Here are the opening calls

A red London double decker bus passes across Waterloo Bridge in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral on March 24, 2025 in London, United Kingdom.

John Keeble | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Good morning from London, and welcome to CNBC’s live blog covering all the action and business news in European financial markets on Thursday.

Futures data from IG suggest a higher open for European bourses, with London’s FTSE 100 seen 0.4% higher, France’s CAC 40 and Germany’s DAX up 0.5%, and Italy’s FTSE MIB 0.9% higher.

European markets have been on tenterhooks since U.S. President Donald Trump announced last weekend that he would impose a 30% tariff on goods imported from the EU starting Aug. 1. The EU has said it hopes to strike a trade deal before then.

Overnight, U.S. stock futures ticked lower following a winning day for U.S. markets after Trump denied that he was planning to fire Jerome Powell from his position as Federal Reserve chairman.

Asia-Pacific markets mostly fell Thursday as investors assessed the fall in Japan’s exports for the second consecutive month.

— Holly Ellyatt

What to keep an eye on today

An EasyJet Airbus A320 aircraft is seen at Malpensa Airport near Milan, Italy, October 3, 2018.

Stefano Rellandini | Reuters