As we do every Sunday, here are the top news stories from the past week:

Monday:

Elon Musk may have raked in billions from SpaceX’s $SPCX (-4,32 %) SpaceX, but apparently the money isn’t enough for his AI ambitions, so he’s launching a $20 billion bond program. This isn’t going over well with SpaceX investors. The bonds are expected to yield about 5–6% interest.

https://www.manager-magazin.de/unternehmen/tech/spacex-raumfahrtfirma-plant-anleiheemission-ueber-20-milliarden-dollar-a-a53d0f6c-f213-46e1-b2f0-ba302b56c037

Tuesday:

DB has once again outdone itself and hit an all-time low. For hours overnight, no trains ran in Germany. Other former state-owned corporations, such as $DHLGY (-0,18 %) Deutsche Post (DHL) or $DTE (+3,56 %) Deutsche Telekom, do not face comparable problems. Perhaps we should consider further privatization of DB or follow the Swiss model (where local municipalities also have a say at the regional level).

https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/deutsche-bahn-stoerung-zugfunk-100.html

Wednesday:

$ADS (+0,22 %) Adidas is reportedly selling three times as many DFB jerseys as it did in Qatar in 2022. This may be partly because people can now actually wear the DFB jersey. The switch to $NKE (+3,93 %) Nike could also be a factor.

https://www.handelsblatt.com/arts_und_style/lifestyle/wm-2026-deutschland-trikots-laut-adidas-boss-begehrt-wie-nie/100231388.html

$VOW3 (-1,25 %) Volkswagen is selling a majority stake in Everllance to Bain, reaping billions in the process. Everllance has so far been carried on the balance sheet at a value significantly below its market value, which is likely to result in an extraordinary profit of several billion.

https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/2026-06/volkswagen-everllence-bain-capital-grossmotoren-verkauf-gxe

Thursday:

$BAYN (-0,91 %) Bayer appears to have pulled off a major victory. The agricultural and pharmaceutical company won its case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The court ruled that regulations set by federal agencies take precedence over state laws. As a result, thousands of lawsuits alleging insufficient cancer warnings have lost their legal basis.

https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/bayer-gewinnt-glyphosat-streit-in-den-usa-vor-supreme-court-a-42b636b2-e059-4560-95c9-5433ee192e62

After I $MBG (+0,8 %)

sold off some holdings from my portfolio, I decided to expand my $BTC (-0,74 %) Bitcoin position by the end of November.

The first tranche was purchased today (actually yesterday) at 54,700€. With a 1% spread plus approx. 1.5% in fees (123.47€), the cost basis came to just over 56k...

I’ll also be buying $VOW3 (-1,25 %) , $VNA (+0,28 %) and $MC (-0,5 %) - positions during the timeframe mentioned above and $BTC (-0,74 %) .

$VOW3 (-1,25 %)

15 increases

13 unchanged

7 reductions

Insurance companies

Banks

Utilities

Car stocks

Type here if you like collecting dividends: https://shorturl.at/83W8R

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As every Sunday, the most important news from the past week, as well as the most important dates for the coming week. Also as a video:

https://youtube.com/shorts/j--aDNRO-iU?is=sKyIdCnD-ujDiJ2M

Monday:

Industrial production in Germany fell slightly in January, but on a 3-month horizon Germany is in the black. This also has to do with the defense industry, where Germany is now the fourth largest exporter in the world and has overtaken China

https://hasepost.de/industrieproduktion-in-deutschland-sinkt-im-januar-2026-deutlich-689215/

Tuesday:

As was already the case at $MBG (+0,8 %) Mercedes, Volkswagen's profit is halved. Instead of 12.4 billion euros, it was only 6.9 billion euros. Turnover remained largely stable at 322 billion euros. However, the profit margin is now only wafer-thin. In addition to the well-known problems in China and the USA, this is also due to problems at Audi and $P911 (-2,39 %) Porsche.

https://m.bild.de/geld/wirtschaft/konzernbilanz-fuer-2025-vw-gewinn-halbiert-sich-69afb58c64d1f5a2cd5182b3

$BOSS (+0,37 %) HUGO BOSS surprises on the stock market. The Group delivers above expectations in almost all key figures. Sales fell slightly to around 4.27 billion euros. Profit rose by 17% to 249 million euros. The dividend is cut to 4 cents, but the company buys its own shares. The outlook of a slight decline in turnover for 2026 is confirmed.

