European stock markets are expected to open cautiously on Thursday as investors remain wary of the conflict in the Middle East and review a series of corporate reports.
In France, luxury group Kering is hosting an investor day on Thursday where it will present its new strategic plan called ReconKering. Pluxee, the former subsidiary of Sodexo specializing in meal and gift vouchers, confirmed its financial objectives for the 2025-2026 fiscal year on Thursday after exceeding analysts’ expectations in Ebitda in the first half.
Wednesday evening, real estate company Covivio revealed a growth in revenue at constant perimeter in the first quarter of 2026. Meanwhile, Exail Technologies, a specialist in civilian and military robotics, confirmed its growth and profitability goals for 2026 after a strong first quarter, especially in navigation and marine robotics.
Construction and concessions group Vinci announced winning a contract in partnership for the construction of a highway section in the Czech Republic worth a total of 364 million euros. Pernod Ricard will present an activity update for the third quarter of its fiscal year on Wednesday.
After the close of the Paris Stock Exchange, Icade and Virbac will release their first-quarter revenue figures. Groupe ADP will present its March traffic figures, while Vinci will unveil its first-quarter airport traffic data.
Around 8 a.m., the futures contract on the CAC 40 was unchanged, according to broker IG.
In the United States, various economic indicators and events are scheduled for the day, including the release of manufacturing activity index by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, industrial production data for March, and an address by the President of the New York Fed, John Williams.
Stock futures in European markets were trading close to flat on Thursday morning as investors hope for a resumption of talks between the US and Iran to end the conflict in the Middle East. The DAX 40 futures in Frankfurt were up 0.3%, while the FTSE 100 in London fell 0.1%.
The White House indicated on Wednesday that the US was discussing holding a second round of negotiations with Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan. President Donald Trump mentioned that leaders of Israel and Lebanon will have discussions, with initial direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors in Washington on Tuesday.
The possibility of an extension of the ceasefire between the US and Iran is contributing to a more positive atmosphere in the markets, according to OCBC. The ceasefire is set to continue until next Tuesday.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite reached new record highs on Wednesday, driven by hopes for peace talks between Washington and Tehran.
Business results from Morgan Stanley (+4.5%) and Bank of America (+1.8%) were well received, in line with Citigroup’s results the day before.
A report from the Federal Reserve indicated that economic growth in the US had been limited in recent weeks due to disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East. Despite this, price hikes remained moderate despite a strong increase in fuel costs due to the surge in oil prices.
In Asia, the Nikkei index in Tokyo gained 2.5% on Thursday, while the Shanghai Composite index rose by 0.4% and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong increased by 1.5%.
China reported an acceleration in its economic growth at the beginning of the year, thanks to strong exports. The country’s GDP grew by 5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, compared to 4.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025.
In the bond market, US Treasury yields for ten-year and two-year bonds were down by 1 basis point each.
In the currency market, the euro rose slightly against the dollar, while the dollar weakened against the yen.
Oil futures were trading mixed on Thursday morning. The Brent crude oil contract in London was down, while the WTI crude oil contract in Nymex was up.
Analysts suggest that the market is anticipating new negotiations between the US and Iran, which could lead to a reduction in supply disruptions in the Middle East.
The article was sourced from Agefi-Dow Jones, a financial newswire.
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