Stoxx 600, FTSE, DAX, Iran news, UK Starmer latest
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during the Ministerial Statement on the Middle East in the House of Commons in London, England on April 13, 2026.
© House of Commons | via Reuters
LONDON — European stock markets are expected to open higher on Thursday as investors follow political developments in the UK and US President Donald Trump’s trip to China.
of england FTSE The German index is expected to open with a 0.3% increase DAX and France CAC 40 both increased by 0.5% respectively and Italy’s FTSE MIB According to IG data, it increased by 0.3%.
Earnings are coming National Grill, Group 3i, Aviva And Telefonica. The data includes UK first quarter GDP data.
Political turmoil in the UK is expected to top the European news agenda on Thursday as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership remains vulnerable to challenges.
Reports on Wednesday suggested Health Secretary Wes Streeting could be preparing to launch his leadership bid on Thursday. As uncertainty continues, investors are paying attention to the country’s borrowing costs.
US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing for the highly anticipated presidential summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping is in the focus of global markets amid hopes that the two superpowers can stabilize their relations.
Read more Coverage of the Trump-Xi meeting:
Trump is accompanied on the trip by a group of executives, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Nvidia boss Jensen Huang.
When the leaders met on Thursday, Trump told Xi that the relationship between the two countries would be “better than ever.” He has already held his first bilateral meeting with X and is expected to tour the historical site Temple of Heaven before attending a state banquet.
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed overnight, while S&P 500 futures were little changed after a modest rally in technology stocks lifted the index to all-time highs on Wednesday.
