EUROPE MARKETS: European Stocks Nudge Higher Ahead Of Fed, Led By Banks And Insurers
18 Septembre 2019 - 11:26AM
Dow Jones News
By Steve Goldstein, MarketWatch
European stocks on Wednesday leaned higher ahead of a key U.S.
interest rate decision.
After dropping for two sessions, the Stoxx Europe 600 index
increased 0.07% to 389.62, led higher by banks and insurers.
The German DAX increased 0.1% to 12384.63, the French CAC 40
increased 0.12% to 5622.46 and the U.K. FTSE 100 increased 0.3% to
7342.16.
Attention in markets turned to the Federal Reserve, with the
central bank expected at 2 p.m. Eastern -- after European markets
close -- to announce that it's reducing its key interest rate by a
quarter-point, cutting rates for the second straight meeting.
The press conference with Fed Chairman Jerome Powell may get
more attention as traders try to ascertain whether he believes, as
he said in July, that the reduction represents a mid-cycle
adjustment or something more.
Analysts at Credit Suisse said the dot plot -- the Fed's
projection of interest rates -- will support the market's pricing
for three rate cuts in total this year but it will fall short of
the market's "aggressive pricing" of another two rate cuts by the
end of 2020.
In Europe, the main piece of economic data came from the U.K.,
where inflation grew a softer-than-expected 1.7% in the 12 months
ending August, which put pressure on the British pound .
Of stocks in the spotlight, Electricite de France (EDF.FR) rose
3.6% after saying faults found in nuclear reactor components made
by its mostly held Framatome unit do not require immediate
action.
Richemont (CFR.EB) shares dropped 1.8% as UBS downgraded the
watch maker to sell from neutral. UBS said after four years of
recovery, "we may be nearing the end of the cycle" of the European
luxury goods sector.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 18, 2019 05:11 ET (09:11 GMT)
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