Squawk Box Europe Express

U.S. tech stocks start the new week in the green and the Nasdaq notches its best day in 6 months with Alphabet shares approaching the $4tn market valuation mark. The U.S. and Ukraine put forward a revised peace plan following 2 days of discussions in Geneva but the most contested points remain to be finalised by both presidents. The talks will now reportedly move to Abu Dhabi with a delegation arriving from Moscow. The UK’s fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, is set to downgrade the country’s growth outlook a day before Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ high-stakes budget.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The U.S. and Ukraine find common ground on an ‘updated and refined’ peace agreement but the deal comes under criticism from President Trump and questions grow as to its origins. Markets on both sides of the Atlantic are set to begin the new trading week in the green as NY Federal Chairman John Williams suggests a rate cut could be imminent following a weakening employment print. And in mining news, BHP says it will abandon a last-ditch bid for rival Anglo American following news of a revised second offer more than a year and half since its initial approach  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. markets experience their largest single-day reversal since April with the Nasdaq plunging from a high of 2.5 per cent to end the session more than 2 per cent in the red. Following a strong jobs report, investors are now cutting the odds of a final interest rate cut for the year next month. Asia has followed suit overnight with tech stocks selling off while futures in Europe also point south. A U.S.-brokered peace agreement for Ukraine will reportedly demand key concessions from Kyiv which could include ceding land it currently controls as well as giving up its bid for NATO membership.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nvidia beats expectations in Q3 earnings and guides beyond projections for 2026, sending shares up 5 per cent in after-hours trading. CEO Jensen Huang remains sanguine about over-stretched A.I. valuations. A relief rally moves through global equities and Bitcoin. Chip makers in Asia see shares rise as a result while European and U.S. futures point higher for the session ahead. President Trump slams Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell over inflation and urges Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to help bring down interest rates.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tech stocks continue to sell off Stateside while Europe’s Stoxx 600 ends yesterday’s session at a one-month low and the DAX plunges to its lowest level since June. Chip giant Nvidia results are due after the bell today with analysts anticipating a sharp rise in sales amid any signs of an A.I. bubble. President Trump hosts Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House, calling the Kingdom ‘a major non-NATO ally’. Trump also struck an optimistic tone regarding the expansion of the Abraham Accords to foster stability in the Middle East.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

