European equities advanced after a slew of positive earnings surprises, while US stock futures pointed to gains on Wall Street after Tesla Inc. delivered blowout results.
The Stoxx 600 rose 0.5%, supported by strong results from Barclays Plc, Unilever Plc and Hermes. Futures on the Nasdaq 100 rallied 0.7% after Tesla posted its biggest quarterly profit in more than a year, sending the stock surging 9% in late-hours trading. US Treasuries climbed for the first day this week and the dollar edged lower.
With the earnings season in full swing, about 10% of the entire Stoxx 600 index is due to report Thursday, including more than two dozen blue-chip companies. Investors continue to watch the pace of Federal Reserve easing, with swap traders now less than 100% certain of rate cuts over the two remaining policy meetings this year.
Corporate Highlights
Barclays Plc posted a surprise increase in fixed-income trading while its stock traders generated £692 million in revenue in the period, topping the £688 million average of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Unilever Plc’s revenue increased 4.5% in the third quarter, beating the 4.3% expected by analysts, the soap-to-stock cube conglomerate said Thursday.
Hermes sales rose as the Birkin bag maker met resilient demand for its pricey handbags, bucking the broader luxury market slump.
Renault SA confirmed its full-year guidance as the French automaker expects to benefit from new models including the R5 electric car and updated Dacia sport utility vehicles.
Boeing Co. factory workers rejected a new labor contract that would have increased their wages by 35% over four years, dealing a blow to the embattled aircraft manufacturer as it tries to overcome a crippling work stoppage.
A pullback in US and Asia-based tech and artificial intelligence companies has opened up an attractive entry point, Julia Wang, executive director and global market strategist at JPMorgan Private Bank, said on Bloomberg Television.
“The Treasury yield move and the relentless move in the dollar have clouded investor risk appetite, but we are looking at the medium term and there is no reason this shouldn’t be a great buy-the-dip opportunity,” Wang said.
Asian equities were trading flat, losing momentum after a nearly 5% rally in September as traders remained concerned about whether China’s recent stimulus blitz is enough to revive growth.
“There is still some doubt whether the stimulus changes things fundamentally,” Vanessa Xu, chief investment officer at VS Partners, told Bloomberg TV. The very large price swings in Chinese stocks in recent weeks reflects “a tug of war between tourist money and serious long money,” she said.
Oil prices rebounded after retreating on Wednesday as traders assessed tensions in the Middle East and the outlook for market balances heading into 2025.
