Newsquawk Logo

[MARKET ANALYSIS] European bourses are modestly firmer; SHEL LN -1.7% post-earnings

European markets are showing modest gains, buoyed by geopolitical optimism surrounding a potential resolution in the Iran situation.

Newsquawk StaffPublished On the live feed at — 5 more headlines followed before this page went public
Newsquawk headlinesUTC

EU Retail Sales YoY (Mar) Y/Y 1.2% vs. Exp. 1% (Prev. 1.7%, Low. 0.2%, High. 1.5%)

EU Retail Sales MoM (Mar) M/M -0.1% vs. Exp. -0.4% (Prev. -0.2%, Low. -1%, High. 0.3%)

[MARKET ANALYSIS] European bourses are modestly firmer; SHEL LN -1.7% post-earnings

[MARKET ANALYSIS] DXY downbeat as positive geopolitical headlines pressure crude

Romanian Defence Ministry says a drone briefly breached Romanian airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine

Open the platform and use it. The whole workspace is free to try, with no signup and no card. When you want the headlines arriving live instead of on a delay, Newsquawk Pro is £24.99 for 7 days.

Try the platform free
Free. No signup, no card.
  • European bourses are broadly modestly firmer, attempting to build on the hefty gains seen in the prior session. Geopolitics remains the key focus this morning, with Iran expected to provide its reply to the US proposal for ending the war to mediators on Thursday, CNN reported. Sentiment in early morning trade was lifted after Al Arabiya reported that "the coming hours will witness a breakthrough for the situation of the ships stuck in the strait".
  • European sectors are mixed. Travel & Leisure takes the top spot, joined closely by Consumer Products and then Autos. Sectors which have broadly benefited from the risk-tone and/or lower energy prices. Elsewhere, Utilities is found right at the foot of the pile, joined closely by Telecoms.
  • In terms of key movers: Henkel (+3.9%, sales topped exp.), Rheinmetall (-3.1%, missed on Q1 EPS, but reaffirmed outlook), Telecom Italia (+3.2%, revenue +1.4% amidst strong Brazil growth), Shell (-1.7%, EPS and Rev. topped expectations whilst announcing a USD 3bln buyback), Flutter (-3.6%, cut guidance despite reporting higher Q1 revenue).
  • US equity futures are all trading modestly firmer this morning, with gains of circa. 0.2%. As for pre-market movers: Arm (-5.2%, ​weaker-than-expected royalty revenue and rising operating expenses offset enthusiasm for its AI server opportunities). Snap (-9.8%, issued cautious guidance, the end of its Perplexity partnership, and uncertainty from Middle East headwinds).
Context

This positive sentiment is reflected in sector performances, particularly in travel and consumer products, while Shell's slight decline post-earnings highlights mixed sector reactions to company results amidst broader market movements. Overall, a cautiously optimistic tone prevails, influenced by both macroeconomic factors and specific corporate earnings news.

Related headlines

The whole workspace, free to try.

Try it free
Newsquawk Logo

© 2026 Newsquawk. All rights reserved.