Squawk Box Europe Express

The French political impasse deepens as the leftist bloc insists it will head the next government. This, while President Emmanuel Macron rejects Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s resignation. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both close at record highs while in Asia, the Nikkei rallies by more than 2 per cent as investors anticipate Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s Congress testimony later this week. U.S. President Joe Biden has doubled down, insisting he will remain in the presidential race while donors and senior Democrats publicly express concerns over his mental acuity and general health. Markets are now pricing in a second term in office for former U.S. President Donald Trump. In energy news, crude dips as rigs in the Gulf of Mexico are impacted by Hurricane Beryl with widespread power cuts reported along the Texan coast.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

France’s left-wing coalition scores a shock victory in the country’s parliamentary elections, holding off Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National who finished third. The country now faces a hung parliament with no clear indication of who will lead the government. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has said he will resign later today. We are live in Paris for the latest. The euro and bond futures both fall as investors begin to assess the repercussions of last night’s poll, concerned with higher deficits and spending. U.S. unemployment figures are down to 4 per cent for the first time in 3 years but last month’s jobs figure comes in stronger than expected.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party wins a landslide election in the UK, securing the largest majority for any political party since 1997. The Conservatives are on track to lose 218 seats - a historic low for the party. The Liberal Democrats claw back former Tory seats while Reform UK notch 15 per cent of the national vote. We are live outside the House of Commons and Downing Street for the latest. Sterling trade is cautious but the FTSE moves slightly higher as investors digest the results of the UK election.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq hit fresh records while the ADP report shows new jobs slowing for a third consecutive month. New polls indicate a hung parliament in France with the Rassemblement National falling just short of an absolute majority ahead of Sunday’s second round vote. Former U.S. president Donald Trump increases his lead over incumbent President Joe Biden as a growing number of senior Democrats urge him to withdraw from the race following last Thursday’s head-to-head debate. And here in the UK, millions of voters head to the ballot box for the country’s general election.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hails the U.S. central bank’s work to rein in inflation but also echoes ECB President Christine Lagarde, telling CNBC he requires more data before moving to cut rates. Markets remain sanguine with the S&P 500 breaching the 5,500-point mark for the first time as investors take heart from Powell’s positive remarks. In autos news, Tesla shares are up after a Q2 delivery beat despite the total full-year figure coming in low. In France, parties form a republican front in a bid to quell a National Rally majority in this Sunday’s second-round parliamentary election. And in the UK, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warns against a Labour super-majority ahead of tomorrow’s general election.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are live at the ECB’s annual forum in Sintra, Portugal, where ECB President Christine Lagarde plays down suggestions of a soft landing in the euro zone as price pressures linger. In the U.S., the Supreme Court historically rules that immunity extends to ex-presidents over official acts which would see a delay to former President Donald Trump’s Washington trial for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Wall Street begins July in the green with Treasury yields rising as investors mull the return of Trump to the White House. In France, the French leftist and centrist blocs face a deadline to merge against the Rassemblement National, urging third-placed candidates to withdraw. And in the UK, party leaders make their last-minute pitches to voters ahead of this Thursday’s general election.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National wins the first round of the French parliamentary election, gaining 34 per cent of the vote with President Macron’s centrist bloc coming third behind the left-wing New Popular Front coalition . We are live in Paris for the latest. Investors take stock of the result with the French-German 10-year bond spread widening to its farthest point since 2012. The UK election race enters its final stages this week with the opposition Labour Party poised to win a landslide after 14 years of Conservative rule. In the U.S. President Joe Biden is adamant he will continue as Democratic nominee, resisting calls to withdraw from the race following last Thursday’s car-crash debate performance. And in aviation news, Boeing scores a near-$5bn deal to supply Spirit AeroSystems with competitor Airbus set to receive compensation pay under the terms of the agreement.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-m

President Joe Biden begins the first presidential debate in Atlanta on the back foot, struggling to counter attacks from former President Donald Trump. In Brussels EU leaders renominate Ursula Von Der Leyen for a second term as European Commission President. Estonian PM Kaja Kallas and Portuguese PM Antonio Costa get the nod for foreign policy chief and EU council president respectively despite opposition from Italy and Hungary. The yen against the dollar is trading at its weakest level in almost 40 years as Japan names a new currency chief. And in retail news, Nike issues a large sales warning, with shares plunging 12 per cent in extended trade.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer go head-to-head, trading tax accusations in the final televised debate ahead of next month’s UK general election. The yen has fallen to a new 38-year low against the greenback, triggering speculation the BoJ will intervene and raise interest rates in July. The Nasdaq is in the green, helped by Amazon breaching $2tn in market cap for the first time ever. Chip maker Micron sees revenues soar by 80 per cent but Q4 guidance fails to impress investors. Shares fall almost 8 per cent lower after yesterday’s close.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The leaders of France’s three main political blocs participate in a TV debate with Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and National Rally’s Jordan Bardella accusing one another over unrealistic budgetary plans. In Brussels, European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen looks set to win another term as negotiators have reportedly struck a deal ahead of the formal summit. Volkswagen pushes EV start-up Rivian shares 50 per cent higher in extended trade following its $5bn investment announcement in the firm. Chip maker Nvidia claws back recent losses to close yesterday’s session almost 7 per cent higher.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nvidia’s record-breaking rally comes to an end with the stock price plunging 7 per cent. The fall erases $550bn from the A.I. semiconductor’s market cap since last week’s peak. At the so-called ‘summer Davos’ WEF meeting in Dalian, Chinese premier Li Qiang says he believes China can hit its growth targets this year, playing down trade conflicts with the EU. In aviation news, Airbus cuts its guidance and slows production of its best-selling A320 Neo craft as supply chain issues continue to hinder the plane maker. And fast fashion firm Shein is reportedly filing to go public on the LSE rather than on Wall Street, which would be the City’s biggest listing in more than a decade.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

