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European benchmarks began the week with gains. Oil and gold prices increased, but the euro weakened against the dollar. Sentiment was influenced by OPEC+’s decision to pause production hikes in the first quarter of next year, which led to a modest rise in oil prices as fears of oversupply eased. Gains were, however, mostly lost by late morning.

The international benchmark, Brent crude futures, traded at $64.76, while US West Texas Intermediate cost $60.92 a barrel.

Alongside pauses in the new year, OPEC+ countries agreed on Sunday to increase output by a small 137,000 barrels per day in December, maintaining the pace set for October and November.

Meanwhile, investors expect fresh Western sanctions on Russia, targeting Rosneft and Lukoil, to hinder the country’s ability to boost production further.

At the same time, major Western oil companies are benefitting from the disrupted supply of Russian refined fuels due to attacks and sanctions. Refining margins have risen substantially, giving the oil majors a boost. Both BP and Shell share prices were slightly up on Monday before noon in Europe.

“The decision by producers’ cartel OPEC+ to pause further output hikes at the start of next year, amid concerns about a glut of supply, helped give oil prices a lift and, in turn, boosted UK market heavyweights BP and Shell,” said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.

The movements also came as BP announced it had agreed to divest stakes in US shale assets to Sixth Street investment firm on Monday.

Winners in Europe

At 11:00 CET, the UK’s FTSE 100 was up by a few points. The DAX in Frankfurt was leading the gains, up 0.8% after an initial stutter. The CAC 40 in Paris started climbing, reaching gains of nearly 0.2%. The lift in France came despite national budget uncertainties and the release of negative PMI data, which showed that the country’s manufacturing sector was still contracting in October.

US futures were positive around the same time, rising between 0.1% and 0.5%.

Meanwhile, the earnings season continues. A number of European companies are reporting this week, including AstraZeneca, BP, BMW, and Commerzbank.

Ryanair opened the week by posting stronger-than-expected results for the first half of its financial year, spanning April to September. Revenues rose 13% to €9.82bn, as traffic grew 3% and fares increased by 13%. Over the same period, profit rose by 42% year-on-year to €2.54bn, driven by a strong Easter season.

The airline’s shares were up 2.90% in Dublin at around midday.

Looking ahead, Ryanair’s outspoken CEO Michael O’Leary criticised countries in Europe where airlines face high taxes, including environmental duties. In an interview with CNBC, he threatened to move capacity outside the UK should the new budget include such a levy.

“Ryanair is also one of several airline operators with an eagle eye on taxes and costs. It is no longer putting up with unfavourable tax systems, preferring to switch flights and routes to less punitive locations,” Mould commented.

In other markets, the euro weakened against the US dollar by more than 0.2%, hitting a rate of $1.1517 by 11:00 CET. At the same time, the Japanese yen and the British pound were also losing ground against the greenback, with the dollar trading at ¥154.15 and the pound costing $1.3136.

Gold traded just above $4,000, rising slightly by 0.3%.

Published on 28/10/2025 – 16:58 GMT+1
•Updated
16:59

Apple’s stock reached new heights on Tuesday, trading above $269 a share and pushing the company’s market capitalisation to a record $4 trillion (€3.4tr). That followed stronger-than-expected demand for its latest iPhone 17.

The Cupertino-based technology giant therefore joins the elite club with Nvidia and Microsoft, which both surpassed the same valuation earlier this year.

Nvidia, the semiconductor powerhouse, became the first company in history to hit the $4tn milestone in July 2025. News of soaring AI investments and the firm’s strong profit outlook have continued to lift its share price since then, now approaching $4.7tn (€4tn).

The so-called Magnificent Seven, the seven largest publicly traded technology companies in the world, have been cashing in on the AI boom this year, with tech share prices rising accordingly. Since January, Apple shares are up more than 18%, Nvidia’s nearly 40%, and Microsoft’s close to 30%.

