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Cyprus Retail Sector Records Robust Growth In January

New data from the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat) show that retail trade expanded in January, with both value and volume indices increasing year-over-year.

Retail Trade Gains Drive Economic Momentum

The value index of retail turnover rose 7.4%, while the volume index increased 8.3% compared with January 2025. The parallel rise in value and volume indicates higher sales receipts and increased quantities sold, pointing to sustained consumer demand at the start of the year.

Broad Economic Trends Foster A Positive Outlook

Retail growth aligns with broader domestic indicators. Manufacturing output increased 4.4% between January and November 2025, while authorized building permits reached 2,612,000 square meters, up 30.7% compared with the previous period. The construction data suggest continued investment activity across the sector.

Automotive And Trade Performance Highlight Economic Stability

Motor vehicle registrations rose 5.8% in 2025. Private saloon cars increased 3.2%, while light goods vehicles rose 6.9%. Inflation remained subdued, with the consumer price index increasing 0.1% year-over-year. External trade also expanded, with imports reaching €13.55 billion, up 7.7%, and exports rising 7% to €5.5 billion.

Surge In Tourism Strengthens Economic Recovery

Tourist arrivals totaled 4,534,073 between January and December 2025, up 12.2% compared with the previous year. Tourism remains a key contributor to overall economic performance, supporting services, retail, and transport activity.

Conclusion

January retail growth reflects broader expansion across manufacturing, construction, trade, and tourism. The data show continued economic activity across multiple sectors at the start of the year.

Palantir Surges Amid Geopolitical Turmoil And Market Volatility

Market Resilience Amid Global Uncertainty

Shares of Palantir Technologies rose about 15% during the week following the U.S. attack on Iran, outperforming the broader technology market. Over the same period, the Nasdaq declined 1.2%, reflecting weaker performance among companies such as Apple, Google and Micron.

Government Ties And Strategic Defense Contracts

Investors have increasingly focused on companies with exposure to government spending amid geopolitical tensions and market volatility. Around 60% of Palantir’s revenue comes from U.S. government contracts. The company has expanded work with military and intelligence agencies, including projects linked to the Army’s Maven Smart System program. Analysts at Rosenblatt maintained a buy rating on the stock and raised their price target to $200 from $150, citing expectations of continued demand for defense-related data platforms.

Complexities In Artificial Intelligence Collaborations

Palantir’s collaboration with artificial intelligence company Anthropic has also drawn attention. The U.S. government recently designated Anthropic as a supply-chain risk, a decision later challenged by CEO Dario Amodei.

Despite that designation, cloud providers including Amazon, Microsoft and Google continue to support Anthropic’s AI products for commercial use. Palantir and Amazon Web Services have also worked on integrating Anthropic’s Claude models into certain defense and intelligence applications.

Sector Rebound And Industry Trends

The broader software sector recorded gains during the week. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF increased by about 8% as markets adjusted following earlier declines linked to concerns about the pace of artificial intelligence adoption. Companies including CrowdStrike, ServiceNow and AppLovin also posted weekly gains of more than 15%.

Looking Ahead

Analysts at Piper Sandler noted that Palantir’s model-agnostic approach could support the integration of multiple artificial intelligence systems over time. Continued demand from government and defense clients remains a key factor in the company’s growth outlook.

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