets, including Slovenia, Serbia and North Macedonia.

Another winner in the European stock markets in the past months is the share price so far %It was the British group Saga that increased by 54.

Saga is a UK consumer brand made up of people over 50.

He sells holiday packages to this age group, ocean and river cruises with his own ships, motor and home insurance, and personal finance products. January 31, 2026The year leading up to ’ was what the administration called the “ year of transformation, a year in which it reported stronger profits and lower debt.

Growth in the cruise business and the restructuring of insurance operations helped boost investors' confidence.

Copper, renewables and the energy transformation of Europe’

Companies linked to electrification and renewable energy have also attracted investors.

Romanian energy infrastructure company Premier Energy has doubled its value after expanding battery storage and renewable energy projects in southeastern Europe’.

Spanish public company Cox ABG Group, meanwhile, after announcing that Iberdrola’ has largely acquired the Mexican renewable energy platform %It was valued at 53.

Ingredients of: Copper and steel increase structural demand

EuropeShares of Klöckner & Co SE’nin, one of ’'s largest independent steel and metal distributors, so far this year is up.

This rise comes from strong gains in 2025’ and the US-based Worthington Steel’, which offers €11 per share and has been holding its stake in the company ever since. .78’e resulted from the takeover bid.

Investors now believe that any future dominance agreement or removal from the potential company could lead to improved compensation conditions for minority shareholders and help the stock rise above its current bid price.

At the same time, the share prices of Aurubis’in, based in Hamburg, which is the largest copper producer in ’ and one of the largest copper recycling companies in the world, are expected to increase this year. %Increased by 50.

On May 8, ’, the company raised its 2025/26 year forecast for the second time, partly due to consistently high copper prices and demand from artificial intelligence data centers, electrification and renewable energy, as well as high revenues from sales of sulfuric acid, an important byproduct of the copper smelting process.

Renewables and the energy transformation of Europe’

Companies linked to electrification and renewable energy have also attracted investors.

One of them, Romanian energy infrastructure company Premier Energy, has doubled its value since the beginning of the year. This came as the group, which has or manages more than 1,500 megawatts of renewable generation capacity, expanded battery storage and renewable energy projects in southeastern Europe’.

May 2026In ’, northeastern RomaniaThe company began construction of a battery energy storage system near ’da Iași with a capacity of 200 megawatts / 400 megawatt hours. The cost of this system is estimated at 75 million euros, and southeastern Europe is one of the largest in ’.

Another company that has won in this category so far this year is share prices so far. increased to Sevilla-based Cox ABG Group. Latin America, Spain and AfricaIntegrated water and renewable energy enterprise operating in ’ also operates desalination, water treatment and water treatment plants.

Trade in the company's shares increased following the announcement of a major acquisition of Iberdrola’'s Mexican renewable energy platform.

Food and beverage companies

Belgian beverage company Spadel SA (SPA) has announced its shares so far this year after reporting strong sales and profit growth at 2025’te. %He saw 46 increase.

The company, which owns mineral water brands such as Spa and Bru, said the demand was supported by consumers moving away from alcohol and sugary drinks.

MP Evans Group’ (MPE) shares in 2026 is up. IndonesiaThe company, which operates palm oil fields in ’, benefited from high palm oil prices and record profits in 2025, while increasing its dividend after strong earnings.

Real estate companies on the rise

Emperador Properties, a Madrid-based Spanish real estate investment partnership, announced this year that investors are betting on a rebound in Spain's ’'s office real estate market. %It was valued at 45 percent.

As of June 2025, he manages approximately 167,719 square meters of world-class real estate, valued at approximately €1 billion. June 2025’te company at Torre Caleido project in Madrid’ %With 50 shares, he further expanded his portfolio.

Meanwhile, the owner of the shopping center Castellana Properties SOCIMI’'s shares after the company reported strong profit growth and record visitor numbers in its retail portfolio in Spain and Portugal’ is increased. Castellana also expanded this year with the acquisition of the Berceo shopping center in northern Spain’.

EuropeThree themes shaping ’'s market winners

Three broad themes explain many of this year's strongest performers.

The first of these is artificial intelligence structure; not the chip designers themselves, but the digging and shoveling suppliers further down the value chain, providing the infrastructure needed to support AI systems including photonics, energy supply, copper and data connectivity.

The second is geopolitics. Since February 28th, the Strait of Hormuz, ’'s blockade has repriced oil, shipping and travel in different directions: African producers sell crude oil in a narrow market (Seplat), product tanker prices rise to record levels as journeys lengthen (d’Amico), and Mediterranean tourism moves away from the Middle East ’ (Meliá).