However, Apple has mostly stayed out of the race to invest billions in AI projects. Current market enthusiasm for the iPhone maker’s stock instead stems from the successful launch of its updated iPhone range, along with signs of easing trade and tariff pressures.

According to Counterpoint Research, the iPhone 17 series has outsold the iPhone 16 range by 14% during its first ten days on sale in China and the United States.

Five members of the Magnificent Seven, Alphabet, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, are reporting earnings this week. They will need to demonstrate strong growth and justify the massive spending currently underway in artificial intelligence, amid growing concerns that the sector may be forming a bubble reminiscent of the dot-com boom that burst in 2000.

According to Kate Leaman, chief market analyst at AvaTrade:”Markets move on leadership, and right now, the leadership of Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, and Apple is inseparable from the risk appetite of investors worldwide.”

She noted that more than 40% of S&P 500 gains this year have come via these giants.

“But with that concentration comes fragility,” she added, saying that even as revenues climb, the commentary provided by executives “will critically frame how far and how confidently the market can chase the AI story into 2026”.

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Rare earth stocks climbed in the US after Beijing tightened its control over these critical materials, used in the vast majority of electronic devices, from smartphones and cars to ballistic missiles.

Across the Atlantic, European markets opened in a mixed mood while the Middle East peace deal progresses, brokered by US President Donald Trump.

With investors also watching political uncertainty in France, the pan-European STOXX 600 was up around 0.1% at 11.45 CEST, and Paris’ CAC 40 also gained 0.1%.

Frankfurt’s DAX and London’s FTSE 100 both slipped 0.1%, after an earlier rise for the DAX.

“The FTSE 100 was stuck in the mud as the rest of Europe ploughed ahead at the end of the trading week,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

“Strength in consumer stocks and utilities was offset by weakness in miners and healthcare,” he said — adding: “it was also notable that defence stocks were being sold down, including Babcock, which has rocketed this year.”

In other news, oil prices were down on Friday morning. The US benchmark crude cost around 0.4% less than at the previous close, and traded at $61.26 per barrel at around 11.45 CEST. The international benchmark Brent lost 0.49% and cost $64.90 per barrel at the same time.

Gold prices also rose after hitting new records recently, trading at $4,018.00 on Friday morning in Europe.

US futures were up slightly, the euro gained against the dollar at $1.1575, and the greenback slipped against the Japanese yen, to ¥152.7950. The British pound also fell against the dollar and cost $1.3290.

Rare earths companies gained overseas

As mining stocks led losses in Europe on Friday amid developments in Beijing, the STOXX Europe Basic Resources index shed 0.78%.

This follows a rally in the US, where rare earth stocks rose considerably after China announced that it would tighten control over its exports of these materials.

The country is dominating the market for rare earths. The world’s second-largest economy accounts for 70% of the global supply of these assets that are hugely significant for defence and technological infrastructure.

Following the news, investors in the US placed their hopes on American alternatives. US rare earth and critical mineral miners’ share prices surged on Thursday, partially due to market speculation that Washington will invest more in building out a domestic supply chain.

Many of these companies have seen their prices increase for months now, with several doubling or tripling since the beginning of the year.

USA Rare Earth Inc., a firm building a domestic rare earth magnet supply chain, gained nearly 15% on Thursday. Since January, it has risen 151%.

MP Materials Corp, an American rare-earth materials company headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, also gained more than 2.4% on Thursday, while it is up 341% since January.

Another company, Denver-based Energy Fuels Inc., gained 9.4%, bring its year-to-date rise to 284%.

NioCorp Developments, which benefits from Pentagon support, gained more than 12%, Rare Element Resources Ltd gained more than 10%, and Texas Mineral Resources Corp. gained 9.6% on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Australian rare-earth mining company Lynas Rare Earths lost nearly 3.8% in the Asian trade, and Australia’s Iluka Resources lost 3.22%.

Chinese Shenghe Resources, a partly state-owned rare earths mining and processing company listed on the Shanghai stock exchange, lost 5%.

