News

⑴ Frederic Lorec of Baader wrote that by the end of 2028, Shell’s profits will be boosted by rising commodity prices, which means earnings per share forecasts will be raised. He stated this will to some extent offset the impact of weaker downstream margins and a high cash capital expenditure of $20.9 billion.⑵ Baader raised its 2026 earnings per share forecast by 28% to $4.28, and its 2027 forecast by 22% to $4.51. Baader expects that by the end of 2027, adjusted net profit will remain at around $20 billion, but will fall back to $18.6 billion in 2028 as Brent crude prices drop to around $75 per barrel.⑶ Lorec raised Shell’s target price from 3,852 pence to 4,269 pence. The stock was unchanged at 3,225.50 pence.

Glonghui, May 21 — As investors heavily buy into companies providing the infrastructure for AI, some European technology stocks have soared this year. Semiconductor equipment manufacturer Aixtron has risen 189% year to date; Technoprobe, which also produces semiconductor manufacturing equipment, is up 129%; STMicroelectronics has climbed 133%. Nokia, once a mobile phone giant and now transitioning to AI business, has also gained 108% this year. Fabio Bassi, JPMorgan’s Head of Cross-Asset Strategy, said that as demand for computing power increases, investors are turning their attention to companies developing data centers, network devices, and chip manufacturing equipment, as well as companies involved in electricity, cooling, and software tools. “In Europe, scarcity has further amplified this trend. There are very few large, liquid pure AI companies, so funds are concentrated into a small number of companies regarded as AI proxies, which also feature genuine AI demand and crowded positioning.”

According to ChainCatcher, FOX Business journalist Darren Botelho, citing the latest estimates from a threat detection data company, reported that the Iranian government controls approximately 7.7 billion US dollars in digital assets. The US Department of the Treasury had previously frozen around 500 million US dollars in crypto assets related to Iran, with 344 million US dollars frozen just last month. The CEO of 250 Digital Asset Management stated that although cryptocurrencies are often seen as tools to evade sanctions, they actually benefit law enforcement agencies in tracking.