Third, investors' appetite for institutional actions (acquisitions, acquisitions, and valuation catalysts); This has very little to do with business performance: The US bid for Klöckner is an activist effort to close the Rocket Internet’te discount to its net asset value, and an Iberdrola asset deal that has transformed Cox ABG’.

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Deutsche Bank, Santander and UBS’'s profits rise due to market impact of Iran war

02/05/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

Europe’'s biggest banks and an oil giant reported generally optimistic first-quarter results on Wednesday, despite executives pointing to the growing uncertainty stemming from the Middle East conflict and its ripple effects on energy prices, consumer confidence and European interest rates.

Leading European banks saw a short-term increase in their performance as commercial revenues benefited from fluctuations linked to the Iranian conflict, despite increased long-term macroeconomic risks.

GermanyDeutsche Bank, ’'s largest lender %A record post-tax profit of €2.2 billion every three months with an increase of 8, while pre-tax profit %7 increase to 3 billion Euro’. Pre-tax profit of the private bank division %It increased by 39 to 681 million Euro’.

The Net Income %2 increases to 8.7 billion Euro’.

The assets under management rose to 1.8 trillion Euro’, supported by a net entry of 22 billion Euro’ in private banks and asset management units.

Chief Executive Officer Christian Sewing said: “The record profit of this quarter gives us a great start to the next phase of our strategy.

“We have the balance sheet strength, capabilities and strategic location to serve our customers worldwide in a dynamic environment, ” added.

CFO Raja Akram pointed out that artificial intelligence and process restructuring are key drivers of cost resilience, adding that the investment bank serves as a valuable advisor to customers in a “zorian macroeconomic environment.

At the same time, credit losses equivalents, with the bank pointing to a macroeconomic indicator reflecting a broader uncertainty %It increased by 10 to 519 million Euro’.

The results came at a time of heightened economic and geopolitical uncertainty. The Middle East conflict, which erupted at the end of February, triggered eurozone inflation in March. %raised 2,5’e and for the first time in years, the European Central Bank strengthened expectations for ’'s interest rate hike; This shift supports net interest margins in the near term, but increases long-term credit risk due to the reflection of energy costs on households and companies.

Deutsche Bank has maintained its all-year revenue target of around €33 billion and said a €1 billion repurchase is on the way. Following the update, the shares of Avrupa’da are approx. %3 is down.

Banco Santander: Spanish banking giant announces impressive results

Banco Santander, the largest lender by market capitalization of ’, also reported record results; attributable profit, influenced by earnings of €1.9 billion from the sale of Santander Bank Polska’ %€5.5 billion increased to €’, up 60 percent.

When this one-time subtracted, the base profit is approx. increased to 3.6 billion Euro’. Income, net interest income and wages %6With the effect of ’ increase %4 increase to 15.1 billion Euro’.

The costs are %The efficiency increased by 3 drops. Santander, medium single-digit income growth and ,8-%He said he is on track to achieve his goals all year, including a CET1 rate of 13’.

Rate of capital .4’e rose and provided enough buffer to absorb potential stress.

The bank also continued its shareholder returns with a repurchase target of 5 billion Euro’ and a repurchase target of at least 10 billion Euro’ in 2025-26’.

According to the results of 2025, the total wage paid to shareholders is around 7.1 billion euros, which is roughly equivalent to the attributable profit. %It is equivalent to 50’.

A warning came from the Openbank section of Santander’; Fundamental profit here fell to 290 million Euro’; This was hit by a €207 million response to potential engine financing complaints at ’ in the United Kingdom and the end of tax incentives for electric vehicles at ’ in the United States.

If the bank excludes this provision, the pre-tax profit %He said it would go up by 15.

UBS Increases Profit by 80%

Influenced by UBS, asset management and commercial power, %It reported an increase of 80 to $3.04 billion.

Revenue increased to CHF 13.6 billion’ye (EUR 14.7 billion), while profit before basic tax %It's up 54.

The bank confirmed its $3 billion buyback program, which is expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter, and said that the CET1 rate %He reported 13.8.

The economic impact of the conflict in ’, Iran, will continue to be manageable if it is short-lived, but the duration is a significant risk, the executives said.

The European Central Bank warned that the war triggered a downward revision in its outlook for short-term growth, as energy price shocks and rising uncertainty would likely negatively affect purchasing power and business confidence, while also increasing financing costs for banks and firms through bond spreads and stock prices.

For now, bank earnings seem resilient, but as the macro chart evolves, analysts are closely monitoring credit quality.

TotalEnergies’ net income %Increased by 51

TotalEnergies, a French multinational oil company, has announced that its net income will be supported by strong oil and gas prices and tightening global markets. %It reported an increase of 51 to $5.8 billion (4.95 billion euros).

Quilter Cheviot’tan Maurizio Carulli, “TotalEnergies, published a strong first quarter results above expectations” said and added: “Strong organic production growth is helping to offset losses due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East’.”