Beijing’s measures mean that companies need to apply for a licence to export products containing certain Chinese-sourced rare earth metals.

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US futures sank, the dollar slipped, and world shares were mixed after a US government shutdown began on Wednesday.

The partial closure of the federal government is feared to have economic implications if it lasts, and Washington is bracing for what could be a prolonged deadlock. This comes after lawmakers missed the deadline to agree on funding for the government.

Equity markets in Europe were volatile in the morning on Wednesday, as investors reacted to the news from across the Atlantic. Major European stock indexes started trading mostly in negative territory, but the picture fundamentally changed by midday.

“The US government shutdown has left investors wondering what might happen next, with a minor pullback on European equity markets and weaker futures prices for Wall Street,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

At first, the FTSE 100 in London made an exception of the negative trend, rising 0.7% two hours after the opening, “thanks to a surge in pharmaceutical stocks”.

Soon enough, the German DAX turned its initial loss of 0.3% into a gain of more than 0.3%, just like the CAC 40 in Paris. The IBEX 35 in Madrid was down by nearly 0.2% at around midday.

US futures were mostly down at the same time, with the S&P 500 dropping 0.5%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipping 0.5%, and the Nasdaq down 0.6%.

Eurozone inflation ticked up in September

The trend in Europe’s equity markets was also influenced by freshly released eurozone inflation data, showing that prices have increased by 2.2% in September. This is slightly above the European Central Bank’s 2% target, where eurozone inflation had been sitting for the previous three months. Core inflation remained stable at 2.3%, despite services edging up modestly.

“The outlook has not changed and still clearly points to inflation descending thanks to cooling wage growth, low energy commodity prices, a stronger euro, and contained demand-side pressures,” said Riccardo Marcelli Fabiani, senior economist at Oxford Economics.

He added that the September rise in inflation will cement the ECB’s conviction that further easing would be overdue. “Only a strong surprise in inflation could spur a cut this year.”

The US shutdown’s impact on the equity markets

While trading activity was expected to slow in the case of a shutdown in the US, many investors didn’t sell off their holdings.

One explanation is that past US government shutdowns have had a limited impact on the economy and the stock market, and investors may be predicting something similar this time around. Many analysts agree that the market is tuning out the political noise and focusing on the economic fundamentals.

However, if the shutdown lasts, it is expected to prevent the Friday release of a monthly labour market report. This is key for investors and for the Federal Reserve to get a pulse check on the US economy and decide whether to cut interest rates again.

But the stubborn positivity among investors may last, continuing the relentless run the US stock markets have been on since hitting a low in April. The bullish market sentiment is fuelled by expectations that President Donald Trump’s tariffs won’t derail global trade and that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates several times to boost the slowing job market.

Meanwhile, Tuesday brought mixed reports on the US economy. A Conference Board survey showed consumers are feeling less confident than economists expected, with many respondents pointing to the job market and to stubborn inflation.

A second report suggested the job market may be remaining in its “low-hire, low-fire” state. US employers were advertising roughly the same number of job openings at the end of August as the month before. The hope on Wall Street had been for a moderate number, one balanced enough to keep the Fed cutting interest rates.

The central bank just delivered its first cut of the year, and officials have pencilled in more this year.

Bonds, gold and oil

The US shutdown had a limited impact on US Treasury yields, which rose slightly as European markets opened. This could be explained by the fact that the shutdown had been anticipated and it is not expected to last long.

In other news, gold has struck a new record, with the safe-haven asset hitting $3,918.80 before midday in Europe.

Oil prices reflected concerns, meanwhile, with US benchmark crude oil losing nearly 1% to $61.75 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, lost nearly 0.9% to $65.44 per barrel.

The US dollar fell to 147.13 Japanese yen from 147.94 yen. The euro climbed to $1.1745 from $1.1734. The British pound gained slightly, coming to $1.3470.

