Broadcom stock (NASDAQ: AVGO) tumbled roughly 5% on Wednesday following Reuters reports that Chinese authorities instructed domestic companies to stop using cybersecurity software from about a dozen US and Israeli vendors.

The list includes Broadcom-owned VMware and compounded already fragile investor sentiment around margin compression.

The sharp sell-off underscores how vulnerable growth stocks remain to geopolitical shocks, particularly when they hinge on China exposure.​

Broadcom stock: China’s cybersecurity directive strikes software division

According to Reuters sources, Chinese officials recently directed local companies to phase out security software from Broadcom’s VMware, alongside Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, and Israel’s Check Point Software.

The officials cited national security concerns, fearing that foreign-made tools could collect sensitive data and transmit confidential information abroad.

However, neither the Chinese government nor the affected companies had issued formal statements confirming the directive’s scope or enforcement timeline at the time of the report.

Reuters acknowledged it could not independently verify how many Chinese companies actually received the directive.​

The impact cascaded across the cybersecurity sector.

Palo Alto Networks fell 2.5%, Fortinet declined 2.3%, while Broadcom bore the steepest decline at 5%.

The disparity reflects investor concerns about VMware’s exposure to the Chinese market.

Broadcom maintains six offices across China and has built substantial enterprise customer relationships through its software division.

Margin anxiety made Broadcom a sitting duck

The Chinese cybersecurity ban arrived when Broadcom was already under pressure.

In early December, the company reported blowout fourth-quarter results: revenue of $18 billion, up 28% year-over-year, and AI semiconductor revenue surging 74%.

Management guided to $19.1 billion in revenue for the next quarter, handily beating expectations.

Yet the stock fell nearly 5% in extended trading that day, then continued sliding through mid-January, a cumulative 14% decline since December 11.​

The culprit was management’s warning that gross margins would decline by 100 basis points (1% point) in the coming quarter, driven by an expanding mix of AI revenue.

Broadcom sells custom AI chips bundled as complete systems with third-party memory and components.

This approach boosts revenue but squeezes margins because the additional component costs are passed through to customers.

With a $73 billion AI backlog and an estimated $21 billion in orders from AI company Anthropic, investors feared that much of the backlog is priced at lower-margin system configurations.​

Management argued that while gross margins would compress, operating margins, the truer measure of profitability, would hold relatively steady due to operating leverage.

But on Wall Street, growth paired with margin deterioration is viewed as lower quality, and investors punished the stock accordingly.​

The Chinese cybersecurity directive taps into that existing anxiety.

Investors now fear that not only will AI margins stay under pressure, but VMware revenue from China could evaporate if the ban is enforced.

Yet analysts remain divided. Some question whether the directive constitutes a meaningful enforcement risk.

Others note that Broadcom’s $73 billion AI backlog and 100% expected year-over-year AI revenue growth through 2026 provide a strong floor beneath earnings.

The post Why is Broadcom stock witnessing a sharp sell-off today? appeared first on Invezz

Shares of Trip.com Group plunged sharply on Thursday after China’s top market regulator said it had opened an antitrust investigation into the online travel services provider, triggering the company’s steepest selloff since its Hong Kong listing in 2021.

The stock fell nearly 22% in Hong Kong, making Trip.com the worst performer on the Hang Seng index for the session.

The decline followed a 17% drop in the company’s American depositary receipts overnight in New York.

The selloff put the shares on course for their worst day in Hong Kong since they were listed in April 2021.

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) late Wednesday said it was investigating Trip.com due to “suspected abuse of its dominant market position and monopolistic practices,” according to a CNBC translation of the statement in Mandarin.

Antitrust probe triggers sharp market reaction

Trip.com’s Hong Kong-listed shares were trading around 457.6 Hong Kong dollars at the time of writing, after losing roughly a fifth of their value.

Market data showed the fall erased tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars in market capitalization in a single day.

The regulator said it had begun the probe following initial investigations.

Trip.com later confirmed it had received a formal notice of investigation from SAMR and said it would “actively cooperate” with authorities, adding that its business operations were functioning as usual.

The investigation echoes previous high-profile enforcement actions against major Chinese technology firms.

In 2021, SAMR fined Alibaba Group a record 18.2 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) after it was found guilty of monopolistic practices, a case that marked a turning point in Beijing’s regulatory scrutiny of internet platforms.

