Brussels — German publishers and advertisers on Tuesday called for the country’s competition authority to fine Apple over proposed changes to its app tracking rules, saying they do not do enough to resolve antitrust issues.
The authority had sought feedback from the groups, which include media agencies and the German Association of the Branded Goods Industry, on the changes to its App Tracking Transparency tool.
The competition enforcer charged Apple in February last year with abusing its market power after Facebook owner Meta Platforms, along with publishers, advertisers and app developers, whose business models rely on advertising tracking, criticised the tool.
Apple, which said it introduced the tool to allow users to control whether to grant apps permission to track their activity across other companies’ apps and websites, pushed back against the industry groups’ call for a fine. Reuters
Spirax Group forecasts revenue growth as China trading improves
Bengaluru — British manufacturing firm Spirax Group on Tuesday forecast mid-single-digit organic revenue growth in 2026 as sales in its biggest steam thermal business are expected to accelerate as trading in China improves, sending shares 4% higher. Reuters
Raiffeisen nears €550m deal for BBVA’s Romanian unit
Bengaluru — Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank is closing in on a deal to buy BBVA’s Romanian Garanti unit for about €550m, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Raiffeisen has offered to pay about 1.2 times the book value for Garanti, the report said.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. BBVA and Raiffeisen declined to comment. Reuters
Hugo Boss beats profit forecasts as shares jump in early trade
Bengaluru — German fashion group Hugo Boss reported better-than-expected annual operating profit on Tuesday, despite a challenging market environment, and said it had not yet seen an impact from the Middle East conflict.
The company reported earnings before interest and taxes (ebit) of €391m for 2025, up from €361m a year earlier, and above analysts’ average forecast of €379m in a company-provided poll.
Shares in the company, which are up 1.3% since the start of the year, including today’s session, rose 4% in early trading, tracking for their best day since July 2025.
Hugo Boss confirmed its full-year outlook for 2026, which was announced in December last year. Reuters
Stellantis taps suppliers to develop new hybrid SUVs
Bengaluru — Jeep maker Stellantis is using technologies from automotive suppliers such as Toyota-backed Blue Nexus and Bosch to develop its new hybrid SUVs, CNBC reported on Tuesday.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Reuters
Domino’s bets on chicken range to drive UK growth
Bengaluru — Domino’s Pizza in Britain is betting on its new fried chicken brand to drive growth beyond pizza, as the chain captured more than half the takeaway market in the UK for pies despite consumers cutting back on spending.
The company’s shares rose more than 5% in early trading after it said strong Christmas trading momentum carried over into this year.
The company, which operates under the umbrella of US-based Domino’s Pizza in Britain and Ireland, rolled out its Chick ‘N’ Dip range of products nationwide last month, making it available across all stores, online channels, apps and major delivery aggregators following a successful trial. Reuters
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