Gold Rush 2.0: Ultimate safe haven in face of geopolitical fragmentation
Gold continues to be a key safe-haven asset resulting in sustained upward pressure on prices.
Gold continues to be a key safe-haven asset resulting in sustained upward pressure on prices.
Only half of the CEE countries saw an increase in turnover among the top 500 companies, revealing disparities in economic performance.
While the US economy looks set for a soft landing, the eurozone continues to face many uncertainties, particularly in the industrial sector.
Despite €3 billion mobilised through the European Battery Alliance created in 2017, only 3% of the investment needed in the battery supply chain has been made.
In the first 6 months of 2024, 68,223 new companies were registered, this being the lowest value in recent semesters, including the first semester of 2019.
Nine countries experienced a higher number of insolvencies, and three countries recorded a decrease (Bulgaria, Croatia and Latvia).
Construction and real estate sectors are among the most cyclical sectors. Sensitive to changes in the labour market, prices and the interest rate, they are currently under strain.

Romanian airline Anima Wings has attracted three institutional investors as shareholders. The company signed deals with BT Asset Management, part of BT Financial Group, Winners Holding Investments and Evergent Investments.
BCR Group recorded a net profit of €118 million in Q1 2026, down 21% versus the same period of last year.
PPC and PPC blue Romania have secured €3.42 million in European funding through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for installing fast charging stations across Romania and Greece.
Premier Energy has begun construction of its 200 MW/400 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project near Iași, Romania. The total development and construction cost is estimated at €75 million.
Siemens is set to bolster its presence in Romania with the development of a fully digitalised, carbon-neutral production facility in Sibiu.