European Union and Chinese officials are to hold talks about the bloc’s planned tariffs on Chinese EVs. Asian markets are mixed after a soft end to the week on Wall Street in the longest stretch of low volatility since the GFC. In France, President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Ensemble alliance loses more ground in the polls, trailing Marine Le Pen’s National Rally ahead of next weekend’s electoral first round. Former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a rally in Philadelphia while Joe Biden prepares for this week’s presidential debate.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We hear exclusively from IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva who says Europe is on the right economic path but must take advantage of the single market or fall behind. The Nasdaq breaks its longest winning streak of the year as Nvidia shares pare back. However Wall Street is on course for a positive end to the week with energy stocks leading gains. The BoE signals it may cut interest rates in August after keeping them steady yesterday with a finely balanced decision. And in the Netherlands, Prime Minister Mark Rutte is on course to become the new NATO secretary-general after his only remaining rival, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, withdraws from the race. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The BoE and Norges Bank are expected to hold rates steady today while the SNB looks set to make a second consecutive cut today. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak suffers another blow to his chances of re-election with one poll predicting the Tories are on track for its lowest ever seat total next month. In Brussels, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s ECR party overtakes Macron’s Renew bloc to become the third-largest party in the European Parliament. In autos news, Chinese automakers reportedly urge Beijing lawmakers to hike duties on ICE imports in retaliation for tariffs placed on EVs.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The world’s most valuable company Nvidia overtakes Microsoft in terms of market cap following a 170 per cent rally this year. Treasury yields fall following lower-than-expected retail sales numbers bolster hopes of a Fed rate cut later this year. Luxury trainer maker Golden Goose shelves plans to list on the Milan stock exchange blaming a deterioration of market conditions following the recent European elections. And in the UK, inflation looks set to return back to target – the last print before next month’s general election.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Europe's competition chief Margrethe Vestager will soon be ending her mandate in Brussels, after ten years of taking on Big Tech and others. In an exclusive conversation with Squawk Box Europe's Silvia Amaro, she addressed some of the ongoing investigations into Microsoft and Apple and offered a sobering perspective on Europe's place in the world.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are live in Brussels where the European Commission top job is up for grabs. The EPP is demanding the presidency is split into two terms of two-and-a-half years. Wall Street enjoys a mega-cap rally with the S&P 500 notching a 30th record close this year. In aviation news, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun prepares to face lawmakers on Capitol Hill over the plane maker’s recent safety record troubles. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolves his war cabinet as discontent grows over the ongoing war in Gaza.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chinese retail sales deliver but concerns remain over the property sector which drag on fixed asset investment. Minneapolis Fed Chairman Neel Kashkari signals a rate cut may happen in December as he calls for more evidence inflation is falling. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemns his generals’ decision to allow for tactical pauses in fighting to permit daily aid to Gaza. Paris sees protests against Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party which has taken an early lead in polls ahead of next month’s snap election.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

G7 nations agree on a $50bn aid package to Ukraine, using frozen Russian assets to underwrite the deal. We are live in Bari for the latest where EU Council President Charles Michel tells CNBC that Russia must pay up for its invasion of the country. In Asia, the yen slides as the BoJ keeps rates on hold but signals that quantitative tightening is on the way. Tesla shareholders approve CEO Elon Musk’s $56bn pay package for the second time to make it the largest public company compensation in history. In the UK, the Labour Party unveils its election manifesto with pledges on the economy at its core. A new YouGov poll puts Reform in second place ahead of the incumbent Conservative Party.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Federal Reserve leaves interest rates on hold at a record 20-year high and indicates it will make only one cut this year. Chairman Jerome Powell says the fight against inflation continues. Equity markets react to cooling inflation. The S&P 500 hits a fresh new high while Apple temporarily overtakes Microsoft as the world’s most valuable company. French President Emmanuel Macron holds a briefing to explain his decision to hold July’s snap election. Meanwhile, the EU is set to slap Chinese EVs with tariffs of up to 38 per cent. Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis tells CNBC the bloc deserves a level playing field. And we are live in Bari, Italy ahead of the G7 summit where the U.S. are to broaden sanctions against Russia with leaders aiming at using interest from frozen assets.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.