Europe's STOXX 600 ends flat as rate worries offset AI cheer
Tech supports STOXX 600, utilities drag
CTS Eventim shares hit record high as Q1 core profit jumps
Embracer slides as CFO to step down
EZ May business growth at year high, PMI shows
Key euro zone wage indicator picks up in Q1
Updated at 1605 GMT
By Sruthi Shankar and Johann M Cherian
May 23 (Reuters) -European stocks closed flat on Thursday as signs of improving economic activity prompted investors to scale back expectations for interest rate cuts this year and tempered optimism aroundstrong forecasts from AI darling Nvidia.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX came off session highs to close not far from unchanged.
The tech index .SX8P rose1.1%, withsemiconductor stocks including ASML ASML.AS, Infineon IFXGn.DE and ASM ASMI.AS upin the range of 1% to 2.6% after Nvidia NVDA.O forecast quarterly revenue above estimates, announced a stock split and raised its quarterly dividend by 150% on a post-split basis.
Speaking on the European tech performance on the day, Mark Preskett, senior investment consultant and portfolio manager at Morningstar said, "these are key players in the semiconductor production and equipment cycle and it looks like the picks and shovels approach of investing is bearing fruit."
A surge in technology stocks around the prospects for artificial intelligence and hopes of imminent interest rate reductions by the European Central Bank had boosted the STOXX index since late 2023, and it is trading just shy of its all-time high.
However, risky assets cameunder pressure as yields on European bonds rose aftera preliminary survey showed euro zone business activity expanded at its fastest pace in a year in May.
Separately, closely watched negotiated pay growth picked up slightly in the first quarter, bolstering the case for caution in cutting interest rates from record highs. GVD/EUR
Traders are pricing in rate cuts of 58 basis points (bps) by the end of 2024, compared with 67 bps on Wednesday.
"Wage inflation is a lagging indicator ... we're seeing quite a lot of volatility around the data, but in aggregate inflation surprises are relatively muted," Preskett added.
Rate-sensitivesectors such as utilities .SX6P and real estate .SX86P were the biggest laggards, with Britain's National Grid NG.L tumbling nearly 11% after it announced plans to raise about 7 billion pounds ($8.9 billion) through a fully underwritten rights issue.
UK's FTSE 100 .FTSE ended 0.4% lower afterPrime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday called a general election for July 4. .L
Shares of Embracer EMBRACb.ST slid 8.7% after the Swedish games developer said its finance chief would step down for personal reasons, and also reported fourth-quarter operating profit in line with market expectations.
Swiss bankJulius Baer BAER.S rose 3.2% as its assets under management rose 10% to 471 billion Swiss francs ($515 billion) in the first four months of the year.
Ticketing firm CTS Eventim EVDG.DE reported a 36% jump in first quarter adjusted core profit , boosted by rising demand for music and sports events and online ticket sales, sending its shares up 4.8%.
Reporting by Sruthi Shankar and Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips, Eileen Soreng and Chris Reese
Activos relacionados
Últimas noticias
Descargo de responsabilidades: Cada una de las entidades de XM Group proporciona un servicio de solo ejecución y acceso a nuestra plataforma de trading online, permitiendo a una persona ver o usar el contenido disponible en o a través del sitio web, sin intención de cambiarlo ni ampliarlo. Dicho acceso y uso están sujetos en todo momento a: (i) Términos y Condiciones; (ii) Advertencias de riesgo; y (iii) Descargo completo de responsabilidades. Por lo tanto, dicho contenido se proporciona exclusivamente como información general. En particular, por favor tenga en cuenta que, los contenidos de nuestra plataforma de trading online no son ni solicitud ni una oferta para entrar a realizar transacciones en los mercados financieros. Operar en cualquier mercado financiero implica un nivel de riesgo significativo para su capital.
Todo el material publicado en nuestra plataforma de trading online tiene únicamente fines educativos/informativos y no contiene –y no debe considerarse que contenga– asesoramiento ni recomendaciones financieras, tributarias o de inversión, ni un registro de nuestros precios de trading, ni una oferta ni solicitud de transacción con instrumentos financieros ni promociones financieras no solicitadas.
Cualquier contenido de terceros, así como el contenido preparado por XM, como por ejemplo opiniones, noticias, investigaciones, análisis, precios, otras informaciones o enlaces a sitios de terceros que figuran en este sitio web se proporcionan “tal cual”, como comentarios generales del mercado y no constituyen un asesoramiento en materia de inversión. En la medida en que cualquier contenido se interprete como investigación de inversión, usted debe tener en cuenta y aceptar que dicho contenido no fue concebido ni elaborado de acuerdo con los requisitos legales diseñados para promover la independencia en materia de investigación de inversiones y, por tanto, se considera como una comunicación comercial en virtud de las leyes y regulaciones pertinentes. Por favor, asegúrese de haber leído y comprendido nuestro Aviso sobre investigación de inversión no independiente y advertencia de riesgo en relación con la información anterior, al que se puede acceder aquí.