Analysts flag pricing practices, potential fines

Analysts at Nomura said the Trip.com probe could have been prompted by concerns from hotel operators about the company’s influence over pricing.

According to Nomura, some hoteliers have complained about Trip.com’s interference in pricing and, in certain cases, its insistence on maintaining the lowest hotel-room prices compared with those offered on rival travel platforms.

Under China’s antitrust law, companies found to have abused a dominant market position can face fines of between 1% and 10% of their revenue in the previous year.

Citi analysts said this implies a potential fine of between 490 million yuan and 4.9 billion yuan, or roughly $70 million to $700 million, for Trip.com based on their calculations.

Nomura said the investigation is unlikely to fundamentally undermine Trip.com’s dominant position in China’s online travel market.

However, it could weaken the company’s influence over hotels, particularly independent operators that often rely heavily on online travel agencies for customer traffic, the bank said.

Tourism outlook remains strong despite scrutiny

Trip.com is the largest online travel provider in Asia by market capitalization and one of the biggest globally.

The company has stakes in UK-based flight aggregator Skyscanner, Indian travel company MakeMyTrip, and several other Chinese travel providers.

The probe comes at a time when China’s tourism sector is expected to continue its recovery and expansion.

Travel marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk estimates that mainland Chinese travelers are expected to take about 165 million to 175 million cross-border trips in 2026, up from an estimated 155 million last year.

Domestic travel has also shown steady growth.

Travel consultancy Dragon Trail International said that in 2025, 501 million Chinese traveled domestically during the Chinese New Year holiday period, a 5.9% year-on-year increase.

Tourism spending during the period reached 6.77 billion yuan, up 7%.

The upcoming Chinese New Year holiday, scheduled to be observed between Feb. 5 and Feb. 23, is expected to be another major test of travel demand, even as regulatory scrutiny adds uncertainty for the sector’s largest players.

The post Trip.com shares tumble after China launches antitrust probe into travel giant appeared first on Invezz

Russian wheat exports are poised for a significant surge in January, with SovEcon estimating shipments of 3.0–3.4 million metric tons (mmt). 

The SovEcon projection is notably higher than the 2.3 mmt exported a year ago and slightly above the five-year average of 3.1 mmt, driven by strong price competitiveness and a resurgence in demand from key global buyers.

The robust competitiveness of Russian wheat continues to serve as a primary driver, sustaining export flows at remarkably elevated levels, particularly for this phase of the marketing season. 

This aggressive pricing strategy solidifies Russia’s dominant position in the global grain market.

Wheat quotations

In the most recent trading period, Russian wheat was quoted at highly attractive Free On Board (FOB) prices ranging from $225 to $227 per metric ton, according to SovEcon. This pricing represents a significant discount when compared to alternative origins.

In contrast, European Union (EU) wheat, encompassing offerings from the key Black Sea origins of CVB (Constanta, Varna, and Burgas, covering Bulgaria and Romania), was notably higher. EU wheat quotes stood at approximately $232 per metric ton.

This $5 to $7 per metric ton difference in price provides Russian wheat with a substantial competitive edge, incentivising international buyers—especially those in key importing regions like the Middle East and North Africa—to favor Russian supplies. 

The consistency of this price differential is instrumental in maintaining the current high volume of Russian exports, directly influencing global benchmark prices and market dynamics. 

This sustained export pressure from Russia is a key factor that other major wheat-producing regions must contend with.

Demand for Russian wheat has increased among major importing countries.

For instance, in late December, Egypt’s Mostakbal Misr acquired 0.7 mmt of wheat, with Russia expected to supply a significant portion of this volume, SovEcon said.

Driven by a robust harvest and better export margins, Russia has ramped up its export volume recently. 

The country exported a record 5.1 mmt of wheat in November, followed by 4.2 mmt in December—the highest December volume seen in the last eight years, SovEcon data showed.

Market dynamic shifts

Despite recent downward pressure on prices due to record harvests in Argentina and Australia, the market dynamic is shifting. 

With the harvests in both Southern Hemisphere nations mostly complete, these bumper crops are now largely factored into current prices. 

As an example of this shift, the Free On Board (FOB) price for Argentine wheat increased to $210 per metric ton by mid-January, up from $206 the previous month. This indicates a mixed but potentially stabilizing outlook.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) projected Russian wheat exports at 44.0 mmt in January, slightly lower than the 44.6 mmt forecast by SovEcon in December for the 2025-26 period.

