Newsquawk Daily European Equity Opening News - 4th May 2026

ASIA

APAC stocks traded mostly firmer, although thinner liquidity prevailed amid the absence of Japanese and Mainland Chinese markets. ASX 200 trimmed early gains but remained rangebound ahead of the RBA decision, where a 25bps hike is expected. KOSPI surged at the open, with chip giants leading the market higher, SK Hynix +10%, Samsung Electronics +3.5%. Hang Seng opened higher, supported by tech strength, albeit Northbound and Southbound Stock Connect trading were closed due to the Labour Day holiday in Mainland China.

FTSE 100 - Closed for Bank Holiday

UK Politics - Some Labour MPs said it was imperative that Chancellor Rachel Reeves stayed in post to reassure markets even if there was a change of leadership. Labour MPs feared bond market chaos if Rachel Reeves was ousted alongside UK PM Starmer, according to The Sunday Times. Reeves and Starmer are expected to come under pressure if local elections go as badly as feared. Elsewhere, Wes Streeting had the backing of enough Labour MPs to launch a leadership challenge within days, according to The Telegraph. He had reportedly recruited more than 81 MPs, the minimum needed to trigger a challenge. UK PM Starmer was alerted to Streeting’s plans after a Downing Street staffer accidentally texted details. Some Streeting supporters want him to strike as soon as the Friday after the local elections, according to The Telegraph. (The Sunday Times / The Telegraph)

UK Defence - UK intends to begin negotiations to join a EUR 90bln European Union loan scheme seen as providing vital support for Ukraine, BBC reported. BBC suggests this "further signals the government's desire for closer ties with the EU". "UK PM Starmer will tell the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Armenia on Monday about the UK's ambitions, which further signals the government's desire for closer ties with the EU". (BBC)

OTHER UK COMPANIES

BROKER MOVES

DAX

OTHER GERMAN COMPANIES

Evotec (EVT GY) - Co. announced the nomination of a small molecule preclinical development candidate (PDC) from its multi‑target drug discovery alliance in medical dermatology with Almirall (ALM SM). (Evotec)

Stabilus (STM GY) - Q2 2026 (EUR): Revenue 304.9mln (prev. 338.0mln Y/Y), Adj. EBIT 34.1mln (prev. 37.7mln Y/Y), Adj. FCF 4.1mln (prev. 18.1mln Y/Y), Profit 9.3mln (prev. 11.2mln Y/Y). Adj. EBIT margin 11.2% (prev. 11.2% Y/Y), FY guidance confirmed. (Stabilus)

ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA GY) - Co. and Jindal International Steel have mutually agreed to pause talks regarding a stake in ThyssenKrupp Steel. The original assumptions and prerequisites for a potential sale of ThyssenKrupp Steel have significantly changed in recent months. ThyssenKrupp has made significant progress in realigning its steel segment. (ThyssenKrupp) Shares -1.9% in pre-market trade

BROKER MOVES

CAC

OTHER FRENCH COMPANIES

JCDecaux (DEC FP) - Co. completed the sale of an additional portion of its stake in APG|SGA to NZZ. (JCDecaux) Story from Friday, 1st May

Sopra Steria (SOP FP) - Co. announced that it has completed its acquisitions of Starion and Nexova creating a leading European player in the space and cybersecurity sectors. Story from Friday, 1st May

Worldline (WLN FP) - Co. announced that the sale of its Electronic Data Management activities to SIX has been finalised. (Worldline)

BROKER MOVES

PAN EUROPE

Autos - US President Trump said that the EU is not complying with trade deal and he will increase tariffs to EU cars and truck imports into the US; tariff will be increased to 25%. Said that the EU was not adhering to agreement; forces Cos. to move production to the US (Truth Social) Pre-market: BMW (BMW GY) -1.8%, Mercedes (MBG GY) -1.8%, Stellantis (STLAM IM/STLAP FP) -0.9%.

Arcadis (ARCAD NA) - Co. awarded a EUR 50mln framework contract for consultancy and engineering services by GVB. (Arcadis)

Aedifica (AED BB) - Filing of merger proposal and convocation of Extraordinary General Meetings to approve the merger with Cofinimmo. (Aedifica) Story from Friday, 1st May

Geopols - US President Trump posted on Sunday that the US will guide neutral ships safely out of the Strait of Hormuz under “Project Freedom”, beginning Monday morning Middle East time. An Iranian official said any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.

Recordati (REC IM) - Il Sole 24 Ore reported that GBL and CVC Capital Partners have emerged as the front runners for a potential takeover deal for the company. (Il Sole 24 Ore)

UCB (UCB BB) - Co. announces acquisition of IMIDomics’ Patient Insight Business, strengthening capabilities in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). (UCB) Story from Friday, 1st May

US-Germany - The Pentagon plans to withdraw about 5K US troops from Germany over the next six to 12 months, CBS reports. Officials described the move as reflecting President Trump’s frustration with European allies’ support in the US-Iran war. (CBS)

BROKER MOVES

SMI

Novartis (NOVN SW) - Co. received Health Canada approval for Fabhalta oral treatment for adults with C3G. (Novartis)

UBS Group (UBSG SW) - A group of 13 Swiss lawmakers will meet in Bern to begin the legislative process shaping UBS Group’s future, Bloomberg reports. The closed-door Upper House Economic Affairs and Taxation Committee hearing will frame debate in the parliamentary chamber expected to vote on the bill first, potentially as early as June. (Bloomberg)

OTHER SWISS COMPANIES

BROKER MOVES

SCANDINAVIA

Ratos (RATO SS) - Q1 2026 (SEK): Net sales 4.49bln (exp. 4.47bln, prev. 4.47bln Y/Y), Adj. EBITA 417mln (prev. 345mln Y/Y), EBIT 361mln (prev. 434mln Y/Y), Profit 247mln (prev. 235mln Y/Y), Adj. diluted EPS 0.67 (prev. 0.15 Y/Y). (Ratos)

Skanska (SKAB SS) - Co. builds a data center expansion in Finland for EUR 100mln. (Skanska)

BROKER MOVES

US

CLOSES: SPX +0.29% at 7,230, NDX +0.94% at 27,710, DJI -0.31% at 49,499, RUT +0.46% at 2,813

SECTORS: Energy -1.31%, Industrials -0.93%, Utilities -0.69%, Health -0.52%, Financials -0.37%, Materials -0.32%, Real Estate -0.25%, Consumer Staples -0.09%, Communication Services -0.02%, Consumer Discretionary +0.51%, Technology +1.41%.

GameStop (GME) - Co. is offering to purchase eBay (EBAY) for USD 56bln, GameStop CEO says, according to WSJ; offer at USD 125/shr (vs USD 104.07/shr closing price on Friday). "If eBay isn't receptive to the proposal, GameStop's CEO said he was prepared to run a proxy fight and take the offer directly to the shareholder". (GameStop)

Manchester United (MANU) - Man Utd secured a return to the Champions League competition in 2026-27, after beating Liverpool 3-2 on Sunday, ending a two-year absence from Europe's elite competition. Some have suggested that the club could see around GBP 100mln+ total revenue uplift from participation, The Times has previously reported. (The Times)