US Government Shutdown Looms as German Pharma Giants Change Leadership
A potential US government shutdown looms as early as Wednesday, with budget and debt ceiling disagreements between Democrats and Republicans showing no signs of resolution. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies in Germany have announced leadership changes, and European stock markets have seen mixed performance.
The US government is on the brink of a shutdown due to ongoing disagreements over the budget and debt ceiling. Both parties are pointing fingers at each other for the lack of progress. President Donald Trump has been reluctant to compromise but has agreed to meet with Democrats today. However, he has threatened mass layoffs if no agreement is reached.
In Germany, several pharmaceutical companies have recently announced changes in leadership. Amgen Germany GmbH appointed Carolina Correa as its new manager on September 1, 2025. Simon Hegele has named Michael Wahl and Mike Winter as Co-CEOs, effective October 1, 2025. Merck has also announced that Kai Beckmann will succeed Belén Garijo as CEO starting May 1, 2026. Simon Hegele's new leadership is focusing on expanding international partnerships, including in key areas like pharmaceutical logistics, which could imply growth plans abroad such as in the stock market today. However, no direct announcements of expansion plans in the stock market have been made in recent weeks.
In Europe, stock markets have seen mixed performance. The Swiss SMI gained 0.64% to 12,006.71 points, surpassing the 12,000-point mark. The British FTSE 100 rose 0.16% to 9,299.84 points. UCB's shares surged 15.6% to a record high after Moonlake's disappointing data on a skin medication removed a competitive uncertainty factor. British GSK's shares rose 2.2% following the announcement of a CEO change from Emma Walmsley to Luke Miels. The EuroStoxx 50 ended the week at 5,506.85 points, up 0.13%. The French and German stock markets also performed positively.
The potential US government shutdown and leadership changes in German pharmaceutical companies are developments to watch in the coming days. Meanwhile, European stock markets have shown signs of recovery, with mixed performance across various indices.
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