Business News & Financial News

Companies, In Spain 27th March 2026

Iberdrola and Endesa seeking to extend Ascó nuclear power station operating life until 2034

Banco Sabadell | According to press reports, both companies are set to apply imminently for authorisation to extend the closure date of the two reactors at the Ascó nuclear power station in Tarragona, at least until 2034, compared to the initially planned dates of 2030 and 2032. Assessment: News of little impact for now, which would be in line with the sector’s stance of wanting to extend the closure of…

In Europe 27th March 2026

German consumer confidence falls due to Middle East conflict and economy losing momentum

Bankinter | German consumer confidence fell to -28.0 points in April, compared with an expected -27.3 and a previous reading of -24.8 (revised from -24.7). Bankinter analysis team’s view: Concerns over the conflict in the Middle East (and its impact on prices), coupled with the loss of momentum in the German economy and weak GDP growth, are taking their toll on consumer confidence. Current levels represent the lowest confidence rating…

In the World 26th March 2026

Final figure for Q4 2025 US labour costs: 4.4% year-on-year, compared with preliminary figure of 2.8%

Bankinter | Unit labour costs in Q4 2025 (final figure) rose by 4.4%, exceeding the expected 3.6% versus the preliminary 2.8% and compared with the previous drop of 1.8%. Productivity moderated to 1.8%, in line with expectations, from the preliminary 2.8% and 5.2% in Q3 2025. Analysis team’s view: cost pressures in the labour market increased in Q4 2025. It should be noted that Q4 2025 GDP (during which the…

“We need to approach negotiations with the U.S. on terms that are completely different from those currently being proposed”

Says Antonio Bonet, president of the Club of Spanish Exporters and Investors. He points out that “Europe has a single tariff applied by all member states, but the U.S. applies a tariff to each country, meaning it can decide that the tariff applied to Spanish black olives is higher than that for Italian olives, as it did at one point. So there is a part of the negotiation between Europe…

“Fifteen years ago, the European economy was larger than that of the U.S. Today, the U.S. economy is one and a half times that of Europe”

“It is a shame that we are able to mobilize economic resources for large-scale projects abroad, but not in our Spanish market”

In an interview with Consejeros magazine, Sacyr’s coordinating advisor, Elena Jiménez de Andrade, explains that now “We have great capacity to win projects, a capacity that until now contrasted with a series of financial limitations and balance sheet size. However, in this strategic cycle, we are going to eliminate those barriers. That is why we have set an ambitious goal for 2033: to triple the value of our assets. We…

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