Category: Market Summary

UK shares open little changed as Wall Street rallies on Fed rate-hold hopes; Arrow Exploration lifts output and Bitcoin climbs 3.67%.

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Market Overview

UK and European markets opened little changed on Friday, with the FTSE 100 marginally lower and the Euronext 100 modestly firmer, while Germany’s DAX slipped from its previous close. Wall Street’s overnight session was far stronger, with the Nasdaq Composite closing up 1.40 per cent and the S&P 500 closing up 1.06 per cent, as investors positioned ahead of Friday’s US non-farm payrolls report, which analysts regard as pivotal to the Federal Reserve’s rate decision at its September meeting. Commentary from Fed Governor Christopher Waller pointing to encouraging signs of disinflation has tempered earlier fears of a rate rise, while ongoing tension between the United States and Iran continues to weigh on sentiment in energy markets.

In commodities, copper, gold and natural gas all edged higher on the day, while Brent crude eased marginally despite remaining on course for a sharp weekly gain as the standoff between the United States and Iran around the Strait of Hormuz continues to stoke concerns over global energy supply. Bitcoin rose sharply against sterling, extending its rebound after a volatile week. Sterling was little changed against major peers, with only marginal moves against the US dollar, euro, yen, Swiss franc and Australian dollar as currency markets held steady ahead of the US jobs data.

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Market Numbers

FTSE 100: Down (-0.00%), 10,831.45
Euronext 100: Up (+0.03%), 1,907.44
DAX: Down (-0.07%), 25,985.86
NASDAQ: Up (+1.40%), 26,584.06
S&P 500: Up (+1.06%), 7,747.71

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In the Headlines

Production Update – Arrow Exploration Corp (LSE:AXL)
Arrow Exploration reported corporate production above 6,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, supported by recent drilling, workovers and its Thorsby field acquisition in Alberta, while advancing drilling at its Icaco field in Colombia. The update underlines the company’s ability to sustain output growth across its Colombian and Canadian assets, with attention now turning to the outcome of licence extension discussions in Colombia.

H1 Generation Update – Quantum Data Energy PLC (LSE:QDE)
Quantum Data Energy reported around 4.7 gigawatt hours of electricity generation in the first half of the year, with its Pyebridge asset achieving prices well above the wholesale benchmark, alongside progress at two new projects reaching financial close and completing construction. The update highlights the company’s expanding flexible power generation portfolio at a time of record renewable output and price volatility in the power market.

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Currencies (vs GBP)

USD: Up (+0.00%), $1.3529
CHF: Up (+0.01%), Fr.1.0925
EUR: Down (-0.00%), €1.1634
JPY: Down (-0.01%), ¥210.57
AUD: Up (+0.02%), $1.8789
Bitcoin (BTC/GBP): Up (+3.67%), £59,632.86

Commodities

Copper: Up
Gold: Up
Brent Crude: Down
Natural Gas: Up

U.S. equity futures were broadly unchanged on Friday as markets awaited the August nonfarm payrolls report, while comments from Federal Reserve officials affected expectations for the central bank’s September interest-rate decision.

Company developments were also in focus after Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ:LULU) lowered its full-year outlook again and Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) announced that Anil Chakravarthy will succeed Shantanu Narayen as chief executive. OpenAI also announced the introduction of GPT-6 Astra.

Markets Await U.S. Labour Data

S&P 500 futures edged down to 7,752.25 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures were little changed after the previous session ended with gains on Wall Street.

The August nonfarm payrolls report is expected to provide investors with further evidence about conditions in the U.S. labour market ahead of the Federal Reserve’s September 15-16 policy meeting.

Stronger employment growth could support expectations for interest rates to remain restrictive. A weaker report could increase expectations that policymakers will keep rates unchanged, with the possibility of reductions at a later stage.

Fed Comments Shift Rate Expectations

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said recent economic figures had provided signs that inflationary pressures were easing.

Waller indicated that he would favour leaving interest rates unchanged at the September meeting if upcoming economic releases continue to show inflation moderating.

New York Fed President John Williams has also advocated a cautious wait-and-see approach to monetary policy.

Following the comments, financial markets lowered the implied probability of a 25-basis-point September rate increase to approximately 50%, compared with almost 65% previously.

