Investors’ attention has been this week on the United States’ central bank, the Federal Reserve.
Yesterday, the bank’s open market committee lowered its key interest rate by 0.50 percentage points to a range of 4.75-5.00 percent. The interest rate cut was the first since spring 2020.
Investors already got to chew on these figures yesterday in the United States. The main stock indices rose after the figures were announced, but ended up in a gentle decline Fed Governor Jerome Powellin after the speech.
Now the stock market futures are giving Wall Street a brisk upswing. In Europe, the stock market has been on the rise today.
The general index of the Helsinki Stock Exchange was up 1.4 percent during the day at 10,086 points.
The most exchanged shares were mostly on a solid rise. The exception was made by the most traded company, the elevator manufacturer Koneen share, which was down 1.9 percent at 49.17 euros.
New goals, concerns about China
The company published a new strategy and updated its financial goals. There were no changes to the long-term goals, but the medium-term goals were set.
By the end of 2027, Kone aims to achieve a turnover growth rate of approximately five percent and an adjusted operating profit margin of 13-14 percent.
Last year, Kone’s net sales grew by 0.4 percent. The adjusted operating profit margin was 9.9 percent, while the previous year it was 11.0 percent.
The focus areas of Kone’s 2025-2030 strategy are accelerating digitization in the maintenance business, investing in modernization, leading the way in residential construction and reducing emissions.
Analysis house Inderes analyst Erkki Vesola does not see anything surprising in the strategy or goals. The stock’s decline may be due to the news Kone received from the important Chinese market.
Apartment construction starts fell in August, but the decline was even more drastic in completed apartments. According to Vesola’s comment, the only positive news was the slowdown in the number of new apartments sold.
Kesla changed its instructions
Operator of logging equipment Kesla issued a result warning. The company estimates that the turnover will decrease clearly and the profit will decrease slightly this year compared to last year. Previously, there were instructions for a decrease in turnover and for the result to remain at the same level.
The company justified the situation with the uncertainty of the world market, the low level of investments and the distributors’ efforts to reduce inventory levels towards the end of the year. These will affect the company’s order collection after the summer season.
During the day, Kesla’s share was down 1.1 percent at 3.74 euros.
Composite company Exel Composites said that he had won a tender in India for the supply of carbon fiber laths used in the support structures of wind turbine blades to a Danish wind power company Vestas Wind Systemsille.
Deliveries are estimated to start in the last quarter of 2025. Exel did not disclose the value of the contract. The agreement is a continuation of the multi-year framework agreement updated in 2023.
The products are manufactured by Exel and Indian of Kineco Group joint venture You are at a new factory in India.
Exel’s share jumped 4.8 percent to 0.394 euros. There was an exchange for 70,550 euros.
Onni Bidco did not get 90 percent
Software company Innofactoria aspiring buyer consortium Good luck Bidco implements the purchase offer, even though it did not get the more than 90 percent ownership of the company it was aiming for.
Ownership of more than 90 percent entitles and obliges the buyer to expropriate the remaining shares off the market.
In the purchase offer, the consortium acquired approximately 51.1 percent of Innofactor’s stock. The consortium’s total ownership in Innofactor rises to approximately 81 percent, when the shares already owned by Onni Bico are included.
Innofactor’s CEO, founder and major owner are involved in the purchasing consortium Sami Ensio, Capmanin capital fund as well as Osprey Capital.
Innofactor’s share was up 0.6 percent at 1.68 euros.
Hard climbs
There were several shares on the Helsinki stock exchange that jumped at high readings. For example Rarely was 8.8 percent, Nightingale Health 15.0 percent and Solar Foods 8.4 percent up.
No company-specific news was received regarding Harvia and Solar Foods.
Nightingale Health, a provider of blood analysis services, announced today that it has received its third regulatory approval from Singapore’s Medical Devices and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority.
The official approval covers new blood markers for which the company did not previously have permission. Two previous permits had given the right to other markers.
According to the company, the now received official approval is an important step towards the commercial launch of Nightingale Health’s comprehensive and high-quality blood analysis services in the region.
The stock went up with the news.
Dividends coming out
Pallas Air published its half-year report today. The company’s shares had not been traded at all.
Cross-country skier and Capmanista Dividends are released today. The amount of the first-mentioned dividend was 0.20 euros, the second one was 0.04 euros.
Correction September 19 at 7:24 p.m.: The story incorrectly stated that the dividend that was released today would be released from Fortum. It was Fondia.