Prysmian rallies on tech push as Glencore returns $2bn to shareholders - Feb 18, 2026

As of February 18, today's news features corporate developments in the energy and materials sectors, with Prysmian among the companies in focus. Prysmian saw a positive market reaction, with shares rising by 2.8% on the back of renewed investments in technology. In broader market news, Glencore will return 2 billion dollars to shareholders despite a dip in annual profits, the miner and commodity trader said today, reporting its 2025 results just weeks after a failed takeover bid from larger rival Rio Tinto. Meanwhile, copper prices saw an increase of approximately 1% today as investors engaged in dip buying amidst thin trading volumes caused by the ongoing Lunar New Year holiday in China. Even as copper inventories in LME-approved warehouses surged to their highest levels in 11 months, concerns about price stability remain due to decreased U.S. consumption rates and rising inventories. Furthermore, Italian energy major Eni is weighing re-entering oil and gas trading as it seeks the outsized returns enjoyed by BP, Shell and TotalEnergies, amid geopolitically-driven price volatility, the Financial Times reported today. In other market updates, U.S. import tariffs haven't been enough to stop the United States losing another aluminium smelter, leaving the country with just five primary metal production plants. Century Aluminum suspended production at its Hawesville smelter in 2022 as energy prices spiked in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Lastly, President Trump's administration announced three substantial projects involving Japanese investments totaling 36 billion dollars, which are poised to bolster U.S. energy infrastructure. These include an unprecedented natural gas power plant in Ohio and an oil export facility in Texas, emphasizing Japan's commitment to strengthening its energy partnership with the U.S.