Business News & Financial News

In Spain 30th January 2026

Government and Unions Bypass Employers to Agree on 3.1% Minimum Wage Hike to €1,221

The Ministry of Labor and the UGT and CCOO trade unions reached an agreement this Thursday to increase the Interprofessional Minimum Wage (SMI) by 3.1%, bringing it to €1,221 across fourteen payments, exempt from personal income tax (IRPF). With this latest revaluation, the minimum wage has seen a cumulative increase of 66% since 2018. For the sixth consecutive year, the minimum wage increase will not have the backing of all…

In Europe 28th January 2026

Car sales in Europe rise 1.8% to 10.6 million in 2025, far from pre-pandemic levels

Bankinter | Car sales rise 1.8% in 2025 to 10.6 million. Still far from pre-pandemic levels (13 million in 2019). Registrations gain momentum in December (5.8% year-on-year) and contribute to a slight increase in the annual total (1.8% to 10.6 million). Combustion vehicles lead the decline (diesel down 24.2% and petrol down 18.7%), while electric vehicles accelerate (plug-in hybrids up 33.4%, electric vehicles up 29.9% and non-plug-in hybrids up 13.7%)….

In the World 30th January 2026

Fed keeps benchmark rates at 3.50–3.75% and appears to be entering ‘wait and see’ mode

Bankinter | The Fed kept its benchmark interest rates (Fed Funds) in the 3.50%/3.75% range, in line with expectations. They will let ‘the data speak for itself’. The decision was not unanimous, with two votes in favour of cutting -25bp (Miran and Waller). Powell highlighted the improvement in growth expectations to ‘solid’ from “moderate” in his previous statement in December and, with regard to the unemployment rate, showed ‘signs of…

“We need to approach negotiations with the U.S. on terms that are completely different from those currently being proposed”

Says Antonio Bonet, president of the Club of Spanish Exporters and Investors. He points out that “Europe has a single tariff applied by all member states, but the U.S. applies a tariff to each country, meaning it can decide that the tariff applied to Spanish black olives is higher than that for Italian olives, as it did at one point. So there is a part of the negotiation between Europe…

“Fifteen years ago, the European economy was larger than that of the U.S. Today, the U.S. economy is one and a half times that of Europe”

“It is a shame that we are able to mobilize economic resources for large-scale projects abroad, but not in our Spanish market”

In an interview with Consejeros magazine, Sacyr’s coordinating advisor, Elena Jiménez de Andrade, explains that now “We have great capacity to win projects, a capacity that until now contrasted with a series of financial limitations and balance sheet size. However, in this strategic cycle, we are going to eliminate those barriers. That is why we have set an ambitious goal for 2033: to triple the value of our assets. We…

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