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Dassault Systèmes (DASTY) is in discussions to acquire drug trial software maker ArisGlobal from Nordic Capital for about $2 billion.
Talks between the parties are ongoing, according to a Financial Times report on Thursday, which cited people familiar with the matter. A deal
SA analyst upgrades/downgrades: SNDK, AAPL, PYPL, NOW
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Earnings Call Insights: Abbott Laboratories (ABT) Q2 2026
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Saronic Technologies, the startup whose naval drones this week were used in combat by the U.S. military for the first time, is building a $3.2 billion shipyard in South Texas.
The facility, called Port Alpha, will manufacture autonomous boats at the Port
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TSMC posted a record quarterly profit on Thursday and raised its revenue outlook as booming demand for artificial intelligence chips continued to fuel growth at the world’s largest contract chipmaker.
Taiwan-based TSMC reported earnings of $4.31 per share for the April-June quarter, beating analysts’ expectations.
Revenue came in at $40.2 billion (€36.8bn), above analysts’ estimates of $39.63 billion (€34.6bn).
In local currency, net profit reached a record NT$706.6bn (€19.1bn), up 77% from a year earlier, while revenue climbed 36% to NT$1.27 trillion (€36.8bn), as appetite for the advanced chips TSMC makes for customers such as Nvidia and Apple showed no sign of cooling.
Given that it manufactures semiconductors for almost every major chip designer, the Hsinchu-based firm’s results are closely read as a gauge of the wider sector and of broader AI demand itself, just as investors fret over a possible bubble.
CEO Che-Chia Wei described global AI-related demand as “extremely robust” and said he expected it to remain very strong until around 2029 or 2030. On that basis, TSMC now forecasts 2026 revenue growth of slightly above 40% year on year, up from its previous guidance of more than 30%.
Thursday’s figures confirmed what monthly sales data had already suggested.
As reported on Monday, June revenue jumped 67.9% year on year, and first-half sales rose 35.6% from the same period in 2025, slightly ahead of analysts’ consensus forecasts for the quarter.
TSMC shares rose about 1% after the earnings release but later pared those gains as a sell-off in AI-related shares weighed on benchmarks across Asia during Thursday’s session.
Alongside the results, TSMC said it would spend an additional $100 billion (€87.4bn) to expand its manufacturing capacity in the US, on top of the $165 billion (€144bn) already committed to building six fabrication plants in Arizona.
The move would bring the company’s total US investment pledges to around $265 billion (€231bn).
The fresh funds are expected to fund four further Arizona plants dedicated to the most advanced chips, those of 2 nanometres and below, and are intended to “support the strong multi-year demand” from the company’s leading American customers, CEO Che-Chia Wei said during the firm’s earnings conference.
TSMC also said it would spend more this year than previously planned, increasing its capital expenditure budget to between $60 billion (€52.4bn) and $64 billion (€55.9bn), up from an earlier range of $52 billion (€45.4bn) to $56 billion (€48.9bn).
The announcement follows a trade agreement struck earlier this year between the Trump administration and Taiwan, under which Taiwanese companies committed to invest at least $250 billion (€218bn) in the US technology sector inreturn for lower tariffs.
Additional sources • AP
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As the Q2 earnings season gets underway, investors are closely watching consumer staples companies for insights into consumer spending, pricing power and demand for everyday essentials.
Businesses with consistently strong profitability are expected to remain in focus as earnings reports
Biggest stock movers Thursday: TSM, EOSE, ASTS, and more
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President Donald Trump used a gathering of defense industry leaders in Pennsylvania on Wednesday to deliver a familiar message: build faster.
Speaking at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, Trump urged military contractors to ramp up production of weapons systems and
SA Asks: Should Disney get out of the streaming business?
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Tenaris (TS) up 0.9% in Wednesday’s trading as Morgan Stanley upgrades the manufacturer of steel pipe products and related services for the energy industry to Equal Weight from Underweight with a $65 price target, raised from $53, citing improving industry fundamentals
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Healthcare equipment maker Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) is due to report second-quarter earnings on July 15, with analysts expecting a quarter of solid growth.
The consensus EPS Estimate for Intuitive Surgical is $2.50, representing a 14.2% Y/Y jump. On the revenue side, ISRG is projected to
ASML raises FY26 outlook again, plans capacity boost driven by AI demand
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Rocket Lab (RKLB) is testing its 200-day moving average following a sharp July pullback, with the setup matching a historically bullish signal, according to Schaeffer’s Investment Research.
In a post on X, Schaeffer’s said the stock has produced positive one-month returns
ASML Holding in charts: Q2 net sales surge 21% Y/Y to €9.33B; gross profit hits €5.04B
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The US is set to have some of the most expensive elections in history. The US Supreme Court says political spending is equal to free speech, and therefore cannot be restricted, but as one expert told Al Jazeera’s ‘This is America’, if there’s a speed limit for cars, there can be a spending limit on politics.
