Squawk Box Europe Express

Brent crude oil hits a war-time record of more than $123 per barrel after Axios reports U.S. President Trump is to be briefed on potential further strikes on Iran after rejecting Tehran’s offer to re-open the Strait of Hormuz. The ECB and BoE are both expected to hold rates steady later today, following on from the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep rates steady. Chairman Jerome Powell is likely t...

Two of Europe’s key lenders enjoy stellar quarterly results on the back of market volatility. Deutsche Bank hikes revenue guidance after record profits while UBS notches a profit increase of 80 per cent to $3bn. CEO Sergio Ermotti said the Iranian conflict has not materially shifted client flows. The UAE shocks energy markets by announcing it is quitting Opec to free itself to ramp up production....

U.S. President Donald Trump voices displeasure at Iran’s proposal to postpone nuclear talks until after the conflict ends. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz slams U.S. strategic aims in Iran. Swiss pharma giant Novartis misses quarterly sales targets, blaming generic drugs for its double-digit fall in operating profit. We hear from former NATO Secretary-General and currently Norwegian fi...

President Trump says Iran can pick up the phone after cancelling his envoys’ negotiation trip to Pakistan. Axios reports Tehran is to table a new proposal to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz should nuclear discussions be postponed. A gunman rushes a checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hosting the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, raising criticisms of President Trump’...

U.S. President Donald Trump hails a three-week ceasefire extension between Israel and Lebanon and that he is willing to wait until an appropriate deal is reached with Iran in order to re-open the Strait of Hormuz. EU leaders meet at an informal summit in Cyprus for a second day with the Gulf crisis, energy security and the bloc’s budget top of the agenda. Leaders also celebrated agreement on Ukrai...

Nestlé and Heineken both post Q1 earnings beats with LSEG and Roche results out today as well. Tesla also beats in the first quarter however it misses its revenue target and hikes capex expenditure. CEO Elon Musk says his latest mass chip-building project, Terafab, will use Intel’s latest technology, pushing the company’s shares higher in after-hours trade. European futures are firmly in the...

U.S. President Trump extends the ceasefire with Iran in order to allow for further peace talks to be organised. However, the Strait of Hormuz remains blockaded by both sides with global markets in limbo. Federal Reserve Chair nominee Kevin Warsh insists he has made no promises to President Trump on rate cuts and will remain an ‘independent actor’ on future decisions should he be confirmed. The UK’...

Apple CEO Tim Cook steps down from the role with hardware chief John Ternus chosen to assume the helm from September. Cook, who oversaw a $3.6tn increase in the company’s market cap during his 15-year tenure will become executive chairman. Iran is reportedly due to send a delegation team to Pakistan for a second round of peace talks. The news lifts Asian equities and pushes crude prices down. Euro...

The U.S. Navy fires on and seizes an Iranian cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman with both countries reinstating blockades through the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump says his delegation lead by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are en route to Pakistan for further peace talks but Tehran says it will not be attending. The U.S.-Iranian ceasefire is due to expire tomorrow. Crude prices surge as prospec...

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon comes into effect. U.S. President Trump says he sees the conflict with Iran ending soon. Bank of Israel governor Amir Yaron tells CNBC that he expects a deal to be done but maintains it is a ‘working assumption’. Investor hopes of peace in the Middle East rise with equities notching new record highs Stateside. The Nasdaq is on course to post its best w...

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq post new record highs as investors signal hopes for an end to the ran conflict. The positive sentiment has also affected Asian equities with the Nikkei leading gains. The U.S. and Iran are expected to resume peace talks in Pakistan next week with Israeli and Lebanese leaders set for ceasefire discussions later today. We hear from a slew of European policy makers at the I...

U.S. President Trump says peace talks with the Iranian regime could resume in Pakistan within days. Speaking to CNBC at the IMF spring meetings, Pakistani finance minister Muhammed Aurangzeb said he was optimistic for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. The IMF has slashed its global growth forecast outlining three scenarios – weaker, worse or severe. IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas...