https://www.boerse.de/nachrichten-amp/Hugo-Boss-verdient-dank-Einsparungen-mehr-Umsatzrueckgang-erwartet/38174967

Wednesday:

The International Energy Agency proposes the release of part of the oil reserve of 400 million barrels. The reason for this is the enormous increase in oil costs and the shortage caused by the war in Iran. However, supply bottlenecks are expected more in Asia than in Europe.

https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/oel-reserven-iea-staaten-wollen-bis-zu-400-millionen-barrel-freigeben-a-5d135629-3740-4011-bb24-390c02d47bdf

Friday:

$VOW3 (-1,25 %) Volkswagen is once again the market leader in China. Because Beijing is cutting subsidies, BYD is losing $1211 (+2,86 %) BYD loses its market leadership again. Without state subsidies, VW's cars seem to be more convincing.

https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/industrie/autobauer-vw-erobert-marktfuehrerschaft-in-china-zurueck/100208289.html

The most important dates for the coming week:

Wednesday: 20:00 Interest rate decision (USA)

Thursday: 13:00 Interest rate decision (UK)

Thursday: 14:15 Interest rate decision (EUR)

#fed
#ezb
#zinsen
#inflation
#ölpreis

Can you think of any other dates?

$VOW3 (-1,25 %)

Mutares SE & Co. KGaA $MUX (-0,92 %) has successfully completed the acquisition of a majority stake of 67% in Hwaseung Special Rubber (Taicang) Co., Ltd. and Hwaseung Auto Parts (Taicang) Co., Ltd. from the listed Korean Hwaseung Corporation.

The target companies are known for their essential rubber sealing and hose products, which they supply to well-known automobile manufacturers such as GM $GM (+1,48 %), VW $VOW (-1,36 %)
$VOW3 (-1,25 %)Hyundai, Kia and Xiaomi $1810 (+4,6 %) .

With two state-of-the-art production facilities and around 600 employees, the companies have a turnover of almost EUR 100 million. HSR and HST are an ideal fit for Amaneo's China business and create significant synergies in the value chain, especially through the integration with Mutares' existing rubber components and air conditioning tubing businesses.

This will enable cost benefits, operational efficiencies and a strengthened competitive position in the world's most dynamic automotive market.

Mutares' expansion in the Chinese automotive sector strengthens its position as an operational leader in the Automotive & Mobility segment, extends the Group's track record and opens up new opportunities for cooperation with leading Asian and international OEMs.

The decision of a prominent Korean-listed seller to enter into such a transaction with Mutares reflects the Group's global position as a reliable and value-creating owner with a proven track record of operational excellence, transformation and sustainable growth.

In the meantime, BYD $1211 (+2,86 %) has not only become one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, but has also overtaken Tesla $TSLA (+0,39 %) as the largest producer of electric cars.

In the first three quarters, the Chinese company sold 1.6 million units, significantly more than Tesla with 1.2 million. BYD had already shocked competitor Volkswagen $VOW (-1,36 %)
$VOW3 (-1,25 %)when it overtook the Wolfsburg-based company as number one in China more than two years ago.

However, BYD is by no means concentrating solely on the domestic market - and has big plans in Europe in particular.

With 30 production sites worldwide, the company has secured a place on the prestigious Forbes Global 500 list.

The vehicles are already sold in 117 countries worldwide, but not in the USA. Vice President Stella Li explains: "This market is not interesting for us, and we are currently focusing so much on expansion in other regions that it would be difficult to allocate resources to this additional mission."

To date, the Chinese car manufacturer has only played a minor role in Europe, and has achieved little more than respectable success in its core market of Germany in particular.

However, this is hardly due to the vehicles, as affordable entry-level models such as the Dolphin Surf, the BYD Seal 6 mid-range estate or the powerful Yangwang U8 off-roader are more than competitive.

It's all about brand awareness and the dealer network - and a lot needs to happen here in the coming years in order to attack first the Asian and then the domestic brands.

BYD is not too fond of restraint. It comes as no great surprise that the company's own driver assistance system has been given the full-bodied name "God's Eye".

