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Commerzbank earnings Q4 2024

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The logo of German bank Commerzbank seen on a branch office near the Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt.

Daniel Roland | Afp | Getty Images

Germany’s second-largest lender Commerzbank on Thursday announced it will eliminate 3,900 full-time positions by 2028, largely in its native Germany, as it unveiled a spate of new strategic targets.

The job cuts will be accompanied by increases in staffing in “selected areas” such as in international locations, resulting in a broadly constant global headcount of 36,700, the bank said in its strategic update.

The lender anticipates around 700 million euros ($730.7 million) of before-tax restructuring costs in 2025, targeting a net result of 2.4 billion euros after these charges for the year. It plans a payout ratio of more than 100% over the 2025-2028 period, after the deduction of restructuring costs and Additional Tier 1 (AT 1) bond coupons.

Revenue in 2024 came in at 11.1 billion euros, compared with 10.461 billion euros in 2023.

Commerzbank had disclosed its “record” annual performance two weeks before the scheduled release of its financial results, in a bid to fall in step with German legal requirements when a company’s capital return significantly exceeds the expectations of capital markets.

At the time, it said net profit hiked by 20% to a forecast-beating 2.68 billion euros ($2.78 billion) in 2024, outlining plans to repurchase 400 million euros of shares and boost its dividend payout to 0.65 euros per share, compared with 0.35 euros per share in the previous year.

UniCredit stake

Commerzbank has been advocating its case to stand alone since last year’s surprise build of a stake by UniCredit fueled market talk that Italy’s second-largest lender could be on the hunt for a cross-border takeover. UniCredit currently holds a direct 9.5% stake and a 18.5% stake via derivatives in Commerzbank.

The German government has opposed the prospect of such a cross-border consolidation, with Finance Minister Jörg Kukies slamming UniCredit’s “very aggressive, very opaque” bid in a CNBC interview in January.

Split between the German overture and a takeover offer for Italian lender Banco BPM, UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel has kept his cards close to chest over his company’s ultimate intentions regarding Commerzbank.

Speaking to CNBC this week after UniCredit reported a fourth-quarter profit beat and guided a slowdown in 2025 revenues, Orcel stressed that Commerzbank remains an investment — but also that he is “quite optimistic of being able to convince everybody, not only on the premises of how we got to this investment, but also that a combination between the two banks has massive value to be created, not only for the two banks and the stakeholders, but also for Germany and for Europe.”

This breaking news story is being updated.

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Israel-Iran attacks and the 2 other things that drove the stock market this week

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Uranium as big play due to AI-driven energy demand

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Uranium is having a “glow up” moment… will it last?

The uranium trade’s shelf life may last years.

According to Sprott Asset Management CEO John Ciampaglia, a “real shift” upward is underway due to increasing global energy demand — particularly as major tech companies look to power artificial intelligence data centers.

“We’ve been talking about uranium and nuclear energy non-stop for four years at Sprott, and we’ve been incredibly bullish on the segment,” he told CNBC’s “ETF Edge” this week.

Ciampaglia’s firm runs the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust (SRUUF), which Morningstar ranks as the world’s largest physical uranium fund. It’s up 22% over the past two months.

The firm is also behind the Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (URNM), which is up almost 38% over the past two months. The Sprott website lists Cameco and NAC Kazatomprom JSC as the top two holdings in the fund as of June 12. 

“It’s [uranium] a reliable form of energy. It has zero greenhouse gases. It has a very good long-term track record,” Ciampaglia said. “It provides a lot of electricity on a large scale, and that’s right now what the grid is calling for.”

Ciampaglia finds attitudes are changing toward nuclear energy because it offers energy security with a low carbon footprint. Uranium is “incredibly energy-dense” compared to most fossil fuels, he said, which makes it a promising option to ensure energy security. 

He cited the 2022 energy crisis in Europe after Russia cut its oil supply to the region and April’s grid failure in Spain and Portugal as cases for more secure energy sources.

