Investment

With bitcoin hitting new highs, it’ll likely reach the US$100,000 milestone before 2024 is out

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Bitcoin has just hit an all-time high of more than US$72,000 (£56,300), pushing past the level of circa US$69,000 where it turned back during its last bull phase in late 2021.

Key Points: 
  • Bitcoin has just hit an all-time high of more than US$72,000 (£56,300), pushing past the level of circa US$69,000 where it turned back during its last bull phase in late 2021.
  • This can often be a time when cryptocurrencies get weaker, so it shows how strong they have been lately.
  • So what has contributed to this explosion in prices and where is the market going for the rest of 2024?

Bitcoin ETFs

  • A total of 11 bitcoin ETFs were approved in the US, and their daily trading volume has now exceeded US$10 billion – driven by frontrunners Blackrock and Fidelity Investments.
  • This demonstrates the large interest from traditional market participants, and as the spot ETFs become more mature, their providers will offer more promotional material and education to get more customers onboard.
  • The cryptocurrency market is always adapting and innovating, and one possible future innovation is the offer of option contracts on the new spot ETFs.
  • However, US regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has just postponed a decision on this innovation until late April.

The bitcoin halving

  • The last halving took place in May 2020, where miners went from receiving 12.5 bitcoin for each unit of work they do to 6.25 bitcoin.
  • Because each halving means less new bitcoin coming on to the market, they have coincided with strong price appreciation in the cryptocurrency.
  • One theory is that the institutions behind the spot ETFs are buying aggressively now because they know there will be less bitcoin on the open market once the halving takes place.

Ethereum prospects

  • Meanwhile, the crypto market could also be boosted by spot ETFs for the ethereum cryptocurrency system in the coming months.
  • While that uncertainty continues, ethereum could be boosted by the so-called Dencun upgrade (also known as Duncan or EIP-4844).
  • Ethereum has competition from other blockchains such as solana and avalanche due to its relatively slow transaction speed and high costs.

Where next

  • The market is very volatile, and often exceeds expectations when it goes up or down.
  • However, the majority of commentators expect crypto prices to keep rising over the coming months.


Andrew Urquhart owns some cryptocurrencies.

EQS-News: SFC Energy AG releases preliminary Group figures for 2023 – Further record growth and significantly improved profitability – Forecast: continued profitable growth

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

SFC Energy AG releases preliminary Group figures for 2023 – Further record growth and significantly improved profitability – Forecast: continued profitable growth

Key Points: 
  • SFC Energy AG releases preliminary Group figures for 2023 – Further record growth and significantly improved profitability – Forecast: continued profitable growth
    The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
  • This course clearly sets us apart from our peer group and underscores our clear differentiation in the industry.”
    According to preliminary, unaudited figures, the SFC Energy Group generated strong sales growth in fiscal year 2023.
  • According to preliminary figures, the Clean Energy segment achieved strong sales growth of 37.1 % to EUR 79,032 thousand (2022: EUR 57,632 thousand).
  • SFC Energy AG will publish the final figures for fiscal year 2023 in its 2023 Annual Report on March 27, 2024.

EQS-News: Preliminary financials for FY2023: Fielmann Group grows sales +12%, EBITDA +21%, EBITDA margin +1 percentage point

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

In the optical and acoustic industry, this is the Fielmann Group.

Key Points: 
  • In the optical and acoustic industry, this is the Fielmann Group.
  • The German family business significantly extended its market shares across major markets, outperformed its Vision 2025 sales goal, and expanded its EBITDA margin.
  • In 2023 the Fielmann Group generated external sales of around €2.27 billion (incl.
  • In Spain, the Fielmann Group generated +42% sales growth over last year and is therefore progressing swiftly on its course to reach market leadership.

EQS-News: freenet generates EBITDA of half a billion euros for the first time and proposes dividend increase

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Driven by customer growth, Group revenues increased by 2.8% to EUR 2,627.3 million (previous year: EUR 2,556.7 million).

Key Points: 
  • Driven by customer growth, Group revenues increased by 2.8% to EUR 2,627.3 million (previous year: EUR 2,556.7 million).
  • With EBITDA growth of 4.5% to EUR 500.2 million (previous year: EUR 478.7 million), the guidance for the 2023 financial year, which was raised during the year (EUR 495 to 505 million), was met.
  • EBITDA is at the centre of the guidance range and reached the half-billion euro mark for the first time.
  • Against this backdrop, freenet is on track to achieve EBITDA of at least EUR 520 million by the end of the 2025 financial year.

