Cyprus Sees a 4.3% Rise In Industrial Production In Early 2025

by News Editor

April 30, 2025

The island nation of Cyprus is experiencing a notable rise in industrial production, marking a 4.3% increase in the first two months of 2025. According to the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat), this surge represents a significant improvement over the same period last year. The Industrial Production Index climbed to 108.5 units in February 2025, using 2021 as a baseline.

Sector-Wide Growth

This growth spanned multiple sectors, most notably manufacturing, which saw a 2.4% increase. Key industries such as electricity supply surged by 14.2%, mining and quarrying grew by 8.1%, and water supply and material recovery rose by 3.8%.

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Manufacturing Sector Insights

Within the manufacturing domain, wood industry growth stood out with an 8.1% rise. Meanwhile, the production of electronic, optical, and electrical equipment increased by 7.2%, and other non-metallic mineral products by 5.1%. Food, beverages, and tobacco output rose by 4.3%.

Areas of Decline

However, not all sectors flourished. Paper and paper product manufacturing, as well as furniture production, experienced declines of 10.9% and 2.3%, respectively.

Cumulative Performance

The highest cumulative increases from January to February 2025 were seen in water collection and treatment, non-metallic mineral products, and mining and quarrying. Nonetheless, paper production, material recovery, and furniture manufacturing showed downturns.

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SoftBank Shares Tumble Amid Tech Profit Taking And High-Risk AI Investments

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

June 4, 2026

Market Sell-Off And Profit Taking

SoftBank Group’s share price plunged over 11% following an overnight sell-off in the U.S. market, as broader profit taking in the technology sector weighed on investor sentiment. Major Asian technology players, including TSMC and Foxconn, experienced similar declines, reflecting a cautious approach among investors despite recent gains.

High-Stakes AI Investments

Despite this short-term volatility, SoftBank’s year-to-date share price surge of approximately 70% is largely fueled by robust investor enthusiasm around its high-risk bets on artificial intelligence. Concerns persist over these aggressive investments, even as the market continues to rally on the promise of AI-driven returns.

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Global Technology Landscape

In the broader market, South Korean giants such as Samsung and SK Hynix witnessed modest declines of 1.25% and 2.75%, respectively, following profit taking after surpassing key market valuations. Similarly, overnight in the U.S., semiconductor leader Nvidia fell 3.62%, while Alphabet and Amazon saw declines of 0.79% and 2.5%, respectively.

Long-Term Vision Versus Short-Term Focus

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son has been vocal about the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, predicting that the AI revolution could be 50 times larger than the dot-com boom of the 2000s. However, as noted in a recent investor note by Deutsche Bank analyst Peter Milliken, market enthusiasm appears narrowly fixated on short-term momentum rather than a detailed long-term roadmap.

Strategic Asset Reallocation

Adding another layer to the unfolding narrative, SoftBank recently divested a 3.25% stake in Indian eyewear maker Lenskart through its affiliate SVF II Lightbulb (Cayman). The transaction, which involved selling 56.5 million shares at 508.55 Indian rupees each (approximately $5.32 per share), valued the deal at nearly 28.73 billion rupees. Following the sale, SoftBank’s shares traded at 7,377 yen, marking an 11.3% drop.

This dynamic environment underscores the challenges of balancing aggressive, innovation-driven investments with the need for prudent risk management in volatile markets.

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