Business

The AEX index in Amsterdam edged 0.4 per cent higher on Friday morning, recovering slightly despite broader market anxiety surrounding rising US government bond yields and high national debt. European indices posted modest gains, spearheaded by semiconductor giants ASMI, Besi, and ASML, which rose up to 2.4 per cent. However, investor sentiment remained cautious following Thursday's sharp drop on Wall Street and mixed overnight trading across Asian markets, where rising energy costs stoked Japanese inflation. Meanwhile, corporate moves dominated the headlines, highlighted by EV charging firm Alfen tumbling over 3 per cent after a broker downgrade, and Italy’s Banca Monte dei Paschi seeking strategic acquisitions to block a potential takeover by rival Intesa.

OpenAI is set to launch advertisements on ChatGPT for users in the Netherlands and 30 other European countries. The move aims to generate revenue ahead of a planned stock market launch in New York. Only free users and lower-tier subscribers will encounter these ads, which the company claims will remain entirely distinct from chatbot responses.

Jumbo plans to remove La Place products from its supermarket shelves over the medium term to focus on its own private label brands. The move affects dozens of items, including specialty meats, coffee beans, and baked goods. While Jumbo customers can still buy La Place items for now, the restaurant chain is actively searching for new partners to maintain its retail product line.

Fastned stood out as one of the top gainers on the Amsterdam stock market on Friday, with its shares climbing 5.5 per cent following a strong first-half performance and upgraded profit forecasts for 2026. The electric vehicle charging operator benefited from record station openings, reduced losses, and analyst price target increases from Deutsche Bank and Jefferies, even as the broader AEX index dipped 0.2 per cent amid mixed performances across European markets.

Organisers of a farmers' protest in Zeeland modified their demonstration following a fatal road collision in North Brabant, holding a minute's silence and speeding up their procession along the N59 to reduce traffic risks. Several hundred farmers in tractor convoys took to the popular tourist route to protest against government nitrogen regulations and express solidarity with five Brabant poultry farms facing the revocation of their environmental permits, warning that escalating red tape threatens the future of agricultural businesses.

Dutch household purchasing power is set to contract by 0.3% in 2027 as planned income tax increases take effect, according to new forecasts from the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB). While 2026 will offer brief respite with a modest 0.6% gain as pay growth outpaces inflation, almost all demographics face a squeeze by 2027, with childless families hit hardest. Pensioners remain the main exception due to recent pension indexation reforms, while expanded housing benefit eligibility will help keep national poverty levels broadly stable at around 460,000 to 470,000 people.

Amsterdam’s AEX index extended its record rally on Friday morning, rising 0.3% to 1,123.44 points after opening, driven by ~3% gains in RELX and Wolters Kluwer. Broader market sentiment was bolstered by Wall Street's overnight record high, where optimism mounted that the US Federal Reserve will hold interest rates steady in September. Meanwhile, the MidKap added 0.4% and Frankfurt gained 0.6%, while markets in Paris and London remained virtually flat.

A new ECB survey shows a slight rebound in cash acceptance: 92% of businesses now allow cash payments, reversing the downward trend seen during and after the pandemic.