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Kenny Chesney, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban show off Nashville’s biggest stages in new ’20/20′ special

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Ahead of the 59th Annual CMA Awards, our favorite country music stars are feeling nostalgic—and they’re sharing their stories in a special event titled **”Center Stage: Countdown to the CMA Awards Special Edition of 20/20.”**

Hosted by Luke Bryan, this special takes viewers on a memorable journey through Music City’s legendary stages. In the trailer, Kenny Chesney visits one of the iconic downtown Nashville bars on Lower Broadway where he played early in his career. Reflecting on those days, Chesney shared,
*”I sat on a stool a lot like this one and I sat and played four hours a night with a tip jar in front of me. God, it was so much fun.”*

The special also features reflections from Lauren Alaina, Gabby Barrett, Dan + Shay, Russell Dickerson, and Keith Urban on Music City’s most historic venue—the Grand Ole Opry. Keith Urban noted,
*”I got to Nashville and thought I’d made it because I’m in Nashville, you know. And then the Opry is this whole other level.”*

Of course, the celebration wouldn’t be complete without highlighting the CMA Awards stage itself. The special dives into this year’s CMA Award-nominated Musical Event of the Year collaborations, featuring some of the most buzzed-about pairings, including Blake Shelton with Post Malone, Carrie Underwood with Cody Johnson, and Ella Langley with Riley Green. Other notable appearances include Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney, Ashley McBryde, and Dolly Parton.

**”Center Stage: Countdown to the CMA Awards Special Edition of 20/20″** airs on **Tuesday, November 18, from 10:07 to 11:00 p.m. EST on ABC**, and will be available to stream the next day on **Disney+** and **Hulu**.

The **59th Annual CMA Awards** will broadcast live from Nashville on **Wednesday, November 19, at 8:00 p.m. EST on ABC**, with next-day streaming available on Hulu.

Don’t miss the live streaming preshow, **”On The Red Carpet at the CMA Awards,”** starting at **5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT**. Join for live interviews with nominees, performers, and presenters, plus red carpet fashion analysis and more! You can stream it all live at [OnTheRedCarpet.com](https://www.ontheredcarpet.com), [CMAAwards.com](https://www.cmaawards.com), [YouTube.com/OnTheRedCarpet](https://www.youtube.com/OnTheRedCarpet), and Hulu.

*The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of this ABC station.*
https://abc7.com/post/kenny-chesney-jelly-roll-keith-urban-dolly-parton-are-among-stars-new-2020-special-ahead-cma-awards/18155586/

Brilliant Photonics, Brutal Fundamentals: Why I Would Sell Out Of POET Technologies

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**Brilliant Photonics, Brutal Fundamentals: Why I Would Sell Out Of POET Technologies**
*By Luca Socci | 5.37K Followers*

—

POET Technologies is a small-cap company designing photonic integrated packaging solutions for advanced semiconductor and AI data center applications. The company leverages its Optical Interposer™ platform to integrate electronic and photonic devices, targeting the growing demand for high-speed optical modules.

While some have compared POET to a nascent NVIDIA, it’s important to note that POET is an early-stage designer—not a manufacturer—and currently lacks major commercial agreements. Although POET aspires to become the “NVIDIA of optical engines,” significant progress and validation remain necessary before it can reach that status.

### A New NVIDIA?

Working across the AI supply chains, I have encountered many new companies that appear intriguing. After dealing with established industry players like Applied Materials (AMAT) and understanding their key role in semiconductor manufacturing, it’s crucial to maintain a grounded view on emerging players like POET.

—

### About the Author

I’m a long-term investor focused on U.S. and European equities, emphasizing undervalued growth stocks and high-quality dividend growers. Through years of experience, I have learned that sustained profitability—evident through strong margins, stable and expanding free cash flow, and high returns on invested capital—is a more reliable driver of returns than valuation alone.

