Seat-Cupra has managed to turn around its results in the first quarter of this year. Despite a decrease in car sales and turnover, the company achieved an operating profit of 43 million euros, 38 million more than in the same period last year, as the company reported this Thursday.

The company Ebro EV Motors, owner of the Ebro brand, lost 16.33 million euros last year –the first full fiscal year manufacturing cars in the Zona Franca–, 31.5% less than in 2024, but its revenues soared to 357 million (+920%), driven by sales of its models, as the company, listed on the BME Growth (the Spanish stock market for SMEs), reported this Tuesday. Revenues multiplied by ten compared to 2024 and those associated with the automotive business amounted to 335 million euros.

Apple announced this week a change in its executive structure. A change of CEO that, beyond the change of names, represents a whole new era for the apple company. In addition, this week the Port of Barcelona announced that it is restructuring its management team.

Has the rent cap in tense areas stopped price increases? No, of course not. The latest data from the Housing Agency of Catalonia, which is based on deposits made to Incasòl, shows that in Catalonia the average rent price is already higher than before the cap came into effect, in the first quarter of 2024. In the city of Barcelona, the average price still does not exceed that of that moment, but throughout 2025 it has been rising and, if instead of the average price we look at the price per square meter, it already exceeds that of before the cap.

The Port of Barcelona has launched the 5th Strategic Plan for the period 2026-2030, the largest investment cycle in the history of the port infrastructure, which will extend until 2040 with actions on accesses, terminals and facilities. This was explained at a press conference by the president of the Port of Barcelona, José Alberto Carbonell, and the head of strategy for the infrastructure, Jordi Torrent, who presented the strategic plan approved at the end of January by the board of directors.

Antoni Cañete i Martos (Barcelona, 1963), has been the president of the employers' association Pimec since February 2021. With him, we review the recent controversy with the Minister of Health, Olga Pané, who withdrew a measure that had been well received by employers' associations: encouraging CAPs to reduce the number of work absences. We also analyze the process of regularization of foreigners that has been launched, as well as the consequences of the war in Iran for companies.

After Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, oil and gas prices have plummeted in the markets. Specifically, on Friday afternoon, the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil – the benchmark in Europe – fell by more than 10% and stood at around $89. Futures for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude—the benchmark in the United States—stood at around $83, almost 12% less than on Thursday. At some points during the conflict, the price of a barrel of Brent had touched $120. Despite Friday's drop, the price of oil remains above the $72 it stood at just before the attack by the United States and Israel on Iran.

The Catalan agri-food company BonÀrea closed 2025 with a record turnover of 2,826 million euros, 5.4% more than the previous year, and a net profit of 102.69 million euros, 15.6% higher, as the company reported this Tuesday. With this figure, the company exceeds the barrier of 100 million euros in net result for the first time in its history.

For almost 130 years, Ercros has been the benchmark in Catalonia for the chemical industry, one of the country's most important sectors, always at the top of the export ranking. The company's history is long. At the end of the eighties of the last century, ERT and Cros merged, and Ercros emerged, destined to be the giant of the Catalan chemical industry. In the nineties, however, with KIO as the main shareholder, it experienced the largest suspension of payments in Spain up to that point. The rescue was borne by small shareholders and, since then, the company has been led by Antoni Zabalza, an executive who is now stepping down after Bondalti's successful takeover bid for the Catalan chemical company.

An autonomy of 400 to 450 kilometers –depending on the version– and an entry price, for the cheapest version, of 26,000 euros –not counting electric car subsidies, which could lower the real price to 22,000– for a 100% electric car four meters long. These are the main features of the Cupra Raval, the first pure electric car designed and manufactured at the Seat plant in Martorell, and which was publicly unveiled for the first time this Thursday at Casa Seat in Barcelona, a space that will temporarily be renamed Casa Cupra Raval.

