European stocks inched higher Thursday ahead of a highly-awaited European Central Bank meeting, with multinational British companies getting a boost from floundering negotiations on a U.K.-European Union trade deal.
The Stoxx Europe 600
SXXP,
+0.00%
opened with little change at all, and the German DAX
DAX,
+0.08%
and French CAC 40
PX1,
+0.38%
sported small advances.
The U.K. FTSE 100
UKX,
+0.21%
climbed 0.5%, as exporters got a boost from the drop in the British pound
GBPUSD,
-0.76%.
A “lively” dinner of scallops and steamed turbot between U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen concluded with an agreement to end talks on Sunday, though U.K. foreign secretary Dominic Raab already said he couldn’t rule out an extension.
Negotiations on a U.S. stimulus bill continue, with hangups including whether to give aid to state and local governments, extend jobless benefits, provide stimulus checks and provide legal immunity for businesses facing lawsuits over the spread of coronavirus.
The European Central Bank is meeting with expectations of more stimulus to aid the eurozone economy that has been hurt by a second wave of lockdowns. Expectations include a €500 billion increase to the ECB’s Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme, though analysts at Bank of America say the central bank will move to an open-ended plan.
U.S. stocks, particularly in the tech sector
COMP,
-1.94%,
ended lower Wednesday after a nationwide antitrust lawsuit was brought against Facebook that seeks the separation of its Instagram and WhatsApp units. Stock futures
ES00,
+0.02%
drifted ahead of the ECB meeting, with the first day of trade of Airbnb
ABNB,
also in the spotlight.
The coronavirus continues to spread, with the U.S. on Wednesday suffering a record 3,054 deaths, which is more Americans than died during the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. Confirmed cases in Europe continue to drop, though they still remain elevated, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Of stocks on the move, food delivery group Ocado
OCDO,
-3.10%
dropped 6%. It hiked its full-year earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization guidance to more than £70 million from a previous estimate of £60 million. The stock has nonetheless surged 84% over the last 12 months.
HelloFresh
HFG,
+5.48%,
the Germany-based mealkit delivery company, led the Stoxx 600 with a 6% rise. HelloFresh increased its revenue and margin guidance, citing the “continued exceptionally strong demand across most markets, partly influenced by the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related lock-down measures .”
