The chocolate manufacturer Ritter Sport fell into the loss zone last year despite a significant increase in sales. The operating result was well below expectations, reported the family-owned company based in Waldenbuch near Stuttgart. The main cause is sharply rising raw material and production costs, particularly for cocoa.

For the US tech company Meta, a highly significant trial will begin next week. For the first time, the operator of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp must appear before a jury in a US state on charges of alleged complicity in the sexual exploitation of children. The lawsuit from the state of New Mexico could become a precedent for the entire social media industry.

Revenue and profit increase by double digits, yet the stock comes under pressure: The US credit card provider American Express delivers solid figures for the fourth quarter of 2025, but falls short of market expectations compared to the industry. Investors react accordingly with restraint.

The Jeffrey Epstein case continues to grip the USA. The US Department of Justice has announced and carried out another massive release of investigative files. More than three million additional pages of documents are now to be made publicly accessible – a volume that is exceptional even by American judicial standards.

It sounds like a sensation for small investors. The Berlin fintech Nao is promoting an investment product that promises private investors access to the most sought-after private tech companies in the world: SpaceX, OpenAI, Revolut. This is supposed to be made possible through a partnership with the US star investor Cathie Wood. However, a closer look at the contractual documents reveals that the promise does not withstand scrutiny.

The independence of the U.S. Federal Reserve is facing one of its greatest tests in decades. U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to name the successor to Jerome Powell as the head of the Federal Reserve as early as Friday. This follows a meeting at the White House with Kevin Warsh, a prominent Fed critic who openly calls for a monetary policy "regime change." For markets and institutions, it is clear: it is not just about an appointment, but about the future role of monetary policy in the United States.

The business model of neobrokers is facing the biggest disruption since their inception. With the EU-wide ban on "Payment for Order Flow," the very mechanism that made zero-euro trades possible is at risk of disappearing. Trade Republic is now responding with a profound restructuring and presenting a solution to cushion the end of the low-cost broker era: the Berlin-based neobroker intends to handle stock trading itself in the future.