Valeo SA

The French government is stepping up efforts to produce military drones by leveraging the production capacity of the automotive industry. At least six defence-automotive partnerships have been announced this year, involving major players such as Renault, Valeo, and Forvia. Renault plans to mass-produce the Toutatis kamikaze drone with Thales from 2027 at a rate of 1,000 units per month, while Forvia is considering building capacity to manufacture 1,000 interceptor drones per month. Drone maker Delair is teaming up with Schaeffler to set up a production line capable of around 100 drones per day by November. If these plans materialise, total annual production capacity could reach 60,000 units, though that would still fall short of the production scale in Ukraine and Russia.

Valeo has decided to exercise its make-whole redemption option and will redeem in full its €750,000,000 5.375 per cent sustainability-linked bonds due 28 May 2027 on 24 August 2026. The redemption price will be determined according to the terms and conditions of the notes, which were issued under the company's €5,000,000,000 Euro Medium Term Note Programme. A notice of exercise will be given to noteholders on 7 August 2026 by BNP Paribas, acting as fiscal agent and calculation agent on behalf of Valeo. The move follows a May 2026 announcement of a new €600 million bond issue maturing in February 2033, whose proceeds were earmarked for general corporate purposes including the potential early redemption of these notes.

Valeo reported first-half 2026 revenue of 10.4 billion euros, up 0.7 percent at constant scope and exchange rates, and reaffirmed its full-year targets. Operating margin rose to 514 million euros, or 5.0 percent of revenue, an 8 percent increase from the first half of 2025, continuing the profitability improvement begun in 2022. Free cash flow more than doubled to 242 million euros, and net debt fell by nearly 200 million euros to 3.828 billion euros, reducing the leverage ratio to 1.2 times. The company confirmed its 2026 objectives of revenue between 20 and 21 billion euros, an operating margin of 4.7 to 5.3 percent, and free cash flow above 400 million euros.

A new Legal Services Pricing Platform has been launched, providing hourly rates and billing data for more than 2,900 law firms and over 20,000 companies worldwide. The platform, offered by Valeo, sources its information directly from court filings, regulatory disclosures, and other public records, with daily updates to reflect current market conditions. It includes detailed attorney-level data such as name, firm, graduation year, practice area, and city of practice, enabling direct competitor comparisons. The data has been cited in over 200 federal and state court cases, underscoring its reliability. The platform is designed for law firms, corporate counsel, and consulting firms seeking data-driven pricing and budgeting insights.

Nissan and Valeo have signed a contract to commercialize Valeo's bidirectional charging stations in Europe. The agreement supports Nissan's vehicle-to-grid roadmap, starting in the United Kingdom, by providing bidirectional charging technology for eligible Nissan electric vehicles. Valeo will also supply a new Smart Unidirectional AC charging station compliant with the UK EV Smart Charging standard. The rollout redefines Nissan EVs as flexible energy assets that can lower customer electricity costs and support grid balancing, with the commercial launch beginning in the UK before expanding to other European countries.

Investors seeking the next artificial intelligence winner have driven up shares of struggling French car parts maker Valeo SE. The stock surged this month after JPMorgan analysts highlighted its opportunity in the data center cooling market, rising about 50% over the past year and making it one of the best performers in the Stoxx 600 Autos and Parts sector with a 15% gain this year. Valeo secured a $225 million battery energy storage contract last year and has partnerships with Calyos, ZutaCore, and 2CRSi for chip cooling, though analysts caution that the diversification is in early stages and would need a hyperscaler deal to materially impact revenues. Short interest has fallen to 2.5% of free float from roughly 13% in late May, and the stock holds 12 hold ratings among 19 analysts tracked by Bloomberg.