
European stocks set for downbeat open after U.S. inflation data, tariffs fuel growth concerns
Dan Kitwood | Getty Images News | 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 Wednesday.
Futures data from IG suggests regional markets will start the week flat to lower, with London's FTSE 100 unchanged and both France's CAC 40 and Germany's DAX expected to open 0.2% lower. Italy's FTSE MIB is seen opening 0.35% higher.
The downbeat mood for regional markets comes after a difficult start to the week, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced last weekend that he would impose a 30% tariff on goods imported from the EU starting Aug. 1.
Hope that the bloc will negotiate a trade deal with the White House before the end of the month was outweighed Tuesday by global growth concerns after data showed U.S. inflation rose to 2.7% from 2.4% in June.
— Holly Ellyatt
The ASML logo is seen at its headquarters in Veldhoven, Netherlands, on June 16, 2023.
Piroschka Van De Wouw | Reuters
Earnings season is upon us, with ASML , Richemont and Handelsbanken announcing their latest financial results on Thursday.
On the data front, we have the latest U.K. inflation print for June and EU trade data.
— Holly Ellyatt
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Google (GOOGL) Pledges Support for EU AI Rules While Warning Against Overregulation
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:) is one of the . On July 30, Alphabet Google's global affairs president said in a blog post that it will sign the European Union's code of practice to help companies comply with the bloc's landmark artificial intelligence rules. The voluntary code of practice strives to offer legal certainty to signatories on how to meet requirements under the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). 'We do so with the hope that this code, as applied, will promote European citizens' and businesses' access to secure, first-rate AI tools as they become available.' -Kent Walker, who is also Alphabet's chief legal officer. In other news, CNBC reported how Google executives are pushing their employees to be innovative with their use of artificial intelligence as the tech giant looks for ways to cut down costs. CEO Sundar Pichai and executive Brian Saluzzo conveyed the message at a meeting last week. 'Anytime you go through a period of extraordinary investment, you respond by adding a lot of headcount, right? But in this AI moment, I think we have to accomplish more by taking advantage of this transition to drive higher productivity.' Alphabet announced in its earnings report last week that it plans on spending spend $85 billion on capital expenditures in 2025, up from the previous $75 billion. 'We are competing with other companies in the world. There will be companies which will become more efficient through this moment in terms of employee productivity, which is why I think it's important to focus on that.' Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is an American multinational technology conglomerate holding company wholly owning the internet giant Google, amongst other businesses. While we acknowledge the potential of GOOGL as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 Must-Watch AI Stocks on Wall Street and Disclosure: None. Sign in to access your portfolio

Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Lina Kahn is taking a victory lap over the Figma IPO
Former FTC chair Lina Khan celebrated Figma's blockbuster IPO in an X post on Friday. Khan nodded to Adobe's planned Figma acquisition that fell apart in 2023 under regulatory pressure. Khan drew criticism in Silicon Valley for her antitrust enforcement in Big Tech. The former FTC chair celebrated Figma's stellar IPO in an X post on Friday, nodding at the larger movement, including her own efforts, to block major tech mergers. "A great reminder that letting startups grow into independently successful businesses, rather than be bought up by existing giants, can generate enormous value," Khan, who led the FTC from 2021 to 2025, said. "A win for employees, investors, innovation, and the public." Figma went public on Thursday, valued at $19.3 billion, and closed at 250% above its asking price, valuing the design company at nearly $68 billion and delivering a windfall to investors. The IPO came less than two years after rival Adobe dropped its planned acquisition of Figma. The Adobe-Figma merger, valued at $20 billion, was called off in December 2023 after facing regulatory pressure from European and US officials. It was part of a larger crackdown on antitrust enforcement that was pushed by Khan, who drew the ire of Silicon Valley thanks to her aggressive stance on antitrust issues, especially in Big Tech. "Figma is a massive success, but it's because of the company's innovative growth and not due to the FTC and Kahn," Dan Ives, a tech analyst at Wedbush Securities, said on Friday. Louis Lehot, a Silicon Valley-based partner at Foley & Lardner who advises on M&A and venture capital financing, said that while the blockbuster IPO was a great outcome for the company and investors, "there's a hint of schadenfreude in celebrating independent success while dismissing the potential upside of the Adobe-Figma merger." "The Adobe-Figma merger was a missed opportunity to pair complementary strengths and unlock broader value. Independent scaling and strategic acquisition aren't mutually exclusive—each can serve innovation and the public, depending on the context," he added.

Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Lina Kahn is taking a victory lap over the Figma IPO
The former FTC chair celebrated Figma's stellar IPO in an X post on Friday, nodding at the larger movement, including her own efforts, to block major tech mergers. "A great reminder that letting startups grow into independently successful businesses, rather than be bought up by existing giants, can generate enormous value," Khan, who led the FTC from 2021 to 2025, said. "A win for employees, investors, innovation, and the public." Figma went public on Thursday, valued at $19.3 billion, and closed at 250% above its asking price, valuing the design company at nearly $68 billion and delivering a windfall to investors. The IPO came less than two years after rival Adobe dropped its planned acquisition of Figma. The Adobe-Figma merger, valued at $20 billion, was called off in December 2023 after facing regulatory pressure from European and US officials. It was part of a larger crackdown on antitrust enforcement that was pushed by Khan, who drew the ire of Silicon Valley thanks to her aggressive stance on antitrust issues, especially in Big Tech. "Figma is a massive success, but it's because of the company's innovative growth and not due to the FTC and Kahn," Dan Ives, a tech analyst at Wedbush Securities, said on Friday. Louis Lehot, a Silicon Valley-based partner at Foley & Lardner who advises on M&A and venture capital financing, said that while the blockbuster IPO was a great outcome for the company and investors, "there's a hint of schadenfreude in celebrating independent success while dismissing the potential upside of the Adobe-Figma merger." "The Adobe-Figma merger was a missed opportunity to pair complementary strengths and unlock broader value. Independent scaling and strategic acquisition aren't mutually exclusive—each can serve innovation and the public, depending on the context," he added.