Shares in Japan slid, rising elsewhere in Asia

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index shed 0.9% after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) reported a slight improvement in business sentiment among major manufacturers.

The indications from the BOJ’s quarterly tankan survey raise the odds that the central bank will increase its key interest rate to counter inflation that has topped its target range of about 2% for some time.

Political uncertainty is also looming over Japan’s markets, with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party due to choose a new leader and prime minister later this week to replace embattled Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Markets and offices in mainland China are closed 1-8 October for the National Day holiday. Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.9%, while Taiwan’s Taiex added 0.6% on heavy buying of semiconductor-related shares. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped less than 0.1%. In India, the Sensex rose 0.6%.

Published on
29/09/2025 – 11:58 GMT+2

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In order to attract global investors, AstraZeneca said it will directly list its ordinary shares on the New York Stock Exchange, in addition to its shares trading in the UK and Sweden.

To do so, the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant needs to replace its existing US listing of AstraZeneca American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) on the Nasdaq.

The company said that the move aims to harmonise its listing structure “while remaining headquartered in the UK”.

“The Board of AstraZeneca is recommending to shareholders a Harmonised Listing Structure for the Company’s ordinary shares across the London Stock Exchange (LSE), Nasdaq Stockholm (STO) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE),” the company said in a statement.

The announcement follows increased speculation that the pharma company may move its shares entirely from the London Stock Exchange, where it is one of the largest companies traded. And according to analysts, the current announcement doesn’t exclude this possibility in the future.

“While there is logic to shifting to a direct listing in the US rather than American Depositary Receipts beyond setting up for any longer-term moves, it does at least hint at the possibility of a more dramatic shift at some point in the future,” said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.  

The US has the world’s largest and most liquid public markets by capitalisation. A direct listing makes it easier for US investors to buy AstraZeneca shares directly without going through ADRs.

Compared to ordinary shares, American Depositary Receipts come with additional costs and extra steps. ADR investors may be subject to fees and double taxation, and ADRs come through a custodian bank.

“Enabling a global listing structure will allow us to reach a broader mix of global investors and will make it even more attractive for all our shareholders to have the opportunity to participate in AstraZeneca’s exciting future,” said Michel Demaré, Chair of AstraZeneca.

In response to the announcement, AstraZeneca’s shares listed on the FTSE 100 rose 0.71% at around 11.30 CEST.

By&nbspAP with Doloresz Katanich

Published on
11/09/2025 – 8:13 GMT+2

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Klarna stock opened at $52 (€45) a share on Wednesday, a 30% premium on the company’s $40 pricing. It took roughly three-and-a-half hours for the specialists on the floor of the NYSE to manually price the first batch of trades of the company. The shares rose as high as $57 before losing some momentum and ending at $45.82, up 14.6%.

More than 34 million shares worth approximately $1.37 billion (€1.17bn) were sold to investors, making it the largest IPO this year, according to Renaissance Capital. That’s notable because 2025 has been one of the busier years for companies going public.

Founded in 2005 as a payments company, Klarna entered the US buy-now-pay-later market in 2015 in partnership with department store operator Macy’s. Since then, Klarna has expanded to hundreds of thousands of merchants and embedded itself in internet browsers and digital wallets as an alternative to credit cards. The company recently announced a partnership with Walmart.

The company is trading under the symbol “KLAR”. While Klarna was founded in Sweden and is a popular payment service in Europe, company executives said they made the decision to go public in the US as a signal that Klarna’s future growth opportunities lay with the American shopper.

“It’s the largest consumer market in the world, and it’s the biggest credit card market in the world. It’s a tremendous opportunity, from our perspective,” said CEO and co-founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of the IPO.

Over the years and in multiple interviews, Siemiatkowski has made it clear that Klarna wants to steal away customers from the big credit card companies and sees credit cards as a high-interest, exploitative product that consumers rarely use correctly.

