European stocks and US index futures gained as traders turned their focus to Nvidia’s upcoming quarterly results, which are expected to provide fresh momentum for the markets. The Stoxx Europe 600 index rose 0.6%, while contracts on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 pointed to a positive opening for Wall Street. This follows a period of volatility tied to escalating tensions in Ukraine. The British pound saw its third consecutive day of gains, but the FTSE 100 underperformed after UK inflation came in higher than expected, prompting traders to scale back their predictions for a rate cut by the Bank of England.
Investor attention is firmly on Nvidia, with the chipmaker set to report its results later on Wednesday. Nvidia’s stock had surged 4.9% in the previous session, driven by robust demand for artificial intelligence (AI) hardware. Traders are eager to see if the company can continue its remarkable performance as the world’s most valuable firm. According to Barclays Plc strategists, Nvidia’s earnings announcement will be the most significant market catalyst remaining this year, surpassing even the Federal Reserve’s December meeting.
“Expectations are high, and the market will go into Nvidia’s earnings announcement positioned long, looking for a fifth consecutive quarterly earnings beat,” said Tony Sycamore, market analyst at IG Australia. “Given Nvidia’s significant impact, its performance will undoubtedly drive sentiment in the tech sector and the broader market into year-end.”
The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index saw a modest recovery following a three-day decline, while the yield on 10-year US Treasuries rose three basis points after falling the previous day as investors sought refuge in safe-haven assets.
Elsewhere, traders are monitoring potential picks from former President Donald Trump for key administration roles, including the Treasury secretary position. Former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh and Marc Rowan of Apollo Global Management are reportedly under consideration. Trump also named Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, to lead the US Commerce Department, a key post for executing his tariff and trade policies.
Bitcoin continued its upward trajectory, hitting a new all-time high amid growing institutional adoption of digital assets in the US, particularly under Trump’s pro-crypto stance. Oil prices held steady as an industry report indicated a rise in US crude inventories ahead of official government data later this week.
Key Events to Watch This Week:
- Nvidia earnings report, Wednesday
- Speeches by Fed’s Lisa Cook and Michelle Bowman, Wednesday
- Eurozone consumer confidence data, Thursday
- US existing home sales, jobless claims, and Philadelphia Fed factory index, Thursday
- Eurozone HCOB Manufacturing & Services PMI, Friday
- US University of Michigan consumer sentiment and S&P Global PMI, Friday
Market Moves:
Stocks:
- Stoxx Europe 600: +0.6%
- S&P 500 futures: +0.2%
- Nasdaq 100 futures: +0.2%
- Dow Jones futures: +0.3%
- MSCI Asia Pacific Index: -0.6%
- MSCI Emerging Markets Index: little changed
Currencies:
- Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index: +0.2%
- Euro: -0.2% to $1.0571
- Japanese Yen: -0.7% to 155.71 per dollar
- Offshore Yuan: -0.1% to 7.2446 per dollar
- British Pound: little changed at $1.2691
Cryptocurrencies:
- Bitcoin: +0.8% to $93,038.60
- Ether: +0.6% to $3,114.29
Bonds:
- US 10-year Treasury yield: +2 bps to 4.42%
- Germany 10-year yield: +3 bps to 2.37%
- UK 10-year yield: +4 bps to 4.48%
Commodities:
- Brent Crude: +0.4% to $73.57 per barrel
- Spot Gold: -0.3% to $2,622.95 an ounce
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