European stocks slip, dollar steady as investors assess Israel-Iran truce, eye US data
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Santander to sell seven Pennsylvania branches to Community Bank
Santander has agreed to sell seven branches in the Allentown, Pennsylvania area to U.S.-based Community Bank. The Spanish lender aims to have a full-service digital bank in the country by the end of 2025. Community Bank said it will pay Santander a deposit premium of $48 million for assets and liabilities.
June 25 (Reuters) – Santander (SAN.MC) , opens new tab said on Wednesday it had agreed to sell seven branches in the Allentown, Pennsylvania area to U.S.-based Community Bank (CBU.N) , opens new tab as the Spanish lender pivots towards becoming a digital-first bank in the United States.
Santander launched Openbank in the U.S. market late last year with a high-yield savings account offering, and aims to have a full-service digital bank in the country by the end of 2025.
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In a separate statement, Community Bank said it will pay Santander a deposit premium of $48 million for assets and liabilities of the branches.
The New York-based lender said it expects to assume about $600 million in deposits and purchase nearly $33 million in branch-related loans.
The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo
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European shares sag as investors weigh Iran-Israel ceasefire
The pan-European STOXX 600 index lost steam after Tuesday’s best intraday jump in over a month. Investors weighed the fragility of the Israel-Iran ceasefire, with attention quickly shifting to the looming U.S. tariff pause deadline. Spain led the slide with a 1.6% drop as concerns over its defence budget shortfall lingered. Germany shed 0.6%, despite a new record investment budget, while France and Britain slipped 0.8% and 0.5%, respectively.Shares of energy giants BP and Shell will be in focus on Thursday after the Wall Street Journal reported that Shell is in early talks to buy rival BP.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index lost steam after Tuesday’s best intraday jump in over a month, dipping 0.7% as a wave of red swept across most sectors. Only four sectors bucked the trend.
Defence stocks jumped after NATO’s pledge for a major boost in military spending. U.S. President Donald Trump reassured allies of Washington’s support.
Meanwhile, major regional bourses closed lower. Spain led the slide with a 1.6% drop. Concerns over its defence budget shortfall lingered. Data showed its economy cooled to a 0.6% growth pace in early 2025.
Germany shed 0.6%, despite a new record investment budget, while France and Britain slipped 0.8% and 0.5%, respectively.
Across the geopolitical stage, the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran appeared to hold, though scepticism lingered.
Hopes for a durable peace rose after promising U.S.-Iran talks, but investors remained cautious, eyeing the fast-approaching July 8 U.S. tariff pause deadline as the EU scrambled to secure trade deals, with progress limited outside of an agreement with London.
“European stocks still face trade tensions and the ECB’s easing and interest in European defense stocks are now no longer strong factors anymore,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote Bank.
“That’s why yesterday’s rebound in the European stocks was overstretched and we might see some consolidation and even maybe some bearishness in the coming days.”
European auto stocks accelerated 1.3%. Data showed May car sales rose 1.9% year-on-year.
Stellantis rose 3% after Jefferies upgraded the carmaker to “buy” from “hold”.
Babcock topped the STOXX index with a 10.7% rise after the British defence engineering company upgraded its medium-term guidance.
Shares of energy giants BP and Shell will be in focus on Thursday after the Wall Street Journal reported that Shell is in early talks to buy rival BP.
Meanwhile, Wall Street looked to Washington, where Fed Chair Jerome Powell struck a cautious tone in Senate testimony, pledging a “careful approach” on future policy moves.
(Reporting by Sukriti Gupta, Sanchayaita Roy and Pranav Kashyap in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema and Mrigank Dhaniwala and David Gregorio)
By Sukriti Gupta, Sanchayaita Roy and Pranav Kashyap
NATO’s Rutte likens Trump to a ‘daddy’ in Israel-Iran conflict
NATO chief denies flattering Trump at NATO summit. Trump again berated Israel and Iran. “They’ve had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard. You know, they fight like hell, you can’t stop them,” he said. Rutte laughed and said: “And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get (them to) stop” Trump later said he appreciated the terms of endearment. “Daddy, you’re my daddy,” he told Rutte. “He did it very affectionately,” Trump said of Rutte’s comment. “I think it’s a bit of a question of taste,” Rutte said of Trump’s comments.
