Squawk Box Europe Express

The U.S. government shutdown continues into a tenth day, dragging the Dow to its worst session in almost a month. Europe’s Stoxx 600, however, enjoys its longest week-to-week winning streak since August. We are live in Paris where the office of President Macron has pledged to pick his new prime minister – France’s sixth in less than two years – by the end of today. The Israeli cabinet has ratified President Trump’s ceasefire deal with Hamas which could see operations in Gaza suspended within 24 hours and Israeli hostages freed by the start of next week.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Israel and Hamas agree on the first phase of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal and hostage return in what is a crucial first step to ending the two-year conflict. We are live in Paris where outgoing Prime Minister Sebastian Lecornu predicts France should have a replacement for his post within 48 hours as lawmakers attempt to calm the latest political turmoil engulfing the country. In Hong Kong, listed shares of HSBC nosedive after the lender announces it will cease buybacks for three years in a proposal to take Hang Seng Bank private.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fears of a strong A.I.-fueled rally puts an end to a seven-day winning streak for the S&P 500 but gold shows no sign of stopping, breaking through the symbolic $4000/oz level. The U.S. government shutdown enters its second week with little hope of any breakthrough. President Trump has hinted he could deny back-pay for certain federal workers. And BMW is forced to slash its FY sales forecasts on the back of U.S. tariffs and poor Chinese demand. The German auto maker now says a dip on the year looks inevitable.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

French President Emmanuel Macron scrambles to deal with the fallout of Prime Minister Sebastian Lecornu’s shock resignation yesterday which caused yields to soar and French equities to plunge. The U.S. government shutdown continues, edging gold prices ever closer to the landmark $4,000 mark. And in tech news, chip designer AMD sees shares skyrocket by up to 20 per cent following its multi-billion dollar tie-up with ChatGPT maker OpenAI.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Nikkei hits an all-time high, surpassing the 48k-mark for the first time ever following the ruling LDP leadership vote which will see Sanae Takaichi installed as the country’s first female prime minister. The U.S. government shutdown enters its sixth day with President Trump threatening mass federal lay-offs. In France, new prime minister Sebastien Lecornu picks his new cabinet with Macron ally Roland Lescure set to become the country’s new finance ministerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Equity markets on both sides of The Pond notch another week of record highs as investors seem to shrug off any concerns relating the U.S. government shutdown. Into its third day, President Trump continues to warn that the shutdown will result in mass Federal agency lay-offs. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tells CNBC the Democrats are responsible for the shutdown and will feel its ‘ramifications’. And in autos news, Tesla posts record Q3 deliveries but shares are down as investors fear the fallout for the sector as EV tax credits expire.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The U.S. government remains shut down but President Trump says his administration will use the opportunity to save money in key areas. Markets remain sanguine with the Stoxx 600 and the S&P 500 recording all-time highs. In Copenhagen, European leaders back the introduction of drone walls to block increasing Russian incursions. The bloc falls short of agreeing to use frozen Russian assets to help with the reconstruction of Ukraine. OpenAI unveils its latest partnership with South Korea’s Samsung and SK Hynix, sending both companies’ shares soaring. Meanwhile, we are live at Italian Tech Week in Turin where the CTO of Microsoft, Kevin Scott, tells us OpenAI is key to his firm’s future.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The U.S. government shuts down after Democrats and Republicans failed to agree on a federal funding deal. President Trump has warned of lay-offs. Ahead of today’s EU summit in Copenhagen, we speak exclusively to Luxembourg’s Prime Minister, Luc Friedman, who says that the bloc must provide stronger deterrence in the face of an increasingly hostile Russia. Sports giant Nike posts a surprise growth in sales which has pushed its stock up by almost 5 per cent as its turnaround strategy begins to pay off. The retailer warned, however, that progress will not necessarily be linear.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pharma stocks in Asia plunge following President Trump slapping tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the sector with the EU avoiding the brunt of the impact due to its trade deal with the U.S. Q2 GDP in the U.S. expands by more than expected, notching the fastest pace of growth in almost two years. President Trump signs an executive order to keep TikTok operational Stateside. The company is valued at $14bn but Beijing avoids commenting on the deal.  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 Canary Wharf with Squawk On The Road where the UK’s economic outlook is front and centre. We’ll be speaking to business leaders and executives to get their take on the national forecast. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell cools rate cut expectations sending both U.S. and European stocks into the red. Powell said the current economic situation Stateside poses ‘two-sided risks’. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nvidia unveils plans for a $100bn investment in Open A.I. with the two firms partnering on data centres. CEOs Jensen Huang and Sam Altman tell CNBC the giant investment will release the sector’s potential. Dutch chip equipment maker ASMI slashes its FY forecasts, citing disappointing demand in two key units. Fed board governor and Trump ally Stephen Miran urges the central bank to cut rates by almost two percentage points.