I manage one of my portfolios publicly on eToro, where I am a qualified Popular Investor, allowing others to copy my real-time investment decisions.

My background spans Economics, Classical Philology, Philosophy, and Theology—an interdisciplinary foundation that sharpens both my quantitative analysis and my ability to interpret market narratives through a broader, long-term lens.

I started investing when I became a father. By managing wisely what I receive and earn, I aim to provide for my children and myself—not so we have so much that we don’t need to do anything, but enough assets to be free to do what we want. The goal is not to free myself from work, but to have the freedom to work in the way and place where I can fully express myself.

—

### Analyst’s Disclosure

I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of SES either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

### Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole.

Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker, US investment adviser, or investment bank. Our analysts are third-party authors, including both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

—

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https://seekingalpha.com/article/4844009-brilliant-photonics-brutal-fundamentals-why-i-would-sell-out-of-poet-technologies?source=feed_all_articles

Plant Easter Egg guide in Black Ops 7 Zombies Ashes of the Damned

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The **Ashes of the Damned** is a massive map available for **Black Ops 7 Zombies**, and one of its hidden secrets is the **Plant Easter Egg**. This Easter Egg is easy to accomplish and offers a good reward upon completion. The best part is that you can continue completing it as long as you find the green glowing plants on the floor.

Upon completion, the Easter Egg guarantees a minimum of **500 Salvage**, and sometimes you can even receive weapons and other valuable items. In my playthrough, I completed the Easter Egg in Round 2 and received a rare weapon, which was very helpful during the initial rounds.

In this article, I will provide detailed information on how you can complete the Plant Easter Egg in **Black Ops 7 Zombies: Ashes of the Damned**.

—

## How to Complete the Plant Easter Egg in Black Ops 7 Zombies: Ashes of the Damned

You can start working on the Plant Easter Egg right from the very first round of your match. However, it requires following a specific sequence of steps:

### Step 1: Collect a Fumigator
First, you need to pick up a **Fumigator**. There are four available throughout the map:

– One in **Janus Tower Plaza**, where you spawn
– One in **Judgement Square** area in Ashwood
– One in the **Toolshed** in the Blackwater Lake POI
– One inside the **barn** in Vandorn Farm POI

Since you only need one Fumigator, it’s recommended to collect the one in your spawn POI itself. From your spawn area in Janus Tower Plaza, walk a few steps, take a right, and you will see a generator. The Fumigator will be located right beside it.

### Step 2: Spray on the Green Plants
Once you have the Fumigator, head toward any of the green glowing plants scattered around the map. When you’re near a plant, a **Spray** prompt will appear. Spray the plant to activate the sequence.

After spraying, you will need to **defend the plant for 30 seconds** as zombies will attack it. During this time, the plant will slowly inflate until it explodes, dropping your rewards.

—

### Why Complete the Plant Easter Egg?
The Plant Easter Egg is an interesting and easy-to-complete challenge in Ashes of the Damned. Completing it early in the game can give you useful rewards that will help you survive the initial rounds. Since you can repeat the process with other green plants, it’s a reliable way to earn Salvage and sometimes rare weapons.

—

### Additional Resources
For more tips and guides related to **Black Ops 7 Zombies** and other Call of Duty content, check out the following articles:

– [How to Play Overload in Black Ops 7: New Mode Explained](#)
– [Black Ops 7 Not Launching on PC: Possible Fixes and Reasons](#)
– [Black Ops 7 Not Working on PlayStation: Possible Reasons and Fixes](#)
– [How to Unlock Napalm Burst in Black Ops 7 Zombies](#)

—

The Plant Easter Egg is a fun way to enhance your gameplay in Ashes of the Damned. Give it a try in your next match and reap the rewards!
https://www.sportskeeda.com/call-of-duty-game/plant-easter-egg-guide-black-ops-7-zombies-ashes-damned

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Nouvelle Vague’ on Netflix, Richard Linklater’s Love Letter to Jean-Luc Godard and ‘Breathless’

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**Nouvelle Vague Review: Richard Linklater’s Love Letter to Godard and the French New Wave**

How do we feel about movies about movies these days? Not great, especially after *Mank* a few years ago, when Hollywood’s self-indulgence seemed to have reached a new high. But Richard Linklater’s *Nouvelle Vague* (now streaming on Netflix) might just warm us up to the idea again.

