Welcome to Markets Desk, your midday briefing on the stories moving the needle.
Germany's federal election is sending ripples well beyond Berlin, with the far-right AfD posting its strongest result in the postwar era. The Kremlin and the Trump White House have both signaled approval of the outcome, raising pointed questions about the future of European unity, NATO cohesion, and Germany's role anchoring the continent's economic and political center.
Shifting to the Arctic, Greenland is accepting a significant funding package from the European Union, a move that carries clear geopolitical weight as President Trump renews pressure to bring the island under American control on national security grounds. Brussels is essentially making a counteroffer, betting that economic ties can outbid Washington's ambitions before any formal negotiation ever begins.
And in the markets, Cathie Wood's ARK funds are continuing to accumulate Tesla shares despite a string of missed robotaxi deadlines stretching back years. Wood's thesis remains anchored to autonomous driving and energy storage as transformational long-term plays, and she's treating every pullback as an entry point, even as institutional skepticism around execution risk continues to build.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