Klarna’s most popular product is what’s known as a “pay-in-4” plan, where a customer can split a purchase into four payments spread over six weeks. The company also offers a longer-term payment plan where it charges interest. The business model has caught on globally, particularly among consumers who are reluctant to use credit cards. The company said 111 million consumers worldwide have used Klarna.

The buy-now-pay-later market is booming

Klarna and other buy-now-pay-later companies have attracted increased public interest in recent years as the business model has caught on. State and federal regulators, as well as consumer groups, have expressed some degree of worry that consumers may overextend themselves financially on buy-now-pay-later loans just as much as they do with credit cards.

Siemiatkowski says the company is actively monitoring how consumers use their products, and the average balance of a Klarna user is less than $100 (€85.50). Because the company issues loans that are six weeks or less, Klarna argues it can more easily adjust its underwriting standards depending on economic conditions.

With Klarna going public, its co-founders are now billionaires. At Klarna’s IPO price of $40, Siemiatkowski’s 7% stake in the company is worth around $1bn (€850 million), while Victor Jacobsson, who left the company in 2012, owns an 8.4% stake in the company now worth $1.3bn (€1.11bn). Siemiatkowski said he did not sell shares as part of the IPO.

But with Klarna’s 20-year-long incubation period before going public, and several fundraising rounds, major parts of Silicon Valley are walking away with a handsome return for their patience. Sequoia Capital, the storied venture capital firm that was an early backer in the company, has accumulated a 21% ownership in Klarna worth roughly $3.15bn (€2.69bn). Silver Lake, another major VC firm, owns roughly 4.5% of the company.

Klarna reported second-quarter revenue of $823 million (€703.64mn) in August before going public and had an adjusted profit of $29m (€24.8mn). The delinquency rate on Klarna’s “pay-in-4” loans is 0.89% and on its longer-term loans for bigger purchases, the delinquency rate is 2.23%. Those figures are below the average 30-day delinquency rates on a credit card.

Klarna will now be the second-largest buy-now-pay-later company by market capitalisation behind Affirm. Shares of Affirm have surged more than 40% so far this year, putting the value of the company around $28bn (€23.94bn), helped by a belief among investors that buy-now-pay-later companies may take away market share from traditional banks and credit cards. Affirm fell slightly on Wednesday.

Klarna’s primary underwriters for the IPO were JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs.

Published on
29/08/2025 – 12:28 GMT+2

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Leading banks in the UK saw their share prices hit hard as news of a proposed new bank tax emerged.

NatWest share prices lost more than 4.7% nearing midday in Europe, Lloyds saw a dip of 4.5%, and Barclays lost 3.7%. This dragged down the benchmark stock index in London; the FTSE 100 was down by nearly 0.4% at time of reporting.

“NatWest, Lloyds and Barclays were the FTSE 100’s biggest fallers on Friday morning as investors wondered if the era of bumper profits, dividends and buybacks is now under threat,” Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said.

The idea for the new tax came in a proposal from think-tank IPPR to the UK government on Friday. They suggest charging commercial banks to compensate for the losses of the Bank of England’s massive government bond buying—‘quantitative easing’ (QE)—programme. This “will cost the taxpayers £22 billion (€25.4bn) a year in every year of this parliament,” said the IPPR in their report.

The so-called quantitative easing is a monetary policy tool which provided a boost to the UK economy and yielded significant profits for a while. However, since December 2021, the Bank of England has increased its interest rate from close to zero to a peak of 5.25% and that took a toll on the programme and led to interest rate losses.

The think tank said in its report that the government could compensate for the loss partially by implementing a ‘QE reserves income levy’ on commercial banks.

It is unclear where the government stands on this issue at the time of writing the article, but analysts say that it could choke growth in the UK.

“The issue is whether taxing the banks more will end up stifling the very growth the government is keen to foster, by crimping lending to businesses and households alike,” said Mould.

However, the public opinion could be supportive, given that “HSBC, Barclays, NatWest and Lloyds are expected to earn some £44 billion (€50.7bn) between them worldwide in 2025, their third-best year ever, after 2023 and 2024,” he adds.

