Squawk Box Europe Express

U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators hail ‘substantial’ momentum following talks in Geneva over the weekend. Further details are promised later today. President Trump vows to sign an executive order which would see American drug prices cut by up to 80 per cent. Italian lender Unicredit posts a top and bottom line beat in Q1 and raises its FY guidance. CEO Andrea Orcel tells CNBC his bank’s plans for...

The U.K. And the U.S. seals the first trade agreement of Trump's tariff war — but loose ends remain on the details. Meanwhile, attention turns to this weekend's negotiations between the U.S. and China in Switzerland, as President Trump says he may consider lowering the sky-high tariff level against Beijing. In Europe, Commerzbank bucks expectations to report nearly 12% profit growth in the first q...

The UK and U.S. may potentially unveil a major trade deal as soon as this afternoon. President Trump has teased that an announcement is due at 3PM BST. The U.S. Federal Reserve has held rates steady once again, citing increased economic uncertainty ahead. Meanwhile, in the UK, the BoE is set to slash rates for a second time this year with more moves expected over the summer.   See Privac...

Beijing moves to increase stimulus into the economy from rate cuts to liquidity injections in an attempt to counter the effects of President Trump’s tariffs. U.S. and Chinese officials are due to hold trade talks in Switzerland this weekend. India bombs targets in Pakistan in retaliation for last month’s terror attack on Hindu tourists in the divided region of Kashmir. Danish pharma giant Novo Nor...

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tells CNBC that the White House is involved in talks with 18 key trading partners and that some deals are imminent. Ford suspends its outlook and reveals a $2.5bn loss as tariff uncertainty weighs. In Germany, the CDU’s Friedrich Merz is to become Chancellor later today following his party’s grand coalition agreement with the SPD.   See Privacy Polic...

President Trump shrugs off concerns about his handling of the U.S. economy in an interview with NBC’S Meet The Press, stressing that his main goal is to agree a fair trade deal with China. Warren Buffett shocks Berkshire Hathaway shareholders by announcing his retirement. The billionaire investor has led the company for more than 60 years and will now hand over leadership to vice-chairman Greg Abe...

China said it is mulling tariff talks with the U.S. after the Trump administration reaches out - saying Beijing's door is always open. On the earnings front, Standard Chartered posted a 10% rise in first quarter net profit, with the Asian-focused lender maintaining its guidance despite heightened uncertainty. Apple and Amazon fell in extended trade despite earnings beats, as tariff uncertainty wei...

Meta and Microsoft both score quarterly profit beats on the top and bottom line, unfazed by the Trump tariff war. Qualcomm, however, sees its stock fall in after-hours trade and concern about the levies begins to weigh on its guidance. Spain’s competition watchdog endorses BBVA and Banco Sabadell’s €12bn merger deal. It now requires government approval. And in autos news, Tesla denies it ever...

UBS scores a Q1 beat with a better-than-expected net profit of $1.7bn on strong wealth management income. We hear from CEO Sergio Ermotti. Wall Street performance slumps to its worst level during the start of a new White House administration since President Gerald Ford’s in 1974, however Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick tells our colleagues Stateside the first trade deal is imminent. And logistic...

HSBC launches a $3bn buyback while Deutsche Bank beats on both the top and bottom line. Spain declares a state of emergency following a massive power outage with flights and other transport suspended and mobile and internet connections lost. Portugal was also hit by the blackout. Mark Carney and the Liberal Party are voted into power in Canada setting up a showdown with U.S. President Trump on tra...

President Trump says he has signed more than 200 trade deals to mark his first one hundred days in office amid varied recent polling. U.S Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says progress is being made in trade talks with many Asian nations. European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen announces she will meet with President Trump for trade talks following a brief meeting on the sidelines of Pop...

Alphabet shares rose in extended trade after reporting a top and bottom line beat, with its search and advertising units showing strong growth despite increasing AI competition. At the annual IMF meeting, ECB Governing Council Member Robert Holzmann told CNBC that he expects further rate cuts to come, but that the outcome of tariff talks will ultimately decide how much lower the base rate will fal...

