Tuesday 25 March 2025
The Mighty Headlines
Economics: US factory activity contracts in March
Business: Bayer to pay $2.1 billion in weedkiller Roundup cancer case
Markets: SAP becomes Europe’s most valuable public company
Foreign Affairs: $1.45 million for former Japanese death row inmate
Security and intelligence: Turkey’s President condemns protests
Domestic politics: UK and French military chiefs meet in London
The Mighty Stats
FTSE = 8,638.01 (down 0.1%)
S&P 500 = 5,767.57 (up 1.76%)
Nasdaq = 18,188.59 (up 2.27%)
CAC40 = 8,022.33 (down 0.26%)
£1 = $1.29 / €1.20
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The Mighty Detail
Economics: US factory activity contracted this month. According to the S&P PMI, activity fell from 52.7 in February to 49.8 in March. Any number below 50 indicates a contraction. More expensive materials because of US tariffs may be a factor in the fall in activity.
Business: The pharmaceutical giant Bayer has been ordered to pay $2.1 billion by a court in the US state of Georgia for damages and compensation relating to the weedkiller Roundup. Plaintiffs have argued that Roundup causes cancer. Bayer bought Roundup as part of its acquisition of US agrochemical company Monsanto in 2018. Bayer has already paid $10 billion in cancer-related Roundup legal cases. It is keeping another $5.9 billion for cases which have not yet been settled.
Markets: German software company SAP has become Europe’s most valuable public company. Yesterday, its market capitalisation (the total value of all its shares) reached €312 billion. Its share price has risen by 40 per cent in the last year. Europe’s second most valuable public company is Novo Nordisk, the Danish drug manufacturer.
Foreign Affairs: The President of Turkey, Tayyip Erdogan, has said that the anti-government protests which have followed the imprisonment of the main opposition politician are a “movement of violence”. Prosecutors have charged the opposition figure with corruption. The opposition claims the arrest is politically motivated.
Security and intelligence: A court in Japan has ordered that a man who was wrongly imprisoned for 48 years over a murder he did not commit should receive $1.47 million in compensation. In a retrial last year, it was revealed that investigators had fabricated evidence against Iwao Hakamada, now aged 89. He spent 48 years in prison, 45 years on death row and most of it in solitary confinement.
Domestic politics: UK and French military chiefs met in London yesterday to discuss securing peace in Ukraine and European security. It comes as the UK and France seek to review the 2010 Lancaster House Defence Agreement with stronger arrangements later this year.
The Mighty Calendar
What’s happening today?
US intelligence chiefs discuss global threats at US Senate hearing
New German Parliament sits for the first time
Health Questions in UK Parliament
UK, France, Italy, Germany, car registration data (February)
US new homes sales (February)
Japan CPI inflation data (yearly)
Company results from: Kingfisher, Smiths Group
Lookahead to tomorrow
UK Chancellor delivers the Spring Statement
Prime Minister’s Questions in UK Parliament
UK CPI inflation data (February)
US mortgage applications data (weekly)
France consumer confidence data (March)
Company results from: Porsche
The Mighty Finale
🌤️Weather today
Dry in the southwest and southeast of England. A chance of light rain in the northwest and northeast. High of 14C and low of 7C in London. Sunny spells in Belfast and Edinburgh.
✏️Life coaching quote of the day
“Life has no limitations, except the ones you make." – Les Brown, motivational speaker
Mighty takeaway: Change your mindset. Think of the possibilities instead of the obstacles.
That’s it for this morning. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you tomorrow.
Bye!
The Mighty Memo team