European stocks set to open higher as ECB widely expected to cut interest rates
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Good morning from London! This is CNBC's live blog covering all the action in European financial markets on Thursday. All eyes are on the European Central Bank, which is expected to announce a rate cut.
Futures data from IG suggests London's FTSE will open 4 points higher at 8,802, Germany's DAX up 22 points at 24,276, France's CAC 40 unchanged at 7,804 and Italy's FTSE MIB 46 points higher at 40,123.
The ECB's monetary policy decision is in focus for regional markets Thursday, with the central bank widely expected to trim interest rates by 25 basis points, taking its key rate, the deposit facility rate, to 2%.
Expectations of a rate cut were cemented after flash data on Tuesday showed inflation in the euro zone hit a cooler than expected 1.9% in May.
Read more here: The European Central Bank is almost guaranteed to cut rates. Here's what could happen next
— Holly Ellyatt
Traders work at the New York Stock Exchange on June 4, 2025.
NYSE
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed and U.S. stock futures were near flat overnight with sentiment dented by U.S. data showing private sector hiring has hit its lowest level in over two years.
Private sector payrolls rose by just 37,000 in May, coming in sharply below the Dow Jones forecast of 110,000 and raising investor worries about the softening job market and the impact on the economy. Those concerns weighed on the major averages during the session, too.
Still, the market's recent gains — which have been powered by a surge in technology stocks — coupled with a blowout first-quarter earnings season, have revived sentiment on Wall Street. Nevertheless, investors remain cautious that more pain could be ahead in light of the Trump administration's tariffs.
— Holly Ellyatt, Pia Singh
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