{"id":59149,"date":"2026-02-26T03:38:35","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T07:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/rolls-royce-unveils-massive-9b-buyback-as-stellantis-plunges-into-e22b-loss-nvidia-targets-lifted\/59149\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T03:38:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T07:38:35","slug":"rolls-royce-unveils-massive-9b-buyback-as-stellantis-plunges-into-e22b-loss-nvidia-targets-lifted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/rolls-royce-unveils-massive-9b-buyback-as-stellantis-plunges-into-e22b-loss-nvidia-targets-lifted\/59149\/","title":{"rendered":"Rolls-Royce Unveils Massive \u00a39B Buyback as Stellantis Plunges into \u20ac22B Loss; NVIDIA Targets Lifted"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Rolls-Royce (<a href=\"\/stock\/RR.L\">RR.L<\/a>)<\/strong> stunned markets with a massive <strong>\u00a37B\u2013\u00a39B share buyback<\/strong> program for 2026\u20132028 and a significant <strong>Free Cash Flow (FCF)<\/strong> beat.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stellantis (<a href=\"\/stock\/STLA\">STLA<\/a>)<\/strong> reported a staggering <strong>\u20ac22.33B net loss<\/strong> for FY 2025, driven by a massive strategic &quot;reset&quot; and negative operating margins.<\/li>\n<li><strong>NVIDIA (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>)<\/strong> received further price target upgrades from <strong>Morgan Stanley<\/strong> ($260) and <strong>RBC<\/strong> ($250) following strong Q1 guidance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>China\u2019s Ministry of Commerce<\/strong> reaffirmed its commitment to the <strong>February 4 trade consensus<\/strong> with the U.S., signaling ongoing high-level communication.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Allianz (<a href=\"\/stock\/ALV.DE\">ALV.DE<\/a>)<\/strong> posted a record <strong>\u20ac17.37B operating profit<\/strong> for FY 2025 and proposed an increased dividend of <strong>\u20ac17.10 per share<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Industrial Divergence: Rolls-Royce Soars, Stellantis Struggles<\/h2>\n<p>The European industrial landscape saw a dramatic split on Thursday as two of its largest players reported vastly different fortunes. <strong>Rolls-Royce (<a href=\"\/stock\/RR.L\">RR.L<\/a>)<\/strong> continued its meteoric turnaround under CEO Tufan Erginbilgic, reporting an <strong>Adjusted Operating Profit of \u00a33.46B<\/strong>, surpassing analyst estimates of \u00a33.26B. The company also announced a monumental <strong>\u00a37B\u2013\u00a39B share buyback<\/strong> scheduled across 2026\u20132028, underpinned by a 2026 FCF guidance of <strong>\u00a33.6B to \u00a33.8B<\/strong>, which significantly beat the consensus of \u00a33.26B.<\/p>\n<p>In sharp contrast, <strong>Stellantis (<a href=\"\/stock\/STLA\">STLA<\/a>)<\/strong> revealed the heavy toll of its strategic &quot;reset,&quot; posting a <strong>Net Loss of \u20ac22.33B<\/strong> for FY 2025. This represents a massive swing from the \u20ac5.52B profit recorded the previous year, with <strong>Adjusted Operating Margins<\/strong> turning negative to <strong>-0.5%<\/strong>. The automaker attributed the loss to roughly <strong>\u20ac22.2B in charges<\/strong> related to resizing its EV supply chain and realigning product plans to meet shifting consumer demand and U.S. emission regulations.<\/p>\n<h2>Tech Momentum: NVIDIA Targets Chased Higher<\/h2>\n<p><strong>NVIDIA (<a href=\"\/stock\/NVDA\">NVDA<\/a>)<\/strong> remains the primary beneficiary of the ongoing AI infrastructure boom, with shares rising <strong>1.4% in Frankfurt<\/strong> trading this morning. Wall Street analysts are aggressively raising their price targets following the company&#39;s robust Q1 guidance. <strong>Morgan Stanley<\/strong> lifted its target to <strong>$260 from $250<\/strong>, while <strong>RBC<\/strong> moved its projection to <strong>$250 from $240<\/strong>, citing the chipmaker&#39;s &quot;end-to-end advantage&quot; in the GPU and data center markets.<\/p>\n<p><em>Market sentiment remains overwhelmingly bullish on the semiconductor giant,<\/em> as analysts believe the current AI build-out is still in its early-to-mid stages. The consensus view suggests that <strong>NVIDIA<\/strong>&#39;s dominance in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced packaging will continue to drive outperformance through the second half of 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>Global Trade and Geopolitical Developments<\/h2>\n<p>Diplomatic signals from Beijing provided a tailwind for trade-sensitive sectors. The <strong>China Commerce Ministry<\/strong> stated it is actively working with the U.S. to implement the <strong>February 4 trade consensus<\/strong>, emphasizing that &quot;ongoing communication&quot; is maintained across all levels. While China remains opposed to unilateral tariffs, the ministry&#39;s commitment to the consultation mechanism suggests a period of relative stability in the bilateral relationship.<\/p>\n<p>On the geopolitical front, Iranian President <strong>Masoud Pezeshkian<\/strong> affirmed that Iran has no intention of building nuclear weapons, stating that the nation would adhere to the Supreme Leader&#39;s religious prohibition of such arms. In Europe, social dialogue showed progress as France&#39;s <strong>SebLecornu<\/strong> confirmed that an agreement on <strong>unemployment insurance<\/strong> was reached late Wednesday, providing some domestic policy clarity for the Eurozone&#39;s second-largest economy.<\/p>\n<h2>Financials and Macro Outlook<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Allianz (<a href=\"\/stock\/ALV.DE\">ALV.DE<\/a>)<\/strong> solidified its position as a reliable income play, reporting a record <strong>FY Operating Profit of \u20ac17.37B<\/strong>, narrowly beating the \u20ac17.35B estimate. The insurer&#39;s <strong>Solvency II Ratio<\/strong> of <strong>218%<\/strong> demonstrated exceptional capital strength, allowing for a proposed dividend of <strong>\u20ac17.10 per share<\/strong>. Additionally, the board resolved to initiate a new <strong>\u20ac2.5B share buyback<\/strong> program, further rewarding shareholders.<\/p>\n<p>In other market moves, <strong>Drax Group (<a href=\"\/stock\/DRX.L\">DRX.L<\/a>)<\/strong> saw its price target upgraded to <strong>1,000p<\/strong> by <strong>RBC<\/strong>, reflecting positive sentiment in the power generation sector. However, the <strong>Hang Seng Biotech Index<\/strong> faced significant pressure, dropping <strong>4%<\/strong> in Hong Kong trading. Meanwhile, macro data from Northern Europe showed <strong>Sweden\u2019s Household Lending<\/strong> growing at a steady <strong>3.0% Y\/Y<\/strong> in January, slightly ahead of the previous 2.9% reading.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Rolls-Royce (RR.L) stunned markets with a massive \u00a37B\u2013\u00a39B share buyback program for 2026\u20132028 and a significant Free Cash 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