2025-04-01 07:26:05Major European stock markets opened the second quarter on a positive note, with the STOXX 50 rising 0.7% and the STOXX 600 gaining 0.8%, marking their first advance in four sessions. This rebound comes after both indexes slumped around 1.5% in the previous session, hitting two-month lows. Investors remain focused on the ongoing trade war, with the so-called "Liberation Day" for the US set for tomorrow. President Donald Trump is expected to unveil his reciprocal tariff plan, though uncertainty persists regarding the scope and impact of the measures. Meanwhile, inflation in the Eurozone slowed for the second consecutive month, reaching 2.2%, while services inflation also eased. On the corporate front, shares of SAP (+1.7%), LVMH (+1.1%), ASML Holding (+1.8%), and L'Oréal (+1.8%) traded higher. The auto sector also saw gains, with Mercedes-Benz (+0.2%), BMW (+1.6%), and Volkswagen (+1.6%) posting advances.
2025-03-31 07:20:05Stocks in Europe started the week in negative territory, with both the STOXX 50 and the STOXX 600 dropping around 1% to near two-month lows as concerns over the ongoing trade war continued to weigh on investor sentiment. New reciprocal tariffs on US imports are set to take effect on Wednesday, though uncertainty remains over their exact scope. President Trump stated that the tariffs would broadly apply to all countries and reports also indicate that Trump has recently urged his advisors to adopt a more aggressive stance on tariffs. The basic resources sector saw sharp losses, hitting its lowest level since September, while banks, chemicals, and construction materials were also among the biggest decliners. For the month of March, the STOXX 50 is down approximately 2.4%, but remains on track to close the first quarter about 9% higher. Similarly, the STOXX 600 has lost 2.7% this month but is still up around 7% for the quarter, marking its best performance since late 2022.
2025-03-28 17:03:03European stock markets declined on Friday, with the Stoxx 50 dropping 1.1% and the Stoxx 600 falling 0.8%, marking its third consecutive negative close. Investors reacted to U.S. economic data, particularly the core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, which rose unexpectedly to 2.8%, signaling persistent inflation. This put pressure on European markets, which had already been weighed down by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 25% tariff on foreign-made cars, set to take effect on April 2. Trump also threatened further tariffs on the EU and Canada, escalating trade tensions. Meanwhile, inflation data from Spain and France showed softer-than-expected results, with France’s inflation holding steady at 0.9% and Spain’s dropping to 2.2%. In corporate news, shares of Ubisoft went down almost 2% after Chinese tech giant Tencent announced a $1.25 billion investment in a subsidiary focused on Ubisoft’s gaming franchises.