Lululemon Drops Following Forecast Cut

Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ:LULU) shares declined approximately 18% in extended trading after the athleticwear company reduced its full-year forecasts for a second time and reported quarterly sales below expectations.

Incoming Chief Executive Heidi O’Neill will take responsibility for the company as it works to refresh its product range and compete with other brands in the athleticwear market.

Future sales performance and changes to the company’s product offering are expected to remain areas of attention as the management transition takes place.

Adobe Announces Chief Executive Transition

Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) named Anil Chakravarthy as its next president and chief executive, with the appointment taking effect on December 1.

Chakravarthy currently leads Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations and will join the company’s board as part of the appointment.

Shantanu Narayen will move to the position of executive chair and work alongside Chakravarthy during the leadership transition.

The change comes as Adobe increases the integration of artificial intelligence across its creativity, productivity and customer-experience products. Chakravarthy said his priorities would include the next era of “agentic software.”

OpenAI Announces GPT-6 Astra

OpenAI announced GPT-6 Astra, initially making the model available to enterprise customers before a broader rollout to Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise users.

The model will also be offered through the OpenAI API and AWS. OpenAI set standard API pricing at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens.

The announcement comes as artificial intelligence companies continue developing new models and expanding their use across consumer and business applications.

The FTSE 100 traded slightly lower on Friday as markets awaited the latest U.S. non-farm payrolls report ahead of the Federal Reserve’s Sept. 16 policy meeting.

The FTSE 100 was down 0.04% as of 03:18 ET (07:18 GMT). Elsewhere in Europe, Germany’s DAX gained 0.10% and France’s CAC 40 rose 0.04%.

Sterling strengthened against the U.S. dollar, with GBP/USD up 0.13% at 1.3542.

U.S. Employment Data in Focus

Consensus forecasts point to an increase of 55,000 U.S. non-farm payrolls for August, compared with a decline of 23,000 in July. The unemployment rate is expected to remain at 4.1%.

Analysts at ING said comments from Federal Reserve Governor Waller pushed U.S. Treasury yields lower on Thursday before a stronger ISM services reading subsequently sent yields higher.

ING said a payrolls increase below 25,000, combined with benign core CPI of less than 0.2% month-on-month next week, would likely be required to delay an interest-rate increase.

Friday marks the Federal Reserve’s final communication before its blackout period ahead of the Sept. 16 policy decision.

Middle East Developments Remain in Focus

South Korea’s presidential office said it was considering “contributions” to U.S.-led security efforts in the Strait of Hormuz, while adding that “nothing has been decided yet.”

Vice President JD Vance told a White House briefing he was “extremely skeptical” that Iranian claims that a U.S. strike had hit a wedding party were accurate. Asked whether fighting would end by the midterms, he added “I wouldn’t call it a war”.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the European Union had “officially” joined the U.S.-led “Operation Economic Outcast” sanctions campaign against Iran. Bessent reiterated that the campaign aims to “sever every economic lifeline” sustaining Tehran.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained below levels recorded before the conflict, with 102 transits last week compared with more than 130 per day previously. Tanker operators continued to route oil through a U.S.-guided southern corridor near Oman.

Iranian officials said a recent series of U.S. strikes killed at least 18 people and wounded 142. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. President Donald Trump was privately considering declaring the war over while the Pentagon extended troop deployments in the region.

Oil Prices Rise While Gold Declines

Brent crude rose 0.45% to $95.90 a barrel, while WTI increased 0.43% to $91.68.

Gold futures declined 0.57% to $4,514.15, while spot gold fell 0.13% to $4,467.71.

European equities moved broadly higher on Thursday as US Treasury yields declined and oil prices stabilised following a three-session increase.

Brent crude futures were little changed below $96 a barrel after US President Donald Trump said a new round of US attacks on Iran would likely be short-lived.

The pan-European STOXX 600 Index gained 0.3%, after closing 0.2% lower on Wednesday.

FTSE 100 and DAX Advance

The UK’s FTSE 100 Index rose 0.7%, while Germany’s DAX Index gained 0.2%.

France’s CAC 40 Index moved in the opposite direction, declining 0.3%.

