Mixed Signals at Europe's Stock Markets – Tension Ahead of Fed Minutes and Nvidia Results

In a session without a clear direction, European stock markets lacked a definitive orientation on Wednesday. Investors held back amid upcoming insights into the monetary policy of the US Federal Reserve and impending earnings figures from tech heavyweight Nvidia. The mood was cautious, as traders were unwilling to be drawn into risky positions. The EuroStoxx 50 ended the trading day up by 0.32 percent, reaching a new peak since 2001 with a closing value of 4775.31. The French benchmark index Cac 40 continued its record-breaking run, closing slightly higher by 0.22 percent at 7812.09 points. The situation was different for the British FTSE 100, which ended the day down by 0.73 percent at 7662.51 points. Here, particularly notable were the declines in mining company shares after disappointing reports from Rio Tinto and Glencore and weak business figures from HSBC. Analysts look forward with anticipation to the upcoming events; especially Nvidia's numbers after the stock market close could provide insight into the justification of the current AI boom, though prior profit-taking could send warning signals. Additional attention is drawn to the minutes of the US Federal Reserve's meeting, which could provide indications of a possible interest rate cut before the June gathering – a turn of events that the markets are eagerly anticipating. European banking stocks were under particular pressure, further exacerbated by HSBC's share price plunge of more than eight percent. The bank suffered from write-downs and the sale of its French business segment. In the mining sector, Rio Tinto and Glencore faced losses, weighed down by the sluggish recovery of the Chinese economy and declining profits. However, the retail sector was a positive highlight; Carrefour enjoyed a favorable evaluation from UBS, which praised its operating results and cash flow, closing with a nearly five percent increase.