Production on an annual basis approx. %4 is increased; A similar growth is expected in the second quarter, excluding disruptions.

The company is at the peak of expectations for the second quarter of 2026’ %It announced a 5.9-dividend increase and a $1.5 billion share buyback.

Gas markets remain tight as oil prices expect to remain high in the second quarter due to a delay in production restarts; European prices stand at $14-15 per MMBtu due to low storage and LNG competition between Europe and Asia.

German automotive outlier value

At the same time, the German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz also announced its first quarter profit. Automobile manufacturer in operating profit in the first quarter ’ in a sharp decline of 1.9 billion Euro’ya, while in revenue %It reported a decline of 4.9 to 31.6 billion Euro’.

Adjusted operating margin in the automobile division from the previous year %from 7.3’ten %4.1’e has declined and net profit is also declined to 1.43 billion Euro’.

German automaker in sales in China’, where lower-cost local competitors such as BYD and Nio are moving towards the premium segment %In addition to a collapse of 27’, the US is being squeezed in many ways, including ’'s tariff pressure and the costly transition to electric vehicles.

Despite the decline, the figures exceeded analysts' expectations of operating profit of €1.6 billion, with shares trading in pre-market transactions %It increased by 2.2 percent.

CFO Harald Wilhelm said that the company's all-year group EBIT ’ is on track to become ’, significantly above last year's result of €5.8 billion “, pointing to healthy order books and 40 new models planned between 2025 and 2027; These include the all-electric CLA sedan and the revamped S-Class series.

Mercedes also marked the conflict in the Middle East’ as a risk to consumer confidence; This is a widely shared concern in the European industry.

The special one: Fintech giant Revolut will open its first physical store in ’, Barcelona

02/05/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

As fintech firms move beyond applications to build trust, Revolut is moving its digital-first model into the physical world.

Global financial technology company Revolut has specifically confirmed that it plans to open its first permanent physical store in Barcelona’.

A spokesperson for Euronews Business’a said: “We chose Barcelona’ as the place to pilot our physical stores because Barcelona combines local density, global relevance, tourism and innovation.”

The London-based company said the store aims to interact directly with consumers and make financial technology more accessible to the public.

Revolut was founded in 2015 by Nikolay Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko as a digital application.

Today, it offers multiple currency accounts and instant money transfers. Revolut is also expanding into banking services such as loans, with the aim of positioning itself as one of Europe’'s leading digital banking platforms.

Revolut has not disclosed the exact location of the store or the services it plans to offer on-site.

The company said that “ will not be a traditional bank branch in any way, instead ” will be a high-visibility, immersive space“.

He added that physical presence can help build trust in customers.

The project is still in the initial phase, and the company said the opening timeline will depend on the progress of construction. He added that the project was wanted to be completed soon, but they could not confirm whether the store will open this year.

Since its launch at ’ in 2015, Revolut has become the most valuable start-up ’ in Europe, with rapid expansion in payments and wider banking services.

A turning point year

The company recently reported record 2025 results; revenue thanks to high customer fees and strong growth in credit products increased and pre-tax profit is up.

As we continue to expand our global banking goals, our loan portfolio %It's up 120.

In a statement on the release of its latest earnings report, co-founder and CEO Nik Storonsky said “2025 was another landmark year. We built a profitable, diversified, resilient business on a large scale and laid the foundation for the next stage of our growth.

The firm is seeking to obtain banking licenses in multiple countries as part of its global strategy and is expanding its ability to offer regulated banking products.

This year, the United Kingdom secured banking status, and France and the United States are aiming for approval in ’. It currently serves about 70 million customers worldwide.

Revolut has already established a strong presence across Europe. France, Spain and Poland, where more than 30 percent of adults have opened accounts in the last three years, are among ’'s strongest markets.

In its forecast for 2026, Revolut said the UK remains committed to its £10 billion (€11.6 billion) investment plan over the next five years, including the creation of 1,000 jobs at ’.

Revolut expects to reach 100 million customers by mid-2027.

There's an IPO on the horizon?

Investors are closely monitoring Revolut’'s IPO plans. The FT reported last week that Revolut’ was targeting a valuation of up to $200 billion (170 billion euros) on the stock market, which was not planned before 2028’.

The company also announced plans to expand its presence in Spain’, including a new office in Barcelona’. It plans to hire 300 people in the region by 2028, bringing the total number of staff to around 1,000.

It also plans to open a new office in Madrid’ by the end of the year, with 500 more expected to be hired by 2028.

Intel shares, with earnings better than expected and a stronger-than-expected outlook is elevated

02/05/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

Investors held Intel shares in after-hours trading Thursday after the company released a quarterly report signaling a successful return to AI-powered hardware. %Increased by 20.