The investment director noted: “These companies have enjoyed a strong run on the stock market in recent years, and they’ve also played an important role in lending money to small and large businesses, which helps to create jobs and support the UK economy.”

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As investors digested the news of a potential rate cut from the United States’ Federal Reserve in the coming months, European markets saw a correction on Monday morning. Benchmark stock indexes dipped into negative territory except for the FTSE 100, which remained closed because of a bank holiday in the UK. 

The Dax in Frankfurt lost 0.4% soon after the opening, the CAC 40 in Paris dipped by 0.6%, the Madrid IBEX 35 was down by more than 0.4% and the European benchmark STOXX 600 decreased by 0.3% after 10.00 CEST. 

At the same time, the euro was slightly down against the US dollar, with the exchange rate at 1.1707.

Turning to market outliers, Danish energy company Orsted shares saw its shares fall to a record low, losing more than 17% of their value in Copenhagen. This came after the US administration halted the company’s offshore wind farm construction project called Revolution Wind on Friday, raising alarm among the company’s investors.

Meanwhile, JDE Peet’s shares soared more than 17% on the news that Keurig Dr Pepper would buy the Dutch coffee company in a €15.7 billion deal.

Asian trade followed US rally

The movements followed a cheerful trading session in Asia, where shares advanced on Monday, tracking Wall Street’s rally after the head of the Federal Reserve hinted that interest rate cuts may be on the way.

Fed chair Jerome Powell said on Friday at an annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that he is aware of risks to the labour market — which could prompt faster rate cuts.

A surprisingly weak report on job growth this month has led many traders to expect a cut as soon as the Fed’s next meeting in September, after months of pressure from US President Donald Trump for lower rates.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index jumped 1.9% by the close, and the Shanghai Composite index surged 1.5%. The latter is trading at its highest level in a decade, despite worries over higher tariffs on exports to the United States under Trump and weak domestic demand at home.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.4%, and the Kospi in South Korea climbed 1.3%. 

“Asia is set to rally in catch-up mode, feeding off Wall Street’s Friday rebound after Powell cracked the door open to rate cuts,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

In other dealings on Monday morning, US benchmark crude oil gained 0.4% and was traded at $63.92 per barrel at around 11.00 CEST, while Brent crude, the international standard, added 0.25% to $67.39 per barrel.

The US dollar rose to 147.24 Japanese yen from 146.88 yen. 

Gold prices inched lower, by 0.2% to $3,410 an ounce. 

What to look out for this week

Nvidia’s earnings report, due on Wednesday after markets on Wall Street close, is a key focus of attention this week.

The firm’s role as a key supplier of chips for artificial intelligence, along with its heavy weighting, give it outsized influence as a bellwether for the broader market.

In Europe, inflation figures from France, Germany, Italy and other key European countries will be released on Friday.

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Greek Minister of National Economy and Finance, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, described the acquisition of the Athens Stock Exchange by the European stock market group Euronext as “one of the largest foreign investments in recent years”.

“For the Greek economy as a whole, this is a decisive step forward,” Pierrakakis said from the floor of the Parliament.

The announcement of the all-share deal came on Thursday, with the offer worth €412.8 million. The deal will exchange 20 Athens Exchange ordinary shares, valued at €7.14 each, for one new Euronext share, worth €142.70 based on a 30 July closing price.

“[This investment] strengthens our credibility and upgrades the country’s position on the European and international economic map,” continued Pierrakakis.

“We will examine the details of the agreement and follow the progress of its implementation. Overall, this is a highly positive development, and undoubtedly a major opportunity for the country as a whole.”

And the acquisition of the Athens Stock Exchange was not only welcomed with satisfaction by Greece’s Minister of Finance.

Euronext CEO Stéphane Boujnah commented that “Euronext aims to expand its geographical footprint in Greece and to create a financial centre of Southeast Europe through the Athens Stock Exchange”.

