Thomas Barnet

Why banking, tourism and commodities stocks are soaring

This morning, MarketScreener noted in its daily column that following the ceasefire in the Middle East, "extreme arbitrage enthusiasts will likely be long on airlines and short on oil companies." However, many other sectors are also experiencing spectacular surges or big falls. Here's the breakdown of this.

08 April 2026 at 07:58 pm AEST

Why banking, tourism, and commodities are soaring on the stock market

This morning, in its daily column following the Middle East ceasefire, MarketScreener wrote: "extreme arbitrage enthusiasts will likely be long on airlines and short on oil majors." However, many other sectors are also experiencing spectacular surges or staggering collapses. Here is the breakdown.

08 April 2026 at 06:44 pm AEST

French Analyst Ratings: New Buy Recommendations for Spie and STMicroelectronics

Semiconductors are in the spotlight this morning, as William O'Neil initiates coverage on STMicroelectronics and Jefferies raises its price target for Soitec.

08 April 2026 at 04:25 pm AEST

Duval family reportedly considering exit from Eramet

According to the Financial Times, the anchor shareholder of the French mining group has mandated Lazard to explore its options, as Eramet navigates a period of severe financial and governance strain.

08 April 2026 at 04:07 pm AEST

Danone reportedly eyeing Reckitt's Mead Johnson

Danone may finally acquire Mead Johnson, the American infant nutrition specialist once courted by the French group, although ultimately bought by Reckitt Benckiser. According to La Lettre, negotiations are currently underway.

08 April 2026 at 03:59 pm AEST

Danone reportedly eyeing Mead Johnson (Reckitt)

Danone may finally acquire Mead Johnson, the American infant nutrition specialist once courted by the French group but ultimately bought by Reckitt Benckiser. According to La Lettre, negotiations are currently underway.

08 April 2026 at 02:50 pm AEST

Duval family reportedly considering exit from Eramet

According to the Financial Times, the anchor shareholder of the French mining group has mandated Lazard to explore its options, as Eramet grapples with severe financial strain and a governance crisis.

08 April 2026 at 02:35 pm AEST

Pershing Square offers to acquire Universal Music Group (UMG) for EUR55.8bn

Bill Ackman's Pershing Square intends to acquire Universal Music Group in a cash-and-stock deal valued at EUR30.40 per share of the former Vivendi subsidiary, representing a 78% premium over its current valuation (EUR17.10). According to our calculations, the transaction would be worth EUR55.75bn, based on 1.833 billion shares outstanding.

07 April 2026 at 04:50 pm AEST

France analyst calls: Action on Danone, JCDecaux and Worldline

Among today’s changes, Accor, Air Liquide, Danone and Getlink are seeing shifts in price targets. TD Cowen turns bullish on JCDecaux.

07 April 2026 at 04:36 pm AEST

Pershing Square offers to buy Universal Music Group (UMG) for €55.8bn

Pershing Square, Bill Ackman's fund, intends to buy Universal Music Group through a cash and stock offer that would value the former Vivendi unit at €30.40 per share, a 78% premium to its current valuation (€17.10). By our calculations, the deal would come to €55.75bn, based on 1.833bn shares outstanding.

07 April 2026 at 04:31 pm AEST

TotalEnergies partners Masdar in Asian renewables push

TotalEnergies and Masdar are set to form a 50/50 joint venture valued at $2.2bn. The entity will consolidate their onshore renewable energy operations across nine Asian countries, aiming to capitalize on the region's surging electricity demand.

02 April 2026 at 06:22 pm AEDT

KKR becomes latest to curb redemptions in private credit fund

KKR has restricted redemption requests in its K-FIT fund following an unprecedented surge in withdrawals, signaling growing anxiety surrounding the private credit market, Bloomberg reports.

02 April 2026 at 06:09 pm AEDT

TotalEnergies partners with Masdar for Asian renewables

TotalEnergies and Masdar are set to form a 50/50 joint venture valued at $2.2 billion. The entity will consolidate their onshore renewable energy operations across nine Asian countries to capitalize on the region's surging electricity demand.