The U.S. navy begins its blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. However, there are signs of further dialogue which have helped crude prices to drop back under $100 per barrel. President Trump says the “appropriate people” in Tehran have communicated that they want to strike a deal. The optimism is felt on Wall Street with the S&P 500 erasing its losses since the start of the confli...

Following failed U.S.-Iran peace talks in Islamabad over the weekend, Washington moves to blockade ships exiting or entering Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices surge on the news while Asian markets move into the red. President Trump says the blockade is aimed at eliminating Iranian crude exports from the market. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is ousted after 16 years in power...

U.S. President Trump accuses Tehran of not honouring the ceasefire with the Strait of Hormuz remaining firmly shut. Israel has said it was willing to hold peace talks with Lebanon, despite continuing to target Hezbollah sites in the country. Crude prices remain below the $100-mark despite Saudi Arabia claiming Iranian attacks on its Red Sea pipeline have erased up to 700,000 barrels a day from the...

Iran accuses the U.S. of violating the new ceasefire agreed on Tuesday with Israel continuing to target Hezbollah sites in Lebanon. U.S. Vice-President JD Vance is to lead peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan this weekend, saying early ceasefire ‘choppiness’ is expected. Oil prices rebound from yesterday’s relief rally optimism with Asian markets in the red. European futures are slightly negative. N...

President Trump announces that the U.S. and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire on the condition Tehran opens the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. WTI and Brent sink back under the $100-mark as a result and the Kospi and Nikkei leading gains in Asian markets. The rally is due to extend in Europe and the U.S. with the Stoxx 50 and Nasdaq futures set for gains of 5 per cent and 3 per ce...

U.S. President Donald Trump has cranked up the pressure on the Iranian regime to strike a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to target civilian and energy infrastructure should tonight’s deadline not be met. Oil futures rise on the comments but European equities remain sanguine following the extended Easter trading break. We hear exclusively from Danone CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique...

President Trump addresses the nation and says the war in Iran is nearing its end but offers no hint of de-escalation, adding that the U.S. will continue to strike the country. Markets surge on the news with WTI and Brent nudging past $100 per barrel. Asian equities start today off in the red with European futures looking to follow suit. Trump also advises European allies to ‘build up delayed coura...

Hopes of a de-escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict help push all three Wall Street majors into the green with the Nikkei and Kospi leading Asian stocks gains. U.S. President Trump has indicated he is ready to finish the conflict in Iran with ‘two or three weeks’ even without a deal on re-opening the Strait of Hormuz. However, Trump slammed NATO allies for refusing to provide aid in the confli...

Brent is on course for its biggest monthly gain ever but has dipped overnight after a WSJ report that President Trump could be willing to halt the conflict without reopening the Strait of Hormuz by force. Iran strikes a fully laden Kuwaiti oil tanker. The White House says that Trump is still willing to strike a deal with the Iranian regime despite claims he could target energy infrastructure in th...

Oil prices continue to surge as the Iran conflict enters its fifth week. Brent is set for its largest monthly gain ever with the Strait of Hormuz still largely closed. Asian markets are selling off while European futures also point south. President Trump tells the FT he is eyeing Iran’s oil reserves and has signalled he is willing to take over the vital export terminal of Kharg Island. However, he...

President Trump extends his deadline for attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure until April 6th, as talks reportedly continue. The US leader insists Tehran is desperate to end the war, even as it rejects the first US proposal. Oil prices ease and Asian stocks come well off session lows, as investors digest Trump's deadline extension and Iran's move to allow some tankers through the Strait.&n...

Iran says it is reviewing a U.S. ceasefire proposal but firmly denies President Trump's claims that talks are underway with Tehran desperate to strike a deal. Stocks fall and oil rises as investors reassess the odds of a ceasefire with former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein telling CNBC investors should tread carefully. G7 foreign ministers arrive for a key summit in France, as conflicts in the...

The U.S. government has reportedly provided Iran with a peace proposal even though Tehran continuously denies direct talks are happening. President Trump voices optimism that a deal can be struck. Oil prices fall as a result with Brent settling near the $100-mark while European and U.S. futures move to the green on hopes of de-escalation in the Gulf. Shell CEO Wael Sawan has warned that Europ...