Boujnah added: “Greece has experienced strong economic growth in recent years, supported by increasing investment, the cultivation of international confidence and strong economic indicators. This is the right time, the proper moment to invest in Greece.”

What it means for Greek businesses

The integration of the Greek stock exchange into Euronext’s European family opens a new gateway to financing for Greek companies, at a critical time when international competition is increasing and global trade is being redefined.

Euronext is the largest liquidity pool in Europe, managing around 25% of total cash equity trading activity. It operates capital markets in major financial centres such as Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Milan, Oslo and Paris.

It brings the following to Greece:

Access to a wider investment base

Membership of a pan-European group offers Greek businesses direct exposure to a much larger network of international investors, both institutional and private. This translates into increased liquidity for their shares and greater chances of success in future capital raises or bond issuances.

Know-how and digital tools

Euronext has well-developed digital platforms, trading tools and compliance infrastructure that will support the technological modernisation of the Greek stock exchange. This will help more firms and investors to participate in the ecosystem.

Enhancing credibility and prestige

Participation in a network with a strong European presence could act as a “seal of credibility” for listed Greek companies, making them more attractive to foreign investors.

Easier access for SMEs

Euronext’s focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), through initiatives such as the ‘Euronext Growth’ programme, could lead to the development of simpler and less expensive listing procedures for Greek SMEs.

Interconnection with other capital ecosystems

Through Euronext, Greek companies will gain access to alternative financing tools such as green bonds, ESG ratings, dividend reinvestment programmes.

What it means for the Greek economy

The acquisition of the Greek stock exchange comes at an important juncture for the Greek economy, which continues to record significant GDP growth (2.3% in 2024), yet faces serious challenges.

The main challenges include the completion of the Resilience and Recovery Fund, the looming recession threatening the European economy, and the need to change the country’s production model, with less reliance on services such as tourism.

Greek businesses need sources of funding in order to develop beyond the Greek market, which is small and showing signs of fatigue in terms of domestic consumption.

Furthermore, despite the impressive increase in foreign direct investment over the last five years, the country still suffers from a large investment gap, hindering the modernisation of the Greek economy.

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The price of Bitcoin (BTC) is expected to reach a high of $162,353 this year (€139,148), before it settles at around $145,167 (€124,418).

That’s according to UK fintech firm Finder’s latest survey, collecting price predictions from 24 crypto industry specialists.

Within responses, high and low estimates range widely, and the most optimistic predictions expect a peak price of $250,000 this year. The average lowest price prediction sits at $87,618, with some predicting that Bitcoin will fall as low as $70,000.

The cryptocurrency has recently reached $120,000 from just below $100,000 at the end of last year. 

“There are a number of factors increasing demand for Bitcoin, including clearer and more favourable regulations, increased utility such as payments, and changing economic conditions,” crypto exchange Zondacrypto’s CEO, Przemysław Kral, told Euronews.

He added that regulations such as the EU’s MiCA contributed significantly to the recent rally. The Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) sets uniform EU market rules for crypto-assets. This, coupled with an increased interest from institutional players, largely in the form of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), made crypto more accessible for many. 

Cryptocurrency-based ETFs make it easier for investors to gain exposure to cryptocurrencies without having to buy them directly. These funds have exploded in popularity since Bitcoin ETFs began trading in US markets last year. 

Is there a bubble around Bitcoin?

While the integration of crypto into mainstream finance has genuinely boosted interest towards Bitcoin, there is a possibility that a so-called bubble is forming. In other words, the price is being ‘blown up’ by investor interest without fundamentals supporting it. 

According to Northeastern University’s crypto expert and professor of international business and strategy Ravi Sarathy, big institutional investors, including MicroStrategy, have been accumulating large pools of this asset, and it is possible that they are propping up the price of the cryptocurrency. MicroStrategy holds a Bitcoin stash worth approximately $65bn.

