Daily summary of the Czech economy: the Stock Exchange, CEZ, Zijin Mining Group, EP Group, IonQ, Leidos Holdings, the European Commission and WhatsApp (27 January 2026)

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Overview of the latest economic events in the Czech Republic

The Czech economy entered the end of January in a relatively positive mood on the capital markets. The Prague Stock Exchange strengthened on Monday 26 January, with the PX index rising 0.81 per cent to 2741.03 points. Most of the major issues ended trading in profit, with the main driver of the rise being shares of arms factory Colt CZ, which benefited from increased investor interest and a stable order outlook. Titles also recorded growth CEZ a Commercial Bank, while the banking sector remains under the influence of expectations of further interest rate developments.

At the same time, the government is addressing the issue of long-term energy security. The Cabinet has entrusted the energy company CEZ, to participate in the auction for the extension of capacity for the Czech Republic at the LNG terminal in Eemshaven, the Netherlands. The existing contract, which provides up to a third of the Czech Republic's annual gas consumption, expires at the end of next year. Without securing this capacity, experts say the Czech Republic could face a gas supply shortage in 2028, especially in the event of adverse weather or geopolitical developments.

The macroeconomic outlook remains cautiously positive. Analysts are monitoring inflation, household spending and the planned state budget, whose deficit is expected to remain significant in 2026. The pace of consolidation of public finances and the sustainability of the national debt are the main topics of discussion.

Foreign investment

The most significant transactions include the mining group's agreement Zijin Mining Group on the takeover of the company Allied Gold worth approximately $4 billion. With this acquisition, the Chinese group strengthens its position in the African mining sector.

Investment group's offer has attracted attention in Europe EP Group, that she controls Daniel Křetínský, to take over the French retail chain Fnac Darts. The value of the transaction is around EUR 1.1 billion and confirms the continued interest of Czech capital in strategic assets in Western Europe.

In the technology sector, the US quant company announced IonQ acquisition of a semiconductor manufacturer SkyWater Technologywhile Leidos Holdings completed the takeover of an infrastructure company ENTRUST Solutions Group. These deals show the growing investor focus on technology, defence and energy infrastructure.

Significant events outside the Czech Republic with global impact

The European Commission has decided to include a communication service WhatsApp companies Meta Platforms Among the large internet platforms subject to stricter rules under the EU's Digital Services Regulation (DSA), the regulation is intended to focus primarily on transparency and risk management, not on the content of private communications between users.

At the same time, the slowdown in the global economy and the need for new investment in infrastructure are being discussed on the international stage. The themes of recent meetings of economic leaders point to an effort to combine public and private financing, especially in the energy, digitalisation and defence industries, which will also have an impact on the investment decisions of European companies, including Czech ones.

gnews.cz - GH

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