Mercedes-Benz's earnings and profits fell by more than two-thirds in the second quarter. This is the result of the costs of job cuts and higher tariffs. The strong cash flow, however, comes as a surprise.

Puma is forecasting heavy losses for 2025. The new CEO Arthur Hoeld is responding with a revised branding and sales channel strategy.

The office property market in Frankfurt is exhibiting strong rental activity, especially for top quality space. But very few buildings are changing hands.

The German Nuclear Waste Management Fund, which finances the management of nuclear waste, has a track record of delivering solid returns on behalf of the state. Germany needs to end its aversion to investing on the capital markets.

Government-supported demand for defence equipment is unleashing innovative forces in more and more companies. Heidelberger Druck is just one example among many.

Things are currently going well for the mail-order pharmacy Redcare Pharmacy. Support for the course it has taken recently came from the Federal Court of Justice. Thanks to a one-off effect, money was even earned in the second quarter.

Brussels is putting a positive spin on its trade deal with the United States. But representatives of Germany industry say that there is little cause for celebration.

Crypto platform OKX is expanding into Europe, and focussing on Germany as a key market. In an interview with Börsen-Zeitung, CEO of OKX Europe Erald Ghoos talks about the strategy, and emphasises the importance of its MiCA and Mifid II licences.

Germany’s Federal Cartel Office aims to safeguard open markets in the digital economy – in an environment where players such as Apple, Meta, and Amazon dominate. It recently settled a case with Google.

The German government is considering minority stakes in grid operators TenneT Germany and Amprion through capital increases to support the energy transition. State-owned development bank KfW already holds shares in 50Hertz and TransnetBW.

The financial sector is increasingly recognising biodiversity as a key factor. A survey shows progress – but also improvement needed in terms of strategy, reporting and management.

Good things come to those who wait? The savings banks have watched for far too long as the neobrokers take business away from them. Now they are taking countermeasures and integrating securities trading into their app.

Football clubs have a very poor record on the stock market. In an interview with Börsen-Zeitung, Jordy Hermanns, equity strategist at Aegon, explains the extent of the underperformance, and why the priorities of the clubs do not match those of the shareholders.

Jörn Quitzau, Chief Economist at Swiss private bank Bergos, discusses the dangers posed to financial stability of rising US government debt. But he sees a lack of serious alternatives to the dollar as the global reserve currency.

Sentiment has brightened on the Pfandbrief market, the latest Issuance Climate survey from the Association of German Pfandbrief Banks (vdp) shows. And investor demand for unsecured bonds issued by the banks has also improved.

The management board of wind farm developer PNE has been reorganised within a year. Due to changes in the market environment, the SDax and TecDax-listed company from Cuxhaven had to revise its medium-term targets. PNE CEO Heiko Wuttke is calling on the new federal government to refrain from making any major changes to the framework conditions for renewable energies.

The new federal government wants to make future energy supply more cost-efficient again. This could lead to a cap on renewable energy targets and more natural gas.

Following a major capital increase, EnBW plans multibillion euro investments in Germany's energy infrastructure. The capital increase was done under new streamlined EU Listing Act rules – with an eleven page document instead of a full prospectus.

Catriona Marshall from Comgest discusses new EU rules on labelling funds as ESG-compliant, and why quality investing and engagement with companies is more important than short–term trends.

The transformation of Germany’s steel industry is costly and, so far, economically unviable. But without strong domestic players the broader deindustrialisation of the country looks inevitable.

The annual general meeting season is almost over. For Katryna Krueger, Head of German Research at ISS Governance, the conclusions are mixed. She notes a continued lack of willingness on the part of many companies to hold in-person AGMs. And she criticises the lack of improvement in the remuneration models for board members.

The SPD of 2025 refuses to implement genuine social reforms. This is throwing the economy off track – special funds and investment initiatives notwithstanding.