European stocks set to open higher on optimism that U.S.-EU trade deal is imminent
Jonathan Brady - Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty Images
Good morning from London, and welcome to CNBC's live blog covering all the action and business news in European financial markets on Thursday.
Futures data from IG suggest a positive open for European indexes as hopes of a U.S.-EU trade deal rise, with London's FTSE 100 seen opening 0.4% higher, France's CAC 40 up 1.3%, Germany's DAX up 1.1%, and Italy's FTSE MIB 1.24% higher.
European markets rose Wednesday amid hopes that the U.S. and European Union could be closing in on a trade deal. Regional stocks jumped yesterday after the Financial Times reported that the two large trading partners were closing in on a 15% tariff deal.
Optimism that a deal was close rose after President Donald Trump announced that he had completed a "massive Deal" with Japan, and hinted that Europe could be next.
"We have Europe coming in tomorrow, and the next day, we have some other ones coming in," Trump said late on Tuesday, without specifying details.
— Holly Ellyatt
Flags for the European Union members stand during a ceremony to lay a cornerstone for the new European Central Bank (ECB) headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany.
Hannelore Foerster | Bloomberg | Getty Images
It's a busy day for central banks and corporates on Thursday.
The European Central Bank is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged as it gauges the trade tariff landscape.
On the earnings front, reports are set to come from BNP , Roche, Nokia, Nestle, Lloyds Banking Group, BT Group, Reckitt Benckiser Group, ITV, Wizz Air , TotalEnergies , Vodafone , Centrica, Michelin, Dassault Systemes , ST Micro, Carrefour , Deutsche Bank , Deutsche Boerse , LVMH and more.
On the data front, flash European purchasing managers' index data and Germany's GfK consumer confidence figures are due.
— Holly Ellyatt
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Clothing Clothing is expected to see one of the most significant price increases since the U.S. is the largest single importer of apparel, and much of it comes from countries in Asia. 'The 2025 tariffs disproportionately affect clothing and textiles, with consumers facing 40% higher shoe prices and 38% higher apparel prices in the short-run,' the Budget Lab at Yale, a nonpartisan policy research center, said in a recent analysis. Shoes and apparel could remain 19 percent and 17 percent higher, respectively, in the long run, the report added. Vietnam, one of the largest exporters of appear to the U.S., has agreed to a 20 percent tariff. Brands such as Nike, Adidas, Zara, and Gap manufacture much of their clothing in Vietnam. While many can absorb some of those costs, even raising prices 10 percent would make a $65 pair of shoes $71.50, without tax. Bjorn Gulden, the CEO of Adidas, said the tariffs 'will directly increase the cost of our products for the U.S.' Other countries that are high producers of clothing face significant tariffs as well. Bangladesh has a 20 percent tariff, while Indonesia and Cambodia both face a 19 percent tariff. India, also a large producer of apparel, faces a steep tariff of 25 percent and Trump has threatened to increase that to 50 percent by the end of August if the country does not stop importing Russian oil. While the U.S. also imports a large portion of clothing from China, which is still negotiating a trade deal, Trump's decision to get rid of the de minimis exemption will make it more costly for consumers to purchase cheap clothing from stores like Shein or Temu. Coffee The U.S. relies heavily on Brazil to import coffee for the 165 million people who need their daily caffeine fix, but Trump's 50 percent tariff threatens the long-term availability and price of the drink. "When people go to their local coffee shop, whether it's Starbucks or something else, by and large they will likely be buying some form of Brazilian coffee," Monica de Bolle, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told NPR. "A 50 percent tariff will kill that market." Household products: appliances, cookware, furniture Everyday household items made with steel or aluminum, such as cookware, appliances, furniture, and more, are likely going to be impacted by Trump's steep 50 percent industry tariffs. The U.S. relies heavily on its trading partners, particularly Canada and Mexico, for steel and aluminium imports. Nearly half of the aluminum used in the U.S. is imported, while less than a quarter of steel is imported. But that doesn't mean consumers won't see price increases. One small business, Heritage Steel, a family-owned cookware manufacturer in Tennessee, told NBC News that they recently received a tariff bill of $75,000 on an order of handles – and they're anticipating higher bills in the future. Since the U.S. does not have many specialized steel manufacturers, Heritage Steel imports approximately 75 percent of its raw material. Unlike other cookware manufacturers, they only import raw material and create their products in the U.S. Danny Henn, the vice president of operations for Hertiage Steel, told NBC News that the company wants to keep its products moderately priced, but at the same time, cannot absorb the new price of steel. They've raised their prices approximately 15 percent to make up for it. 'We're happy and proud to be a provider of really high-quality cookware, but one that's more affordably priced than some of the others on the market,' Henn said. 'We want to continue to offer the best price we can, given our constraints.' Watches Although imported watches are not an everyday essential, luxury wristwatches made in Switzerland are likely to see significant price increases thanks to the 39 percent tariff imposed on the country on Thursday. That means Americans looking to purchase a watch from recognizable brands such as Rolex, Breitling, Patek Philippe, Omega, or TAG Heuer may have to pay significantly more. An analysis of the impact, conducted by Bob's Watches, a secondhand watch retailer, found that a $9,900 stainless steel Breitling could rise to $11,080.
