Gas Prices Soar as Indefinite Halt of Nord Stream 1 Kindles Winter Fears

View of pipe systems and shut-off devices at the gas receiving station of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. (dpa via AP)
View of pipe systems and shut-off devices at the gas receiving station of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. (dpa via AP)
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Gas Prices Soar as Indefinite Halt of Nord Stream 1 Kindles Winter Fears

View of pipe systems and shut-off devices at the gas receiving station of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. (dpa via AP)
View of pipe systems and shut-off devices at the gas receiving station of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. (dpa via AP)

Dutch and British wholesale gas prices soared on Monday morning, reversing most of a downward trend seen the previous week, after Russian gas deliveries to Germany via the Nord Stream 1 were suspended indefinitely over the weekend.

The British contract for day-ahead delivery sky-rocketed 200 pence, or 133% to 350 pence per therm by 0929 GMT, and the within-day contract gained 50 pence to 350 p/therm.

On the continent, the Dutch TTF day-ahead gas contract was up 54.52 euros, or 29% at 245 euros per megawatt hour (MWh).

Further out, Dutch gas for October, the European benchmark contract, gained 59 euros to 268 euros/MWh.

The British October contract was up 146 pence at 546 p/therm.

Prices reacted to a post-market close announcement on Friday from Russia's Gazprom that an oil leak in equipment of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea to Germany, meant it would stay shut beyond last week's three-day maintenance shutdown.

"Our TTF day-ahead price view today is for prices to pare last week's losses as Europe braces itself for no Russian gas for the foreseeable future and exacerbates fears of a winter supply crunch," Refinitiv analyst Wayne Bryan said in a morning report.

Fundamental drivers were taking a backseat, with Russian rhetoric not supporting a restart of flows via Nord Stream 1 anytime soon, he added.

The Kremlin has repeatedly blamed Western sanctions for the shutdown.

"The market should rise a lot Monday, but the question is for how much and how long, and to what extent the market had already priced this in," analysts at Energi Danmark said in a note.

Europe is losing close to 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas supply per month due to the loss of Nord Stream 1, Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING said.

The latest move also increased nervousness about flows via Ukraine as well as the TurkStream pipeline, going forward, he added.

"What is clear is that the more Russia reduces gas flows to Europe, the less leverage they have over Europe," Patterson said.

Analysts at Sweden's SEB bank said they maintained a Russian gas flow scenario of 10-20% of normal capacity during the winter.

"This would partly maximize Russian geo- and energy security political pressure on the EU, and partly provide Moscow with valuable income," they added.

Anticipating rising market volatility, Finland and Sweden reacted immediately over the weekend by promising liquidity guarantees to energy companies.

European gas storages were 81.55% full as of Sept. 3, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe data.

In the European carbon market, the benchmark contract was down 3.49 euros at 74.40 euros a ton.



China’s Pop Mart, Maker of the Labubu Doll, Says Profit Soars Nearly 400% in First Half 

A Labubu toy is placed at a host stand of a restaurant serving dessert in the shape of Labubu monster figurine, in Moscow, Russia June 27, 2025. (Reuters) 
A Labubu toy is placed at a host stand of a restaurant serving dessert in the shape of Labubu monster figurine, in Moscow, Russia June 27, 2025. (Reuters) 
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China’s Pop Mart, Maker of the Labubu Doll, Says Profit Soars Nearly 400% in First Half 

A Labubu toy is placed at a host stand of a restaurant serving dessert in the shape of Labubu monster figurine, in Moscow, Russia June 27, 2025. (Reuters) 
A Labubu toy is placed at a host stand of a restaurant serving dessert in the shape of Labubu monster figurine, in Moscow, Russia June 27, 2025. (Reuters) 

China's Pop Mart, which has taken the world by storm with its ugly-cute Labubu doll, reported a nearly 400% first-half net profit on Tuesday on high demand for the toys and a shift towards higher-margin overseas markets.

Net profit of 396.5% and a 204.4% jump in revenues exceeded numbers flagged in an earnings preview last month forecasting revenue growth of 200% in the first half of 2025 and a recurring net profit increase of at least 350% on the year.

Shares in Pop Mart have risen more than 200% year-to-date, making the Chinese toy company more valuable than traditional industry giants like Barbie-maker Mattel and Hello Kitty parent company Sanrio.

Pop Mart often sells its collectable figurines in so-called "blind boxes" with buyers not knowing the exact design they will receive until they open the packaging.

One of the major drivers of the toothy-grinned Labubu's success has been its popularity with celebrity fans, who include Lisa of K-pop group Blackpink, singer Rihanna and ex-soccer star David Beckham.

Pop Mart is pledging to increase the supply of the dolls, which have sold out in stores around the world.

Its CEO Wang Ning, in an interview with Chinese state media last month, said sales of Labubu will surpass 10 million units per day from September this year.

Pop Mart classifies Labubu under its "The Monsters" intellectual property (IP) characters. It said on Tuesday that "The Monsters" raked in 4.81 billion yuan ($669.88 million) in the first half, accounting for 34.7% of total revenue.

Four other IPs earned over 1 billion yuan during the period, including "Molly" and "Crybaby", it added.

The company now has 571 stores - 40 of which it opened in the first half of this year - as well as 2,597 automated robot shops across 18 countries and regions, it added.