Published On 15 Jul 202615 Jul 2026
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Earnings Call Insights: Phoenix Education Partners (PXED) Q3 fiscal 2026
Seeking Alpha’s Disclaimer: This article was automatically generated by an AI tool based on content available on the Seeking Alpha website, and has not been curated or reviewed by humans. Due to inherent limitations in using AI-based tools, the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of such articles cannot be guaranteed. This article is intended for informational purposes only. Seeking Alpha does not take account of your objectives or your financial situation and does not offer any personalized investment advice. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank.
Investors step in to close Africa’s critical $80B infrastructure financing gap.
Gulf investors are rapidly reshaping Africa’s investment landscape, committing billions of dollars to ports, transport corridors, logistics, renewable energy, and critical minerals as governments across the continent seek new sources of long-term development finance.
The shift gathered momentum in June, when sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), commercial banks, development finance institutions, institutional investors, and corporate issuers launched the Africa–Middle East Corridor. Debuted during the Global Banking & Markets Middle East 2026 conference in Dubai, the initiative aims to mobilize capital for infrastructure, deepen Africa’s debt capital markets, and expand cross-border investment between the Gulf and Africa.
The launch comes at a critical moment for the continent. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), Africa requires approximately $170 billion annually to finance infrastructure, yet current investment totals only $80 billion to $90 billion, leaving an annual financing gap approaching $80 billion.
The Gulf is positioning itself to help close the deficit.
Investors from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries announced 73 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects worth more than $53 billion across Africa in 2023, reflecting a decisive shift toward fewer but significantly larger investments concentrated in renewable energy, logistics, critical minerals, transport and digital infrastructure.
The changing investment landscape also reflects a broader shift in global capital flows.
For nearly two decades, Chinese policy banks financed much of Africa’s modern infrastructure expansion, underwriting railways, highways, ports, airports and power projects across the continent. Yet, according to the Boston University Global Development Policy Center, Chinese policy bank lending fell from a peak of $28.8 billion in 2016 to $2.1 billion in 2024. Annual lending regularly exceeded $10 billion between 2012 and 2018, but Beijing has increasingly pivoted from sovereign-backed megaprojects to smaller, commercially driven investments.
That retreat has created space for Gulf SWFs, export credit agencies, and commercial banks to expand their presence across Africa.
The United Arab Emirates has emerged as Africa’s fourth-largest foreign investor. Between 2019 and 2023, Emirati investments exceeded $110 billion, including an estimated $70 billion directed at renewable energy.
Several flagship transactions illustrate the scale of that commitment. ADQ’s $35 billion Ras El-Hekma development in Egypt ranks among the largest FDI deals ever concluded on the continent. DP World now operates six African ports and logistics facilities, while Abu Dhabi Ports has secured concessions in Egypt, Angola, and the Republic of Congo, strengthening Gulf influence over strategic maritime trade routes linking Africa with Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Renewable energy has become a major pillar of Gulf investment in Africa.
Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s state-owned renewable energy company, has committed $10 billion to develop 10 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity across sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Infinity Power, a joint venture between Masdar and Egypt’s Infinity, is now Africa’s largest pure-play renewable energy company, operating 1.3GW of generation capacity in Egypt, South Africa, and Senegal, with a further 16GW under development. Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power, one of the Middle East’s largest private power developers, continues to expand its renewable energy portfolio in Morocco, Egypt, and South Africa, while Gulf investors are increasingly financing green hydrogen, battery storage, and electricity transmission projects across the continent.
Commercial banks, too, are increasing their African presence.
In March, First Abu Dhabi Bank announced plans to establish its first representative office in Lagos, making Nigeria its West African hub. The lender has already participated in financing the $1.13 billion Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway, signaling growing Gulf interest in African project finance and structured lending.
“Gulf capital is increasingly vital to Africa because of a strategic alignment of economic needs,” says Phumlani Majozi, senior economist and executive director at the African Markets Institute. “As traditional Western and Chinese funding slows, African countries require enormous investment for infrastructure, energy, and digital transformation, while Gulf states are actively diversifying beyond hydrocarbons. The relationship is evolving from aid-based engagement into long-term commercial integration.”
The trend represents a structural shift rather than a temporary investment cycle, Majozi says, driven by long-term economic diversification strategies such as Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE’s ambition to become a global investment and logistics hub.
Private-sector advisers see the relationship as rooted in geography and commercial history.
“The Middle East is Africa’s closest neighbor. Trade between the two regions stretches back thousands of years,” said Jacqueléne Coetzer, founder and CEO of Jacqueléne Global Consulting. “Africa and the Gulf do not need to discover entirely new markets; they need to rediscover one another.”
Gulf investors are targeting critical minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, agriculture in Ethiopia, renewable energy in Kenya and South Africa, logistics in Egypt and Nigeria, and financial services through Mauritius, Coetzer says.