As the title implies, this film is Linklater’s genuflection toward the French New Wave, specifically focusing on the movement’s defining film, Jean-Luc Godard’s groundbreaking 1960 masterpiece *Breathless*.

Shot in grainy, no-nonsense black-and-white—much like Godard often did—*Nouvelle Vague* recreates the making of *Breathless*, rendering it as a breezy dramedy about an insufferable yet brilliant auteur who breaks all the rules of cinema and rewrites the rules of the form, frequently flustering everyone in his sphere.

Ironically, the film itself is pretty conventional considering its subject matter. But that’s part of why it remains light-on-its-feet enjoyable.

—

### Nouvelle Vague: Stream It or Skip It?

**The Gist:**
It’s 1959. Jean-Luc Godard (played by Guillaume Marbeck) is a film critic for *Cahiers du Cinema*, France’s premier magazine and ground zero for the French New Wave movement. His coworkers include notable figures such as Jean Cocteau, Eric Rohmer, Jacques Rivette, and Francois Truffaut.

At this point, these men are just critics, but all would eventually become leading filmmakers of the movement. Godard, who had only made a short film until now, yearns to do more. He travels to Cannes to see Truffaut’s *The 400 Blows*, but whether he feels jealousy, contempt, or admiration at the ovation *The 400 Blows* received is hard to determine—especially since Godard always wears sunglasses, even indoors and in the dark, when a movie is playing. You might feel an urge to slap those glasses off his head just to bridge the distance between us and his eyes—or maybe to immortalize them in bronze.

Glass or no glass, Godard has a vision. He pitches it to producer Georges du Beauregard (Bruno Dreyfurst): “All you need is a girl and a gun.” He has no script, and Beauregard most likely believes Godard has no idea what he’s doing. Nevertheless, he is swayed by Godard’s ambitious ideas about pursuing the lyrical instead of a traditional narrative. They agree to shoot the film in 20 days, with a single handheld camera, guerilla-style on the streets of Paris.

Their approach is minimalist: no lights, no makeup, no dollies, no cranes, no microphones—nothing beyond a tiny cast and crew. Godard insists on no more than two takes per scene, and again, no script. Dialogue will be overdubbed during post-production.

Godard casts Jean-Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin), who starred in Godard’s previous short, as his leading man—the guy with the gun. The girl is played by Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch), an American actress fresh off some difficult Otto Preminger shoots. Thus begins a running joke in which Seberg repeatedly asks Godard to see the script.

Seberg is accompanied by her husband, Francois Moreuil (Paolo Luka Noe), and a makeup artist who mostly hangs around without working—after all, there’s no makeup.

Godard’s script supervisor (a comedic touch) tries to maintain visual continuity, but might as well be shouting at the sky. “Reality is not continuity,” Godard insists.

At least his cinematographer, Raoul Coutard (Matthieu Penchinat), has plenty to do. He even crams himself into a cart with a hole cut in it for the camera so they can shoot undetected on Paris sidewalks.

Godard and the crew hang out in cafés until he decides to shoot—if he bothers to show up at all. Some workdays last only two hours. Everyone is baffled: Belmondo finds it amusing, Seberg grows frustrated, and Beauregard (or “Beau-Beau,” as Godard calls him) is beside himself.

Eventually, Godard and Beauregard tussle on the floor of a café—a scene emblematic of the conflict between visionary artists and the money guys who don’t understand them, at least not yet.

