European markets set to open lower ahead of central bank bonanza
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LONDON — European stocks are expected to open in negative territory on Thursday as traders prepare for central bank decisions today. The U.K.'s FTSE index is seen a touch lower, Germany's DAX 0.3% lower, France's CAC 40 down 0.2% and Italy's FTSE MIB 0.14% lower, according to data from IG. Markets are preparing for Europe's central banks to announce their final interest-rate decisions of the year on Thursday with the European Central Bank, Bank of England, Riksbank and Norges Bank all concluding monetary policy meetings on Thursday. Only one of them is expected to change rates, however. Shares of BP will be watched closely today after the oil giant said it had appointed Woodside boss Meg O'Neill as its next CEO, replacing Murray Auchincloss after less than two years in the role. Auchincloss will step down Thursday, with Carol Howle, BP's executive vice president for supply, trading and shipping set to serve as interim CEO until O'Neill takes over the role on April 1. She will be BP's fourth CEO in six years.In the U.S. overnight, S&P 500 futures traded near the flatline as investors await November inflation data that could be a catalyst for the market. It will mark the first consumer inflation report issued to the public since the U.S. government shutdown ended last month. Economists polled by Dow Jones predict that headline inflation grew at a 3.1% pace on a year-over-year basis.U.S. stocks are rebounding from a rough trading session Wednesday, pressured by sharp losses in leading semiconductor names tied to the artificial intelligence trade. Artificial intelligence-related stocks dragged indexes after the Financial Times reported that Oracle's primary investor, Blue Owl Capital, pulled out from funding one of its data center projects. Shares of the AI stock tumbled 5.4%.Concerns about the high capital costs behind massive data center deals, such as Oracle's, sent jitters throughout the market and led several chipmakers to fall yesterday with Broadcom losing 4.5%, while shares of Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices also fell.Wall Street's tech selloff rippled through Asia-Pacific markets, sending stocks lower overnight. — CNBC's Mike Considine and Pia Singh 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.
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