European markets head for soft open as sentiment falters
Summarize this article with:
LONDON — European stocks are expected to open broadly flat on Wednesday as investors gear up for central bank decisions.The U.K.'s FTSE index is seen opening a touch higher, Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 slightly below the flatline, and Italy's FTSE MIB down 0.1%, according to data from IG.Central bank action will be closely watched by European market participants this week, with the European Central Bank set to hold its final policy meeting of the year on Thursday.While the central bank is expected to keep rates at 2%, ECB President Christine Lagarde said it was likely to lift its euro zone growth forecasts again. In September, it had raised its annual GDP growth forecast to 1.2%.The Bank of England, Riksbank, and Norges Bank will also hold their last monetary policy decisions for 2025 this week. The BOE's nine-member monetary policy committee is expected to trim interest rates by 25 basis points to 3.75%, given a backdrop of lackluster growth and signs that unemployment could be ticking higher. The bank's policymakers will be keeping a close eye on U.K. inflation data for November out on Wednesday to see if a disinflation trend is continuing. Economists polled by Reuters expect inflation to stand at 3.5%, down slightly from the 3.6% seen in the twelve months to October. Globally overnight, U.S. stock futures slid after the S&P 500 posted a third losing session Tuesday, as investors weighed the U.S. jobs landscape after the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released data on Tuesday for both October (after the data was delayed due to the government shutdown) and November.The data showed the U.S. economy shed 105,000 jobs in October, but that 64,000 jobs were added in November.Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Wednesday as investors parsed Japan's trade data.— CNBC's Liz Napolitano contributed to this market report. Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.© 2025 Versant Media, LLC.
All Rights Reserved. A Versant Media Company. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by