“We think this trend is long term and secular and durable,” Ciampaglia said. “With the exception of Germany, I think every country around the world has flipped back to nuclear power, which is a very powerful signal.”

‘You need reliable power’

VanEck CEO Jan van Eck is also heavily involved in the uranium space.  

“You need reliable power,” he said. “These data centers can’t go down for a fraction of a second. They need to be running all the time.”

His firm is behind the VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF (NLR), which is up about 42% over the past two months. According to VanEck’s website as of June 12, its top three holdings are Oklo, Nuscale Power and Constellation Energy.

But he contends there’s a potential downside to the uranium trade: Building new nuclear power plants can take years.

“What’s going to happen in the meantime?” Van Eck said. “Investors are not patient, as we know.”

Van Eck also thinks it’s possible the Trump administration’s positive attitude toward nuclear power could fast track development.

He highlighted nuclear technology company Oklo during the interview. Its shares soared on Wednesday after the company announced it was anticipating a deal with the Air Force to supply nuclear power to a base in Alaska.

The agreement came not long after President Donald Trump in May signed a series of executive orders to rework the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, expedite new reactor construction and expand the domestic uranium industry. 

“Trump controls federal land, so that’s not a NIMBY [not in my backyard] kind of potential risk,” said Van Eck. “They’re going to leverage that hard to start to show the safety of these newer, smaller technologies.”

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Amazon is selling an $800 portable power station for $550, and shoppers 'love the mobile design and durability'

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TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

Camping is a fun summer activity. What’s not fun is having no access to electricity. You can’t charge your phone, watch TV, or make your morning cup of coffee. Thankfully, portable power stations allow you to do all that and more. It’s literally like bringing along a giant battery for all of your electronics. Portable power stations are also good to have around your home in case of power outages.

There’s just the problem of price. Portable power stations are notoriously expensive, especially ones that have a larger energy storage capacity. The good news is that we were able to find a solid deal on a 1,056-watt-hour (or 1 kilowatt-hour) power station. This $800 Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station is $550 at Amazon for a limited time. At 31% off, you’re saving $250.

Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station, $550 (was $800) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Get it.

The Anker Solix C1000 features a power output of 1,800 watts, making it strong enough to handle multiple electronics and small appliances at once. It has 11total power ports. You get two USB-A and USB-C ports, a car socket, and six AC outlets. Additionally, it also functions as a night light and has a handle for easy carrying. It weighs about 28 pounds.

Now let’s talk about charging. There are two ways you can charge the Anker Solix C1000. The first way is just by plugging it into a standard AC wall outlet. Or if you have the portable solar panels (sold separately), you simply connect the wires and place the panels in the sun. When plugged into an AC outlet, your power station can be fully charged in about an hour. If you charge up with solar, it’ll likely take around two hours. The digital display on the front of the power station shows you the battery and charging status.

Related: Walmart is selling a $1,120 storage shed for only $150, and shoppers say it’s ‘incredibly useful’

Shoppers have found multiple uses for this portable power station. “We bought it mainly for short power outages and to run our refrigerator, but it will have many other uses for sure,” one shopper said. “Just this past week, I had to do some repairs to our floating dock, and there is no extension cord long enough to reach, so I brought this Anker Solix C1000 and it powered our two saws and drills without any issue at all. It’s very cool and has lots of different outlets. Very impressive unit!”

Others say they get daily use out of it. “I love it. I use it every day. I am traveling and camping everywhere,” one shopper shared. “I use it to power a car mobile refrigerator, a little portable air conditioner, and of course, my iPhone and other electronics, and sometimes an electric stove. It can take on all tasks with no problem. I love the mobile design and durability.”

You don’t need to be ‘roughing it’ the next time you go camping. Consider grabbing the Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station to keep all your devices charged and bring along a few essentials for the kitchen or living room. You’ll feel like you never left home. 

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