European Markets Poised for Gains as Investors Eye Key Earnings Reports

European stocks are expected to open higher on Thursday, as investors prepare for a fresh round of corporate earnings that could shape market sentiment for the week. The upbeat outlook reflects cautious optimism following a mixed performance on Wednesday, when traders digested results from several major European companies.

According to data from IG, London’s FTSE 100 and Germany’s DAX are set to rise by around 0.4% at the open, while France’s CAC 40 could climb 1.1% and Italy’s FTSE MIB 0.5%. Analysts note that investors are closely monitoring these indices for early signals on broader European economic trends.

Thursday is shaping up to be a particularly busy day for earnings. Global companies including Siemens, L’Oreal, Anheuser-Busch InBev, British American Tobacco, Mercedes-Benz Group, Adyen, and Deutsche Börse are set to release their latest financial results. In addition, the U.K. will publish its fourth-quarter GDP and industrial production figures, adding another layer of data for traders to consider.

Markets in the Asia-Pacific also delivered positive signals overnight. Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged past 58,000 for the first time in history, extending its post-election rally to new highs. Meanwhile, U.S. futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average showed little movement after the blue-chip index’s three-day winning streak came to an end.

Investors appear to be balancing optimism over corporate earnings with caution around broader economic indicators. As Europe’s major stock markets prepare to open higher, traders will likely watch both earnings reports and macroeconomic data closely to gauge the path of regional markets in the weeks ahead.

source: cnbc