EQS-News: CLIQ Digital reports full year 2023 results

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Regionally, North American and European sales in FY 2023 grew by 25% and 7% respectively, whereby the market environment in Europe remained competitive.

Key Points: 
  • Regionally, North American and European sales in FY 2023 grew by 25% and 7% respectively, whereby the market environment in Europe remained competitive.
  • Customer acquisition costs (CAC): In FY 2023, the customer acquisition costs grew by 21% to €135 million (PY: €112 million).
  • This increase resulted in a greater number of marketing campaigns aimed to acquire new members with a higher lifetime value.
  • The cash outflow from financing activities during 2023 was €13 million (2022: €8 million) and included €12 million dividend distribution (2022: €7 million).

EQS-News: Flughafen Wien AG announces successful results in 2023

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

As co-owners with a 10% shareholding, the employees of Flughafen Wien AG also benefit.

Key Points: 
  • As co-owners with a 10% shareholding, the employees of Flughafen Wien AG also benefit.
  • All employees working for Flughafen Wien AG will also benefit via the employee foundation, which holds 10% of the company’s shares.
  • The Flughafen Wien Group generated total revenue of € 931.5 million in the 2023 financial year, comprising a year-on-year rise of 34.5%.
  • Flughafen Wien AG/Flughafen Wien Group assumes no obligation whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to adapt them to future events or developments.

EQS-News: DATAGROUP With Very Strong Order Intake in the First Quarter 2023/2024

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The first quarter was mainly characterized by a very strong order intake of more than EUR 15m on an annual basis.

Key Points: 
  • The first quarter was mainly characterized by a very strong order intake of more than EUR 15m on an annual basis.
  • As expected, revenues of EUR 121.1m were down slightly compared to the same quarter of the previous year (EUR 126.2m).
  • "We are very pleased with the extremely strong order intake in the first quarter, which proves that our CORBOX core business with Managed IT Services is in excellent shape", comments DATAGROUP CEO Andreas Baresel on the quarterly figures.
  • "The demand for CORBOX IT services and for our consulting services, especially in the SAP environment, is very strong."

EQS-News: The Platform Group AG completes integration of fashionette

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The Platform Group AG (ISIN DE000A200QEFA1 , “TPG”), a leading software company for platform solutions, announced the transfer of the former fashionette business unit to a dedicated subsidiary.

Key Points: 
  • The Platform Group AG (ISIN DE000A200QEFA1 , “TPG”), a leading software company for platform solutions, announced the transfer of the former fashionette business unit to a dedicated subsidiary.
  • As such, the last step of the merger has been completed and the structure of The Platform Group AG is final," said Dr. Dominik Benner, CEO of The Platform Group AG.
  • Beneath the holding company The Platform Group AG, there are now the companies fashionette GmbH, Brandfield BV and The Platform Group GmbH & Co. KG.
  • The Platform Group AG is a software company that is active in 19 sectors with its own platform solutions.

EQS-News: Villeroy & Boch: Villeroy & Boch successfully mastered challenging market conditions

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

using the same exchange rates as for the previous year, declined by 7.5 % year-on-year in the 2023 financial year.

Key Points: 
  • using the same exchange rates as for the previous year, declined by 7.5 % year-on-year in the 2023 financial year.
  • The Villeroy & Boch Group successfully increased its EBIT margin from 9.7 % to 9.9 % in the 2023 financial year despite the challenging market environment.
  • Villeroy & Boch also invested in reducing the gas consumption of kilns in Merzig.
  • The challenging economic conditions seen in the past year are generally expected to continue in 2024.

EQS-News: Strong earnings power allows for active risk management in 2023 – consolidated operating profit expected to rise to between €300 million and €350 million in 2024

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Consolidated operating profit is projected to rise to between €300 million and €350 million in 2024, even though the Bank anticipates continued above-average risk provisions.

Key Points: 
  • Consolidated operating profit is projected to rise to between €300 million and €350 million in 2024, even though the Bank anticipates continued above-average risk provisions.
  • Aareal Bank Group closed the 2023 financial year with consolidated operating profit of €149 million (2022: €239 million).
  • Thanks to its strong earnings power, the Group nonetheless anticipates consolidated operating profit between €300 million and €350 million.
  • The Bank is expected to achieve operating profit of €250 million to €300 million, despite risk provisions projected to remain at above-average levels.