According to the financial statement, Intel exceeded analyst estimates in terms of both revenue and earnings.

Income by year .3 billion with an increase of 7.2 $13.58 billion against an estimate of ’ (€10.5 billion) $ (€11.6 billion), while adjusted earnings per share are 0.01, which many analysts expect $0.29 compared to the ’ estimate $ As it happened.

The firm also provided evidence that its strategy of integrating advanced AI capabilities into its product range yielded results and strengthened the outlook.

The core of Intel’'s financial recovery was found in the Data Center and Artificial Intelligence (DCAI) section, which delivered results far beyond Wall Street estimates.

The DCAI segment generated revenue of $5.05 billion (EUR 4.2 billion) in the quarter; compared to the same period last year. %It represents an increase of 22.4’. This figure was considerably higher than the $4.41 billion (€3.77 billion) forecast by analysts.

The figures confirmed that Xeon 6 processors and Gaudi 3 AI accelerators have received significant interest among enterprise customers and cloud service providers.

Intel CEO ’ Lip-Bu Tan, who took office just a year ago, “ stated that the next wave of artificial intelligence will move from basic models to inferences and agency models, bringing intelligence closer to the end user.

“This change significantly increases the need for Intel’'s CPU’s, sheet and advanced packaging offerings.”

Looking ahead, Intel released a strong forecast for the second quarter, predicting revenue to be between $13.8 billion (€11.8 billion) and $14.8 billion (€12.6 billion). This estimate is well above the $13 billion (euro 11.1 billion) that investors expect.

2025Recovering from U.S. government intervention in ’

These positive figures reassured shareholders who witnessed the most turbulent year in Intel’'s recent history. In 2025, the company faced a serious existential crisis that reported billions of dollars in losses and struggled with inefficient production nodes.

In order to prevent an alleged collapse that could threaten national security, the Trump administration announced that the August 2025 ’te operation would %He took a direct stake of 9.9’.

U.S. Government 20.47 $ (€18.01) at a share price of 8.9 billion $ (€7.8 billion) invested; The investment is 5.7 billion. $The ’ (€5 billion) was funded by grants granted to Intel’ but not yet paid.

As part of the broader agreement, Intel canceled high-profile factory projects in ’, Germany and Poland to consolidate its operations and focus on U.S. domestic production.

At the time of writing this article and after-hours transactions %Intel shares after 20’ increase nearly since Trump administration buys shares .3 representing an increase of 300’ $ It is at the 71.5 level.

In this troubled time, Intel is also implementing a major downsizing strategy to bring its global workforce %It reduced 25, that is, about 25,000 employees.

According to management, this move was designed to stop the flow of capital and simplify the “ factory footprint, which was unnecessarily fragmented.

The current earnings performance shows that while these tough measures were difficult at the time, they successfully stabilized the balance sheet and allowed the company to reinvest in the high-margin AI market, which had previously lagged behind its competitors.

Sort by: Which countries experienced the worst fuel price increases since the Iran war?

02/05/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

As the world awaited an unlikely new round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran, oil prices rose again on Thursday to over $100 a barrel.

This prevents almost all exports from the vital Strait of Hormuz, where ’ per cent of the world's oil trade passes in peacetime.

The year before the US-Israeli ’ attacked Iran’, pump prices were falling for most of AB’, but the shock from the blockade sent them back. From the roof .

Exactly how much fuel prices have increased in Europe’?

The answer is Eurostat from ’Publishes price differences between February and March 2026.

Following the start of the military operation in ’ on 28 February, fuel prices across the EU increased by about 13.5 percent.

Prices increased most in Latvia and Sweden’te; both at general fuel prices from February’ to March’ %It reported an increase of more than 20’.

Diesel drivers have been the most affected by this and this rate has been observed in gasoline vehicles. %Compared to 10.6’, the residual pump is almost %He spends $19.1 more.

Gasoline and diesel: The worst and best countries for refueling

Czech and Swedish diesel drivers, approx. %With increases of 27.6’, AB’ is experiencing the most difficult days. This is Estonian (+.8), Latvian (+,4), Belgian (+,2) and the owners of Dutch diesel vehicles are following. (+,1).

Slovenia, which did not receive such a hard blow (+%2,9), Slovakia and Hungary (both +%7.0) except for all other EU countries in diesel %It saw an increase of over 10’.

When it comes to gasoline, Belgian, Swedish, Austrian and Czech drivers are approx. %While spending 15 more, Slovenia, Slovakia and Hungary again, this time with the participation of Italy’ %5Under ’.

On an annual basis: Are British consumers being hit harder than in AB’?

In general, the bite felt even harder along the canal.