Africa’s bargaining position is also strengthening.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is creating a $3.4 trillion integrated market spanning 54 economies. The continent controls roughly 30% of the world’s critical minerals, including copper, cobalt, lithium, and manganese — resources central to the global energy transition.
Individual countries are strengthening their ties across the regions as well. Kenya’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the UAE, signed in January 2025, was the first such agreement between the UAE and a mainland African country. The accord improves business access to both countries’ markets by expanding investment protection and providing a framework for deeper cooperation in trade, logistics, financial services and digital commerce.
“Africa’s leverage has never been stronger,” Majozi argues. “The continent possesses roughly 30% of the world’s critical minerals, the world’s youngest workforce and the AfCFTA’s $3.4 trillion integrated market. The challenge is converting that structural advantage into negotiating power.”
If the Africa–Middle East Corridor succeeds in converting investment commitments into bankable projects, it could become one of the principal channels through which Gulf capital finances Africa’s next generation of infrastructure, industrialization, and capital-market development.
Charles Wachira is a contributing writer based in Kenya.
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The Shell-led (SHEL) LNG Canada venture said Tuesday it reached a deal for five First Nations to have an equity option to invest as much as C$1B (~US$710M) to acquire infrastructure in Canada’s biggest liquefied natural gas project as a major
Earnings Call Insights: Kestra Medical Technologies (KMTS) Q4 fiscal 2026
Seeking Alpha’s Disclaimer: This article was automatically generated by an AI tool based on content available on the Seeking Alpha website, and has not been curated or reviewed by humans. Due to inherent limitations in using AI-based tools, the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of such articles cannot be guaranteed. This article is intended for informational purposes only. Seeking Alpha does not take account of your objectives or your financial situation and does not offer any personalized investment advice. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank.
AI automation: The new margin defense in service industries
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Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) is going head-to-head with Pinterest (PIN) with Google Images, a search engine that indexes images across the web, redesigned into a “place for discovery and inspiration.”
The European Central Bank (ECB) took the digital euro project into its next operational stage on Tuesday by naming 36 payment service providers to help test the future currency in a large-scale pilot programme beginning in the second half of 2027.
According to the ECB, the participants were selected from more than 50 applicants across the euro area and will work alongside the ECB and 19 of the euro area’s national central banks, excluding Bulgaria and Malta, during a 12-month testing exercise.
The pilot is intended to assess the digital euro’s technical infrastructure, operational processes and user experience, allowing person-to-person and person-to-business payments to be tested in both online and offline environments, before any decision is taken on issuing the currency.
The announcement moves the digital euro closer to practical testing with consumers, merchants and payment providers, making it one of the project’s most significant milestones since the ECB launched its preparation phase in late 2023.
The selected providers include traditional banks, digital banks and payment companies, with several of Europe’s largest financial institutions among those taking part, including Deutsche Bank, UniCredit, Revolut, Adyen and Stripe.
ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said the level of interest demonstrated that the payments industry was ready to help shape the project’s next phase.
“The strong market interest in the pilot shows the private sector’s readiness to engage actively and quickly advance with the digital euro project to strengthen the European payments landscape,” Cipollone stated.
“We look forward to deeper engagement as we work with and learn alongside European payment service providers in developing a secure, efficient and inclusive digital euro,” Cipollone concluded.
The pilot comes as negotiations continue between the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission on legislation that would establish the legal basis for a digital euro.
The ECB has consistently maintained that it cannot issue the currency unless the legislation is adopted by EU lawmakers.
Current planning foresees formal approval in 2027, followed by completion of the pilot and a possible public launch in 2029, although those timelines remain dependent on the legislative process.
The digital euro would be available free of charge to consumers through supervised payment providers and the ECB has repeatedly sought to counter concerns that it could lead to the disappearance of physical money or weaken privacy protections.
In the current plan for the launch, the digital euro would not pay interest and holdings would likely be capped to avoid significant outflows from commercial bank deposits.
Speaking to Euronews exclusively last week, ECB President Christine Lagarde welcomed the European Parliament’s decision to begin negotiations on the legislation and reiterated that the digital is intended to complement, rather than replace, cash.
“Cash and the digital euro will both be legal tender, which means that nowhere in Europe can someone say, ‘Sorry, I’m not taking your banknotes’,” Lagarde told The Europe Conversation with Maria Tadeo, reaffirming that cash would remain a permanent feature of Europe’s monetary system.
The digital euro is also designed to reduce Europe’s dependence on international payment providers and strengthen the bloc’s strategic autonomy in payments.
Lagarde also told Euronews that the project is about reinforcing Europe’s economic sovereignty as much as modernising payments, pointing to the bloc’s continued reliance on foreign-owned payment networks.
“We depend predominantly on US, but also sometimes Chinese, networks to organise payments. We need to have a European solution because we want to be sovereign at home,” Lagarde stated.