logo
European stocks down with bank and healthcare drag

European stocks down with bank and healthcare drag

FRANKFURT: European shares closed lower on Friday, as losses in banks and healthcare stocks weighed at the end of a week marred by US President Donald Trump's tariff announcements, with the European Union also awaiting a letter on levies from Trump.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed 1% lower, snapping a four-day win streak and clocking its biggest single-day decline in over three-months.
Germany's DAX and Britain's FTSE both came off their record high levels seen this week to fall 0.8% and 0.4%, respectively on Friday.
The EU initially hoped to strike a comprehensive trade agreement with the US, including zero-for-zero tariffs on industrial goods, but months of difficult talks have led to the realization it will probably have to settle for an interim agreement and hope something better can be negotiated.
'We had expected it to be approved on Wednesday, so the longer this drags on, the more we worry that Trump isn't on board, and the EU could get hit with significantly higher tariffs yet again,' TD Securities analysts said in a note.
HSBC estimates that a 10%-20% hike in import tariffs by the US on regional goods could suppress the overall revenue of the FTSE Europe index by 1.2%-2.4% and the net income in the range 4.0%-6.0%.
Risk sentiment took a hit globally after Trump
announced a 35% tariff rate on all imports from Canada from August 1 and floated a blanket 15% or 20% tariff rate on other countries, up from the current 10% baseline rate.
European banks were at the forefront of the selloff with a 1.8% fall. Norway's largest bank DNB lagged with an 8.8% slide after reporting an earnings miss for the second quarter, hit by weaker than expected interest income and higher loan losses.
Health care stocks, which hold a weight of more than 12% on the STOXX, also saw heavy losses on Friday with Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk down 3.6%.
A rare bright spot was energy, with shares of BP up 3.4% after the British oil giant said its second quarter upstream output is set to be higher than previously forecast.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nasdaq, S&P hit record levels as megacaps rise ahead of tech earnings
Nasdaq, S&P hit record levels as megacaps rise ahead of tech earnings

Business Recorder

time2 hours ago

  • Business Recorder

Nasdaq, S&P hit record levels as megacaps rise ahead of tech earnings

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq reached new record highs on Monday, bolstered by gains in megacaps as investors geared up for the week's major tech earnings, while the prospects of fresh trade deals also boosted sentiment. At 11:21 a.m. ET, the S&P 500 gained 34.97 points, or 0.56%, to 6,331.90 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 147.24 points, or 0.71%, to 21,042.87. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 201.87 points, or 0.46%, to 44,544.76, just 1.28% shy of its all-time high. Verizon gained 4.1% after boosting its annual profit forecast. The stock also drove up the communications sector , which emerged as the top gainer among other sectors. Most big-tech names moved higher, pushing the S&P's information technology sector up 0.6% to hit an all-time high. The spotlight was on Google-parent Alphabet and electric-vehicle maker Tesla, whose results this week will kick off the 'Magnificent Seven' earnings parade, and could set the tone for Wall Street. Shares of Alphabet rose 2.1%, while Tesla dipped 0.2%. Both stocks have lagged their peers so far this year, with Tesla down 18.5% year to date and Alphabet slipping 0.2%. Wall Street Week Ahead: Industrial sector's gains to be tested as earnings ramp up 'It is going to be interesting to see the Tesla and Google reports,' because those two are kind of 'underachievers in the Mag 7 this year,' said Mike Dickson, head of research at Horizon Investments. 'We're going to need these earnings reports to just really knock it out of the park if we want to see this little leg of the rally continue.' Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's August 1 tariff deadline, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq reached new heights recently as investors believed that the economic fallout from tariffs might not be as dire as once feared. Trump has threatened to slap 30% tariffs on imports from Mexico and the EU, and sent letters to other trading partners, including Canada, Japan and Brazil, setting blanket tariff rates ranging from 20% to 50%. Investors were expecting some progress in trade talks after U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Sunday expressedconfidence over striking a trade deal with the European Union. However, EU diplomats said the 27-member bloc is exploring a broader set of possible counter-measures against the UnitedStates, as hopes for a breakthrough deal with Washington dwindled. On the economic data front, investors will keep a close eye on jobless claims figures and the July business activity report, expected on Thursday. They will also closely analyze Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's remarks on Tuesday for any clues on the central bank's next move, especially after last week's mixed inflation signals. Traders have largely ruled out a July rate cut, and are now pegging the odds at about 56% for a September reduction, according to CME Group's FedWatch tool. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 3.02-to-1 ratio on the NYSE, and by a 2.58-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 posted 15 new 52-week highs and 5 new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 73 new highs and 34 new lows.