—

### What Movies Will It Remind You Of?

If you liked *The Artist* director Michel Hazanavicius’s style—you might recall his Oscar win for that film—you may be interested to know he also helmed a different Godard bio, *Redoubtable* (aka *Godard Mon Amour*), about the making of *La Chinoise*.

In the same genre, there’s also *Mank* and the wildly entertaining *The Disaster Artist*. If you want to learn more about the gamine delight Jean Seberg, check out Kristen Stewart’s portrayal of her in *Seberg*.

—

### Performance Worth Watching

The characters here are secondary to the iconography, but Zoey Deutch—veteran of Linklater’s *Everybody Wants Some!!*, where she was utterly marvelous—remains one of the most underrated actors working today.

Her presence in *Nouvelle Vague*, as in most of her films, is robust, funny, and airy at the same time—it’s a balanced and substantive performance.

—

### Memorable Dialogue

Jean Cocteau congratulates Francois Truffaut on *The 400 Blows* with these words:
“Congratulations, Francois. Remember, art is not a pastime, but a priesthood.”

—

### Sex and Skin

None.

—

### Our Take

Richard Linklater is one of the truly great filmmakers to emerge from the ’90s. If he wants to make a love letter to influential cinema icons, he absolutely should. It’s no surprise that *Nouvelle Vague* is highly entertaining and stylish, shot with all the visual grit you’d expect.

Watch for the “cigarette burns” in the corners (those little dots projectionists use to switch reels) appearing in this Netflix streaming movie—something Godard probably would have lambasted as derivative pastiche.

Linklater’s core idea is simple: to show an artist willing to unapologetically pursue his vision, even literally going to the mat—the tile floor next to a pinball machine Godard was playing on instead of shooting his film—to see it through.

One imagines Linklater, a visionary himself, has been in a similar situation before (maybe *Dazed and Confused* will one day get its own Nouvelle Vague–style treatment).

He frames it more as a source of comedy and inevitability than dramatic tension, with a knowingly winking tone.

The film knows Godard is right and the skeptics and bean-counters are wrong, and that *Breathless* would become an influential beacon for decades of subsequent cinema.

The flatteringly unflattering characterization of Godard as a maddening capital-A Artist, whose interior life is either off-limits or nonexistent (dare I call the characterization vague?), is a nudge and a simplification, but also believable: it’s a snapshot of a man who knew what he wanted and executed it.

True to the ideological thread in Linklater’s filmography, *Nouvelle Vague* is structured as a slice of time, captured and encapsulated as it counts those 20 days of shooting.

He’s essentially arranging icons on a board in an amusing way, prompting our curiosity about who they were, what they did, and why they deserve to be highlighted.

As a traditional narrative, it’s flimsy. But as a nod to one of cinema’s greats, it’s far more fun than you might expect.

—

### Our Call

Non–cinephiles might find little meaning in *Nouvelle Vague*; good as it is, it will likely be regarded as minor Linklater.

But speaking as one, this is a smart, sharply crafted, and intensely likable film. **STREAM IT.**

—

*John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.*
https://decider.com/2025/11/14/nouvelle-vague-netflix-review/

Swiss Market Ends On Weak Note

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Swiss stocks closed weak on Tuesday after languishing in negative territory right through the day’s session, tracking the trend in European markets. Uncertainty about the outlook for Fed and ECB interest rates weighed on the market. The benchmark SMI ended down 38. 59 points or 0. 32% at 12, 011. 02. The index touched a low of 11, 920. 09 and a high of 12, 015. 14. Swiss Re ended down nearly 4%. Logitech International ended lower by nearly 2. 5%. Logitech announced that the company’s Chairperson Wendy Becker will not stand for reelection at the firm’s 2025 annual general meeting. Holcim drifted down 1. 83%, while Swiss Life Holding, Zurich Insurance Group and ABB lost 1. 34%, 1. 24%, and 1. 19%, respectively. Roche Holding, SGS, Swisscom, Sonova and Lonza Group ended modestly lower. Givaudan ended slightly weak. The company said it has completed the acquisition of the remaining 75% it did not own in Italian makeup and skincare company b. kolormakeup & skincare, as part of plans to expand its presence in the beauty sector. Partners Group rallied 2%. SIG Group and Straumann Holding gained 1. 32% and 1. 2%, respectively. Kuehne & Nagel and VAT Group gained nearly 1%. Nestle ended 0. 7% up. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/swiss-market-ends-weak-note-0