This name symbolizes an all-seeing, divine eye that observes everything and stands for divine wisdom, protection and surveillance - but also for a more than healthy self-confidence. One of the reasons for BYD's rapidly growing success is its particularly modern production facilities. In contrast to many of its competitors, the factories were meticulously planned on the drawing board and are as efficient as possible.

》New plants in Europe to lower prices《

It was only in June that the Chinese celebrated the millionth Seagull, a small electric car marketed in Germany as the Dolphin Surf, at the production plant in Xi'an.

While it costs around 20,000 euros in Germany, its retail price on the domestic market is just under 70,000 RMB - the equivalent of less than 8,500 euros, but it is also significantly less well equipped and designed in its home country.

BYD is currently building its own plant in Hungary in order to reduce prices in Europe and avoid customs duties. Further production facilities are being planned in Turkey and Spain in order to be able to exert pressure in Europe.

BYD's new flagship plant in Zhengzhou in Henan province in the central-eastern part of China sets standards that make every other gigafactory seem tiny.

The city with its 10.2 million inhabitants was chosen for this huge industrial complex due to its good road and rail connections and the skilled workforce in the region.

At 130 square kilometers, BYD's largest plant is the largest in the world and spans an area the size of San Francisco.

That's ten of the Tesla Gigafactories in Nevada with an annual production of two million vehicles. There are currently 60,000 employees here.

Wang Chuanfu, President and CEO of BYD, explains: "If technology is BYD's greatest strength, then design is the second." For this reason, a lot has been invested in the BYD Design Center, a 12,600 square meter center in Shenzhen, BYD's headquarters.

It forms the stylistic heart of the company and is responsible for the future design language of cars, trains and other means of transportation. Equally important is the team around Wolfgang Egger, a renowned German designer from Oberstdorf, who has already worked for and managed traditional European brands such as Audi, Lamborghini and Alfa Romeo.

As well as things are going in the Chinese market despite minor setbacks, there is still a lot to do in Europe. "We are still at the very beginning here," admits Stella Li and investments are currently being made in brand awareness and the dealer network.

In addition to local production, BYD has high hopes for its own fast-charging network, which will offer charging speeds of up to 1000 kW. This should not only benefit the company's own models, but also the premium offshoot Denza, which will be launching several models on the European market next year - first and foremost the flagship Denza Z9 GT.

》Flexible production for electric and hybrid drives《

In contrast to competitors such as Tesla or Polestar, BYD is not focusing solely on electric drives; vehicles with range extenders and hybrid technology should also make it easier for customers to switch to the up-and-coming manufacturer.

Production is therefore also flexible. In addition to purely electric vehicles, vehicles with combustion engines (DM-i / plug-in hybrids) and models from other manufacturers can also roll off the production line. According to BYD, 23 different models are possible per production line. The BYD models produced in Xi'an include the Seagull / Dolphin Surf, the Seal U series, the Qin EV, the SeaLion series, Tang L.

The platforms of the cars are crucial. The e-Platform 3.0 and the recently introduced Super e-Platform, which also enables extremely fast flash charging with a maximum of 1000 kW, allow this modular, efficient and fast production of various models.

Yang Buyi announces a degree of automation of 92.7 percent in the production line and points out how quickly BYD has reacted. "We converted production within just three months without any loss of quality and can now produce 250,000 units of the Seagull per year."

The plant is the beacon and backbone of BYD's global production network.

In Xi'an, BYD is driving forward vertical integration and produces almost 80 percent of the parts itself. BYD is taking the principle of vertical integration, i.e. producing as much as possible itself, to the extreme.

That is more than Tesla or German manufacturers.

This includes the batteries, including the cells and the overall system. The integration of the battery as a load-bearing element means that the body design and battery structure are closely interlinked. This also influences production, reduces complexity and therefore costs.

BYD is one of the few manufacturers with its own chip production and, in addition to the batteries, also produces the electric motors including power electronics and transmission, manufactures body parts, chassis components and also carries out the painting itself.

Stamped parts, structural parts and outer skin parts are manufactured in the company's own press shops. The same applies to wishbones, axle components and damper modules, which BYD also produces itself or via subsidiaries.

》FAZIT《

Even though BYD is currently under a bit of pressure, something big is rolling towards us, and not just in the mobility sector, so I am staying invested and expanding.

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