Rutte laughs that strong language needed to control them
NATO chief denies flattering Trump at NATO summit
THE HAGUE, June 25 (Reuters) – NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday likened President Donald Trump to a “daddy” intervening in a schoolyard brawl after the U.S. leader repeatedly berated Middle East foes Israel and Iran this week including with a profanity.
Talking to reporters alongside Rutte at a NATO alliance summit , Trump again berated Israel and Iran.
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“They’ve had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard. You know, they fight like hell, you can’t stop them. Let them fight for about 2-3 minutes, then it’s easy to stop them,” he said.
In response, Rutte laughed and said: “And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get (them to) stop.”
On Tuesday, after a ceasefire deal, Trump had raised eyebrows by saying Israel and Iran had been fighting “so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing”.
With the 32-member NATO alliance endeavouring to placate Trump after complaints that it was over-reliant on U.S. financial and military muscle, Rutte was asked if he might be over-flattering the U.S. president.
U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte sit, at the NATO leaders summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025. REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw/Pool Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab
‘DOESN’T HE DESERVE PRAISE?’
“No, I don’t think so. I think it’s a bit of a question of taste,” he said, calling Trump a “good friend” for more than a decade and praising his role in “finally” persuading Europe to boost military spending.
“So doesn’t he deserve some praise?” Rutte asked, also noting Trump’s decision to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites.
“And when it comes to Iran, the fact that he took this decisive action, very targeted, to make sure that Iran would not be able to get his hands on a nuclear capability – I think he deserves all the praise.”
Trump on Wednesday compared the impact of bombing Iran’s nuclear sites to the end of World War Two , when the U.S. used atomic bombs against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing more than 200,000 people.
“I don’t want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don’t want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war. This ended the war,” Trump said.
Asked about Rutte’s comments, Trump later said he appreciated the terms of endearment. “He did it very affectionately,” Trump said. “Daddy, you’re my daddy.”
Reporting by Anthony Deutsch and Gram Slattery; Additional reporting by Andrew Gray; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Kevin Liffey
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Bumble to lay off 30% of global workforce as dating apps struggle
The job cuts will affect 240 roles, or 30% of Bumble’s staff. Rival Match (MTCH.O) also announced a 13% workforce reduction last month. Bumble shares rose 19% on the news, but their market value has shrunk by about a fifth this year to a little over $500 million. Its peak was around $15 billion, when the company went public in 2021, LSEG data shows. The company raised its second-quarter revenue forecast to a range of $244 million to $249 million.
June 25 (Reuters) – Bumble (BMBL.O) , opens new tab said on Wednesday it would lay off nearly a third of its workforce, the latest cuts in a dating app industry striving to develop features that will keep users spending amid economic uncertainty.
The company also raised its second-quarter revenue forecast, as a broader effort to revamp the platform starts to take hold.
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The job cuts will affect 240 roles, or 30% of Bumble’s staff. Rival Match (MTCH.O) , opens new tab also announced a 13% workforce reduction last month.
Bumble shares rose 19% on the news, but their market value has shrunk by about a fifth this year to a little over $500 million. Its peak was around $15 billion, when the company went public in 2021, LSEG data shows.
The “layoffs reflect Bumble’s new strategy of optimizing for user experience rather than revenue or user growth in the short term”, and underscores new CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd’s desire for a more agile startup structure, said M Science analyst Chandler Willison.
Online dating firms have struggled in recent years to retain audiences, especially Gen Z users, leading to management overhauls at Match and Bumble as well as pressure from activist investors.
Bumble’s Herd returned as CEO earlier this year with the promise of boosting the company’s performance by focusing on match-making quality.
The company raised its second-quarter revenue forecast to a range of $244 million to $249 million, up from the prior view of $235 million to $243 million.
It had also met Wall Street expectations for first-quarter revenue in May, even as it posted a 7% decline.
Bumble said it will incur about $13 million to $18 million in layoff-related charges, primarily in the third and fourth quarters of 2025.
It expects to save about $40 million of annual costs, which it plans to reinvest in initiatives such as product and technology development.
Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas and Devika Syamnath
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Wearable Devices Advances AI Health Monitoring Platform as U.S. HHS Embraces Wearable Tech
Wearable Devices Ltd. recently announced the expansion of its Large Motor Unit Action Potential Model into new potential markets. This development will enable the broadening of bio-signal intelligence applications beyond wearables. Wearable Devices’ ordinary shares and warrants trade on the Nasdaq under the symbols “WLDS, WLDSW,” respectively. The Company offers a dual-channel business model: direct-to-consumer sales and enterprise licensing. Its flagship Mudra Band integrates functional and stylish design with cutting-edge AI to empower consumers. Its enterprise solutions provide businesses with the tools to deliver immersive and interactive experiences. The company’s innovative products enable seamless, touch-free interaction by transforming subtle finger and wrist movements into intuitive controls. It is redefining user experiences and driving innovation in one of the fastest-growing tech sectors. For more information, visit the company’s website at: http://www.wearabledevices.com/news/investor-relations/press-release.
This strategic expansion into predictive health monitoring aligns with the rising interest in personalized wellness devices. This interest is now demonstrated at the federal level. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has recently advocated for wearable devices to enhance health monitoring and cognitive well-being, underscoring the public and institutional momentum toward real-time data-driven care.
Yokneam Illit, Israel, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wearable Devices Ltd. (the “Company” or “Wearable Devices”) (Nasdaq: WLDS, WLDSW), a technology growth company specializing in artificial intelligence (“AI”)-powered touchless sensing wearables, recently announced the expansion of its Large Motor Unit Action Potential Model (“LMM”) into new potential markets, such as predictive health monitoring and cognitive state analytics. This development will enable the broadening of bio-signal intelligence applications beyond wearables and will offer businesses and healthcare providers access to real-time physiological insights for monitoring health and wellness conditions.
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● Develop custom applications tailored to healthcare and sports for athletic performance optimization. ● Integrate real-time physiological insights into enterprise solutions to enhance safety, performance, and productivity. ● Leverage LMM’s AI engine to continuously refine predictive health and interaction models.
Following the initial evaluation phase, Wearable Devices aims to accelerate commercialization and strategic partnerships across the health sector, reinforcing its position as a pioneer in bio-signal intelligence and neural interface technology.
About Wearable Devices Ltd.
Wearable Devices Ltd. is a pioneering growth company revolutionizing human-computer interaction through its AI-powered neural input technology for both consumer and business markets. Leveraging proprietary sensors, software, and advanced AI algorithms, the Company’s innovative products, including the Mudra Band for iOS and Mudra Link for Android, enable seamless, touch-free interaction by transforming subtle finger and wrist movements into intuitive controls. These groundbreaking solutions enhance gaming, and the rapidly expanding AR/VR/XR landscapes. The Company offers a dual-channel business model: direct-to-consumer sales and enterprise licensing. Its flagship Mudra Band integrates functional and stylish design with cutting-edge AI to empower consumers, while its enterprise solutions provide businesses with the tools to deliver immersive and interactive experiences. By setting the input standard for the XR market, Wearable Devices is redefining user experiences and driving innovation in one of the fastest-growing tech sectors. Wearable Devices’ ordinary shares and warrants trade on the Nasdaq under the symbols “WLDS” and “WLDSW,” respectively.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms. For example, we are using forward-looking statements when we discuss the benefits and advantages of our devices and technology, including the potential of LMMs, the potential to accelerate commercialization and strategic partnerships across the health sector, the rising interest in personalized wellness devices and entering markets that need real-time physiological insights. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release regarding our strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: the trading of our ordinary shares or warrants and the development of a liquid trading market; our ability to successfully market our products and services; the acceptance of our products and services by customers; our continued ability to pay operating costs and ability to meet demand for our products and services; the amount and nature of competition from other security and telecom products and services; the effects of changes in the cybersecurity and telecom markets; our ability to successfully develop new products and services; our success establishing and maintaining collaborative, strategic alliance agreements, licensing and supplier arrangements; our ability to comply with applicable regulations; and the other risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed on March 20, 2025 and our other filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Investor Relations Contact
Michal Efraty
IR@wearabledevices.co.il