“Strong exports and a relatively large wheat crop in Russia could lead to upward revisions to export estimates this season,” Andrey Sizov, managing director at SovEcon, said. 

At the same time, an export quota of 20 mmt of grains, due to take effect in mid-February and remain in place through the end of the season, will act as a limiting factor.

The post Russian wheat exports poised for January surge amid price advantage appeared first on Invezz

Global markets were steadier on Thursday after a volatile prior session, with investors digesting easing geopolitical tensions, shifting equity leadership in the United States, and a series of policy and regulatory developments spanning currencies, crypto, and technology.

Commodity prices pulled back from recent highs, while Asian equities were mixed.

Meanwhile, Washington signaled further uncertainty regarding crypto regulation and the Federal Reserve’s leadership.

Asian markets and global assets react to easing tensions

Oil prices retreated from multi-month highs and gold eased from a record peak after US President Donald Trump sought to calm market anxiety over the risk of US military action against Iran.

Brent crude futures fell 3.3% to $64.32, while Nymex futures dropped 2.4% to $60.51, after having climbed as high as $66.82 and $62.36, respectively, in the previous session.

Gold slipped 0.8% to around $4,585 per ounce, after touching a record $4,642.72 on Wednesday.

Equity markets in Asia were mixed, with tech shares facing renewed selling pressure after declines on Wall Street.

In Japan, the tech-heavy Nikkei fell 0.8% after hitting an all-time high in the prior session, while the broader Topix rose 0.5% to a fresh record.

Taiwan’s TAIEX dropped 0.4% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.4%, weighed down by technology stocks.

Mainland Chinese blue chips were flat, while South Korea’s KOSPI added 1% to a record high after the Bank of Korea left interest rates unchanged and signaled an end to its current easing cycle.

Currency markets paused after sharp moves in the yen.

The Japanese currency weakened overnight to its lowest level since July 2024 against the dollar before rebounding amid warnings of possible intervention.

The dollar index was flat at 99.107, while the yen eased to 158.32 per dollar after surging to as high as 159.45.

Japanese bond yields pulled back slightly from record peaks.

The 20-year yield eased two basis points to 3.14% after hitting an unprecedented 3.165% in the prior session.

Recent volatility has been driven by expectations that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will dissolve parliament’s lower house and call a snap election, a move investors see as potentially leading to larger fiscal stimulus.

Senate delays crypto market-structure markup

In Washington, the Senate Banking Committee delayed discussion of a closely watched crypto market-structure bill, hours after Coinbase Global withdrew its support for the latest draft.

Committee Chairman Tim Scott said a markup of the legislation would be postponed as bipartisan negotiations continue, without setting a new date.

“I’ve spoken with leaders across the crypto industry, the financial sector, and my Democratic and Republican colleagues, and everyone remains at the table working in good faith,” Scott said.

The market-structure bill aimed at strengthening the legitimacy of digital assets had been scheduled for markup on Thursday, a stage that includes debate and proposed amendments.

However, on Wednesday, Coinbase Chief Executive Officer Brian Armstrong said on social media platform X that he was withdrawing support for the bill’s latest draft, citing “too many issues.”

The delay could complicate the bill’s path to passage ahead of midterm elections.

Trump says no plans to remove Powell

President Trump said he does not plan to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell despite a Justice Department probe into the central bank’s renovation project.

“I don’t have any plan to do that,” Trump said in an interview with Reuters, adding it was “too early” to determine whether the probe could provide grounds to remove Powell.

Federal law allows Federal Reserve governors to be removed only for cause, not over policy disagreements.

Trump also said he was unfazed by criticism from Republican lawmakers who have raised concerns that the investigation could be seen as an effort to influence interest-rate decisions.

Trump reiterated that he intends to nominate Powell’s successor within the next few weeks and praised potential candidates Kevin Hassett and Kevin Warsh.

xAI blocks Grok from creating sexualized images

Separately, Elon Musk’s xAI said it is disabling the ability of its Grok chatbot to create sexualized images of real people following widespread criticism.

“We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis,” the company said.

Subscribers to X’s premium service can continue to use Grok to edit images and generate other AI-created visuals that comply with the platform’s terms of service, the company said.

It added that Grok has been restricted from producing images of real people in bikinis, underwear, or similar attire in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.