Mining shares boost TSX; investors await trade updates
Mining shares boost TSX; investors await trade updates

Business Recorder

time3 hours ago

  • Business Recorder

Mining shares boost TSX; investors await trade updates

Canada's commodity-heavy main stock index on Monday rebounded from the previous session's losses, led by gains in mining stocks, while investors looked for potential trade deals between the U.S. and its key trading partners. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 0.2% at 27,372.76 points. In the latest trade development, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Sunday he was confident that Washington could secure a trade deal with the EU, but August 1 is a hard deadline for tariffs to kick in. However, EU diplomats said the 27-member bloc is exploring a broader set of possible counter-measures against the U.S., as hopes for a breakthrough deal with Washington dwindled. Traders awaited clarity on U.S.-EU trade talks and looked for additional deals from major U.S. trading partners ahead of President Donald Trump's August 1 tariff deadline. 'It (aspects of a potential trade deal) just seems to go back and forth…trying to forecast what's going to happen has consistently got investors burned over the past few months', said Josh Sheluk, portfolio manager at Verecan Capital Management. He added that it is better for investors to stay patient and avoid getting caught up in the daily noise around tariffs. Meanwhile, domestic investors looked forward to the Bank of Canada's Business Outlook Survey, due later in the day, for business expectations amid tariff-related uncertainty. On the TSX, materials stocks led the sectoral gains with a 2.3% rise, tracking gold prices. Energy subindex fell 0.4% as oil prices slightly dipped. Among individual stocks, Osisko Development rose 2.2% after the mineral exploration company announced a $450 million credit agreement with funds advised by Appian Capital Advisory. In the U.S., several industrial and tech firms are set to report their earnings this week, with Alphabet and Tesla kicking off the results season for the 'Magnificent Seven' stocks.

Gulf markets mixed as strong earnings offset US tariff concerns
Gulf markets mixed as strong earnings offset US tariff concerns

Business Recorder

time5 hours ago

  • Business Recorder

Gulf markets mixed as strong earnings offset US tariff concerns

Stock markets in the Gulf ended mixed on Monday, as investors weighed positive corporate earnings against concerns over U.S. trade policy changes. The European Union is exploring broader counter-measures against the U.S. as prospects of an acceptable trade agreement with Washington fade, according to EU diplomats. Investors had been hoping for some progress in trade talks ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's August 1 tariff deadline; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is still confident a deal could be reached with the EU. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index gained 0.2%, ending a nine-day losing streak, led by a 1.6% gain in sharia-compliantlender Al Rajhi Bank and a 1.2% increase in Saudi National Bank, as the duo reported a rise in quarterly net profit. But International Petrochemical Company declined 5.7%, after the firm turned to losses in the second quarter. If upcoming earnings reports are broadly positive, the market may rebound, Osama Al Saifi, managing director for MENA at Traze, said. Dubai's main share index dropped 0.8%, easing from a multi-year high, hit by a 3.7% slide in top lender Emirates NBD. Profit-taking weighed on the market, with noticeable pressure on the financial sector, Saifi said. Most Gulf stocks slip on US tariff worries 'Investors could secure their profits after a long period of strong momentum ahead of the Q2 earnings releases.' Air Arabia leapt 4.8% to a fresh record high after securing a bid to operate a new Saudi low-cost national airline, set to launch by 2030. In Abu Dhabi, the index fell 0.2%. Oil prices dipped slightly, with the latest European sanctions on Russian oil expected to have minimal impact on supplies while U.S. tariffs ensure demand concerns remain. The Qatari index closed 0.7% higher, with the Gulf's biggest lender Qatar National Bank gaining 1.5%. Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index edged 0.2% higher, hitting a new record high. ----------------------------------------- SAUDI ARABIA rose 0.2% to 10,981 Abu Dhabi fell 0.2% to 10,262 Dubai dropped 0.8% to 6,045 QATAR gained 0.7% to 11,022 EGYPT added 0.2% to 34,130 BAHRAIN was down 0.3% to 1,938 OMAN rose 1.5% at 4,743 KUWAIT was up 0.1% to 9,302 -----------------------------------------

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store