uropean Stocks Rise, Middle East Risks Remain Key Focus
EEuropean stocks edged higher on Tuesday (May 19), with the EURO STOXX 50 rising 0.1% and the STOXX 600 adding 0.2%, extending the previous session's gains. Market participants remained cautious while monitoring developments in the Middle East conflict and expectations of a potential US-Iran deal.
Sentiment improved after US President Donald Trump announced overnight that he was delaying a planned attack on Iran following requests from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. This statement helped push oil prices lower, temporarily easing risk pressures on global assets sensitive to energy volatility.
At the stock level, gains were driven by SAP's 3.2% rise, followed by Nestlé's 1.3% rise, Unilever's 1.4% rise, and Airbus' 1.2% rise. Meanwhile, ASML Holding, HSBC, and Novartis were mostly flat, reflecting the market's continued awaited clarity on the direction of future geopolitical risks.
Meanwhile, Standard Chartered fell 0.7% after announcing plans to cut more than 7,000 jobs over four years as part of its AI adoption push. In Germany, the government also announced plans to re-privatize Uniper, the energy company nationalized during the 2022 European energy crisis—a policy the market is closely monitoring for signs of the country's strategic direction toward strategic assets and the energy sector. (asd)
Source: Newsmaker.id
