Germany faces continued weak growth in 2026, constrained by high energy costs, rising competition from China and a lack of major reform, ČSOB analysts warn in their outlook published on 18 December 2025. The bank’s assessment says these structural headwinds keep the economy trapped in a low-growth pattern with downward pressure on competitiveness.
Key factors cited include expensive energy, which raises production costs, intensifying pressure from Chinese competitors in manufacturing and export markets, and the absence of decisive domestic reforms to boost productivity and innovation.
The outlook frames these forces as central challenges for policy makers and firms seeking to restore stronger growth and competitiveness over the medium term. #Germany #economy #energy #FiatNews
18 December 2025 — The European Central Bank closed the year without surprises, keeping its key rate at 2% and maintaining cautious forward guidance. Chief economist Dominik Rusinko said the ECB is still "in a good place" and that the preferred scenario is policy stability, with rates likely unchanged through 2026.
Rusinko highlighted that communication remains prudent and that the central bank’s stance prioritizes steady conditions over further tightening or loosening. The summary underscores a consensus for holding rates steady given current signals from the ECB.
The assessment frames 2026 as a year of likely rate continuity unless incoming data prompt a reassessment. #ECB #Eurozone #InterestRates #MonetaryPolicy #FiatNews
On 18 December 2025 the European Central Bank kept its main interest rate unchanged at 2% for the fourth consecutive meeting, saying it will rely on incoming data to guide future decisions and noting an improved economic forecast. The bank highlighted that inflation is holding close to its target and that the euro area has shown resilience to recent global shocks.
ECB policymakers left the policy stance unchanged while upgrading their projection for growth or inflation (details of the revision were not provided in the summary). The decision signals a wait‑and‑see approach, with a clear emphasis on monitoring incoming macroeconomic indicators before altering rates.
The move underlines the ECB’s priority to balance price stability with emerging signs of economic stability across the eurozone, and to adapt policy gradually as new data arrive. #ECB #eurozone #inflation #FiatNews
On 18 December 2025, at its final monetary policy meeting of the year, the Bank Board of the Czech National Bank (ČNB) left interest rates unchanged — a move that did not surprise markets and matched expectations. The council decided to keep policy rates at their current levels.
The decision closes the central bank’s meeting schedule for 2025 and maintains the existing monetary stance heading into the new year. No specific rate changes were announced.
Market observers had anticipated a pause at this session, and the outcome aligns with those expectations. #CNB #CzechRepublic #InterestRates #MonetaryPolicy #FiatNews
Tesla's core automotive business now represents only a fraction of the company's market value, with investors increasingly focused on its ambitions in autonomy and artificial intelligence. The stock has been trading like a futuristic AI powerhouse rather than as a conventional carmaker. #TSLA #AI
In recent days the shares climbed while broader indexes lagged, driven by a partial success in the company's robotaxi effort: test rides without a driver have begun in Austin. That operational milestone helped lift sentiment even as underlying vehicle sales and margins remain the traditional earnings base.
The contrast highlights a market that currently prizes Tesla more for potential upside from autonomous mobility and AI services than for its current, core automotive business. #robotaxi #FiatNews
Czech housing prices climbed at the fastest pace in a year in Q3, with apartment prices up 14.5% year‑on‑year and family houses rising 9.2%, according to the ČSOB Housing Index. The data show the domestic property market continuing to set new records in price growth.
The ČSOB index attributes the increases to developments captured in the third quarter, reporting the sharper acceleration in the apartment segment compared with detached homes. No additional causal analysis or forecasts were provided in the release.
The figures underscore ongoing strength in Czech residential real estate through Q3 2025, as measured by the bank’s housing price index. #CzechRepublic #realestate #housing #CSOB #FiatNews
Micron reported record results for fiscal Q1 2026, significantly beating analysts' estimates, and its revenue outlook for the next quarter also exceeded Wall Street expectations. The company described its guidance as stronger than anticipated.
The firm attributed the outperformance to rapidly rising DRAM prices and extreme demand for high‑bandwidth memory used in artificial intelligence applications. Micron said it is sold out of these AI‑oriented memory products for the whole of 2026.
The announcement underscores tight conditions in the DRAM market and robust, AI‑driven demand for high‑performance memory, which supported both current results and an optimistic near‑term revenue outlook. #MU #DRAM #AI #Semiconductors #FiatNews
The Bank of England on 18 December 2025 cut its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.75%, a move the central bank said was in line with expectations. The decision was announced in a press release following the Bank's meeting on Thursday.
The reduction of the base rate by a quarter percentage point was confirmed by the BoE in its statement; no additional details or commentary were provided in the release.
The announcement updates the official Bank rate and will be monitored for its impact on lending and monetary conditions across the UK. #BoE #UK #interestrates #FiatNews
Czech steel is entering 2026 under the heaviest pressure seen in the past decade, says Petr Popelář, chairman of Moravia Steel, in the MakroMixér podcast (18 Dec 2025). He warned the industry faces mounting risks unless conditions change.
Popelář described a combination of extremely high energy costs, a collapse in demand from Germany and persistent uncertainty over EU decarbonization rules. "Without systemic help it becomes an existential problem," he said, characterizing the situation as one that could threaten the sector’s survival.
The discussion framed steel as a potentially strategic raw material and highlighted the need for fair EU conditions to preserve competitiveness and prevent a deeper industrial decline. #steel #CzechRepublic #EU #energy #FiatNews
December 18, 2025 — Micron Technology reported results that significantly beat expectations and issued a notably optimistic outlook for the current quarter, driving the stock up about 8% in after-hours trading. The company said demand for memory chips used in artificial intelligence remains exceptionally strong.
As the largest U.S. memory-chip maker, Micron surpassed forecasts in nearly all key metrics and signalled continued strength into the next quarter with an upbeat guide. Management attributed the performance to robust customer demand in AI and data-center markets.
Investors reacted quickly, pushing shares higher after the market close as the results underscored ongoing strength in the memory segment tied to AI spending. #Micron #AI #Semiconductors #FiatNews