The moves came as investors assessed oil prices and lower US Treasury yields alongside their potential implications for inflation and interest rates.

Hilton Food Rises After Guidance Increase

Among individual companies, Hilton Food (LSE:HFG) shares rose after the food packing group increased its full-year adjusted profit guidance.

Finnish telecommunications equipment company Nokia (TG:NOA3) also advanced after opening its first research and development centre in Saudi Arabia. The facility is dedicated to AI network automation.

Voltalia Falls After Revising Outlook

Voltalia (EU:VLTSA) shares declined after the French renewable energy company revised its fiscal 2026 outlook to a net loss and suspended its fiscal 2027 outlook.

The changes followed the company’s report of a wider loss for the first half of 2026.

UK homebuilder Crest Nicholson (LSE:CRST) also fell to a record low after warning that it expects to report an annual operating loss.

Watches of Switzerland (LSE:WOSG) shares declined despite the luxury watch and jewellery retailer reiterating its full-year revenue and profit targets.

US equity futures traded close to unchanged levels as investors considered developments in the US-Iran conflict, movements in bond markets and the latest corporate updates ahead of Friday’s US employment report.

At 03:50 ET, S&P 500 Futures stood at 7,671.1 points, while Nasdaq 100 Futures were at 29,211.25 and Dow Jones Futures were at 53,195, with all three contracts showing limited movement.

The futures performance followed gains on Wall Street as equities recovered from their weaker start to September. Investors continued to await Friday’s labour market figures for additional information on the economic backdrop ahead of future Federal Reserve policy decisions.

Brent and WTI Decline Following Three-Day Advance

Crude oil prices moved lower during Asian trading on Thursday, ending a three-session run of gains as investors monitored the latest developments involving the US and Iran.

Brent crude futures fell 0.4% to $95.25 per barrel, while WTI futures declined 0.2% to $90.80. Both benchmarks had advanced by almost 1% during Wednesday’s session, reaching their highest levels in around five weeks.

Prices moved lower after US President Donald Trump said the renewed attacks against Iran would not continue for long. US officials also indicated that energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz were recovering.

Developments around the Strait of Hormuz remained under scrutiny because of the route’s importance to international energy shipments.

Missile and Drone Strikes Target US Bases in Kuwait

Iran carried out missile and drone strikes targeting US bases in Kuwait late Wednesday, according to state-run Press TV.

Kuwait’s Armed Forces said air defence systems were intercepting “hostile targets,” but did not identify their source.

The reported action followed US strikes against Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz and subsequent Iranian missile and drone attacks on US infrastructure elsewhere in the Gulf.

Investors continued to assess developments in the region and their potential implications for energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Williams Links Higher Bond Yields to US Economic Strength

New York Fed President John Williams said the increase in longer-term bond yields reflected the strength of the US economy rather than concerns over inflation.

Speaking to CNBC, Williams attributed higher borrowing costs to the economic outlook, which he said was supported in part by investment in artificial intelligence, data centres and technology.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller was scheduled to deliver remarks later on Thursday, providing investors with another opportunity to assess the monetary policy outlook before the Fed’s next decision.

Broadcom Forecasts Fourth-Quarter Revenue of About $34.8 Billion

Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) projected fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of approximately $34.8 billion, compared with the Wall Street consensus forecast of around $35.05 billion.

The company expects AI chip sales of $21.7 billion, slightly above expectations of approximately $21.33 billion.

The reported results were broadly consistent with Wall Street forecasts, according to the source material, while Broadcom’s overall revenue projection for the fourth quarter came in below analysts’ average estimate.

European equities moved slightly higher on Thursday, with the STOXX 600 attempting to stabilise after three consecutive sessions of declines as investors assessed lower bond yields and comments from a Federal Reserve official.

The pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.12% after reaching a more than one-month low on Wednesday. Germany’s DAX gained 0.2%, while France’s CAC 40 and London’s FTSE 100 were broadly unchanged.

The moves followed declines across European markets earlier in the week as sovereign bond yields increased and energy prices rose amid military exchanges in the Persian Gulf.

German 10-year Bund yields had reached 3.37%, their highest level since 2011, while US 10-year Treasury yields approached 4.80%.