After the previous reluctant approach from institutional investors, “new US measures authorising Bitcoin ETF funds have made it easier and more convenient for both institutions and retail investors to invest some of their resources in these higher risk/higher return Bitcoin vehicles”,  Sarathy told Euronews Business. 

Bitcoin issuance has a ceiling of 21 million, driving rising demand in the face of a limited supply. “This has also led to the rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (a corporate strategy, ed.) which seek investor funds to invest in a variety of cryptocurrencies and tokens, including Bitcoin, a further fillip to demand, and fuelling rapid Bitcoin price appreciation,” Sarathy said, adding that after a short reaction to further US legislation, longer-term price appreciation could still continue.

How Washington is fuelling Bitcoin’s rally

Interest in Bitcoin has increased dramatically since US President Donald Trump widely campaigned to make the US the world capital for crypto. The US administration’s support for crypto assets reached new highs recently as the government dubbed this week ‘Crypto Week’. Lawmakers in the House are debating a series of bills that could define the regulatory framework for the industry in the United States. 

“Bitcoin and crypto in general, is being propped up by the Trump administration, ironically given its initial promotion as an alternative to government-backed currencies and support from libertarians,” said John Hawkins, senior lecturer at the University of Canberra.

He believes that the token “lacks any fundamental value, and after 16 years, it has still failed to meet its initial aspiration to be a common means of payment. It remains a speculative bubble.”

Others see Trump’s support as a reason to buy. 

Rouge International & Rouge Ventures’ managing director, Desmond Marshall, said that “Together with Trump’s embrace of digital crypto assets, his sons dealing with huge amounts of crypto projects and the strong US dollar, the US government is already buying large reserves of BTC. This is supported by many businesses venturing into this realm with enterprise crypto strategies.”

The most bullish crypto specialists, expecting a large price increase, bet that Bitcoin could reach $250,000, buoyed by institutional demand.

“Corporate and institutional demand is not slowing down while retail is still absent and nation state adoption is just getting started,” said Martin Froehler, CEO of Morpher trading platform.

Bitcoin’s price has increased nearly 25% since the beginning of the year, despite ongoing uncertainties related to tariff tensions, the conflict in the Middle East, and the lack of monetary policy easing in the US.

Is it the right time to buy Bitcoin?

Around 61% of the experts surveyed believe that it is the right time to buy. 

However, caution is always important, according to crypto exchange Zondacrypto’s CEO, Przemysław Kral.

He told Euronews: “With such hype comes the need for caution. No one knows whether the price will go up or down. We always recommend doing your research and getting educated on Bitcoin before investing in it.” 

Kadan Stadelmann, the CTO at Komodo Platform, believes that Bitcoin is going to steadily grow in value over the next six months before it returns to a bear market (when investors mainly sell instead of buy).

“Considering Bitcoin touched $110,000 already, and there’s still at least six months left in this bull run…I expect the peak around Q1 of 2026 and a bear market to follow,” said Stadelmann.

When asked what their expectations were for the very long term, the crypto experts surveyed by Finer said Bitcoin could reach values of $458,647 by 2030 and surpass $1 million by 2035.

How quantum computing might impact Bitcoin’s cryptographic security

The vast majority of the crypto specialists surveyed (79%) see quantum computing as a threat to Bitcoin’s cryptographic security, as quantum computers could potentially break the encryption standards that secure cryptocurrencies.

A quarter of the experts (25%) think that quantum computers will be able to crack Bitcoin within the next five years, and another 25% find that it’s a realistic possibility within the next five to ten years. The remainder (29%) say it’ll take longer than ten years.

Just 8% say that quantum computers pose no threat, and only a third of the experts are confident that the Bitcoin community is somewhat prepared for this threat. 

Disclaimer: This information does not constitute financial advice; always do your own research to ensure it’s right for your specific circumstances. We are a journalistic website and aim to provide the best guides, tips and advice from experts. If you rely on the information on this page, then you do so entirely at your own risk.