Opening
European equities closed in mixed-to-positive territory on Thursday, with the CAC 40 leading the major indices at 8,280.0, up 0.43%, while the AEX slipped 0.11% to 1,045.6. The most significant move of the session was sterling-adjacent, as the FTSE 100 advanced 0.40% to breach the 10,400 mark for the first time, reaching 10,401.5 — a psychologically important threshold that signals sustained foreign-capital inflows into UK large-caps, amplified by the euro's 0.20% gain against the dollar to 1.1643, which raises the hedging cost for continental investors holding London-listed positions.
Brent crude slipped 0.57% to $94.49 a barrel, maintaining pressure on energy-intensive European industrials and keeping inflation concerns alive for ECB policymakers. Gold's 0.28% decline to $4,492.50 signals a modest reduction in safe-haven demand, which may lend marginal support to risk assets across European equity markets.
Key stock move
ASML fell 2.91% to €1,454.40, the sharpest move on the AEX, as the semiconductor equipment maker continued to face pressure from uncertainty over export restrictions on its lithography systems to China.
What to watch today
Brent crude holds at $94.49, keeping pressure on energy-intensive sectors across European equity markets and sustaining inflation concerns ahead of any further ECB guidance. The euro trades at $1.1643 against the dollar, a level that will weigh on export earnings forecasts for DAX-listed industrials reporting this week. Investors will monitor whether dollar softness extends further, as a sustained move above $1.17 would materially shift the earnings outlook for eurozone multinationals.