Oil prices had also moved above $90 a barrel earlier in the week amid developments involving the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

Fed’s Williams Says Policymakers Should “Wait and See”

Investors were also assessing comments from New York Fed President John Williams regarding the outlook for US interest rates.

Williams said on Wednesday that policymakers should “wait and see” incoming economic data before deciding on further monetary tightening.

The comments came ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting scheduled for September 16.

US private payroll data also came in below market expectations. Private-sector employment increased by 38,000 jobs in August, contributing to declines in US Treasury and Asian sovereign bond yields.

Attention was set to turn to comments from Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller later in the day for further indications regarding the outlook for monetary policy.

Oil Prices Ease as Markets Await Eurozone PPI

Crude oil prices moved lower on Thursday after trading above $90 a barrel earlier in the week.

Investors were also awaiting Eurozone Producer Price Index data scheduled for later in the session, ahead of the European Central Bank’s monetary policy meeting on September 10.

Among individual stocks, Deutsche Telekom (TG:DTE) shares rose 1.4% following a report that activist investor Elliott had built a stake in the company.

FTSE 100 opens flat as Journeo wins Elizabeth line orders, Jet2 bookings rise and Brent crude eases amid continuing Iran tensions.

Market Overview

The FTSE 100 opened broadly unchanged at 10,756.77 as strength in precious-metal shares helped offset continued concerns over the Iran conflict and Gulf shipping. The Euronext 100 slipped 0.02 per cent to 1,904.68, while Germany’s DAX rose 0.12 per cent to 25,870.31 as European markets stabilised following recent weakness and softer US labour data eased some interest-rate concerns. In the US, the Nasdaq closed higher at 26,217.83 and the S&P 500 gained to 7,666.60.

Commodity markets were mixed, with copper higher, gold and natural gas unchanged, and Brent crude lower as concerns over Middle East supply disruption eased following indications that renewed US action against Iran may be relatively brief. Bitcoin was up against sterling. The US dollar, euro and Japanese yen strengthened marginally against the pound, the Swiss franc was unchanged and the Australian dollar weakened slightly.

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Market Numbers

FTSE 100: Up (0.00%), 10,756.77
Euronext 100: Down (-0.02%), 1,904.68
DAX: Up (0.12%), 25,870.31
NASDAQ: Up, 26,217.83
S&P 500: Up, 7,666.60

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In the Headlines

Elizabeth Line orders – Journeo (LSE:JNEO)
Transport technology provider Journeo said subsidiary Infotec has secured initial purchase orders worth £1.3 million for passenger information system upgrades across the Elizabeth line. The orders form the first part of a wider £2.55 million programme and cover new and upgraded displays across 25 stations.

Summer bookings rise – Jet2 (LSE:JET2)
Leisure travel group Jet2 reported Summer 2026 booked passengers up 8.8% year on year, with seat capacity increasing 7.6% to 19.9 million. The company also plans to move its shares from AIM to the London Stock Exchange Main Market, which it expects will increase its visibility among UK and international institutional investors.

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Currencies (vs GBP)

USD: Up (0.01%), $1.3482
CHF: Unchanged (0.00%), Fr.1.0961
EUR: Up (0.01%), €1.1637
JPY: Up (0.02%), ¥214.2405
AUD: Down (-0.01%), $1.8822
Bitcoin (BTC/GBP): Up, £57,732.02

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Commodities

Copper: Up
Gold: Unchanged
Brent Crude: Down
Natural Gas: Unchanged

The FTSE 100 moved slightly higher on Thursday, with gains among gold and silver miners offsetting market uncertainty related to the Iran conflict and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The FTSE 100 was up 0.12% as of 03:20 ET, or 07:20 GMT. Elsewhere in Europe, Germany’s DAX gained 0.11%, while France’s CAC 40 declined 0.21%. Sterling rose 0.08% against the US dollar to $1.3497.

Strait of Hormuz Developments Remain in Focus

The U.S. Central Command said it had redirected 86 commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz as part of its naval blockade of Iran, compared with 84 a day earlier. It also said three vessels had been disabled and two others boarded.

Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority added another 11 vessels to its blacklist, bringing the total to 56. The additions included the tanker Kiku and LNG carrier Mubaraz.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he did not expect the renewed fighting to last “too long,” according to Reuters. The report said U.S. forces were assisting oil shipments through the strait and intercepting Iranian drones.

Trump also proposed renaming the waterway “Trump Strait” in a Truth Social post. Reuters separately reported, citing four sources, that senior administration officials were seeking to prevent further escalation ahead of November’s congressional elections. According to the report, additional military action could be considered after the elections while economic pressure on Tehran continues.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Iran would “continue to feel the squeeze” until it abandons any nuclear weapons ambitions and ends support for terrorism. He also said the U.S. would continue targeting threats to American forces and international shipping.

The UAE condemned Iran’s Monday strike on the Saudi-owned tanker Sidr near Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, which killed two Filipino crew members. It also condemned Iranian missile and drone strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a visit to Cairo, called for diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and urged Middle Eastern countries to reject foreign interference during talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

IRGC Deputy Commander Mostafa Izadi said Tuesday that the force was “fully prepared against the enemy” and would use its missile and drone capabilities in response to hostile action, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

Fresnillo and Endeavour Mining Rise as Gold Advances

Fresnillo (LSE:FRES) shares gained 1.1%, while Endeavour Mining (LSE:EDV) rose 1.4% as gold and silver prices advanced.

Gold futures increased 1.3% to $4,471.01 an ounce, while spot gold was up 0.86% at $4,425.85.

Oil prices moved lower, with Brent crude down 0.98% at $94.70 a barrel and WTI declining 0.90% to $90.23.

UK Company Updates

Jet2 (LSE:JET2) reported that summer bookings were 8.8% higher than a year earlier.

M&G (LSE:MNG) reported half-year profit above expectations, with inflows from Japanese partner Daiichi Life contributing to the period’s performance amid market volatility associated with the Iran conflict.

EnQuest (LSE:ENQ) narrowed its annual production guidance towards the lower end of its previous range following a five-week outage at the Magnus field caused by a third-party infrastructure disruption. The company also returned to profit for the half year.

Crest Nicholson (LSE:CRST) forecast an annual operating loss of approximately £10 million, citing subdued demand and competitive pricing as factors affecting sales.

U.S. equity futures were little changed on Wednesday, suggesting a muted start for Wall Street following several sessions of declines as investors monitored developments in the Middle East and upcoming economic data.

Oil prices and U.S. Treasury yields moved lower after their recent increases, while geopolitical uncertainty remained in focus following another exchange of attacks involving the U.S. and Iran.

Iran launched missiles and drones toward U.S.-linked sites in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait on Wednesday. The action followed U.S. strikes against Iranian military targets on Tuesday.

The Iranian response came after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that retaliation would result in Iran being “hit much harder” and said the U.S. was still holding back “the biggest attack of them all.”

U.S. Crude Falls After Two-Session Rally

U.S. crude oil futures declined 0.8% on Wednesday after gaining more than 8% over the previous two sessions.

Treasury yields also moved lower, with the benchmark 10-year yield retreating after reaching its highest closing level in almost three years.

Recent increases in oil prices and bond yields have drawn investor attention because of their potential implications for inflation and monetary policy. The eventual effects will depend on how energy prices and financial conditions develop.

Markets are also awaiting Friday’s Labor Department employment report for further evidence about the condition of the U.S. labour market.

ADP Reports 38,000 Private-Sector Jobs Added in August

ADP reported that U.S. private employers added 38,000 jobs in August, below the 48,000 increase expected by economists.

July’s increase was revised to 46,000 jobs from the previously reported 44,000.

The ADP report provides an indication of private-sector employment conditions but does not necessarily correspond with the figures that will be reported in Friday’s government employment data.

The upcoming Labor Department report will provide additional information for investors assessing the economic and monetary policy outlook.

U.S. Indices Extend Declines on Tuesday

Wall Street recorded another negative session on Tuesday, with all three major indices closing lower.

The Nasdaq Composite declined 271.11 points, or 1%, to 26,099.77. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 419.02 points, or 0.8%, to finish at 52,766.88, while the S&P 500 dropped 54.67 points, or 0.7%, to 7,631.47.