According to data from the British Ministry of Energy Security and the RAC’'s Fuel Monitoring Report, compared to March 2025, diesel prices in the United Kingdom ’ %The price of gasoline increased by 26, while the price of gasoline increased by about increased and about in fuel %There was an increase of 19’.

Eurostat, on an annual basis AB’de the worst affected country's costs %He says it's Germany, where it's up 19.8. Romania is also %It recorded a similar increase with 19.6.

There were only two exceptions in AB’: Jože Damijan, professor of international economics at the University of Ljubljana, told us, %-2.7 in Hungary (one of the bloc's largest importers of Russian oil) and Slovenia (%-5,9), the country said, bringing fuel costs outside highways to the upper limit.

How long can government ceiling prices last?

Damijan, SloveniaWhether ’ can keep prices at a certain level depends on the Platts oil spot prices (Mediterranean exchange) used in the “motorin pricing model. Under the regulatory framework, the model is updated once a week, says ”.

“Of course, in the event of the long-term closure of Hornuz’, high Brent oil prices (the global pricing benchmark) will also raise Platts oil prices. In such a scenario, no model can sustain low prices”.

Next week, AB’ is expected to introduce rules that allow member states to loosen state aid in an effort to ease pressure on consumers as the war drags on.

Homes, education and jobs: Social EuropeWhat is the reality of ’?

21/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

BucharestNorth of ’, Berceni’de Valentin and Gabriela Alexe and their two daughters have been happily living at home for a year. Because of Valentin’'s low income, they had previously been living with their parents, where it was very difficult to live together.

Valentin, “, when they threw us out, I slept in the car for three days until I found an apartment to rent; It says me, my wife and my daughter ”.

“Then when I rented it, I didn't have much money left because it was too expensive. Let's say I had enough money for food, but for the rest of it, for clothes, for example, I didn't have any money at all.

Even now we can't believe he belongs to us, he changed our lives for the better.

Gabriela Alexe

Housing plan beneficiary

Gabriela says life is getting harder and harder: “, the situation was getting worse, mold was starting to form on the walls, and my child went to the hospital. I stayed in the hospital because the house was so dirty. - ”

Thanks to the NGO Habitat for Humanity,Gabriela and Valentin, who help low-income families by building shared homes with the help of volunteers, will be able to host for the duration of their volunteering and the appropriate rent for 20 years. Once an unattainable dream.

Gabriela, “, even now we can't believe she belongs to us, she's changed our lives for the better, ” says.

A helping hand

Valentin says he feels deeply grateful: “I want to share and help other people who have moved here, and even when my volunteer work hours at Habitat’ are over, I will say this: ‘I'll help you, let's do it!”

The project is supported by the city of Berceni, which provides land and grid connections thanks to the private sector. and European funds.Today, three buildings were built that housed twelve families. Cosmina Pandele, Mayor of Bercini, says the project aims to create a normal community life for people:

“This is a chance not only for those who currently live in these dwellings, but for everyone who will be born in these families. What we're trying to do is enable these people to reach a normality that will allow them to grow, thrive and become adults we can trust, ” says.

Twenty million children in the European Union are at risk of poverty; The goal is to reduce this number by a quarter by 2030.. By the way, the European Child GuaranteeIt aims to ensure that all children have access to education, health care, healthy food and decent housing. It is among the many initiatives implemented to support social rights.

A socially just Europe

So what is it What is the European Union's plan to achieve ’'s social goals?Almost nine out of 10 Europeans say they want a strong social Europe with fair working conditions, participation and equal opportunities. (The Europeans are %the 88 ’i – The Eurobarometer Survey, 2024).

Priorities for a Social Europe

The 20 principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights serve as a compass to achieve this. To reach this point, the European Union has prepared an action planIt is built on the core goals that must be achieved by 2030. These targets include at least 20 to 64-year-olds. %The study of 78’in found that adults had at least ’ receive education every year and at least 15 million people, including at least five million children, reduce poverty.

The new EU legislation to protect platform employees and ensure adequate minimum wageTwo examples of concrete action. The rise of artificial intelligence, green and digital transitions, and demographic changes are redefining the business world, while policies for improving skills and improving social cohesion are likely to play an increasingly vital role.

Investing in people

Skills European Union is at the heart of ’'s prioritiesEncouraging investments to facilitate adult education. Rodica Ionas, 49, an English teacher at a school in ’, wanted to learn something completely new: the computer technology.

“This was a chance for me; Not only because I really want to learn this, but also because the course is funded by the Ministry of Education, ” explains.

Rodica is undergoing a two-year training program in partnership with the Polytechnic University of Bucharest’nde World Bank. The aim is to combat dropout rates and Improving the skills of teachers.

Rodica, “We've learned a lot about the methodological approach of computer teaching, says ”. “We made a game for our students, they were very happy while playing.”

