European stock markets fall sharply at the open in a session in which all attention is focused on Ukraine, after the invasion that Russia began this morning. The DAX German leaves 4.70% in the 13,943.34, the FTSE100 London falls 3.24% to 7,255.40, the CAC 40 falls 3.88% to 6,517.80, and the Italian stock market loses 4.41% to 24,810. For his part, the Euro Stoxx 50 cut 4.84% to 3,781.15 points. The IBEX 35 opens with drops of more than 4% at the opening, to 8,071 points.
The values of IAG (Iberia) suffered at the opening, losing more than 7.5% in the first minutes of trading, to 1.7425 euros. PharmaMar suffers a drop of 4.9% while BBVA shares are trading a few steps away, losing 4.8% to 5.3840 euros, or Solaria which, at a rate of -5%, opens in the 12 .36 euros.
All the values of the selective dawn in negative although Almirall is the only value that has managed to turn around and, at the rate of 0.6%, it rises to 11.73 euros.
Within the financial sector, Banco Sabadell fell more than 3.8% at the opening, to 0.8016 euros; Bankinter corrects more than 2%, Caixabank opens at 2.9540 euros after registering declines of more than 4%, while Banco Santander loses 4.17% at the opening, down to 3.1120 euros.
Within the Ibex 35 today we have learned that Telefónica has earned 8,137 million euros in 2021, which means multiplying by five its profits from the previous year thanks to the extraordinary ones achieved in the sale of Telxius telecommunications towers and the merger of its British subsidiary .
Merlin Properties obtained a net profit of 512 million euros in 2021, which represents a growth of 809% compared to the previous year, thanks to the revaluation experienced by its real estate assets after the strong impact caused by the pandemic on the value of its buildings in 2020.
In the continuous market, Amper suffered a drop of more than 10%, to 0.1960 euros. Grupo Ezentis and Tubos Reunidos fell more than 7% in the first minutes of trading with no value on the Spanish stock market, except for Almirall, positive in today’s session.
Soltec closed 2021 with revenues of 346.5 million although it obtained losses of 1.2 million with a net debt that closed the year at 1.9 million euros.
Atresmedia obtained net income of 963.3 million in 2021, which represents 11.2% more than that obtained a year earlier. EBITDA grew by 132.3%, to 172.5 million, while net profit rose to 118.5 million, well above the 23.9 million reached in 2020.
FCC has doubled its net profit – up to 501.1 million – and increased its operating income by 7.6%, reaching 1,126.6 million euros. Revenues reached 6,559.3 million euros, 8.1% above that obtained a year earlier.
Russia invades Ukraine and world stock markets crash
Early this morning, Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine and demanded the Kiev army lay down its arms, launching what could be Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II. In a speech broadcast on Russian state television shortly before 6 a.m. today, Russia’s president stated that he did not plan to occupy Ukraine, but promised that Moscow would punish anyone who stood in its way. “The goal is to defend people who have been victims of abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime. And we will strive to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine. We will also bring to justice all those who have committed bloody crimes against the civilian population, including Russian citizens” – Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, is up more than 5.8% at this time and has risen above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014. It is currently trading at $99.41. For its part, the West Texas rises more than 6%, to 97.63 dollars.
The Kremlin previously said that two Moscow-backed breakaway territories in Ukraine had asked it to “repel the Ukrainian regime’s aggression.”
The Ukrainian Parliament approved late yesterday a decree decreeing the “state of emergency”, with the favorable vote of 335 deputies, more than the constitutional majority. Sanctions barring the trading of new Russian bonds could push up Moscow’s borrowing costs and herald restrictions excluding Western investors from the country’s debt market, according to fund managers.
This morning some Asian squares fall sharply. The Nikkei subtracts 1.81% to 25,970.82 points, the Shanghai Composite loses 1.70% to 3,429.96 points and the SZSE Component falls 2.21% to 13,250.76 units. The Hong Kong Hang Seng lost 3.67% to 22,790.00 points and the Seoul Kospi fell 2.60% to 2,648.80 integers.
Yesterday at the close, the Wall Street indicators closed with falls that have worsened with the trading of futures. At this time, the DOW JONES Ind Average futures fall more than 2.5%, to 32,291.80 points, the S&P 500 it fell 2.57%, to 4,117.20 points and the NASDAQ 100 registered falls of more than 3.2%, which took it to 13,063.10 points.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday “strongly” condemned Russia’s “unprovoked” attack on Ukraine, which he said risks “countless civilian lives,” and lamented that Moscow had chosen the “path of aggression.” “I strongly condemn Russia’s reckless and unprovoked attack on Ukraine, which puts countless civilian lives at risk,” Stoltenberg said in a statement. The allied secretary general noted that “once again, despite our repeated warnings and our tireless efforts to exercise diplomacy,” Russia “has chosen the path of aggression against a sovereign and independent country.” “It is a serious violation of international law and a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security,” he warned. For all this, he called on Russia “to cease its military action immediately and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
Stoltenberg also advanced that NATO countries “will meet to address the consequences of Russia’s aggressive actions,” and assured that the organization “will do everything necessary to protect and defend all allies.”
With what will be the news that arrives from Ukraine as well as the reaction of NATO and the European countries what conditions the course of the session. Although it is true that history indicates that the stock markets usually recover strongly and present important advances a year after the start of armed conflicts, “on this occasion we understand that the main problem is not so much the war that has started in Ukraine -undoubtedly it is and will be a humanitarian drama, like all wars-, but the impact that this conflict may end up having on the energy market and, therefore, on inflation. This variable could end up seriously penalizing the economic recovery, leading the markets to have to face a scenario of low growth and high inflation. We understand that the central banks’ room for maneuver to deal with this scenario, if fulfilled, is very limited, and that is what really worries us”, they say from Link Securities.
In the foreign exchange market, the EUR/USD fell 0.5% against the dollar, to 1.1249 units. Bitcoin falls more than 8.3% to $34,844.5 while gold is up 1.6% to $1,941.20.
