European stock markets opened firmly in the green on Wednesday with major indices touching record intraday highs.
A robust rebound in banking stocks and a cautiously optimistic investor sentiment drove early morning trading, with the Euro Stoxx 50 rising by more than 0.4% shortly after the opening bell, crossing an unprecedented intraday peak of 6161 points.
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The pan-European Stoxx 600 index experienced an equally strong uptick, also gaining over 0.4% and sitting just below record highs.
Across the continent, regional indices reflected the buoyant mood.
In London, the FTSE 100 increased by 0.8%, Germany's DAX 30 edged up slightly to surpass the 25,000-point threshold, whilst France's CAC 40 saw a rise of 0.25%.
Italy’s FTSE MIB recorded a substantial 0.8% increase as well.
A primary catalyst for Wednesday's early rally was the banking sector. Europe's largest lender, HSBC, led the charge by climbing over 5% after publishing its full-year earnings.
Despite logging a $4.9bn (€4.1bn) one-off charge, the British bank exceeded annual profit expectations and raised a crucial net interest income lending target for 2026.
This move reassured investors that the bank's extensive restructuring programme is complete, shifting the focus entirely towards future revenue growth and capital returns.
AI and tariff fears ease
Broader market anxieties regarding rapid technological shifts, namely AI development, and trade uncertainties surrounding President Trump's tariffs appeared to ease.
In recent weeks, European banks and traditional businesses had faced volatility over fears that newer AI models might imminently disrupt established operating structures.
However, sentiment improved following news that the US-based AI startup, Anthropic, has partnered with several firms to launch new enterprise plug-ins.
This development signalled to investors that traditional corporations are successfully incorporating AI advancements rather than being rendered obsolete, effectively soothing concerns over potential margin pressures.
Moreover, investors were closely monitoring the macroeconomic and geopolitical backdrop, particularly digesting US President Donald Trump's recent State of the Union address.
While rhetoric surrounding a proposed 15% global tariff and future tax cuts continues to inject a degree of trade uncertainty into the global outlook, European equities largely shrugged off these immediate concerns during the morning session.
The global tariff went into effect on Tuesday at 10%.
Traders are now looking ahead to the highly anticipated corporate earnings from Nvidia, which are expected to provide fresh signals regarding the durability of global AI demand.
Additionally, European investors are also keeping a watchful eye on upcoming inflation data, which could influence the ECB's next interest rate decision.
