The French neobank Qonto, specialized in offering solutions to shorten management times for SMEs, enters a new phase of growth in Europe with the inauguration of its headquarters in the heart of Paris, an 11,000 square meter space located in the city's business and technology district, the Silicon Sentier, also known as the French Silicon Valley.

The Codorníu Raventós group has announced the sale of its California winery –Artesa Winery– to winemaker Jean-Charles Boisset, owner of the French wine sector company Boisset. In a statement issued this Wednesday, the company argues that the operation is a response to "a strategic review of the portfolio aimed at focusing investments and resources on regions that are priorities for the company." As company sources have detailed to ARA, Codorníu is divesting its entire stake in the capital of the American winery.

The wine group Raventós Codorníu, owned by the North American private equity fund Carlyle, closed the 2026 fiscal year –from July 1st of last year to June 30th of this year– with a new revenue record while it continues working to find a buyer. According to the data presented this Tuesday at an event in Barcelona, the company achieved gross sales of 234 million euros, a figure that represents an improvement of 1% in year-on-year terms. Likewise, the net profit rose to 14 million euros, surpassing the 12 million in earnings corresponding to the previous fiscal year.

Catalonia is once again recording a new record in tourist arrivals and closes an unprecedented summer. Despite the heat waves and the rise in ticket prices due to the effects derived from the conflict in the Middle East, the country received almost 2.9 million visitors in hotels this month of August, a figure that represents an increase of 5.6% compared to the same period last year and a figure never seen in the entire historical series, which collects information since 1999.

After an initial half-hearted rollout, Bizum is stepping on the accelerator to consolidate itself as a payment alternative in shops, bars, and restaurants in the country. This Monday, the service provider announced that more than 1.6 million businesses in the country already accept in-person transfers through its platform, a figure equivalent to 75% of bank terminals throughout Spain. According to data provided by the company itself, payments with Bizum are already available to 60% of the platform's users, nearly 20 million people. In these data, the company takes into account both payments that can be completed through the banking applications of some entities and through Bizum Pay, the digital wallet developed by the same platform and which can be downloaded on iOS and Android mobile systems.

The news fell like a lead weight on millions of Americans. On April 1st, Danone made official the discontinuation of its coffee-flavored yogurt –Dannon Coffee Yogurt, also known by the acronym DYC– in the United States, a product with 85 years of history and wildly loved by a large number of consumers. In a recent article, the Wall Street Journal had even defined it as "the main reason for Americans to get out of bed." Since then, collective madness has taken hold of the most loyal fans, who are filling social media with petitions to demand the return of the product while looking for formulas to recreate it as accurately as possible.

The Iran war triggers the profitability of the energy sector in the State to historical highs. According to a report published this Tuesday by the economic cabinet of Comissions Obreres (CCOO), the margin on sales —obtained by dividing the gross operating profit by total revenue— was 24.5% at the close of the second quarter of 2026, a figure never before recorded that is three points higher than last year's and more than double compared to the fiscal years prior to the outbreak of the pandemic.

Imagine entering the website of an appliance store to buy a refrigerator. The company, through your personal data, knows if you live in a rented property or if you own your home, detects your zip code, and recognizes if you have children. It also knows what you do for a living, what brand your mobile phone is, and how many times a month you go to a restaurant. Taking all these variables into account, it shows you a price just for you, different from what might appear to the neighbor next door or your friend who lives three streets away. In the end, the goal is to charge you the maximum amount you are willing to pay for a product according to the calculations of an algorithm. It is what is known as surveillance pricing.

Since the arrival of Marc Armengol as CEO of Banc Sabadell last May, practically everything has been positive for the Vallesan entity. During the last four months, the executive has presented almost record-breaking half-year results, with skyrocketing revenues and a net profit of 971 million euros, has exceeded the stock market value prior to the distribution of the extraordinary dividend from the sale of the British subsidiary TSB and continues to boast of its capacity to grow independently after the failed takeover bid by BBVA. Backed by his predecessor, César González-Bueno, and by the group's chairman, Josep Oliu, it is now that Armengol faces his real acid test. This September 1st, the new organizational structure of the bank designed by Armengol himself came into operation. It is the gala lineup with which the former CEO of TSB must now command the fourth largest entity in the State by volume of assets. The composition of the management committee—formed precisely by eleven members, like soccer teams—remains unchanged, but notable changes have been applied in some business areas. Known for his techie profile, Armengol has wanted to make his preferences clear.

