Latest news and stories about economic activity in finance in Porto, Portugal for expats and residents.
Three prominent businesswomen in the luxury sector discuss how reducing tax burdens and improving professional training are essential for industry growth, while also highlighting the strategic importance of new infrastructure like airports.
The office market in Porto is experiencing high demand, with one-third of the 98,600 square metres currently under construction already reserved.
Nuno Melo expects the signing of SAFE contracts soon and guarantees that the delay in the Strategic Defence Concept does not hinder investments.
The allocation of the Norte 2030 programme for the Porto Metropolitan Area (AMP) rises from 365 to 406 million euros. No PRR funds will be lost, including those in the education sector.
Sales from the Sonae group derived from circular products and services reached 259 million euros in 2025, a year in which total revenue exceeded 11 billion for the first time. This involves business models such as the repair, refurbishment, and reuse of electronic equipment, or the recovery of ingredients and raw materials.
Porto City Council will vote on its 2025 accounts during a public meeting on Tuesday, April 21, which closed with a net profit of 68 million euros. Of this profit, 64 million euros will be carried forward and 3.4 million euros will be allocated to legal reserves. Mayor Pedro Duarte highlights the financial solidity of the municipal management in the 2025 accountability report. The revenue collection rate reached 98.7%, totaling 476.9 million euros, while paid expenditure was 378.8 million euros, with an execution rate of 78.4%. Duarte notes that total revenue grew by 17% compared to the previous year, driven by tax revenues. The municipality also reported a positive budgetary balance of 98.8 million euros. Key expenditure areas included environment and urban planning (28.8%), social cohesion (32.3 million euros), mobility (30.5 million euros), and education (19.9 million euros). Total investment reached 82.1 million euros, with significant funding directed toward urban regeneration and social housing.
AGEPOR – The Portuguese Association of Shipping Agents warned that criticisms of the Port of Leixões' strategic plan for the next 10 years, while “legitimate”, ignore that the infrastructure is “a strategic asset for companies, for job creation and wealth in the Northern Region, and for the national economy”.
AGEPOR states that Leixões “is a strategic asset for companies, for job creation and wealth in the Northern region, and for the national economy.”
The businessman - owner of TVI and the Douro Azul group - is being tried in Porto for a 1 million euro tax fraud involving personal income tax.
In a speech in Maia, the Prime Minister celebrated the trajectory of public accounts and the country's financial situation.
The world is more unstable, but the Government has managed the feat of making the country better, even against the pessimists 'who anticipated, if they did not even wish, that Portugal would return to having a deficit in its public accounts', says the Prime Minister.
Iberis Capital has purchased a majority stake in the chemical company Aquitex, which specialises in the production and sale of chemical products for the textile, ceramic, detergent, and cosmetic industries, to support it in the development of new products and the exploration of other business segments. The entry of the Lisbon-based private equity firm into the capital of the Maia-based company...
Lektou Cortés provided legal advice to the Barrière Group regarding the public tender for the exclusive concession to operate games of chance in the Póvoa de Varzim gaming zone. The Barrière Group is internationally recognised as an operator in the gaming and entertainment sector. The adjudication process...
The economic impacts of the war continue to hit the fish trade in markets, and for merchants, the trend “is not good at all.” In Matosinhos, CNN Portugal reporter Joana Almeida Carvalho takes the pulse of the situation.
The current concessionaire of the Leixões container terminal, Yilport, considers the project for the construction of the new North terminal at the Port of Leixões to be the “worst option”, “unsustainable in the medium and long term”, and at risk of becoming “obsolete even before recovering the investment”. The company argues that...
Cerejeira Namora, Marinho Falcão advised the Porto-based engineering and architecture consultancy firm VHM on the acquisition of a majority stake by Groupe IDEC, one of the largest operators in the French real estate sector with an average annual turnover of 500 million euros. The advisory services covered the entire process of...
The price has risen, but only slightly. At least in local shops, sellers prefer to accept a smaller profit margin to retain customers.
Maria sells fruit and vegetables and told CMTV that “people are only buying what is necessary”.
The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) has issued a conditional favourable opinion for the expansion of the north container terminal at the port of Leixões, in Matosinhos (Porto district), requiring certain measures to be taken for the project to proceed, Lusa reported today.
Several grey and black circles are carefully aligned next to the glass wall that marks the entrance to the Optimal Group unit in Alcabideche, in the municipality of Cascais. They are discreet and almost go unnoticed when, upon entering, one spots in the background, next to the sofas, a car door with bullet holes or further ahead...
The QSP Summit, an event dedicated to management, marketing, and business strategy, aims to gather 3,500 participants in Porto and Matosinhos this summer, featuring economist Nouriel Roubini. The 19th edition of the QSP Summit begins on June 30 in Porto and continues through July 1 and...
The president of Turismo do Porto e Norte de Portugal, Luís Pedro Martins, admits that tourism levels in Portugal may rise due to the conflict in the Middle East and explains the trade-offs of such an increase.
Sonae CEO Cláudia Azevedo and CFO João Dolores addressed the potential impact of the Middle East conflict on food prices, noting that while inflation is currently controlled, the geopolitical situation remains a major uncertainty. The group reported a strong 2025 performance with a 14% increase in turnover, while highlighting a shift in consumer behaviour towards private-label products, which now account for one-third of Continente's sales. Additionally, the company announced a €100 million investment in built-to-rent housing projects in Portugal and Spain.
The municipal budget for 2026 now increases from 491.3 to 589.3 million euros, having received votes in favour from the PS and PSD, against from the BE and CDU, and abstentions from the elected members of Livre and Chega.
The Porto Municipal Assembly approved by majority on Monday the incorporation of a 98 million euro budget surplus into the 2026 budget, which now includes measures proposed by various opposition forces.
The Porto Municipal Assembly approved by majority on Monday the incorporation of a 98 million euro budget surplus into the 2026 budget, which now includes measures proposed by various opposition forces.
The President of the European Council gave a speech at the University of Porto and argued that doubling funds for R&D could raise Portugal to a new level of competitiveness.
European Council President António Costa stated at the University of Porto that the 2028-2034 EU budget framework offers a historic chance for Portugal to advance in competitiveness, particularly through increased investment in research, development, and innovation. Costa highlighted the new European Competitiveness Fund and emphasized the need for stronger partnerships between universities and the business sector to boost the country's economic value and job quality.
Financial services company Baker Tilly has strengthened its presence in the Portuguese market with the acquisition of the audit firm Anjos & Associados. The tax consultancy's deal is part of a new strategic plan to reach an annual turnover of 100 million euros by 2028. The purchase agreement for the Portuguese firm Anjos – a company...
Nuno Botelho, president of the Porto Commercial Association, advocates for a new relationship between the Porto City Council and civil society, calling for less municipal intervention and more support for local institutions. In an interview at the Palácio da Bolsa, he criticizes Lisbon's centralism, highlights the lack of political and media visibility for the North, and argues that despite the region's significant contribution to exports, it still struggles to generate sufficient wealth and wages. He also calls for higher value-added tourism, increased business cooperation, tax reform, and a strategic focus on rail infrastructure connecting Porto to Lisbon and Vigo.
