Finance

Spain cements its role as gateway for Ibero-American investment into Europe
According to data from the Foreign Investment Registry as of December 2024, Spain's investment stock in Ibero-America totals 194,179 million euros (29.6% of Spain's total investment abroad), while the Ibero-American stock in Spain amounts to 56,360 million (8.8% of the total received). Mexico, Brazil and Argentina account for 73.2% of Spanish investment in the region; in the opposite direction, Mexico leads with 61.9%, followed by Argentina (20.9%) and Brazil (5.5%).
FinanceInternationalLLYCOct 22AI
Markets return to risk-off: Asia leads declines and oil rises on geopolitical tension
The morning brings a return to risk-off mode despite a solid prior session on Wall Street (S&P 500 +0.58%, Nasdaq +1.05%). Selling is concentrated in Asia: the CSI 300 falls 3.16% and is down 20% from its June highs, while the Nikkei 225 loses 2.76%. In the US, the Nasdaq 100 drops 1.63% and the S&P 500 0.86%; Europe is also in the red. Brent rises 1.66% to near $107.5 and bitcoin falls 2.66%. Today's highlights include results from Procter & Gamble, Western Digital and Lockheed Martin.
FinanceInternationalXTB.comOct 22AI
Oil rises on US-Iran tensions as Wall Street futures fall after Meta and Tesla results
Brent rises about 1.7-2.2% to around USD 110.7 per barrel and WTI trades near USD 98.5, driven by US-Iran tensions and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Gold breaks below USD 4,100 per ounce and silver falls about 3.1%. Nasdaq-100 futures drop around 1.3% after Meta and Tesla results, while China's CSI 300 enters a bear market.
FinanceInternationalXTB.comOct 22AI
BIT Asset Management wins FINMA approval for Swiss spot bitcoin ETF
BIT Asset Management AG received FINMA approval for its Bitcoin Fund ETF (BBIT), which the firm describes as Switzerland's first spot bitcoin ETF and currently the only one in Europe. Trading is expected to begin on the SIX Swiss Exchange in November. The company presented the announcement as an early-stage expansion move aligned with global adoption of spot bitcoin funds.
FinanceInternationalTradingViewOct 22AI
Nexteer Automotive opens plant in Brazil to supply BYD
Nexteer Automotive opened a new assembly facility in Camaçari, Brazil, in early October 2026 to assemble CEPS systems. The plant is located about 10 km from BYD's operations and aims to support the Chinese automaker's vehicle production and localize supply, according to the company's press release distributed by PR Newswire.
FinanceInternationalTradingViewOct 22AI
Ibex 35 falls 1.3% after a global cybersecurity alert as Nasdaq futures drop nearly 2%
Stock markets took a hit after a global alert over two critical PHP flaws, a programming language used across much of the internet that could allow an attacker to execute code remotely without identifying themselves, pushing Nasdaq futures down nearly 2%. The Ibex 35 falls 1.3% to 19,065 points, weighed down by banks after Bankinter's results, with a profit of 901 million through September, up 11%. Oil rebounds more than 2%.
FinanceInternationalEl ConfidencialOct 22AI
Pearson reports 5% rise in underlying revenue through September and 6% in the third quarter
Pearson plc reported that Group underlying revenue rose 5% in the nine months to September 30, 2026, accelerating to 6% in the third quarter. The company said it is on track to meet its 2026 guidance and highlighted growth in key segments, including Virtual Learning, which grew 17% year to date.
FinanceInternationalTradingViewOct 22AI
ArcelorMittal lifts its upside potential to 20%, the highest in a year and a half
ArcelorMittal has fallen 17% on the stock market since early September, from 66 to around 56 euros, punished along with the rest of the steel sector by higher energy costs and the expectation of more expensive raw materials, according to JP Morgan. After the correction, the steelmaker shows its highest upside potential since April 2025: it would need to rise 20% to reach the average analyst fair price of 67 euros. JP Morgan upgraded it to buy with a 70-euro target; UBS also raised it to buy, at 71 euros.
FinanceInternationalTradingViewOct 22AI
Prosegur and Telefónica expect to double market growth in alarms
Movistar Prosegur Alarmas (MPA), the joint venture started in 2020 by Prosegur and Telefónica, reached about 630,000 connections at the end of June and has tripled its customer base since its creation. Its CEO, Diego Torrico, expects to grow twice as fast as the market over the next five years, which he estimates is expanding between 5% and 6% annually. The company is the second in the Spanish sector, behind Verisure, which has more than 2.2 million customers.
FinanceInternationalTradingViewOct 22AI
How to reduce AI dependence in a portfolio concentrated in tech
The concentration of the S&P 500 in the Magnificent Seven and in chipmakers such as AMD, Broadcom, TSMC, ASML and Micron, which together account for close to a third of the MSCI World, poses a growing risk for investors. The article reviews tools to decouple from technology: equal-weighted indices, geographic diversification —the United States accounts for about 70% of the MSCI World—, sectors such as energy, utilities, healthcare and consumer staples, and fixed income. Joaquín Gómez (elEconomista.es) and Fernando Luque (Morningstar) cite value funds with low or no tech exposure.
