BAE Systems PLC
These charts show the size of Europe’s defense boom, as companies take stock of the Iran war
Workers assemble a Leonardo AW139 helicopter on the production floor at the Leonardo plant in Varese, Italy, on Thursday, March 20, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Italian defense firm Leonardo said it is “positioned on a path of strong growth” on Thursday, as European defense companies stand to gain business from the war […]
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Rheinmetall sees sales growth of up to 45% in 2026, says it’s in ‘prime position’ to arm the U.S. amid war in Iran
German Rheinmetall MAN tactical military transport vehicles parked in the Edvard Peperko military barracks. Luka Dakskobler | Lightrocket | Getty Images German arms maker Rheinmetall said it sees this year’s sales growing by as much as 45% as it reported 2025 revenue growing 29% year-over-year, missing expectations. It also said it was in a “prime […]
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Trump says defense CEOs agree to quadruple production of ‘Exquisite Class’ weaponry
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a cabinet meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Dec. 2, 2025. Brian Snyder | Reuters President Donald Trump met Friday afternoon with CEOs of major defense industry companies at the White House as the war against Iran ended its first […]
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CNBC’s UK Exchange newsletter: FTSE 100’s defensive slant comes into its own
This report is from this week’s CNBC’s UK Exchange newsletter. Like what you see? You can subscribe here. The dispatch It was no surprise, when equity markets first reacted to news of the strikes on Iran, that the U.K.’s FTSE 100 fell by less than all of its major continental European peers. What is often seen as the Footsie’s weakness […]
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Global defense stocks jump as U.S., Iran exchange attacks
Global defense stocks jumped early Monday as investors reacted to a dramatic military escalation in the Middle East over the weekend. The sector was a rare bright spot amid a broader market sell-off triggered by fears of a wider regional conflict. Germany’s Hensoldt and Britain’s BAE Systems were among the top performers in the Stoxx […]
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European defense companies should step up collaboration to fix ‘fragmented’ sector, Leonardo CEO tells CNBC
European defense companies must take a stronger lead on collaborating to help the continent become independent of the U.S. security umbrella, Leonardo‘s CEO told CNBC. Speaking with CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Wednesday after Leonardo’s annual results statement, Roberto Cingolani said European defense companies have “all the capabilities and technical skills” and should not wait […]
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Britain’s BAE Systems sets sights on defense spending boom amid record order backlog
BAE Systems attracted record orders in 2025, and now the UK defense staple is setting its sights on years of growth amid a global ramp-up in spending. Its shares rose 3.6% on Wednesday after its full-year earnings report showed sales soared 10% last year to reach a record £30.7 billion ($41.7 billion). That helped push […]
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Bayer falls 7% after proposing $7.25 billion settlement in Roundup case; European markets open higher
Traders work at the New York Stock Exchange on Feb. 10, 2026. NYSE LONDON — European stocks opened higher on Wednesday as investors weighed the latest U.K. inflation data and monitored global market developments. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was roughly 0.5% higher shortly after the open, and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 and France’s CAC 40 […]
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Trump-Greenland crisis highlights Europe’s NATO security fears — and puts these four defense stocks in focus
European defense stocks are seen as best-placed to capitalize on the continent’s growing push for military sovereignty, as fears grow over President Donald Trump’s bid to annex Greenland. Analysts at Bernstein have named four they expect to particularly benefit. NATO troops and vessels , including personnel from France and Germany, arrived in Greenland for military […]
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Hedge funds had their best year since 2009. These 2 strategies drove the biggest returns
Key Points Hedge funds landed their biggest annual gain in 16 years, with equity strategies and thematic macroeconomic funds leading the charge. Healthcare, energy and commodities markets offered fertile territory last year, as fund managers weathered tariff turbulence and crypto corrections. 2025 saw positive performances across a range of investment approaches, with industry mainstays Citadel […]
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