European markets are sharply in the red amid an accelerating global sell-off. Investors are now awaiting economic data prints Stateside following the recent re-opening of the federal government. Big technology stocks remain under pressure as fears of A.I. over-valuations show no signs of abating. In crypto news, Bitcoin sees its gains for the year wiped out and there are concerns a bigger rout still lies ahead. The European Commission hikes its growth forecast for the year despite predictions that government deficits are set to rise over the next few years. European Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis warns CNBC any downturn in markets would knock investor confidence in the bloc.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Nasdaq ends a second consecutive week in the red with investors awaiting Nvidia results and a delayed U.S. jobs print later this week. German finance minister Lars Klingbeil is in Beijing for talks with Vice Premier He Lifeng to reassess economic ties between the two countries. Switzerland is eyeing major U.S. investments after the Trump administration cut tariffs down to 15 per cent. USTR Jaimeson Greer says the EU’s tariffs on U.S. goods remain too high and the bloc was slow in cutting back levies.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A sell-off in the Nasdaq and several major tech firms continues to fuel investor concerns over A.I. valuations while hopes of an interest rate cut by the Fed’s December now only stand at 50 per cent. UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly now set to scrap her manifesto-breaking plan to hike income tax after all as voter and party anger swells. Siemens Energy posts FY adjusted profit of 600 per cent and boosts its guidance with A.I. data centres continuing to drive energy demand. CEO Christian Bruch tells CNBC his company is well positioned to meet the needs.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Trump signs a new Federal funding package to end the 43-day government shutdown – the longest in U.S. history. Trump has railed against the Democrats over the $1tn cost involved during the delay to passing the bill. In Europe, the Stoxx600 passes another milestone with benchmarks across the Continent rallying, including the FTSE 100 which nears the 10,000-mark. German engineering giant Siemens posts record net income for the third consecutive year but falls short of expectations with quarterly profits down and the firm set to slash its $39bn stake in Siemens Healthineers.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Market jitters over A.I. valuations persist. ‘Big Short’ investor Michael Burry says hyper-scalers are overstating their earnings while Japan’s Softbank sees its share price plunge following the sale of its stake in Nvidia. The company has pledged to double down on its OpenAI investment. Germany’s Infineon hikes the FY forecast for its A.I. data centre revenue despite Q4 earnings coming in below expectations. CFO Sven Schneider is confident the A.I. boom will continue to drive the company’s success. And in UK politics, a briefing war is raging with reports and counter-reports of a Labour leadership contest to oust Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer just a fortnight before his Chancellor’s high-stakes budget.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The U.S. Senate passes a bill that could re-open government within days and restore federal funding programs until the end of January. Markets have reacted positively to the news with the Nasdaq posting its best session since May. President Trump is mulling tariff relief for Switzerland with some reports suggesting levies could be slashed from 39 per cent to 15 per cent. And in tech news, Softbank posts a $19bn gain at its Vision Fund following investment into OpenAI.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The U.S. Senate progressed a deal towards ending the longest U.S. Government shutdown in history. Eight democrats joined all but one republican in voting to move forward with a funding bill that will keep the U.S. Government liquid through January 30th, drawing rebuke from Democratic party leaders given the deal’s lack of guarantees on healthcare. Meanwhile, China will resume exports of Nexperia chips following a row with the Dutch government, potentially giving a boost to the autos industry which had been hit by the supply shock. In pharma news, the battle between Pfizer and Novo Nordisk for weight-loss biotech Metsera has ended, with the Danish conglomerate losing out in the $10 billion deal.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The global tech sell-off resumes on persistent A.I. valuation and central bank policy fears. The Bank of England held rates steady at 4.00% yesterday in a tight 5-4 split. BOE Governor Andrew Bailey tells CNBC’s Ritika Gupta that inflation is still his primary focus, despite the recent softening in the labour market. Meanwhile, Tesla shareholders approved Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package, the payout of which hinges on the CEO reaching lofty targets on humanoids and robo-taxis.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Global markets stabilize following the valuation-fueled tech rout, though the outlook for A.I. adoption remains mixed. In the U.S., the Supreme Court is hearing arguments over the legality of President Trump’s sweeping tariff agenda, with legal scholars split over the likely outcome. In the U.K., focus is back on the Bank of England ahead of today’s rate decision, with analysts split over the path forward given the recent spate of weaker data. It’s another busy day on the earnings front – Commerzbank reported a surprise fall in third quarter profit, though raised its revenue outlook with CEO Bettina Orlopp telling CNBC net interest income is improving. Meanwhile, the UK’s most valuable company, AstraZeneca, reported a strong set of results, beating on revenue and EPS while reiterating its full year guidance.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Global markets are in the red as concerns mount over A.I. stocks being over-valued, prompting a tech sell-off. In the U.S., Democrats record wins in key gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey while in New York City, far-left candidate Zohran Mamdani claims victory to become mayor. Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk slashes its top-end forecasts as sales growth expectations for its flagship obesity drugs tumble.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves signals a slew of tax hikes in her upcoming budget while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned MPs in the House Of Commons of the need to make ‘tough but fair’ decisions. Philips posts a 3 per cent growth in sales in the third quarter and has hiked its FY margin forecast. In tech news, OpenAI inks a $30bn deal with Amazon to use its AWS cloud infrastructure while Microsoft wins approval to export Nvidia chips to the UAE. CEO Brad Smith tells CNBC that A.I. investments will eventually bear fruit.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

China relaxes restrictions on rare earth exports and stops investigations into the chip sector following last week’s trade agreement with the U.S. President Trump signals continued opposition to exports of Nvidia’s most advanced chips. Crude extends gains following Opec+ nations’ announcement that it would pause further output hikes going into the first quarter next year. In aviation news, Ryanair posts an H1 profit beat and predicts stronger footfall. CEO Michael O’Leary slams UK APD policy, telling CNBC UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves ‘hasn’t a clue’ about stimulating economic growth.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nvidia announces a slew of deals with major South Korean firms involving more than 250,000 Blackwell A.I. chips with CEO Jensen Huang due to address the APEC summit in Gyeongju. Apple posts a Q3 beat thanks to strong iPhone sales while Amazon shares are up 13 per cent in after-hours trade following its fastest growth in cloud computing in years. In Frankfurt, the ECB holds rates steady at 2 per cent for the third consecutive meeting. President Christine Lagarde tells our Italian colleagues at Class CNBC she believes the continent is “in good place”.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Trump slashes tariffs on China to 47 per cent following a “12 out of 10 meeting” with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in the South Korean city of Busan. Trump said that all rare earth restrictions had been lifted as one of several concessions from Beijing. Federal reserve Chairman Jerome Powell casts off assumptions of a definite December rate cut following the FOMC’s decision to cut rates by 25bps – their lowest level in three years – causing markets to waver. Airbus posts a Q3 net profit beat and confirms FY guidance despite scaling back production targets for the A220. CEO Guillaume Faury told CNBC that so far US-EU tariffs have not disrupted the plane maker’s supply chains. However, U.S. tariffs and Porsche’s abandonment of EVs for petrol engines push Volkswagen to a €1.3bn quarterly loss.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

UBS posts a pre-tax quarterly profit surge of 47 per cent. We hear from CEO Sergio Ermotti who shrugs off concerns about credit stress. President Trump lands in South Korea where he is due to meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. He struck a positive tone speaking to CEOs at the APEC summit in Gyeongju, hoping for a trade deal with China that would see tariffs cut and be “welcomed by the world”. AI stocks push Wall Street to new record highs ahead of todays Federal Reserve rate decision. Nvidia unveils a spree of new bookings at its GTC even in Washington D.C.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.