European markets to open higher as politics dominates the news agenda
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during Ministerial Statement on the Middle East at the House of Commons in London, Britain, April 13, 2026.
© House Of Commons | Via Reuters
LONDON — European stocks are expected to open higher Thursday as investors keep an eye on political developments in the U.K. and U.S. President Donald Trump’s trip to China.
The U.K.’s FTSE index is seen opening 0.3% higher, Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 both up 0.5%, respectively, and Italy’s FTSE MIB up 0.3%, according to data from IG.
Earnings come from National Grid, 3i Group, Aviva and Telefonica. Data releases include U.K. first-quarter GDP data.
The U.K.’s political turbulence is expected to stay high up on the news agenda in Europe on Thursday as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership remains vulnerable to challenges.
Reports on Wednesday suggested Health Secretary Wes Streeting could be prepared to launch a leadership bid on Thursday. Investors are keeping an eye on the country’s borrowing costs as the uncertainty continues.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing for a highly anticipated presidential summit with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, is in focus for global markets amid hopes the two superpowers can stabilize their relationship.
Read more Trump-Xi meeting coverage:
Trump is being accompanied on the trip by a group of executives, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Nvidia boss Jensen Huang.
The relationship between the two countries will be “better than ever before,” Trump told Xi as the leaders met Thursday. He’s already held his first bilateral meeting with X and is due to tour the historic Temple of Heaven before attending a state banquet.
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed overnight while S&P 500 futures were little changed after a narrow rally in technology stocks pushed the index to new all-time highs on Wednesday.
