Shares of French company Saint-Gobain gained more than 8% over the past week after the German government announced the launch of a €500 billion infrastructure plan.   For Saint-Gobain, it all began in 1665 when the company started producing mirror glass. Today, it is a global player that designs, manufactures, and distributes high-quality materials such as flat glass, automotiv ...

Watch the Kanaal-Z interview with our Exponential Technologies Senior Portfolio Manager, Siddy Jobe, here. Our Fiery Flash of the week is Nvidia, which experienced a dramatic swing in its stock price following its latest earnings report. Initially, shares surged on stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter results and solid guidance, only to reverse course and drop 8.5%, closing at ...

As most of our readers and partners know, Econopolis was born out of our unique vision of the (financial) world, economy and society. Since our launch, we translate this vision in our own investment principles. Independent of the “flavour of the day”. These are not hollow words, but steady principles that are put into concrete action. Which we recently did when a conservative t ...

Last week, the European Commission launched its Vision for Agriculture and Food. While some may – rightly or wrongly – criticize aspects of its environmental ambitions, one promising element stands out: a circular economy solution that benefits people, planet, and profit alike.  The Fertilizer Paradox  Agriculture in the European Union relies heavily on fertilizers. These can ...

U.S. consumer confidence saw its sharpest decline since 2021, driven by concerns over proposed tariffs and rising inflation expectations In February, the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index recorded its sharpest monthly decline since August 2021. The optimism sparked by Trump’s election has now fully faded, leaving consumers less confident than they were before the pre ...

Belgium: Where Surrealism Isn’t Just Art, It’s Policy Nourished by the exquisite art of René Magritte and Paul Delvaux, Belgium is often seen as the country of surrealism. Some even question whether Belgium is a real country at all. Social welfare is generous, most Belgians enjoy a high standard of living, and yet they seem to bask in an everlasting winter of discontent. Belgia ...

This week's Fiery Flash shines the spotlight on Alibaba Group, which has seen a remarkable upswing in its stock price, hitting a three-year high. Over the past week, Alibaba’s shares jumped 11.6%, pushing its year-to-date  gains to an impressive 68.1%. The rally comes amid a series of positive catalysts: strong quarterly earnings, aggressive AI investments, and strategic partne ...

European equities have climbed more than 10% since the start of the year, outpacing US equity indices—a surprising development given the region's persistent economic stagnation and geopolitical uncertainties.     Several factors have fueled this strong year-to-date performance. Historically low European equity valuations, especially in contrast to expensive US stocks, have att ...

This week, the publication of Ortelius’ long-awaited report on the socio-economic impact of a Flemish contribution to the Einstein Telescope received significant media attention. As interpretations varied widely across publications, this article aims to contextualize key findings and highlight their relevance for Flanders.     The Einstein Telescope is an advanced gravitationa ...

“The days of principles are gone” - Prince Schwarzenberg discussing the end of the Metternich era in a letter to his employer, Austrian Ambassador Baron Hubner in 1851) “It is the rational optimist who fails, the irrational optimist who succeeds, for he is ready to smash the whole universe for the sake of itself.” - GK Chesterton   The Geopolitical Risk Premium In the aftermath ...