EUROPE MARKETS: European Markets Bounce As Investors Weigh Trade Fight Impact
30 Mai 2019 - 12:41PM
Dow Jones News
By Dave Morris
European markets gave back some of Wednesday's losses as
investors debated whether the U.S.-China trade skirmish could prove
long and intractable.
How did markets perform?
The Stoxx 600 rose 0.4% to 372.1, after plunging 1.4%
Wednesday.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 also climbed 0.4% to 7,214. On Wednesday, it
fell 1.2%.
The pound edged up 0.1% to $1.2632, after moving downward
Wednesday by 0.3%.
In Germany, the DAX (DAX) was 0.6% higher at 11,912.5. It had
fallen 1.6% Wednesday.
France's CAC 40 rebounded 0.5% to 5,247.1, after sinking 1.7%
Wednesday.
Italy's FTSE MIB was up 0.4% to 20,079.9. It declined 1.3%
Wednesday.
What's moving the markets?
Another mixed bag of news provided little clarity on the future
of the U.S.-China trade dispute. Reuters reported on a request for
federal funding by the U.S. Defense Department
(https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-usa-rareearth-pentagon/eyeing-china-pentagon-sends-report-on-rare-earth-minerals-to-congress-idUSKCN1SZ2C6)
to bolster production of rare earths minerals, which China is the
dominant player in and has threatened to withhold. Meanwhile, the
Chinese government is reportedly telling officials and state media
to tone down some of its rhetoric and to avoid referring to the
opposing camp as the "U.S. side".
The spotlight remained on Italian bond yields, which rose again
after Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini demanded that the
European Central Bank intervene and back government debt. The ECB
is unlikely to accept Salvini's request, further raising the
temperature on an already-tense conflict over Europe's fiscal
rules.
In economic data, U.S. initial jobless claims for May will be
closely watched by investors, as economists expect an increase to
214,000 from 211,000. There is also U.S. first quarter gross
domestic product (GDP), and the consensus prediction is for no
change from the previous quarter's figure, 3.2%.
Which stocks are active?
Axel Springer SE (SPR.XE) leapt up 20.6% as the German media
group announced that it was in talks with private-equity firm KKR
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/axel-springer-in-talks-to-sell-stake-to-kkr-2019-05-30-2485256),
which wants to take a stake in the company. The majority
shareholders would not give up control, however, and are instead
considering whether to take the company private. Shares had fallen
in recent months over concerns about the long-term profitability of
the company's online classified ad business.
U.K. transport operator FirstGroup PLC (FGP.LN) shares climbed
4.4% on the announcement that it planned to sell its Greyhound bus
operation in the U.S., to focus on its school and local bus units
there, and to mollify activist investor Coast Capital. The
statement was made in the course of announcing full-year earnings,
which narrowed the company's loss compared with the previous year.
AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said: "It remains to be seen
if this will be enough to deflect calls from Coast Capital for a
change in management."
Johnson Matthey PLC (JMAT.LN) shares fell 3.1% as the British
chemical company reported full year earnings
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/johnson-matthey-pretax-profit-rises-53-2019-05-30),
and guided lower for the coming year's figures. The company's
pretax profit was GBP488 million, significantly above 2018's GBP320
million figure.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 30, 2019 06:26 ET (10:26 GMT)
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