The move comes amid investigations by regulators in the US, Europe, and Asia, as scrutiny intensifies over the misuse of generative AI tools.

The post Morning brief: Asian markets mixed as oil slips; Senate delays crypto bill appeared first on Invezz

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company on Thursday reported a sharp rise in fourth-quarter profit, beating market expectations and setting a fresh record as demand for artificial intelligence chips continued to surge globally.

The world’s largest contract chipmaker said net income rose 35% from a year earlier, marking its eighth consecutive quarter of year-on-year profit growth.

Revenue for the October-December period climbed 20.5% to exceed NT$1 trillion for the first time, underlining the strength of orders from major technology clients.

Results beat expectations across the board

TSMC reported fourth-quarter revenue of NT$1.046 trillion, above the NT$1.034 trillion forecast by LSEG SmartEstimates.

Net income came in at NT$505.74 billion, compared with expectations of NT$478.37 billion.

The company, Asia’s most valuable listed firm with a market capitalisation of around $1.4 trillion, said customers were providing strong signals of future demand and were directly approaching the company to secure production capacity.

TSMC’s valuation is now more than twice that of its closest regional rival, Samsung Electronics.

AI and advanced chips dominate sales

TSMC has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the global artificial intelligence boom, manufacturing advanced processors for clients such as Nvidia and AMD.

Its high-performance computing division, which includes AI and 5G-related chips, accounted for the majority of revenue in the December quarter.

Advanced chips measuring 7 nanometers or smaller made up 77% of total wafer revenue during the quarter.

For the full year 2025, such chips accounted for 74% of revenue, up from 69% in 2024.

Smaller nanometer sizes allow for faster processing speeds and improved energy efficiency, making them essential for AI workloads.

Strong outlook and higher spending plans

Looking ahead, TSMC said first-quarter revenue could rise as much as 40% from a year earlier to $35.8 billion.

It also expects to raise capital spending in 2026 by as much as 37% to $56 billion, reflecting confidence in sustained demand for advanced manufacturing technologies.

Analysts remain optimistic.

Counterpoint Research senior analyst Jake Lai said demand for AI remains very strong and is driving chip demand across the entire server industry.

He added that ongoing 2-nanometer capacity expansion and growth in advanced packaging should help TSMC maintain strong performance into 2026.

However, Lai cautioned that demand linked to consumer electronics such as smartphones and PCs could be affected by memory shortages and rising prices.

Trade uncertainty lingers despite strong profits

The results come against a backdrop of uncertainty surrounding US trade policy, including President Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs on semiconductors.

While this has yet to dent profits driven by AI demand, it remains a risk for the industry.

Taiwan signalled on Thursday that a tariff deal with the United States could be reached soon.

Although Taiwan’s exports to the US face a 20% tariff, semiconductor shipments are currently excluded.

TSMC continues to expand its US footprint, having announced $100 billion in planned investments last year, on top of $65 billion pledged for three plants in Arizona.

One facility is already operational, and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said recently that further investment is expected.

TSMC shares listed in Taipei rose 44% last year and are up about 9% so far this year, comfortably outperforming the broader market.

The post TSMC posts record Q4 profit on AI chip boom, flags strong revenue growth appeared first on Invezz

The UK economy grew stronger than expected in November, rebounding from the previous month’s contraction as the services sector led a modest pickup in activity, easing concerns over a weak end to the year.

Gross domestic product expanded by 0.3% in November, the Office for National Statistics said on Thursday, surpassing the 0.1% increase forecast by economists polled by Reuters and reversing a 0.1% decline in October.

The ONS also revised September’s figure to show growth of 0.1%, instead of an earlier estimate of a contraction.

The data come as the government has placed economic growth at the centre of its agenda, even as momentum has slowed since a 0.7% expansion in the first quarter of 2025 that was boosted by activity ahead of anticipated US tariffs.

Services, manufacturing drive rebound

The ONS said growth in November was primarily supported by the services sector, which expanded by 0.3% during the month.

Manufacturing output rose 2.1%, while industrial production accounted for about half of the overall increase in GDP.

“Data for the latest month show that this industry has now largely recovered” from earlier disruptions, said Liz McKeown, director of economic statistics at the ONS, referring to a rebound in production at Jaguar Land Rover after the carmaker was hit by a cyberattack earlier in the autumn.

