1309 GMT - Shares in Heidelberg Materials and Holcim fall after a report said the European Commission will weaken its Emissions Trading System. The EU will extend the issuance of free carbon allowances for industry beyond an agreed cut-off period, German business daily Handelsblatt reports, citing senior EU officials. Heidelberg and Holcim have aggressively focused on decarbonization, a move that promised to give them "a significant cost advantage versus the industry as a result of lower carbon emissions from their networks," J.P. Morgan analysts wrote in a January note. The reported delays will slow carbon-price increases, eating into the relative advantage the two companies were set to enjoy. Cement maker Heidelberg Materials falls 7%, while building-materials supplier Holcim loses 4.5%. (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 04, 2026 08:09 ET (13:09 GMT)

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