Gulf Stocks Mixed amid Confusion over US-Iran Talks
Gulf markets closed mixed on Tuesday. Qatar?extended losses, while other bourses stabilized as investors parsed contradictory signals about potential U.S.Iran 'talks. The mood was volatile when U.S. President Donald Trump delayed attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure and spoke of "productive" talks to end the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. But Tehran dismissed this comment as "fakenews". Semafor, citing an official from the United States, reported that the U.S. would continue to strike Iran. The pause, however, only applied to energy sites.
Gulf stocks mixed after Iran denies US talks, Qatar continues decline
Gulf stock markets were unable to find direction during early trading Tuesday. Qatar's fall was exacerbated by mixed messages about U.S.Iran talks following President Donald Trump's decision to delay strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure. Trump made his decision on Monday based on what he called productive discussions with Iranian officials. Iran denied, however, that it had held negotiations with the U.S. Semafor, citing an official from the United States, reported on Monday that the U.S. would continue to strike Iran.
Meloni, an Italian LNG expert, will travel to Algeria to replace Qatar LNG as a result of the Iran War.
Giorgia meloni, the Italian prime minister, will visit Algeria this week to secure an alternative supply of gas amid a prolonged interruption in deliveries from Qatar. The 'prime minister’s office' said that Meloni would be in Algiers Wednesday without providing a detailed itinerary for the official visit. Algeria is among the countries Italy has been in contact with to secure its gas supply after Iranian'strikes' on Qatar seemed to have stopped its exports for a?extensive period, said Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin on Friday.
Ukraine, US teams conclude talks, new POW exchange possible, Zelenskiy says
On Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that the Ukrainian and U.S. delegations had concluded their'second day' of talks on ways to end a four-year war with Russia. The talks that began in Florida on Sunday were without Russian participants. Originally, they were expected to attend negotiations in Abu Dhabi. The U.S. delegation is led by Steve Witkoff, a special envoy and Jared Kushner - President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law. In an evening speech, Zelenskiy stated that "it is clear the U.S.
Zelenskiy calls on allies to continue pressure on Russia before talks with US
The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged his allies on Sunday to continue to exert sanctions and pressure on Russia. This comes ahead of the'second day' of talks between Ukrainian?and U.S.?delegations to discuss ways to end a four-year war that was sparked by Russia?s invasion of Ukraine. The latest talks in Florida, which began on Saturday, did not include any Russian participants. Originally, they were expected to attend the Abu Dhabi negotiations. The U.S.
New Zealand predicts 3.7% inflation if the Iran war continues through the year
New Zealand's Finance Minister Nicola Willis stated on Monday that the country's treasury forecasted an inflation rate of 3.7% if a war with Iran continues through this year. New Zealand's inflation rate rose by 3.1% over the past 12 months, exceeding the target rate set by the central bank and forecasts. Willis stated that Treasury modelling for a worst-case scenario with a long conflict in Iran, and oil prices reaching $135 per barrel predicted inflation of 3.7%.
Sources say that Beijing has rejected Sinopec's request for tapping commercial reserves
Two sources confirmed this week that China rejected a request by Sinopec, a major refinery company in China, to 'access 13,000,000 metric tons (95,000,000 barrels) of national commercial reserves to 'offset an expected supply gap due to the U.S./Israeli war against Iran which threatens Middle East Exports. According to industry estimates, Sinopec is the world's largest refiner in terms of?capacity and imports roughly?4million barrels of crude oil per day from the Middle East.
UAE stock markets slide after a two-day suspension following the Iran attack
The stock markets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi reopened on Wednesday after a two-day suspension following Iran's unprecedented?wave of?missiles and drone attacks against the Gulf nation. Capital Markets Authority of the UAE closed ADX and DFM March 2 and 3 in order to prevent a meltdown. This was an unusual step, as it did not coincide with a holiday or mourning period. The combined market cap of both exchanges is approximately $1.1 trillion. Investors waited for clarity on the extent of the damage caused by the weekend strikes in both emirates…
China shares steady as energy and defence shares surge, offsetting airline losses; HK drops
China's benchmark equity indexes were not significantly changed Monday in the aftermath of a conflict with Iran. Increases in gold, energy and defence stocks offset declines in airline and tourism shares. The expectation that Beijing would step in and stabilize markets before a parliamentary session later this week boosted sentiment on the mainland. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell over 2%. The U.S. The?U.S. China's CSI300 Index, the blue-chip index of China, and the Shanghai Composite Index oscillated between small gains and losses in early trading.
Cheniere increases buyback plan above $10 billion due to strong LNG demand
Cheniere Energy reported that its fourth-quarter profits more than doubled due to a?strong demand for liquefied gas (LNG). The company also raised its share repurchase goal from $10 billion until?2030. The largest LNG producer in the United States, the shares of this company are up 1.2% at $223. In premarket trading, shares of the largest?LNG producer in the?U.S. were up about 1.2% to $223. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. was the largest LNG exporter in the world last year.
