Europe stocks set for mixed open ahead of more earnings, euro zone growth data
The Stoxx 600 index notched a sixth straight positive session on Tuesday, extending its longest winning streak since January. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 meanwhile closed higher for a 12th session, marking its best run since 2017.
Corporate results will be back in focus, with Airbus , UBS , Mercedes, TotalEnergies , Stellantis , Barclays , GSK , Volkswagen and Societe Generale among those reporting. U.S. tariffs have unsurprisingly emerged as a key theme in early reports, with many companies citing the difficulty of forecasting, while bank profits beat expectations. Stock chart icon
Stoxx 600 index.
European markets were heading for a mixed open on Wednesday, according to IG data at 4 a.m. U.K. time.
London's FTSE 100 was set to nudge 5.6 points higher to 8,475, Germany's DAX 34.7 points higher to 22,486, and Italy's MIB 77.6 points higher to 37,443. France's CAC 40 was last seen slipping 6.9 points to 7,561.
— Jenni Reid
China's manufacturing activity fell more-than-expected to a near two-year low, sliding into contractionary territory in April as the escalating trade war with the U.S. hurts bilateral trade.
The official purchasing managers' index came in at 49.0 in April, falling below the 50-level threshold which determines expansion from contraction, for the first time since January, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday.
That reading missed the analysts' expectations for a 49.8 contraction in a Reuters poll, marking a notable slowdown after China's manufacturing activity grew at its fastest rate in a year in March, as exporters front-loaded outbound shipments to avoid higher duties.
Read the full story here.
—Anniek Bao
Samsung Electronics' operating profit and revenue beat analysts' estimates Wednesday, as chip sales rose amid worries of U.S. President Donald Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs coming into effect.
The South Korean company posted a 10% jump in first-quarter revenue from a year earlier, while its operating profit climbed 1.5%.
Shares of Samsung Electronics traded flat after the results.
Read the full story here.
—Dylan Butts, Lee Ying Shan
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