On a less volatile three-month basis, the economy grew 0.1% in the three months to November, beating expectations of a 0.2% contraction.

McKeown said this measure had been driven by growth in services, though it was partly offset by a decline in manufacturing.

Construction recorded the largest three-month fall since March 2023.

It was only the second month of expansion in the second half of the year, underlining the fragile nature of the recovery.

Growth slows amid uncertainty and higher costs

Despite November’s improvement, growth has been weighed down in recent months by geopolitical uncertainty, elevated borrowing costs, disrupted auto production, and anticipation of tax-raising measures in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ November Budget.

A Treasury spokesperson said in a Financial Times report that the government was working to reverse “years of underinvestment” and was “taking action to get bills and inflation down . . . to deliver an economy that works for working people”.

The Bank of England in December forecast no growth in the final quarter of 2025, after a marginal 0.1% expansion in the three months to September.

The central bank estimated that policies announced in the Budget, including U-turns on welfare cuts and the two-child benefit cap, could increase GDP by about 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points over the next few years, but warned that tax rises would weigh on growth beyond that.

Reeves announced an additional £26 billion ($35 billion) of tax rises in the Nov. 26 Budget as she sought to rebuild fiscal headroom, with much of the burden expected to fall on households over time.

Outlook points to tentative improvement

Some economists see scope for stronger growth early next year as recent drags fade.

Deutsche Bank economist Sanjay Raja said in the FT report that he expected stronger growth at the start of 2026 despite a fragile labour market and global uncertainty, supported by higher household spending and lower debt-servicing costs.

The data helped steady sterling, with the pound erasing a small decline to trade little changed against the dollar at $1.3442.

While November’s figures may allay immediate fears of a sharp downturn, the outlook remains finely balanced as policymakers and investors assess how fiscal tightening and global risks will shape the UK’s economic path in 2026.

The post UK economy grows 0.3% in November, beating forecasts on services rebound appeared first on Invezz

Illegal sports streaming in the UK is accelerating, and new data suggests it is being propped up by advertising from unlicensed gambling operators.

Fans looking to avoid rising subscription fees on legitimate platforms are increasingly turning to unauthorised sites that offer free or low-cost access to live events.

But the growth is also drawing attention to the risks that sit behind the streams, including malware, scams, and exposure to gambling products that operate outside UK rules.

According to Bloomberg, a report from data analytics firm Yield Sec, published Thursday, found the top 10 pirated sports sites in the UK recorded 1.6 billion views in the first half of 2025, up by around a third from the previous year.

Yield Sec tracked activity across websites and apps, including some undercover work, and only counted stream views that lasted longer than 90 seconds.

Pirated streams are growing as paywalls spread

Pirated sites typically offer live sports, including football, boxing, tennis, and cricket, often alongside movies and TV shows.

They are widely promoted on mainstream social media, making them easy to discover for fans who want a cheaper and more frictionless way to watch.

Public attitudes are also shifting.

Data from Nielsen found 58% of people in the UK see illegal streaming as socially acceptable.

Separately, a UK government report found 38% of people watched pirated live sports in 2024.

Unlicensed gambling ads are funding the piracy ecosystem

Yield Sec’s report points to a tight commercial link between piracy and illegal gambling.

These sites heavily promote unregulated gambling services and cryptocurrency products, using sports content as a powerful hook to attract large audiences.

Yield Sec says unlicensed gambling operators have expanded to 9% of the UK’s gambling market. The report was funded by the gambling reform group The Campaign for Fairer Gambling.

Because these operators avoid taxes and restrictions that regulated firms must follow, they can offer aggressive sign-up bonuses and promotions.

The ad spending, in turn, helps keep pirate streaming sites running.

Malware and scams remain a major risk for users

While viewers in the UK are rarely targeted through criminal prosecution or civil claims, rights holders and gambling safety advocates warn that the wider ecosystem creates serious risks.

Pirated streaming sites can expose users to malware and identity theft threats.

Cybersecurity company OpenText found 90% of these sites contained risks such as malware, phishing attempts, fake security software, and other scam tactics.

Enforcement efforts struggle to keep pace

Sports leagues and rights holders have stepped up action through takedown notices, court orders, and real-time monitoring to disrupt piracy networks.

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, which includes UEFA and DAZN Group among its members, works with law enforcement to remove major piracy operations.