The Catalan energy company Estabanell has signed a syndicated loan of 22 million euros with Triodos Bank and the Institut Català de Finances (ICF) to deploy 16 of its own photovoltaic solar parks. In a statement, the Catalan company, based in Granollers (Vallès Oriental), explained that Triodos will contribute 15 million and the ICF the remaining seven million.

The day on the calendar is Thursday, April 9. Cupra will present the Raval model, the first 100% electric car designed and manufactured at the Seat plant in Martorell. It is the tangible result of a Volkswagen group plan to electrify mobility in Spain and which, despite presenting its first fruit, still holds many future uncertainties.

Almost one in four cars sold in Catalonia in the first quarter of this year are plugged in, according to data published this Wednesday by the automotive sector employers' associations Anfac, Fecavem and Ganvam. Thus, in Catalonia, 34,340 cars and SUVs were sold from January to March, of which 23.8% can be connected to the electrical grid: that is, they are plug-in hybrids or pure electrics.

Wallbox, the Catalan company for electric car charging systems, has closed the debt restructuring agreement for an amount of 169.5 million euros with the main creditors, representing more than 83% of the company's financial debt, as well as the main shareholders and institutional investors, through a capital increase. An increase in which the Generalitat will become a shareholder in the company.

The escalation of the war in the Middle East, with the entry of the Houthis into the conflict, has sent oil prices soaring this Monday, reaching highs since the beginning of the war. During the day, the price of a barrel of Brent crude exceeded 115 dollars, although it later fell slightly and by the afternoon was around 112 dollars per barrel.

It all began with the solidarity and involvement of some young people during the covid-19 pandemic, in 2020. They asked people to donate tablets to recondition them so that the elderly people in hospitals or residences could communicate with their families, who could not visit them due to mobility restrictions. In fact, more than one person was able to say goodbye to their family thanks to these devices.

Distributing renewable energy generation across the territory to meet the goal of zero emissions by 2050 is the objective of the Territorial Plan for the Implementation of Renewable Energies (PLATER). This plan details how much photovoltaic energy each municipality must contribute and how much wind power each region must generate. The plan has just received preliminary approval, and a three-month public comment period will soon open so that town councils, regional councils, and any other interested parties can submit their input. The aim is for final approval early next year.

Puig's shares surged by almost 15% on the stock market after reporting on Monday, at the close of trading. who is having talks with the American Estée Lauder to study a possible business merger. Shares of the majority family-owned company ended the day with a 12.97% gain, reaching €17.59 – the best-performing stock on the Ibex 35 – allowing it to recover some of the losses it has suffered since its initial public offering on May 3, 2014. According to statements made Monday night by the Catalan perfume and cosmetics company to the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) and by Estée Lauder to the US regulator, the SEC, no final decision has been made nor has any agreement been reached between the parties. In this regard, the company emphasized that, without a firm agreement, there is no guarantee that the transaction will materialize, nor on what terms. But the markets have already done their calculations regarding a deal that could create a new giant in the sector, with a greater capacity to compete with the current leader, the French company L'Oréal (with brands such as Lancôme, Garnier, and Maybelline), whose main shareholders are the Bettencourt Meyers family and Nestlé, and which has a value of over 10.

The reduction in VAT on fuel has slowed the price increases, but fuels are still more expensive than before the start of the war in Iran. Furthermore, the fuel currently being sold at gas stations was purchased a few days ago and therefore does not yet reflect the reduction in the special tax on hydrocarbons.

Every time there is an energy crisis, the debate resurfaces about whether it is necessary to extend the lifespan of existing nuclear power plants. In fact, in Spain—and in Catalonia—it is a recurring debate that is currently at a crucial juncture, because The Spanish government has a pending decision on the table that could determine the future of this technology: whether or not to extend the lifespan of the Almaraz nuclear power plant.If the decision is to extend the life of that nuclear unit, it opens the door to doing so with the rest. If the decision is made to close it, the timeline will begin that must lead to Spain having no more operating nuclear power plants by 2035.