Improving teaching methods for Rodica is the biggest reward: “I'm generally better at teaching. My students will love the lessons more because we've learned a few ways to make the class more attractive. They should be motivated to come to school, ” says. Such partnerships are encouraged by the EU through initiatives such as: European Year of Skills,2023’te 200Supported near ’e program.

Zero Unemployment Target

On the other side of the ’, France struggled with another important problem. “Zero Long-Term Unemployment Zones”It's an experiment. Launched in 2016, the project aims to create jobs in rural areas such as Pipriac, where Tezea employs more than 60’ people.

The Tezea employee Marie-Fabienne Lavoisier explains how this benefits: I'm about to turn “58, and I've been working at Tezea’ for almost three years. Mostly I sort things out and put them in the store, and occasionally I work in the warehouse to pick up donated items when people bring something in.

“, I had cancer eight years ago, and I lost my husband to cancer three years ago. So it was far from a guarantee of getting a job at the age of 55, because this is an era when we are no longer profitable for many companies, ” adds.

Marie-Fabienne says The program did more than provide a profession: “ brought me back to social life. It also gave meaning to my life and daily routine. We need to return to solidarity and human values because that's what allows us to overcome challenges.

To this day, Tezea offers close to thirty activitiessuch as recycling, grocery business and cutting firewood. This model, which is implemented in about sixty regions, is already inspiring four other European countries.

Serge Marhic, director of Tezea’, says “This is an idea that allows us to try what we call the transfer of the cost of unemployment. By financing part of the salary, we are able to create lasting jobs, create wealth, and stimulate production.

In “Pipriac %Unemployment rate of 13 %We dropped it under 5’. If we want to ultimately tackle long-term unemployment, this is one of the only models that shows it can be done.”

“Zero Long-Term Unemployment Zones”Powered by the project the European Social Fund Plusan important source of funding for its promotion EuropeSocial rights in ’The total budget is 142.7 billion euros. This fund allows each member state to implement initiatives based on its own socio-economic needs and investment priorities agreed with the EU.

In the future, adequate funding for these initiatives and a strong collective commitment to these goals will be vital to the construction of a social European ’.

Europe Race to prevent ’'s young and unemployed from becoming the missing generation of ‘

20/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

As Europe's economy shrinks following the coronavirus pandemic, youth unemployment is on the rise. There are currently 3.1 million young people between the ages of 15 and 24 who cannot find a job.

The number of NEET’s (not in education, employment and teaching) aged 15-29, including those who are not actively looking for work, is 9.6 million.

Nicolas Schmit, EU ’'s Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights, said they were determined to prevent the same impact on young people in the wake of the financial crisis.

“We are just coming out of an era where we are experiencing a lost generation due to the financial and subsequent economic crisis, ” says: We must get ahead of the new lost generation. - “

Solutions in Europe

The European Commission has adopted the Programme for Supporting Young Employment, with an investment of at least 22 billion euros over the next seven years. This follows an investment of 22 billion euros over the past seven years to recruit young people through vocational training and apprenticeships.

Tremplin is a programme funded by the European Social Fund in the Brussels region. The fund has a budget of 18 million Euro’, 10,000 people aged 18-25 benefited from this fund for 7 years.

The case of Baggio’

25-year-old Baggio used to be an electrician. But now he has completed Tremplin training to become a roofer. He has an employment contract for young people and hopes that this new profession will increase his income. Roofing is in demand in his area, so he says he's sure to get a job.

In addition to Baggio’'s new positive employment opportunities, he also enjoys work. He called us “, a really meticulous and frankly enjoyable job.

The trial of Gamze ’nin

One of the winners of the Tremplin program is 19-year-old Gamze. After 4 months of training, he is currently doing an internship in a store he bought. He says he graduated from middle school last year and doesn't know what to do. That caused him a lot of anxiety.

After the pandemic emerged, more stores began to digitize and e-commerce grew. He says that's what pushed him into this area. During her internship, online learns how to manage sales, manage stocks, orders, and social media. He even arranged a job interview.

The number of job seekers under the age of 25 in the Brussels region increased by almost 8 percent compared to last year, while the youth unemployment rate reached 25 ’ percent. But Gamze and Baggio say they still have new hopes that their professional dreams can come true.

The Young Employment Support package (YES), funded by the European Social Fund+ and other EU funds, includes a guarantee that everyone enrolled will receive a job, apprenticeship, education or training offer within four months.

“This crisis is different, the response to the crisis is very different. This time we have a big program to invest, recover, create jobs and accompany these transitions in the green economy, ”.

Nicolas Schmit

AB’'s Commissioner for Labour and Social Rights

Financial investment in education

The EU plans to invest at least 22 billion euros to support youth employment, but some say that's not enough. Guntram Wolff is an economist and director of the Bruegel think tank. He says he wants to see more done. According to him, “You also need national support for the younger generation. The sad truth is that youth unemployment doesn't go down that quickly, ”.