The indices recovered from their intraday lows but still finished with notable losses.

The session coincided with an announcement from U.S. Central Command that American forces had conducted another series of strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran.

Centcom said the action followed attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. military personnel stationed in the region.

Trump Issues Warning Following U.S. Strikes

President Donald Trump responded to the latest developments with a warning to Iran on Truth Social.

Trump said Iran would be “hit again at a much harder and higher level” if it retaliated.

“But it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran!” Trump said.

U.S. crude futures rose by more than 5% during Tuesday’s trading following the latest military developments.

The increase brought renewed attention to the potential inflationary effects of higher energy prices. However, the implications for inflation and interest rates will depend on whether the increase in oil prices is sustained.

ISM Manufacturing PMI Falls to 54.6

Investors also assessed economic data showing that U.S. manufacturing activity continued to expand in August, although at a slower pace.

The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing PMI declined to 54.6 from 55.6 in July, below economists’ forecast of 55.2.

Readings above 50 indicate expansion.

The manufacturing data, together with the latest private-sector employment figures, provide additional information ahead of Friday’s government jobs report.

While economic data may influence expectations for the Federal Reserve’s meeting later this month, the outcome of the central bank’s next interest-rate decision remains dependent on policymakers’ assessment of employment, inflation and other economic conditions.

Gold and Technology-Related Sectors Record Losses

Several areas of the U.S. equity market recorded larger declines during Tuesday’s trading.

The NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index dropped 4.2% as gold-related stocks moved lower alongside the precious metal.

Networking shares also declined, with the NYSE Arca Networking Index falling 2.6%, while the Dow Jones Transportation Average lost 2.5%.

Software, housing and semiconductor stocks were also lower. Oil producers and pharmaceutical companies, meanwhile, moved higher against the broader market trend.

Wednesday’s relatively flat futures indicated a more limited move ahead of the open as investors continued to assess geopolitical developments, oil prices, Treasury yields and forthcoming U.S. employment data.

European equities traded lower on Wednesday, with major indices approaching one-month lows as investors assessed higher oil prices, rising government bond yields and the outlook for monetary policy.

Brent crude moved toward $95 a barrel following U.S. military strikes on targets in Iran and subsequent Iranian missile and drone attacks on sites across the region.

The developments increased concerns about potential energy supply disruptions and commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Eurozone Bond Yields Extend Gains

Eurozone government bond yields moved higher, following similar increases in U.S. and Asian bond markets overnight.

The moves came as investors assessed the outlook for European Central Bank monetary policy following the latest Eurozone inflation data.

The supplied information indicates that Eurozone inflation reached a nearly three-year high in August. Market expectations cited in the source point to a 25-basis-point ECB rate increase at its September 10 meeting.

While markets may assign a high probability to a rate increase, the ECB’s decision has not yet been made and will depend on its assessment of inflation, economic conditions and other available data.

DAX, FTSE 100 and CAC 40 Trade Lower

Germany’s DAX was down 0.4%, while the UK’s FTSE 100 declined 0.3%.

France’s CAC 40 fell 0.1%.

The declines came as investors monitored developments in energy markets and sovereign bond yields alongside the monetary policy outlook.

Prudential and BP Shares Move Lower

British insurer Prudential (LSE:PRU) traded slightly lower despite announcing plans to repurchase up to $1.472 billion of shares by December 18, 2026, under its existing share buyback programme.

The share-price movement and buyback announcement occurred during the same session, but the supplied information does not establish the factors responsible for the stock’s decline.

BP Plc (LSE:BP.) also moved lower after appointing Ian Tyler as its new chair.

The supplied information similarly does not establish that the management appointment caused BP’s share-price movement.

Halma and Wizz Air Trade Higher

Halma (LSE:HLMA) moved higher after agreeing to acquire U.S.-based water quality monitoring specialist Pyxis.

The transaction has an initial value of $170 million, according to the supplied information.

Wizz Air Holdings (LSE:WIZZ) also traded higher after reporting its August operating performance.

European markets remained focused on the combination of higher energy prices, rising bond yields and expectations surrounding the ECB’s September policy meeting.