Robots march across UT Austin campus in display of power and ingenuity

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The Texas Robotics team at UT Austin recently showcased their cutting-edge robots in a vibrant parade. The event highlighted the impressive capabilities of these robots, which can dance, engage in conversation, and even provide medical assistance.

Attendees were amazed as the robots demonstrated fluid dance moves, showcasing the team’s advanced programming and engineering skills. Beyond entertainment, the robots’ ability to chat interactively opened new possibilities for human-robot communication.

Most notably, some robots exhibited medical assistance functions, emphasizing the practical applications of robotics in healthcare. The Texas Robotics team’s display not only entertained but also highlighted the future potential of robotics technology.
https://www.kxan.com/technology/robots-march-across-ut-austin-campus-in-display-of-power-and-ingenuity/

“I didn’t leave the team, bro”: Ex-LSU DT Sydir Mitchell claims Brian Kelly forced him out in shocking confession on TikTok

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The LSU Tigers fired Brian Kelly from his coaching role last week. However, surprising stories have surfaced from the program following Kelly’s exit.

On Thursday, former LSU defensive tackle Sydir Mitchell revealed that his decision to leave the team was not his own; rather, he was forced out by Kelly.

“People come to disagreements, but it wasn’t no hard feelings. It was his decision,” Mitchell said. “It wasn’t nobody else’s decision. It was BK’s. He felt like the decision wasn’t fair for the team, even though it had nothing to do with the team. That’s how he felt.”

Mitchell also shared his plans to enter the transfer portal as he considers continuing his football career elsewhere. “I’m finna get in that portal,” he noted. “I just got to finish up school. I’m just staying low key, finishing school, bro.”

Mitchell transferred to LSU ahead of the 2025 season after beginning his collegiate career with the Texas Longhorns in 2023. During his time at Texas, he played in nine games, recording seven tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss across two seasons.

Though Mitchell did not play a snap for the Tigers this season, after two games, Kelly confirmed that the defensive lineman was no longer with LSU, citing failure to meet “workplace standards.”

—

**LSU Could Avoid Paying Brian Kelly His Full $54 Million Buyout**

According to reports, LSU owes Brian Kelly $54 million as part of his buyout. However, the school has filed legal paperwork alleging Kelly was removed “for cause,” which it claims would allow LSU to avoid paying out the second-largest buyout in college sports history.

Kelly compiled a 34-14 record in under four years at LSU and helped the Tigers win the SEC West division title in 2022.

—

**Also Read:** Tony Pauline’s NFL Mock Draft 1.0: Arch Manning to NFC North contenders, Garrett Nussmeier swooped by AFC North team, Drew Allar heads to NFC West.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/college-football/news-i-didn-t-leave-team-bro-ex-lsu-dt-sydir-mitchell-claims-brian-kelly-forced-shocking-confession-tiktok

In hurricane-torn Jamaica, this couple’s climate-resilient breadfruit program offers food and hope

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After Hurricane Melissa’s exceptionally strong winds subsided, the roots of breadfruit trees clung deep into the fertile Jamaican soil, offering hope and a step toward future food security.

For the past 16 years, Mary and Mike McLaughlin—Jamaican natives who now reside in Winnetka—have helped plant almost half a million fruit trees across the Caribbean and Africa, with about 250,000 of those in Jamaica alone. Most of these are breadfruit trees, a crop known for its resilience but long underutilized as a food source, according to Mary McLaughlin.