It compares the pandemic to the recent financial crisis, in which it took 5 to 10 years to return to levels of youth unemployment in 2009’. For him, “, the issue of how youth was affected by the pandemic is something that policymakers should keep in mind.

“I have a lot of friends who are having a hard time finding work right now, ”.

Baggio Lorenzino

Newly trained roofer

Nicolas Schmit explains that 22 billion is a “ indicator figure. He tells us that it's not just 22 billion and that's it, “We currently have a lot of other funds through the Healing and Resilience Facility, so we should use most of that money to create jobs and also bring young people into those jobs, ”.

AB’'s Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights states that there is work to be done at AB’, but sometimes “ education profiles do not match the requirements of these jobs and therefore we need to react quickly. Maybe we should give these young people a little extra education, extra training, re-adjust to existing jobs, “ says.

The pandemic in Europe has exacerbated youth unemployment problems in ’. There are fewer job opportunities and young people are competing with the unemployed who have more experience. There's pressure not to leave an entire generation behind.

How important is an adequate EU minimum wage in the context of high inflation? The Latvian case

19/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

The minimum wage has recently increased across Europe. Latvia’da 2023’te %With 24 increases, the European Union recorded the highest increase in ’. But is it enough to cope with the rising cost of living?

A new European directive to combat poverty at work requires member states to ensure that their minimum wages are adequate. How is this determined and what does it mean for workers? I went to Riga’ to meet them.

The lowest paid don't feel the difference.

The minimum wage in Latvia’ in 2023’te increased from 500 Euro’ per month to 620 Euro’. The estimated inflation rate in the Baltic countries last year %Considering that it is 20, the postal carrier Vizbulīte Horste does not see much difference.

I don't feel the increase in my salary at all, says “. “Prices for everything, including food, have gone up a lot. Since I'm with my husband, we can pay the bills for now, but it's very difficult. If I were alone, I wouldn't survive. - ”

After negotiations between trade unions, employers and the government, the decision was left to parliament because no consensus could be reached on the minimum wage.

Latvian trade union economist Martins Svirskis would have preferred a larger increase.

“We are happy that this issue has come to the fore because negotiations have been quite difficult, says ”. “In recent years, the average wage has risen above 1,400 Euro’. Therefore, it is our goal to exceed a minimum of 700 Euro’. “

The new directive recommends that member states use 60 percent of the average wage or 50 percent of the average wage as a reference point to create a more balanced minimum wage. However, Latvia’'s minimum wage remains one of the lowest in Europe’, where there are significant inequalities between countries due to different working conditions.

Europe60% of minimum wage earners in ’ are women

In Europe, 60 percent of minimum wage earners in ’ are women; Just like Aija Laizāne, a single mother and home caregiver who raised her 17-year-old son alone and tried to make a living.

“So for this one-room apartment you have to pay a total of 250 euros for telephone, gas, electricity and rent, says ”. My son is growing up, he needs clothes, shoes are expensive, clothes are expensive, there is school and we have to pay for train transportation. That's why I'm looking for additional work.”

Latvia is followed by other Eastern countries and AB’ has the highest rate of low-wage workers. They are often inadequately qualified. Eduards Filippovs, president of the Latvian Business Association, an association for entrepreneurs and small businesses, wants a non-taxed minimum wage, as well as clearer, more transparent social security contributions.

“Personally, I had to rethink my business model because I can't afford some temporary workers and I can't attract young people to work, ” says. "The burden of social security is too heavy for me." - “

Eduards supports the increase in the minimum wage, but believes that employers are not adequately consulted in the decision-making process.

“We must also take into account other costs, such as taxes, says ”. “There needs to be a balance between the possibilities of how much businesses can pay.”

The trade union economic adviser stressed the importance of collective bargaining.

Svirskis, “We ask the government to implement some kind of tax deduction for the different benefits negotiated collectively for health care expenses and food and beverage services. “And this year we are also negotiating on education.”

The construction sector, for example, has been able to negotiate a higher minimum wage (€780) and hopes to reach €900 next year.

Agreeing on an adequate minimum wage

So how can we agree that the minimum wage should be sufficient? I spoke with Welfare Minister Evika Silina, who is in charge of the study.

“It was absolutely clear that we needed to do something because our minimum wage was very low compared to other Baltic countries, ” says. “We were historically dependent on Russian gas. And yes, last year our prices were much higher than in Western countries.”

“Last year the legislators' intention was to increase the average income of the Latvian people more or less. ’ini was to take, and this ratio %It will be around 45, but not yet this year. So we probably need to discuss more with our business partners, our unions. Before next year, we need to make sure there's a mutual consensus that we can go much further.