FinanceInternationalEl EconomistaOct 22AI
Banks use share buybacks to offset the dilutive effect of scrip dividends
After the financial crisis, banks adopted the scrip dividend, a formula allowing capital increases to deliver shares to those who do not request the cash dividend, as a way to keep rewarding shareholders. The problem is its dilutive effect: the rise in the number of shares reduces earnings per share. According to the text, the practice disappeared years ago and now institutions such as CaixaBank and BBVA are pushing share buybacks with record profits and ample capital buffers.
FinanceInternationalTradingViewOct 21AI
Repsol buys back 250 million in hybrid perpetual bonds and trims its debt
Repsol agreed to buy back 250 million euros of a June 2020 hybrid perpetual bond issue with a 4.247% coupon, through Repsol International Finance and guaranteed by the parent company. The offer drew requests of about 471 million, nearly 1.9 times the maximum planned, so a 53.0878% proration factor was applied. The price was set at 100.704% of nominal, a disbursement of 251.76 million before accrued interest and expenses. The balance of bonds in the list would fall from 7,200 to 6,950 million and the perpetuals from 3,000 to 2,750 million.
FinanceInternationalTradingViewOct 21AI
Stocks fall on doubts over AI returns and oil above $110 a barrel
Stock markets are retreating on nerves over the profitability of artificial intelligence investments, after results from major tech companies failed to reassure investors. Nasdaq 100 futures fall 1.1% and S&P 500 futures 0.5%, following mixed results from Tesla and Meta. Risk aversion is worsened by rising oil prices: Brent gains 1.5% and tops $110 a barrel after heightened tensions in the Middle East.
FinanceInternationalCinco DíasOct 21AI
Healthcare Triangle sets 1-for-20 reverse stock split to regain Nasdaq compliance
Healthcare Triangle, Inc. (HCTI) will carry out a 1-for-20 reverse stock split effective at 12:01 a.m. ET on October 26, 2026, aimed at supporting its return to compliance with Nasdaq's $1.00 minimum bid price requirement. Outstanding shares will be reduced from about 17.73 million to roughly 886,501.
FinanceInternationalTradingViewOct 21AI
eBay to cut about 1,000 jobs, roughly 9% of its workforce
eBay will eliminate around 1,000 jobs, approximately 9% of its workforce, a spokesperson for the US online marketplace confirmed to AFP. At the end of 2025 the San Jose, California-based company had 12,300 employees, before a first round of layoffs in February that affected 800 jobs. The company said the decision aims to align its workforce and resources with its strategic priorities and to keep a strong position.
FinanceInternationalYahooOct 21AI
MG grows at twice the industry average in Mexico and is the only Chinese brand in the top 10 sellers
MG Motor reported a 12.2% increase in its Mexico sales between January and September 2026, more than double the pace of the Mexican auto industry. The brand is the only Chinese one in the market's top 10, with a 3.5% share and 250,000 drivers. The company, marking six years in the country, attributes the result to its network of more than 108 dealers and to portfolio renewal, including its electrified lineup.
FinanceInternationalYahooOct 21AI
Argentina's economic activity fell 1.7% year-on-year in August, leaving it on the brink of recession
Argentina's economic activity fell 1.7% in August compared with the same month of 2025, and accumulated growth was cut to 1.2%, according to the Monthly Estimator of Economic Activity (EMAE). The report also revised July: the monthly contraction went from 2.9% to 2.8% and the year-on-year decline widened from 1.4% to 1.5%. Mining and hydrocarbon extraction provided the largest positive contribution, while manufacturing, commerce, construction, transport and communications and financial intermediation declined. Ten sectors ended lower and five higher.
FinanceInternationalPrensa LatinaOct 21AI
Genomma Lab: third-quarter net sales up 1.3% and net profit up 18.6%
Genomma Lab Internacional reported that its net sales for the third quarter of 2026 rose 1.3%, with an EBITDA margin of 21.0% and net profit growth of 18.6%. Sales in Latin America increased 12.2%, while Mexico returned to positive sell-out. The information comes from the company's original press release, distributed by PR Newswire.
FinanceInternationalTradingViewOct 21AI
Mexico's Gruma posts 11% lower profit in first nine months on weak U.S. consumption
Mexican corn flour and tortilla producer Gruma reported to the Mexican Stock Exchange a net profit of $392.3 million in the first nine months of 2026, down 11% year on year, despite raising revenue 3% to $4,925.3 million. The company attributed the result to weak consumption in the United States, its main market, where quarterly sales fell 4%. Accumulated operating profit dropped 8% and adjusted EBITDA fell 5%.
FinanceInternationalSWI swissinfo.chOct 21AI
Alpek raises 2026 operating cash flow guidance by 32% after beating third-quarter expectations
Mexican petrochemical company Alpek raised its comparable operating cash flow guidance for 2026 to 990 million dollars, an adjustment of up to 32% from its previous estimate of 750 to 800 million. The company attributed the performance to better PET reference margins and ocean freight costs. In the third quarter, revenue grew 21% year on year, operating cash flow rose 86% and net income more than doubled the market expectation. Its net debt to cash flow ratio fell to 1.9 times.
FinanceInternationalYahooOct 21AI