European Markets Open Higher as Earnings Super Thursday Drives Investor Focus

European markets opened higher on Thursday as investors turned their attention to a busy slate of corporate earnings from some of the region’s biggest companies, setting the tone for what traders have dubbed an earnings “Super Thursday.”

The pan-European Stoxx 600 index rose 0.35% shortly after the opening bell in London, recovering from losses seen in the previous session. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 gained 0.28%, France’s CAC 40 climbed 0.64%, and Italy’s FTSE MIB advanced 0.43%, while Germany’s DAX bucked the trend, slipping 0.56%.

Several major European firms reported earnings, including Deutsche Bank, ING, Wizz Air, Roche, Swedbank, ABB, Sanofi, Nokia, STMicroelectronics and SAP. The results offered fresh insight into how companies are navigating slowing global growth, tighter financial conditions, and shifting consumer demand.

CNBC is set to interview a lineup of top executives and finance chiefs throughout the day, including Deutsche Bank CFO James von Moltke, ING CFO Tanate Phutrakul, Wizz Air CEO József Váradi, Roche CEO Thomas Schinecker, and SAP CFO Dominik Asam, adding further context for investors tracking the earnings season closely.

Global markets are also keeping an eye on developments in the United States, where Apple is due to release its fiscal first-quarter results later Thursday, alongside earnings from Mastercard, Caterpillar, and Lockheed Martin. Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures were little changed after the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, signaling stable economic activity and a labor market showing early signs of stabilization, even as traders continue to price in possible rate cuts by the end of 2026.

source: cnbc