The couple’s Trees That Feed Foundation aims to expand breadfruit cultivation in areas vulnerable to extreme weather events that are intensifying due to human-induced climate change. Several scientific analyses found that Hurricane Melissa was made more likely and intense by global warming from fossil fuels.

“It’s one of the worst hurricanes—well, it’s the worst hurricane ever—in the Caribbean country,” Mary McLaughlin told the Tribune, “and it hit Jamaica in its breadbasket,” referring to the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth. This region, known for its fertile soil, is essential for crops that feed the country. Having planted trees in the area, the foundation anticipates some losses.

“However, we have worked in countries that have had hurricanes and seen recovery, and if the trees have roots in the ground, those trees will recover. And we know we may miss a bearing season, but the following year, they will produce,” Mary McLaughlin explained. She also noted that these trees “lock carbon away while feeding people,” thus addressing the root causes of increasingly destructive weather events.

Jamaicans are now coping with the aftermath of a hurricane so severe that it ties with a 1935 storm as the third strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, and the most intense to make landfall in the country. Rita Hilton, who has lived in Jamaica for 60 years and works with the McLaughlins to help farmers export their crops, called Hurricane Melissa “the most intense, horrific storm” she has experienced.

Hilton was airlifted to Kingston, the country’s capital, this week after seven days spent in her isolated, damaged home. “If you look at all the forest trees, there’s not a green leaf; there are tree stumps sticking out of the ground or lying across the road,” she told the Tribune. “Whatever crops were in the ground have been destroyed in that area.” However, not all is lost—especially where those stumps belong to breadfruit trees.

“In times of disaster such as this, when a lot of agricultural produce is damaged, we need things that can actually survive,” she said. Local papers have written about people eating breadfruit after the storm, as food supply routes have suffered with roads impassable. “The breadfruit trees that did come down,” Hilton added, “have been a godsend for some communities.”

As Jamaica recovers, replanting more trees will be crucial to ensuring food security. In the next few months, a new grant from the foundation will fund the planting of at least 15,000 trees in Jamaica, the McLaughlins said.

Years of partnership between the foundation and Jamaica’s Forestry Department began when the latter started replanting native forests, mostly timber trees such as blue mahoe and mahogany, which are better adapted to withstand strong winds. “The plan is to use more and more natives in our reforestation programs and to transition some of the existing areas that have a high percentage of nonnative species,” said Henry, the head of the Forestry Department. “This will increase the resilience of these spaces, particularly in light of the obvious and current problem of hurricanes in Jamaica.”

The couple also approached the local government about distributing fruit trees, which offer the additional benefit of providing a reliable harvest year after year, without the need to replant. After moving to the United States for Mike McLaughlin’s job as an actuary in 1978, the McLaughlins settled in the Chicago area a decade later. Their connection to Jamaica remained strong—especially in the early 2000s, when they felt compelled to act on the climate crisis and its consequences for island nations like their homeland. From this sense of urgency, Trees That Feed Foundation was born.

In Jamaica, the partnership works by having the foundation provide grants to the Forestry Department, which in turn buys cuttings from local plant nurseries and distributes them to small farmers at no cost. “We do get our hands dirty, but us two little people can’t plant half a million trees,” Mike McLaughlin said. “We work with farmers. They really know what they’re doing.”

“So we don’t go in and impose,” Mary McLaughlin added. The farmers want a sense of ownership over the trees, she noted, which also supports small businesses that can grow from selling the fruit.

The program supports both food security and income generation, said Henry of the Forestry Department. “You heard of win-win? Well, this is win-win-win-win,” Mike McLaughlin said. “The win is nutrition. The win is the environment. And the win is the economy. And our donors are generous people, and I would say they are winning too. They want to help, and we give them a way to help that is very efficient.”
https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/11/14/hurricane-melissa-jamaica-breadfruit-climate-change/

Atrocities in Sudan Require World’s Attention, U.N. Says

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The United Nations’ top human rights body has ordered an inquiry into mass killings and sexual violence occurring amid the country’s worsening civil war.