The National Association of Meat Industries of Spain (ANICE) estimates the impact on the State as a whole at 350 million euros due to the reduction in the sector's exports to Japan and Mexico derived from African Swine Fever (ASF). In a statement published this Friday, the organization—which represents more than 600 companies with a 75% market share—indicates that sales of meat and pork product scraps to the Asian country have fallen by 74% in volume and 77.5% in value compared to last year, in a context prior to the detection of the first cases. The situation in Mexico is even more critical for the sector, as exports have been reduced to zero, the association asserts.

The Department of Economy and Finance of the Generalitat has decided to extend the mobile banking service in municipalities without an office until 2028 under the same conditions as until now. In this way, CaixaBank and Caixa Enginyers will continue to be responsible for offering this type of coverage to a total of 453 Catalan municipalities.

The defense and security company Indra has signed an agreement with the Sant Cugat-based Gutmar to promote the industrialization and manufacturing of critical components linked to the defense sector in Catalonia. The pact, as detailed by both companies in a statement this Tuesday, opens several lines of collaboration, including the industrialization and manufacturing of high-precision components for defense programs, mechanization to create critical parts for land, naval, and aerospace systems, and the production of mechanical infrastructures for radars, sensors, and electronic systems.

Mortgage loans were the main drivers of credit growth granted to Spanish households during the past month of July. According to data presented this Tuesday by the Bank of Spain, loans granted by financial entities to families and non-profit institutions across the State totaled 723,867 million euros, 3% more than in July of last year.

The Italian banking sector is experiencing a real earthquake that could completely change the current landscape. The latest plot twist was protagonized by Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS), the world's oldest bank founded in 1472, which last week presented an offer of 34 billion euros to acquire the Italian entities Banca Popolare di Milano (BPM) and Banca Generali. This move is the latest chapter in a war of hostile bids in which several entities are battling to eliminate competitors and strengthen their position within a national market where growth is increasingly difficult. Amidst these tug-of-wars, Italy also aspires to lead the chapter of cross-border mergers, creating the first pan-European banking giant. All this, under the watchful eye of Giorgia Meloni's government, with a key role in some of these operations.

Catalonia's businesses have led the drop in sales and employment across Spain this summer. In July, coinciding fully with the holiday season, the sector reduced its revenue by 3.6% and employment fell by 4.2% compared to the same period last year. The data presented this Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INE) are a complete anomaly within the retail trade sector: since 2020 – coinciding with a period of restrictions due to covid-19 – establishments had not registered a drop in sales during the month of July.

The rise in fuel prices and the persistent effects of the war in Iran are driving inflation in Spain to a three-and-a-half-year high. During August, the consumer price index (CPI, the indicator that measures the cost of living for families) stood at 4.3%, according to the advanced data published this Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). The figure represents an increase of seven tenths compared to the previous month and is the highest growth rate since February 2023, when the State and the entire euro area were beginning to leave behind the inflation records registered months after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The salary gap between employers and workers in Catalonia has widened by 70% over the last four years, according to an analysis by the General Workers' Union (UGT) published this Wednesday. According to the data collected by the union – based on the survey of living conditions from the National Statistics Institute (INE) – employers in Catalonia earned an average of 36,301 net euros annually from their activity in 2025, while salaried employees received 24,108 euros annually during the same period. The difference of approximately 12,200 euros exceeds that recorded in 2021, when the average gap between the two groups was almost 7,200 euros.

The Volkswagen Group confirms its first major workforce reduction in Germany since its founding 89 years ago. After the automotive company announced its plans to reduce at least 100,000 jobs globally, all bad omens were confirmed this Tuesday, especially for the company's workers in the Germanic country. The company will dispense with approximately 50,000 employees in Germany, its main production center with a dozen plants and more than 250,000 workers.

The Institut Català de Finances (ICF) and Banc Sabadell are injecting 1.8 million euros into Parlem so that the company can meet its most immediate treasury needs. In a statement published on BME Growth - the stock exchange for small and medium-sized companies - the telecom catalana details that the operation is part of the execution of its business plan, based on generating positive cash flow after approving a restructuring of its debt.

Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS), the oldest bank in the world, has reappeared with all its strength in the struggle that the Italian banking sector is experiencing. After receiving the approval of its board of directors, the Tuscan entity presented this Friday an offer of 34 billion euros to buy the Italian banks BPM and Banca Generali.