President Trump is reportedly mulling slashing tariffs on Chinese imports, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the country won’t act unilaterally. In Europe, the Kering crisis continues, as Gucci first quarter sales slide by 25%. Meanwhile, Adidas bounces back, posting its strongest start to a year following the company’s turnaround plans. BNP Paribas posted a first quarter beat and con...

President Trump eases back on Jerome Powell, insisting he has no intentions to fire the Fed Chair – spiking U.S. futures and calming concerns over the Fed’s independence. U.S. markets rebound after Trump backs up comments made by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, saying that the tariff standoff with China is “unsustainable”. Elon Musk pledges to step back from his government work as Tesl...

The Dow falls as tech stocks fall after President Trump slams U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for failing to cut interest rates. The dollar falls to a three-year low on tariff concerns. Chinese battery maker CATL unveils new cells, claiming faster charging times and longer range than rival BYD. Also in autos news, Tesla shares plunge 6 per cent ahead of earnings due out later today wit...

U.S. markets tumble after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says the central Bank is waiting on ‘greater clarity’ of the impact of President Trump’s tariffs. Powell warns that the U.S. economy could face rising inflation and a decreased jobs market as a result of the levies. Nvidia shares slump by 6.87 per cent after revealing a $5bn hit from U.S. export controls. Other semi-conductor compani...

China’s economy expands by 5.4 per cent in the first quarter but President Trump’s levies on the country fuel concerns about further stimulus measures from Beijing. ASML net bookings are down with the Dutch chip maker warning the Trump tariffs have heightened demand uncertainty. The U.S. president has called for a tariff probe into critical minerals, pushing mining stocks down and potentially open...

The U.S. announces it is launching investigations into the chip and pharmaceutical imports. President Trump says that goods with strategic and security importance must be produced Stateside. The move could provoke further tariffs. Global auto makers see shares rise as President Trump hints at potential tariff relief for the sector. In luxury goods news, LVMH misses Q1 sales targets, falling 3 per...

President Trump outlines tariff exemptions including smartphones, chips and other tech components but U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says the move is only temporary. The tech sector rallies in Asia with the Hang Seng leading gains. Chinese exports surge more than 12 per cent in March. President Xi Jinping slams the trade was with the U.S., saying that protectionism has ‘no way out’. The fo...

The market sell-off continues. Following a brief rally, yields are up, the dollar weakens and the Dow loses a further 1,000 points as the trade war fuels concerns about a potential recession in the U.S. Inflation data Stateside comes in better than expected for March. It’s the first consecutive monthly decline since 2020. European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen warns of digital adv...

Wall Street enjoys a historic rally after President Trump announces a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs, not including China. Asian equities are also in the green with the Nikkei and Taiwan’s Taiex leading gains. European futures are also up as are Chinese equities, despite Trump increasing levies on the country to 125 per cent. In Germany, the CDU/CSU and the SPD unveil a coalition deal with Cha...

President Trump’s tariffs kick in for the so-called ‘worst offenders’ with the minimum rate on certain Chinese goods hitting 104 per cent. Trump says the U.S. remains resolute. Asian equities are firmly in the red. European markets and Wall Street are both braced for more heavy sell-offs. U.S. Treasury yields also spike. The tariffs feud between Elon Musk and President Trump’s top trade advis...

Asian equities rebound after hitting an 18-month low while Wall Street futures are in the green following a volatile session on Monday. The Nikkei is up following the news that Tokyo is granted priority in U.S. trade talks with a negotiating team due to arrive in Washington D.C. later today. Beijing vows to ‘fight to the end’ against American ‘blackmail’ after President Trump threatens to double t...

Asian equities fall with the Nikkei hitting an 18-month low as China retaliates against President Trump’s sweeping tariffs policies. U.S. equity futures also indicate a heavy sell-off after $5tn in market cap was wiped off the S&P 500 in just two days. Europe is also set lower today as European Union trade ministers gather in Luxembourg to discuss an appropriate tariff response. And in media n...

Wall Street suffers its worst session since 2020 with $2.5tn vanishing from market value following the announcement of President Trump’s sweeping global tariffs. Along with a heightened risk of a U.S. recession, top Wall Street names have voiced concerns over worsening global economic consequences should the tariffs be implemented without any exemptions. President Trump says he remains open to neg...