During the ongoing UK‑EU reset talks, French officials raised concerns about allowing the UK to take part in the EU’s €5 billion tech start‑up fund, signalling strained relations between the two sides over financial cooperation.
Spanish companies such as Santander, Iberdrola, Repsol, Naturgy, Acerinox and Inditex, together with European firms ASML, ING, UniCredit and AXA, have reached unprecedented share price levels, and experts are confident about their upward trajectory.
Vodafone shares surged following the entry of French billionaire Xavier Niel into the company’s shareholding. Investors celebrated this development as a positive signal for the British telecommunications group.
Sophie Huynh, portfolio manager at BNP Paribas Asset Management, expressed views on the attractiveness of Chinese technology stocks as part of an AI rotation strategy, noting that while US leads in frontier AI models, China is approximately six months behind in development.
Non-custodial Bitcoin exchange Bull Bitcoin filed a legal petition to strike down the French implementing decree for DAC8, claiming the regulation poses surveillance risks and physical safety concerns for approximately 135 million European cryptocurrency users
Mistral AI, a French AI startup, announced the release of a new robotics navigation model as it expands into the physical artificial intelligence sector. The company has signed deals with major European industrial customers to support this expansion.
Runway, an AI video company, is expanding its global presence by establishing new hubs in London, Tokyo, and Paris. The company plans to invest approximately $300 million over the coming years to support business scaling and AI research initiatives.
Ludovic Subran, chief investment officer and chief economist at Allianz, stated that there is insufficient evidence to classify the AI trade as being in bubble territory. He highlighted that emerging-market stocks appear more attractive due to semiconductor demand, while cautioning that Europe may fail to capitalize on the AI dividend.
Tank manufacturer KNDS has postponed its planned stock market listing. The company’s owners decided to delay the IPO because recent losses in defense stocks have made the market environment too weak for the offering.
Amundi, the European asset manager, has released its market outlook for the second half of the year, positioning European and emerging market assets as attractive opportunities. The firm maintains a moderately positive view despite a fragile geopolitical backdrop, citing widespread artificial intelligence adoption as a key factor. The company expects inflation pressures to persist for another two to three months.