Stocks listed in Europe look set for a mixed open on Friday, amid tentative signs that a peace deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump is taking hold in the Middle East.
Futures tied to London’s FTSE 100 were last seen trading 0.2% lower, while those tied to the French CAC 40 were 0.1% higher and German DAX futures were flat. Swiss SMI futures and those tied to Italy’s FTSE MIB were also little changed.
Regional shares ended Thursday’s session in negative territory, as dealmaking and ongoing political uncertainty in France held investor attention.
On Thursday evening, the Israeli government approved the first stage of a peace deal that will see the release of hostages held by Hamas. NBC News reported overnight that it remains unclear whether Hamas will disarm and disband, as outlined in Trump’s peace plan, but a ceasefire should take effect within 24 hours under the terms of the agreement.
Back in Europe, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen survived two no-confidence votes on Thursday with greater support from lawmakers than she had in a previous motion to remove her in July.
Investors will also be monitoring a string of economic data releases out of the region on Friday, including Italian industrial production, a Russian inflation print, and figures on Swiss consumer confidence.
Switzerland was hit with a 39% tariff rate by the Trump administration back in August, which the country’s central bank labeled a “major challenge” at its September meeting.
Overnight in Asia, chip stocks rallied after a week that saw a string of AI deals being made. On Wall Street, U.S. stock futures were little changed on Friday morning as major averages came off of fresh record highs.
