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Norway’s Wealth Fund Posts Record $185B Profit And Reveals SpaceX Stake

Norway’s $2.34 trillion sovereign wealth fund recorded a record profit of more than $184 billion in the first half of 2026, boosted by strong performance from Asian technology stocks.

Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which manages the fund, reported a 9.4% return for the first six months. Profit reached more than 1.75 trillion Norwegian kroner, equivalent to around $184.9 billion.

Asian Technology Stocks Drive Growth

“The result is driven by good returns in the equity market, particularly from Asian technology stocks,” said Nicolai Tangen, CEO of NBIM.

Equities account for more than two-thirds of the portfolio, while other investments include fixed income, real estate and renewable energy infrastructure. U.S. stocks make up around 40% of the portfolio, with Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft among its largest holdings.

SpaceX Stake Revealed For First Time

NBIM also disclosed a 0.05% stake in SpaceX worth more than $1.2 billion as of June 30. Compared with its largest investments, the SpaceX holding remains relatively small. Nvidia accounted for around $61.8 billion of the portfolio, while Apple was valued at approximately $52.7 billion at the end of June.

Norway’s wealth fund also holds a 1% stake in Tesla worth around $15.7 billion, giving it exposure to two major companies led by Elon Musk.

With investments in more than 7,000 companies across over 50 countries, NBIM owns stakes equivalent to around 1.5% of all publicly listed companies globally.

Cyprus’ Strong Youth Employment Rate Still Does Not Guarantee Early Independence

Young people in Cyprus have a relatively high employment rate, but they leave the parental home later than the EU average, according to Eurostat data.

Cypriots left home at an average age of 27 in 2025, compared with 26.3 years across the EU. At the same time, 72.3% of people aged 20 to 29 in Cyprus were employed, well above the EU average of 65.5%.

Strong Employment Does Not Mean Early Independence

Only nine countries recorded higher youth employment rates than Cyprus. Iceland led at 85.3%, followed by the Netherlands at 84%, Malta at 82.1%, Switzerland at 78.3% and Germany at 77%.

Norway recorded 76.5%, Ireland 76.1%, Denmark 74.8% and Austria 74.6%. Eurostat said countries where young people leave home earlier generally tend to have higher youth employment rates.

Southern Europe Sees Later Moves

Finland had the lowest average age for leaving the parental home at 21.4 years, followed by Denmark at 21.8 and Estonia and Lithuania at 22.7. Croatia recorded the highest average at 31.5 years, followed by Greece and Slovakia at 30.9. Spain and Italy both stood at 30.2 years.

Across the EU, the average has remained close to 26 since 2002, rising only slightly from 26.2 years in 2024 to 26.3 years in 2025.

Cyprus Labour Market Is Cooling

The figures come as Cyprus’ labor market shows some signs of easing, although demand for workers remains relatively strong by European standards.

Separate Eurostat data showed Cyprus had the EU’s largest annual decline in its job vacancy rate in the second quarter of 2026. The rate fell to 2.6% from 3.3% a year earlier, but remained above the EU average of 2.0% and the euro area average of 2.1%.

Cost Of Living Remains A Factor

Housing and other living costs can also affect how quickly young workers establish independent households. Eurostat reported that Cyprus’ household consumption price level was 89.2% of the EU average in 2025.

A relatively lower overall price level does not eliminate affordability pressures for people on modest incomes. For younger workers, the issue can be whether wages are sufficient to cover rent, utilities, food and other basic expenses.

Cyprus therefore combines relatively high youth employment with a later transition to independent living, suggesting that access to work and the ability to afford a separate household do not always move together.

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