In September, the group said it worked with police in Egypt to shut down StreamEast, described as the world’s largest piracy network, notes Bloomberg.

ACE said the network used around 80 domains, streamed Premier League football, Formula One, and the NBA, and was visited more than 1.6 billion times in the past year.

Even with enforcement, disruption remains difficult. When one domain is blocked, replacements often appear quickly, sometimes from jurisdictions with weaker rules.

Live sport is especially valuable for piracy because its commercial value drops sharply once a match ends.

The post UK sports piracy boom exposes links to unlicensed gambling and online scams appeared first on Invezz

Rheinmetall share price has rebounded this year. It has jumped by 20% in 2026, making it the best-performing company in the DAX Index. It was trading at €1,896, up by nearly 35% from its lowest in December last year. 

This article explores why the stock has rebounded and why technicals suggest that a retreat could be coming soon.

Rheinmetall share price jumps as hopes of defense spending rise

The ongoing Rheinmetall stock price has coincided with the rising hopes that defense spending in the United States and Europe will continue rising in the coming months as geopolitical woes rise.

European countries, especially Germany, are working on increasing defense spending this year, with most of these funds going to defense contractors. Germany plans to spend about €108.2 billion, an increase of between €20 billion and €29 billion from what it spent last year.

More European countries are expected to continue boosting defense spending in the coming years. Estimates are that European defense spending will soar to over €426 billion by 2027, up sharply from €381 billion in 2025.

The main reason for this surge is that Donald Trump has pushed NATO to boost defense spending to 5% of the GDP over time. Also, there are concerns that Trump will use military power to get Greenland.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has suggested that the US government should boost its defense spending to $1.5 trillion from slightly below $1 trillion today. This explains why other military contractors like Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, and Babcock have soared this year.

Rheinmetall’s growth has accelerated 

The most recent results showed that the company’s growth has accelerated in the past few months, helped by the soaring demand and its recent acquisitions.

Data showed that its backlog jumped to over €80 billion in 2025 from €54 billion a year earlier. Its backlog has narrowed to that of some American defense contractors like RTX, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics.

The results also showed that the company’s sales rose by 20% in the first nine months of last year to over €7.5 billion, with its defense business growing by 28% 

Its margins have also done well in the past few months, with its operating profit margin rising to 11%. This margin growth will likely continue in the coming years. Also, its operating free cash flow rose to over €813 million.

Still, the main challenge for the company is that it has become highly overvalued. It has a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 97 and a forward multiple of 50, which are higher than other companies like Nvidia and AMD.

Rheinmetall stock price technical analysis 

RHM stock chart | Source: TradingView

The daily timeframe chart shows that the RHM stock price peaked at €1,999 in October last year and then retreated to a low of €1,417 in December.

It has now rebounded and is nearing the important resistance level at €1,999. It has now moved above all moving averages, which is a bullish sign.

However, the stock has formed a head-and-shoulders pattern whose head is at €1,999 and the shoulders are at €1,895. Its neckline is at €1,480.

Therefore, there is a likelihood that the stock will pull back in the coming weeks, potentially to the key support level at €1,700. This view will remain as long as it is below the right shoulder at €1,895.

However, a move above the key resistance level at €1,999 will point to more gains over €2,000, and possibly to have €2,225, the average estimate among analysts.

The post Rheinmetall share price is soaring—but a retreat may be coming appeared first on Invezz

Switzerland’s competition watchdog has launched a preliminary investigation into Microsoft’s licensing fees following complaints from businesses and public-sector bodies about recent price increases, raising the prospect of a formal antitrust probe if concerns are confirmed.

The Swiss Competition Commission, known as Comco, said on Thursday that it is examining whether the pricing of Microsoft’s software products could amount to an unlawful restriction of competition under Swiss law.

Complaints over “significant” price hikes

Comco said it had received complaints from private companies as well as government agencies and public-sector organisations regarding “significant” increases in the cost of Microsoft product licences.

The scrutiny is focused in particular on Microsoft 365, a widely used software package across businesses and public institutions.

“The antitrust authority said it has received complaints from private businesses as well as many government agencies and public companies over significant price hikes of Microsoft’s product licenses, which may indicate an unlawful restriction of competition.”

In a statement, the regulator said the initial review is intended to determine whether the complaints point to conduct that could breach Switzerland’s Cartel Act.

