companies
Philips Wins a Dutch Court Ruling, but the Respironics Reckoning Is Not Over
Amsterdam's Enterprise Chamber rejected a shareholder inquiry into Philips' sleep-apnea recall. Its narrow legal scope leaves other questions untouched.
Author
Marieke Bakker
Finance & Pensions Correspondent, Dutch Business Review
Marieke Bakker covers Dutch banking, pensions, insurance and financial technology. Her work follows the balance sheets and policy choices of institutions that collectively manage one of Europe's largest pools of household and retirement capital.
She writes on bank earnings, the pension transition, institutional investment and the way interest rates and regulation change the economics of mortgages, savings and long-term assets.
Marieke's finance coverage follows institutions through their balance sheets rather than their branding. She looks at funding costs, asset allocation, mortgage and savings economics, solvency and regulation, and keeps the long transition of the Dutch pension system connected to the investment decisions it creates.
That long-horizon perspective is important in a market where pension and insurance capital can dwarf many corporate transactions. Her work asks not only what a rule or rate change means today, but how it changes the incentives facing banks, funds and households over several years.
Articles by Marieke Bakker
regulation
Eleven EU Governments Want a State-Aid Rule to Recognise How Scale-ups Are Financed
The Netherlands-led proposal would count subordinated debt and other quasi-equity when deciding whether a company is an undertaking in difficulty. The argument is technical, but it affects access to grants, guarantees and loans.
finance
The Netherlands Wants €7 Billion of Public Capital to Unlock €30 Billion. The Pipeline Is the Hard Part
A new national investment institution will combine Invest-NL and Invest International and seek private co-finance from banks, insurers and asset managers. The leverage target is plausible only if bankable projects arrive at scale.
finance
The Netherlands' Largest Banks: ING, Rabobank and ABN AMRO Compared
A guide to the Netherlands' largest banking groups, including ING, Rabobank and ABN AMRO, and why assets, mortgages, deposits and international exposure matter more than a simple ranking.
finance
ABN Amro Raises Its 2026 Income Outlook as Rates Support Earnings
ABN Amro raised its 2026 commercial net interest income guidance to €6.8 billion after second-quarter profit rose nearly 30%. What drove the Dutch bank's results.
finance
Adyen’s Growth Raises the Stakes for Its Infrastructure Spending
Adyen processed more payments and increased net revenue in the first half. Acquisitions completed after the reporting period and higher planned capital spending make the next comparison more complex.
finance
The Dutch Pension Transition Now Covers €589 Billion of Assets
Dutch pension funds held €1.72 trillion in assets at the end of Q2 2026, with €589 billion already converted under the new pension system, according to DNB.
finance
ING’s Fee Growth Puts More Than Interest Rates Behind Its Earnings
ING’s second-quarter figures show rising fee income and customer deposits. The next question is whether those relationships produce durable earnings without a matching rise in costs.
finance
Adyen's Next Growth Test Is Bigger Than the Checkout
Adyen's Q1 2026 results and proposed Talon.One acquisition explain how the Amsterdam payments company is expanding beyond transaction processing.