02 April 2026 at 05:48 pm AEDT

France Analyst Views: EssilorLuxottica Less in Favor, Targets Raised on TotalEnergies and Nanobiotix

Today’s selection includes luxury names, electrical equipment makers and property companies.

02 April 2026 at 05:40 pm AEDT

KKR, in turn, puts the brakes on withdrawals from a private credit fund

KKR capped redemption requests in its K-FIT fund after an unprecedented wave of withdrawals, a sign of rising worries around private credit, Bloomberg learned.

02 April 2026 at 05:29 pm AEDT

Explainer: GmbH, NV, KGaA, Plc, SpA, Oyj, SGPS… what are we talking about?

Have you ever wondered why there are two pharmaceutical companies with the same name on the stock market, Merck & Co, Inc. and Merck KGaA? And for that matter, what do "Inc" and "KGaA" actually mean? From SE and Inc. to Ltd and SpA… let's dive into the acronyms that typically follow the names of listed companies.

01 April 2026 at 07:03 pm AEDT

Explainer: GmbH, NV, KGaA, Plc, SpA, Oyj, SGPS... what are we talking about?

You may already have wondered why there are two pharmaceutical companies with the same name in the stock market, Merck & Co, Inc. and Merck KGaA. And for that matter, what do "Inc" and "KGaA" mean? And SE, Inc., Ltd, SpA... Let's dive into the acronyms that usually come at the end of listed companies' names.

01 April 2026 at 06:37 pm AEDT

French Analyst Ratings: Fresh Bullish Views on Engie, Safran, and Unibail

Aerospace is in the spotlight this morning as Wells Fargo initiates coverage on the European sector. Unibail and Engie benefit from upgrades, while Barclays raises its price target for Carrefour.

01 April 2026 at 05:33 pm AEDT

Legrand

As part of its active bolt-on acquisition strategy, Legrand has announced two new external growth operations in the data center sector, involving Keydak in China and TES in the United Kingdom. A Chinese leader in racks based in Guangzhou, Keydak employs over 330 people and generates annual revenue exceeding 60 million euros. Its acquisition remains subject to customary conditions precedent. A European specialist in power distribution systems, with more than half of its revenue derived from data centers, Cookstown-based TES employs 280 people with annual sales of nearly 85 million euros.

01 April 2026 at 05:25 pm AEDT

JCDecaux

JCDecaux has announced the signing, on March 30, of an agreement to acquire Vista Communications, a Tokyo-based Japanese company specializing in taxi shelter advertising. Since 2012, Vista has operated 29 taxi shelters in Tokyo, representing 58 advertising faces, including 7 digital screens, primarily located in the high-traffic districts of Shibuya, Roppongi, Shinjuku, Shinagawa, Akihabara, and Ueno. This acquisition will strengthen JCDecaux's presence in Tokyo through its joint venture MCDecaux, and marks its entry into the taxi shelter segment in Japan, complementing its existing portfolio of over 850 B-Stops in the Japanese capital.

01 April 2026 at 05:25 pm AEDT

TFF Group

TFF Group (Tonnellerie François Frères) has announced the completion of its acquisition of the remaining 45% stake in Tonnellerie Rémond. The world leader in wine and spirits aging products now holds 100% of this artisanal gem, sealing a strategic integration that began four years ago. In accordance with the shareholders' agreement signed in March 2022, which set a final deadline for 2028, TFF Group elected to accelerate the timeline to take full control of the entity as of this spring 2026. This transaction also marks a historic turning point for Tonnellerie Rémond, as it formalizes the final handover from Catherine Desbois-Mouchel, the prominent figurehead who led the house for 37 years. Under TFF's stewardship, an autonomous and sustainable organizational structure has been established to ensure the continuity of this French oak barrel institution.

01 April 2026 at 05:24 pm AEDT