“Should such indications be confirmed, this could warrant the opening of a formal investigation,” the agency, also known as COMCO, said.

A formal investigation would give the regulator broader powers to gather evidence and could ultimately lead to enforcement action if competition law violations are found.

Microsoft pledges cooperation with regulator

Microsoft said it would cooperate fully with the Swiss authority as the preliminary investigation proceeds.

“Microsoft is committed to complying with Swiss competition law and will cooperate with the Swiss Competition Commission in its preliminary investigation,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.

The US technology group is one of the largest software resellers in Switzerland and plays a significant role in the country’s enterprise technology landscape.

It operates local Azure data centres designed to meet the needs of clients with strict data protection and regulatory requirements, including financial institutions and government bodies.

Microsoft’s investments in cloud computing and artificial intelligence have further strengthened Switzerland’s importance within its European operations, making the country a key hub for serving corporate and public-sector customers.

Part of broader global scrutiny

The move by Swiss authorities comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny of Microsoft’s software and cloud services in several jurisdictions.

Earlier this month, Brazil’s competition regulator announced that it had opened an investigation into the company’s software and cloud computing practices.

Comco said that if its preliminary assessment concludes that Microsoft’s higher licensing fees restrict competition within the meaning of Swiss law, it would escalate the case to a full investigation.

Such a step would mark a significant development, particularly given the widespread reliance on Microsoft products by Swiss businesses and public institutions.

For now, the regulator has not set a timeline for completing its initial review.

The announcement underscores ongoing concerns among competition authorities globally about the market power of large technology companies and the impact of pricing decisions on customers with limited alternatives.

The post Switzerland launches antitrust probe into Microsoft’s software licensing fees appeared first on Invezz

LESG share price has remained under pressure in 2025 as its exchange business slowed amid the London IPO drought. It retreated to a low of 8,102p, down by 32% from the yearly high of 12,015. It has now formed a highly bullish pattern, pointing to more gains this year.

LSEG launches a new settlement service

The most recent news from the London Stock Exchange Group is that it has partnered with Canton to launcha new settlement service. Known as the Digital Settlement House, the service will enable instant settlement between independent payment networks.

LSEG hopes that the service will be used by market participants to support the final leg of foreign exchange, digital asset transactions, and settlements. The company said that the service will have DiSH Cash, which will operate accounts at commercial banks, where it will be:

“providing members with instant ownership of a commercial bank deposit at any bank within the LSEG DiSH network, and a mechanism for the 24/7 movement of commercial bank money.”

The new launch comes at a time when the company’s business is facing some headwinds as the IPO drought in the UK continues. Instead, more companies have announced either delisting or dual-listing measures, with many of them moving to the United States.

Still, its business has done well, helped by its data analysis business. LSEG’s revenue rose by 4.8% in the third quarter to £2.21 billion in the third quarter quarter. Most of this growth came from its risk intelligence business, which made £144 million, up by 9.9% from the same period a year earlier.

Its data and analytics business made £982 million, while FTSE Russell made £241 million. The company also announced a huge share buyback, worth about £3.5 billion.

Analysts have a favorable view of LSEG stock. Data compiled by TradingView shows that the average estimate for the stock is 12,330p, much higher than the current 9,050p. The most optimistic analyst sees it rising to 13,790p, up by 53% from the current level.

LSEG share price technical analysis 

The daily timeframe chart shows that the LSEG share price peaked at 12,015p in February last year and then plunged to a low of 8,102p in September. A closer look at how the stock plunged shows that it has an inverse similarity to what is happening today.

It initially peaked at 12,050p, then dropped to 10,490p, rebounded to 11,745p, then dropped to a low of 10,490p, and then rebounded the last time and then dropped to the yearly low of 8,102p.

The same situation is happening today in the opposite direction. It initially dropped to 8,102p, then rebounded to 10,020p, dropped to 8,312p, then rebounded again to 8,980p.

A closer look also shows that it is forming a double-bottom pattern whose neckline is at 10,020p. It has already moved above the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA).

Therefore, there is a likelihood that the stock will rebound, potentially to the neckline at 10,020p, which is 11% above the current level. A move above that price will point to more gains, potentially to last year’s high of 12,000p. However, a drop below last year’s low of 8,102p will invalidate the bullish outlook.

The post LSEG share price flashes bullish pattern amid new settlement service launch appeared first on Invezz