Fed Governor Cook sues Trump over firing attempt
Investing.com - European stocks mostly rose Thursday, as investors digested earnings from important chipmaker Nvidia ahead of the release of regional confidence data.
At 04:15 ET (08:15 GMT), the DAX index in Germany gained 0.4%, the CAC 40 in France climbed 1.1%, rebounding after hefty losses earlier in the week on political uncertainty, while the FTSE 100 in the U.K. slipped 0.1%.
Nvidia details China uncertainty
European equities have mostly edged higher as investors digested somewhat mixed earnings from artificial intelligence major Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA).
Nvidia reported stronger-than-expected earnings for the July quarter, and also presented an above-consensus guidance for the current quarter. But revenue from data centers, the company’s biggest breadwinner, missed expectations after it was blocked from selling its chips in China.
Nvidia flagged persistent uncertainty over Chinese sales even after it was allowed by Washington to resume its sales in late-July, and did not account for Chinese sales in its current quarter guidance.
Still, Nvidia flagged strong AI-fueled demand for its chips, which it said will keep driving strong earnings growth in the coming quarters, quelling worries over weakening AI demand.
Semiconductor stocks in Europe were mixed as investors parsed Nvidia’s results, as shares of ASML (AS:ASML) and BE Semiconductor Industries (AS:BESI) edged lower, while Infineon Technologies (ETR:IFXGn) and ASM International (AS:ASMI) rose.
Pernod Ricard reports fall in FY sales
In the European corporate sector, French spirits maker Pernod Ricard (EPA:PERP) reported a 3% fall in full-year 2025 organic sales which met forecasts, but warned of lower first quarter revenues amid tariff uncertainty and sliding sales in the United States and China.
Food delivery company Delivery Hero (ETR:DHER) posted stronger-than-expected second-quarter revenue on Thursday, supported by solid performances across several markets and faster expansion of its own delivery network in South Korea.
Elekta (BS:EKTABs) reported a 50% increase in net income in its fiscal first quarter, as lower costs and improved cash flow offset weaker reported sales at the Stockholm-based medical technology company.
Eurozone consumer confidence due
Investors also await the release of the eurozone consumer confidence data for August ahead of the next European Central Bank meeting in the middle of September.
The ECB is widely expected to keep interest rates on hold next month after President Christine Lagarde said in July the eurozone’s central bank was "in a good place" as it left its key rate at 2%, bringing a year-long cutting cycle to an end.
Crude steady after sharp drop
Oil prices fell on expectations for lower U.S. fuel demand as the summer driving season draws near, even after a sharp drop in U.S. crude inventories.
At 04:15 ET, Brent futures slipped 0.4% to $67.19 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 0.4% to $63.87 a barrel.
Both contracts climbed in the prior session after the Energy Information Administration reported that U.S. crude inventories fell by 2.4 million barrels in the week ended August 22, a larger draw than the 1.9 million barrels forecast by analysts.
The drop signaled strong demand ahead of the upcoming U.S. Labor Day long weekend. However, this typically marks the unofficial end of the summer driving season and the onset of lower U.S. demand.