“Businessmen are talking about a payment that is not taxed on the minimum wage. Previously, the amount not taxed was the same as the minimum wage. It's a little different now. I believe we will discuss this figure as well.”

Silina says measures other than the minimum wage have also been taken to help the lowest-paid

“, one of the first tasks I actually started, says ”, is that for people who live on low incomes, they will have bigger outreach benefits where they can help them with home payments and some other issues. Therefore, the government is also ready to develop the skills of our employees, because otherwise it would not be good for the economic growth of our country without people who can work and earn money and live according to their needs. So there are many aspects that we will work on, and one of the most important is to encourage these people and invest in them. They're not very young yet, but they can change jobs and try to learn something new. - ”

Ensuring a decent standard of living for every European worker

Collective bargaining, economic impact analysis and consideration of workers' needs are three tools highlighted by the Eurofound agency; Thus, each member state defines its own minimum wage and provides a reasonable standard of living for each European worker under all circumstances.

Nissan to cut 20,000 jobs after Japanese automaker reports missing

19/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

Japanese automaker Nissan has announced a recovery plan to create a more resilient business, “, which quickly adapts to the ” market changes after the company reported a net loss of 671 billion yen (EUR 4 billion) for the fiscal year ending in March. This compares to the net profit of €2.6 billion in the previous fiscal year.

The main cause of the damage was the decline in vehicle sales in China and other countries and increased restructuring costs.

Nissan Motor Corp. has said it will reduce the number of car factories from 17’ to 10’ under the rescue plan. It was not specified which factories were closed, but it was confirmed that the closures would include factories in ’, Japan.

Ivan Espinosa, the company's chief executive, told reporters in “ that there is a mountain we need to climb, stressing that the task will not be easy, it requires discipline and teamwork. “From today, we are building the future of Nissan’.”

Among the layoffs to be made until March 2028’ is the 9,000-person reduction announced last year. Nissan has also previously announced that it has abandoned plans to build a battery factory in ’, Japan.

Nissan’'s recovery plan involves trying to reduce costs by up to 500 billion yen ($3.4 billion) compared to current costs.

Espinosa, who took over earlier this year, said the latest plans come after a careful review of operations to align production with demand, including determining market and product strategies. Nissan’ will also benefit from partnerships with Renault SA in ’ and Dongfeng Nissan in China.

Yokohama-based automaker, US President Donald Trump, said ’'s tariffs on car imports were also damaging the results.

Espinosa, “As the new management, we take a prudent approach to reassess our goals and actively seek every possible opportunity to implement and ensure a strong recovery.

“All employees are committed to working together as a team to implement this plan with the goal of returning to profitability by fiscal year 2026, ” said.

But Jeremie Papin, Nissan's chief financial officer, acknowledged that the automaker faces serious challenges. Nissan did not forecast profits for the fiscal year up to March 2026’, citing uncertainties.

UniCredit raises outlook, exceeding expectations with record profits

19/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

Italian UniCredit SpA, lender's 2025yearly in the first three months of ’ %It raised its financial expectations for this year after it announced an unexpectedly high net profit increase of 8.3’ to €2.8 billion.

Net income, mainly due to the strong growth in investment and financing fees, %With the effect of the increase of 2.3 billion Euro’ya with an increase of 8.2 %An increase of 2.8 to 6. billion Euro’. This is on a quarterly basis. %It offset the decline in net interest income, which declined by 4.8 to 3.5 billion Euro’.

UniCredit Chief Executive Officer Andrea Orcel said in a statement that “UniCredit has released an outstanding first-quarter results, leaving all KPI’s behind and expanding the positive gap between us and the likes of ”. We achieved the best quarterly results in “UniCredit history and the 17th quarter of consecutive profitable growth.”

Based on better-than-expected quarterly results, the bank has raised its expectations for fiscal year 2025 to “ with a possible rise. They expect net profit for the whole year to rise above €9.3 billion ’ and net income to be around €23 billion.

The Italian bank plans to develop its portfolio across Europe and is pursuing interesting possibilities as long as it benefits all stakeholders.

According to Bloomberg’, UniCredit is set to begin talks with Italian government officials to clarify conditions for its bid to buy Banco BPM SpA’, after the bank recently obtained permission from ECB’ to take direct control of its Italian rival.

Over the past three months, UniCredit has completed the acquisition of Aion Bank and Vodeno’, both offering digital financial services. UniCredit also owns a stake in the German Commerzbank’. .9Also obtained ECB’'s approval to remove ’a; This is seen by many as a potential takeover attempt.

According to a press release released on Friday, UniCredit also received the green light from ECB’ to realize the second tranche of the 2024 share buyback program, a maximum of €3.6 billion.