Is Europe’s EV Battery Drive “Failing”?

Is Europe’s EV Battery Drive “Failing”?

Stellantis [STLA] and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co [300750:SZ] on Tuesday announced plans to invest up to €4.1bn in a lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery plant in Zaragoza, Spain, set to start production by late 2026. Notwithstanding this development, Bloomberg argues, Europe’s broader ambitions to challenge Chinese electrical vehicle (EV) battery dominance are “failing”, as evidenced by the recent bankruptcy of Northvolt, as well as the closure or postponement of 11 out of 16 proposed factories. 

Xiaomi vs. Tesla

In a Weibo post on Tuesday, Xiaomi [XIACF] unveiled its YU7 SUV. Slated to launch in summer 2025, the car aims to compete in China’s crowded EV market against Tesla [TSLA] and BYD [BYDDF]; Founder Lei Jun compared it to Tesla’s Model Y, Bloomberg reported. Equipped with a nickel-cobalt-manganese battery to be made by CATL, the vehicle marks a significant step in Xiaomi’s $10bn EV initiative to diversify beyond its smartphone business. 

Top Biotech Hikes Dividend

Eli Lilly [LLY] has increased its quarterly dividend by 15.4%, raising it from $1.30 to $1.50 per share, effective March 10, 2025, according to Seeking Alpha. This marks the fifth consecutive quarterly dividend increase, offering a forward yield of 0.75%. Shareholders of record by February 14 will be eligible for the payout, with the same date serving as the ex-dividend date. Additionally, Eli Lilly’s board has authorized a new $15bn share repurchase program after completing its prior $5bn buyback in Q4 2024. 

AMD Pushes Back on Demand Claims

The US chipmaker [AMD] has rejected comments made in a recent report suggesting that Amazon’s [AMZN] Amazon Web Services (AWS) has “not yet” seen significant demand for its AI accelerators. Advanced Micro Devices clarified that it maintains a strong partnership with AWS and is actively collaborating on AI opportunities, as reported by Seeking Alpha; the AMD share price nonetheless fell 5% Monday. Last month, OPTO compared AMD stock with that of rival NVDA, outlining a bull and a bear case for both.

Quantum Computing: Major Breakthrough

“We see Willow as an important step in our journey to build a useful quantum computer with practical applications in areas like drug discovery, fusion energy, battery design and more,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet’s [GOOGL] Google, in a post on X, announcing the unveiling of a groundbreaking quantum computing chip. According to a study published in Nature, Willow can perform calculations in five minutes that would take the most advanced supercomputers approximately 10 septillion years. 

November Sales Bump for Chip Leader 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co [TSM] reported a 34% rise in November sales to NT$276.1bn, fueled by ongoing artificial intelligence (AI) demand — and despite concerns of a potential slowdown in data center investments. October­–November sales combined grew 31.4%, while analysts estimate a 36.3% rise in Q4 revenue. As a key supplier for Apple [AAPL] and Nvidia [NVDA], TSMC has benefited from surging AI-related spending following ChatGPT’s debut in late 2022. Shares are up 80% year-to-date.

Can This E-Commerce Stock Go on Delivering?

GigaCloud Technology [GCT] is a California-headquartered e-commerce company founded in 2006. Its main business is operating a business-to-business platform that connects sellers of bulky items — such as furniture, electrical appliances and gym equipment — to resellers and retailers around the world. Its share price is up 21.31% year-to-date and up 65.06% in the past 12 months. Today on Foresight, OPTO’s Substack channel, we explore this dynamic but under-the-radar stock.