This decision underscores growing international concern over the escalating violence and humanitarian crisis. The investigation aims to document abuses and hold perpetrators accountable.

As the conflict continues to intensify, the inquiry seeks to bring much-needed attention to the plight of affected communities and support efforts toward justice and reconciliation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/world/africa/sudan-atrocities-civilians-un.html

Euronext Transforms Over a Decade

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In his first interview as manager of Liverpool football club, Jürgen Klopp said his aim was to change doubters into believers. Stéphane Boujnah has been on a similar journey since becoming chief executive officer and chairman of the managing board of Euronext, the European financial market infrastructure, in November 2015.

Boujnah told Markets Media: “The recipe for success is cost management, operational discipline, the willingness to have unpleasant conversations and to accept being lonely as a CEO. To be successful, you can’t afford to be the one that pleases everyone.”

Over the past ten years, Euronext has diversified its top line away from equities, expanded into post-trade services to cover the full capital markets value chain, added new asset classes, and entered new geographies through a series of strategic acquisitions.

The group has grown from a cash equities-focused operator of four national exchanges to covering seven local markets, one clearing house, four central securities depositories, a fixed income trading platform, and a power trading venue. This remarkable transformation was highlighted by Euronext joining the CAC 40, France’s blue-chip index, in September 2025.

### Early Years

Before joining Euronext, Boujnah was head of continental Europe at Santander Global Banking and Markets. He describes his first years as CEO as very different from now, mainly having to deal with “issues, problems and crises.”

“The previous CEO resigned six months after the initial public offering and my chief financial officer resigned six weeks before the first capital markets day,” he added.

Euronext had returned to being an independent company in June 2014 when it went public in a spin-off from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). Back in 2007, the New York Stock Exchange acquired Euronext to create the first transatlantic stock and derivatives exchange. However, when ICE subsequently acquired NYSE Euronext in 2013, the European equities business was considered surplus to requirements.

“When ICE carved out the European equities business, European stock exchanges were seen as museums,” said Boujnah. “The first focus was on survival as the capital market infrastructure landscape in Europe was being derailed by the potential deal between London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Börse.”

### Diversifying Revenue

In 2014, nearly half (48%) of Euronext’s total annual revenue of €458 million was related to trading, according to the firm. Boujnah said it was critical for Euronext to become more profitable given that 65% of volume was related to equities trading.

He added, “This required rebuilding and one of the most important factors was for the management team and the people to have pride in the project.”

In contrast, Euronext reported total revenue for the third quarter of this year which was nearly as high as the whole of 2014 at €438.1 million, but the majority (60%) was non-volume related. On the results call, Boujnah emphasised that this was Euronext’s sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit topline growth.

Euronext also reached a new record of €7.5 trillion in assets under custody in the third quarter of this year, driven by growth in equities and bonds. Boujnah said this reflected the strength and growth of the post-trade business.

Volume-related business was fuelled by double-digit growth in fixed income and commodities trading and clearing, according to Euronext.

Boujnah added, “Euronext continues to record robust volumes and revenue capture in cash equity trading and clearing, driving revenue up 11.5% year-on-year.”

### Acquisitions

This diversification has been accelerated through a series of strategic acquisitions.

In 2014, the majority of Euronext’s revenue (58%) came from France. Today, France is second behind Italy—one of the geographies added to the group since 2014 alongside Denmark, Ireland, and Norway.

“Euronext’s federal model had originally been envisaged as open-ended,” said Boujnah. “This model for European integration was critical for our survival and allowed us to become a serial acquirer.”

Boujnah highlighted the acquisition of Oslo Bors in 2019. “A defining moment was when we punched above our weight to buy Oslo Bors against Nasdaq as nobody thought we would make it,” he added. “We had instilled a culture of survivors and fighters.”