Indonesia imprisons two former officials and the former head of Pertamina in a major corruption case
A court in Indonesia found guilty a former chief executive, two ex-officials and a subsidiary of the state energy company Pertamina on Thursday of a major case of corruption involving its subsidiaries. Prosecutors claim that this corruption caused state losses of $17 billion. The case, involving alleged illegal leasing and importing of crude oil among other offenses, is the largest launched by the administration of President Prabowo, who has pledged to eradicate corruption. Nine defendants are involved, and six others have yet to be sentenced.
Indonesian court delivers verdicts in corruption cases linked to Pertamina, the state energy company
On Thursday, an Indonesian court will deliver its verdict on nine people who are accused of illegally importing crude oil, leasing a fuel terminal and other actions which caused the state to lose 285 trillion Rupiah (US$17 billion). The defendants include former chief executives of Pertamina Patra Niaga, Pertamina International Shipping and Pertamina International Shipping - subsidiaries of the state energy firm Pertamina - and a beneficial owner of a fuel station operator.
Vopak turns strong profits into $2 Billion in investor returns
Vopak, a tank storage company, announced on Wednesday that it will return 1.7 billion Euros ($2.0 billion) in dividends to shareholders over the course of the next five-year period. Profits surged by 61% on the back a strong cash flow last year. The company's shares rose by?around 10% after the announcement of earnings in early Amsterdam trading. The Dutch company that provides storage and handling services to the energy and manufacturing markets said it would distribute dividends and share purchases?throughout 2030.
French and Benelux stocks: Factors to watch
Here are some company news and stories that could impact the markets in France and Benelux or even individual stocks. Credit insurer Coface announced a?full year net income?of 222 millions euros ($261.16?million). They are proposing a dividend per share of 1.25 euro for 2025. GTT, a specialist in LNG containment systems, reported a full-year EBITDA totaling 542 million euro. The company proposed a record dividend per share of 8.94 euro. The company forecasts that its EBITDA in 2026 will be between 490 and 530 millions euros.
EQT Corp beats quarterly profit estimates on higher natgas prices, sales volumes
EQT Corp, a U.S. energy company, beat Wall Street 'estimates' for its fourth-quarter adjusted profits?on Tuesday. It benefited from higher natural gas prices and increased sales volumes. This sent the shares of EQT Corp up more than 1% during extended trading. The demand for liquefied gas (LNG), driven by data centers that are power-hungry, has pushed U.S. gas companies to increase their production. U.S. Natural Gas Futures rose by more than 11% in the third quarter of 2012, driven by increased demand and increased pipeline volumes.
Expand Energy exceeds its fourth-quarter profit expectations and plans to reduce debt by $1 billion in 2026
?U.S. Expand Energy, a natural gas producer, beat Wall Street's estimates for the fourth quarter profit on Tuesday. It aims to improve its balance sheet by reducing debts of at least $1 billion in 2026. The company was able to benefit from the higher prices, as U.S. Natural Gas Futures jumped over 11% sequentially during the fourth quarter. This broke a downward trend that began in the second quarter. Natural gas prices averaged $3.37/Mcf, up from $2.91/Mcf one year earlier.
Spain's gas consumption is expected to fall this year, as the blackout-related boost fades
Spain's gas consumption?will fall by around 7 percent?this coming year?as a result of a softer response to the major blackout that occurred on April 28. The power grid operator has increased the use of stable sources such as gas plants for electricity generation, which cost more but can better control voltage. Arturo Gonzalo, the CEO of 2025, said that this increased the?gas consumption for electricity generation last year by about a third. The overall gas?demand rose 7.4%, including exports into countries such as France, to reach 372 terawatt-hours.
Czechia Offers Limited Oil to Slovakia After Ukraine Pipeline Attack
The Czech Republic is offering small volumes of oil to Slovakia through an eastward flow of the Druzhba pipeline after westward flows from Ukraine were stopped after an attack on the pipeline last month, Czech Economy Minister Karel Havlicek said on Tuesday.The Czechs stopped using Russian supplies via Druzhba last year after expanding an alternative route, and have mentioned reversing the flow of the Czech section of the pipeline to Slovakia as a theoretical possibility.Havlicek told Reuters a "certain small amount" could be delivered to Slovakia right
French and Benelux stocks: Factors to watch
Here are some company news and stories that could have a significant impact on markets in France and Benelux or individual stocks. Aeroports de Paris, the French airport operator, reported a 7.8 million passenger increase in January for Paris, while group traffic reached 29.5 millions passengers, an increase of 5.0 percent. EIFFAGE: French concessions and construction company Eiffage will strengthen its presence in Germany by acquiring the assets of Claus Heinemann Elektroanlagen. The transaction is expected to be completed during the first quarter 2026.
Caturus signs a 20-year LNG Supply Deal with Saudi Aramco
U.S. Gas Producer 'Caturus' said on Friday that its unit, Commonwealth LNG, had signed a twenty-year agreement with Saudi Aramco to supply 1,000,000 tonne per year of lNG from?its proposed Louisiana Export Project. The U.S. is working hard to surpass Qatar and Australia as the largest LNG exporter in the world. Since President Donald Trump lifted the pause on export permits last summer, commercial activity in the LNG sector has risen. Caturus CEO David Lawler said, "This agreement highlights the strong demand for U.S.