S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico Market
Major European stock market indices, including the STOXX 600, are down by around 0.5 per cent, whilst futures contracts on Wall Street also point to a lower opening. The main reason for this sell-off is the breakdown in peace talks between the US and Iran, which has prompted Tehran to adopt a ‘fully offensive’ military stance. As a result, fears of a resurgence in inflation are mounting, which has pushed government bond yields in the eurozone and the US to multi-year highs. Crude oil has risen for the third consecutive trading session, with Brent crude futures surpassing the $91 mark amid fears of a potential blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The US dollar is recovering from its losses and gaining in value.
On European stock markets, the healthcare sector and the energy sector – which is benefiting directly from rising oil prices – are performing best. Technology companies and the consumer staples sector, meanwhile, are faring the worst, as they are feeling the pressure of higher borrowing costs.
Key Company Information
- Shares in the H&M clothing chain are up 3.5 per cent and are leading the STOXX 600 index following the announcement that a member of the board of directors had purchased 8,000 shares in the company.
- Huber+Suhner is down 5.7 per cent, recording its worst day since April 2025, following the publication of core earnings that fell short of expectations and disappointing order figures in its communications division.
- IT software provider Kainos Group has seen its share price rise by as much as 21 per cent after its revenue and adjusted profit forecasts for the 2027 financial year proved to be ‘comfortably higher’ than market expectations.
- Among the largest companies in the eurozone, tech giants are leading the way in terms of losses – Infineon is down 5.32 per cent, whilst ASML is down 3.74 per cent.
- The British oil companies Shell and BP, meanwhile, are up by 1.3 per cent and 1.8 per cent respectively, reflecting investors’ immediate reaction to rising energy prices amid concerns over supply.