The acquisition of Borsa Italiana Group from London Stock Exchange Group in 2021 was transformative. It allowed Euronext to accelerate geographic diversification, expand horizontally with new asset classes such as fixed income through bond trading platform MTS, and grow vertically by adding clearing.

Euronext offered the same price as Germany’s Deutsche Börse for Borsa Italiana, according to Boujnah. During the first call about the deal, he told David Schwimmer, chief executive of LSEG, that Euronext could offer superior certainty of execution and partnership with Italian stakeholders through its federal model.

“We had prepared for years to buy Borsa Italiana which we regarded as a ‘must have’,” he added. “We had to fix clearing as we were the only important European exchange without our own CCP.”

### ATHEX Acquisition

Euronext is in the process of adding another local market to its federal model. On November 13, 2025, Greek regulators approved Euronext’s offer to buy ATHEX Group, the operator of the Greek capital market.

“Our offer for ATHEX Group is a step towards consolidation of European market infrastructure to support European listings and economic growth and create an even deeper liquidity pool in Europe,” added Boujnah. “This transaction is clearly a sign of confidence in the recovery of the Greek economy.”

Euronext expects to deliver €12 million of annual cash synergies by the end of 2028 from integrating ATHEX into its European market infrastructure, single liquidity pool, single order book, and single technology platform.

The offer is open until November 17, 2025, and Boujnah said Euronext does not intend to change the price of the offer. The company will communicate the results of its tender offer on November 19, 2025.

### European Consolidation

In October this year, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for the establishment of a single European stock exchange so that companies can access financing within the region, without having to list in the U.S.

Boujnah welcomed Merz’s comments, which echoed the aspirations of Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank.

He said, “We share that vision and we are available to contribute to the next phase of potential consolidation within Europe.”

Boujnah argued that Euronext provides a solution to fragmentation in Europe with its single liquidity pool, single technology platform, and in post-trade through the convergence of its central securities depositories (CSDs), slated for September 2026.

Euronext has announced the consolidation of the settlement of equity trades and ETFs in its Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris markets under Euronext Securities. These markets will join those already supported by Euronext Securities in Lisbon, Milan, and Oslo.

“The total market capitalization of companies on our integrated European exchange is €6.5 trillion, which is twice that of companies listed on LSE and more than three times that of companies listed on Deutsche Börse,” he said.

Boujnah added that Euronext could offer both LSEG and Deutsche Börse a structure to let their listing and equity businesses join the Euronext model, and have a stake in Euronext as a counterpart, ensuring federal governance.

He concluded, “Airbus became a global competitor to Boeing and shows we can succeed by pulling together.” Airbus was formed as a consortium of European aerospace companies from France, West Germany, Great Britain, and Spain in 1970 to compete with American-built airliners.

### Future Growth

On the third-quarter results call, Boujnah described Euronext as being at a “cornerstone moment” for the group in terms of industrial developments, with all its teams fully engaged to deliver the “ambitious” targets of the Innovate for Growth 2027 strategic plan.

The group recently launched the first fully integrated European marketplace for ETFs, which it said will provide substantial efficiency gains for the entire value chain.

To boost retail participation, Euronext has introduced the first mini cash-settled futures on main European government bonds, which Boujnah said have been trading from day one.

“In order to maintain our growth dynamic, we need to avoid the Kodak moment and stay relevant, while not burning cash on too many buzz-word driven innovations,” said Boujnah.

He argued that new technology has to be transformative and “allow you to eat your competitors’ lunch.” For him, this could be quantum computing.

Boujnah expects to leave Euronext in May 2027 at the end of his contract. He said, “I think I would like to do another job that makes me continue to feel alive, transform things and have a tangible impact.”
https://www.marketsmedia.com/euronext-transforms-over-a-decade/