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The U.S. unveils an H-1B visa with a $100,000 price tag which has sent shockwaves through U.S.-based tech sector companies. Indian tech stocks have plunged in early trade as a result. President Trump says he has an agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping to keep TikTok operational in the United States with Oracle chairman Larry Ellison and media mogul Lachlan Murdoch set to be investors. The UK joins Portugal, Canada and Australia in recognising Palestinian statehood ahead of the UNGA. And in banking news, Spain’s BBVA has upped the ante to increase a hostile takeover bid for smaller rival Banco Sabadell.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Trump ends his second state visit to the UK by signing a ‘tech prosperity deal’ with the country and haling the ‘special relationship’ between the two countries. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer heralds the agreement as the biggest investment package of its kind. The BoE keeps interest rates steady and reins in bond sales. Governor Andrew Bailey admits that the path for future cuts is now uncertain. Intel shares are up following Nvidia’s purchase of a $5bn stake in the chip maker. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang describes the move is ‘an incredible investment. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivers a long-anticipated rate cut as labour market concerns mount Stateside. President Trump is treated to a series of royal ceremonies, military parades, a flypast and a lavish white-tie banquet during his unprecedented second state visit to the UK. Today the focus turns to trade deals and a business roundtable together with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. And in the City, investors await a potential Bank of England rate hold and whether policy makers move to rein in the pace of UK gilts.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. tech companies unveil more than $50bn in UK investments as President Trump arrives in the country for an unprecedented second state visit. CPI figures in the UK come in at 3.8 per cent – up 0.3 per cent month-on-month in August. In the U.S., investors are braced for a key rate decision from the Federal Reserve. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the central bank has been behind the curve and now expects movement from the central bank. Swiss food giant Nestlé’s chairman Paul Bulcke steps down after almost 10 years at the helm. Pablo Isa has been named his successor, just weeks after the sudden departure of CEO Laurent Freixe due to the revelation of romantic improprieties with a subordinate co-worker. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Google is the latest U.S company to unveil a UK investment as President Trump prepares to fly into the country for his historic second state visit. Trump is also due to speak to his Chinee counterpart President Xi Jinping on Friday following reportedly successful trade talks about TikTok’s ownership. With the FOMC convening, traders are anticipating a cut from the central bank as board of governors Trump nominee Stephen Miran is confirmed by the Senate. However, an appeals court rejects the President’s decision to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook over claims she committed mortgage fraud.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chinese manufacturing growth in August came in at its weakest for a year while retail sales slumped to a nine-month low. Fitch downgrades France's credit rating to A+ from AA- due to a rising debt ratio and political upheaval following the collapse of Francois Bayrou's government. The UK announces investment from big banks and a nuclear power agreement ahead of President Trump's second state visit. However, several large pharmaceutical companies are snubbing further investment in the UK following a falling out over drug pricing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. core inflation data comes in as expected while unemployment claims are almost at 4-year highs which boosts hopes of a Fed rate cut next week. Global equities respond by pushing into the green. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to hold talks with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng in Madrid next week. Top of the agenda will be trade, security and Tik Tok’s presence in the U.S.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A 36 per cent surge in Oracle shares helps to fuel a second day in the green for the S&P 500 after the tech giant announced a series of multi-billion dollar A.I. cloud deals. A police manhunt is under way following the assassination of conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, at a university campus event in Utah. The ECB is expected to hold interest rates steady today but further cuts are still expected by year-end as French political gridlock threatens wider growth across the euro zone. And buy-now, pay-later lender Klarna makes its public debut on the NYSE, breathing new life into Wall Street’s capital markets.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Israel fires missiles at Hamas’ leadership targets in Qatar, undermining hopes of a ceasefire in Gaza and drawing the ire of President Trump. Emmanuel Macron appoints defence minister Sebastien Lecornu as his next prime minister. Lecornu is now tasked with passing the government’s reform agenda as well as a its fiscal package. A U.S. judge has temporarily prevented President Trump from firing Fed governor Lisa Cook over alleged mortgage improprieties, saying that the claims of fraud before she was appointed would not constitute grounds for removal. And in pharma news, drug maker Novo Nordisk is set to slash up to 9,000 jobs on the back of weaker sales and strong competition Stateside.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.