STOXX 600, FTSE, DAX, CAC, earnings reports

LONDON — European stocks are expected to open higher on Thursday, with traders focused on a raft of earnings reports due from some of Europe’s biggest companies.

The U.K.’s FTSE index is seen opening 0.15% higher, Germany’s DAX up 0.14%, France’s CAC 40 also up 0.15% and Italy’s FTSE MIB up 0.33%, according to data from IG.

Earnings come from Deutsche Bank, ING, Wizz Air, Roche, Swedbank, ABB, Sanofi, Nokia, STMicroelectronics and SAP, among others.

CNBC will be interviewing a variety of chief executives and financial officers on Thursday, the list includes: Deutsche Bank CFO James Von Moltke, ING CFO Tanate Phutrakul, DWS CFO Markus Kobler, Wizz Air CEO József Váradi, Roche CEO Thomas Schinecker, Swedbank CEO Jens Henriksson, SAP CFO Dominik Asam and SEB CEO Johan Torgeby.

U.S. markets are also focused on earnings season, with Apple’s fiscal first-quarter earnings report due later Thursday after the bell. Mastercard, Caterpillar and Lockheed Martin are also set to post results.

S&P 500 futures were little changed Wednesday evening as traders assessed the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep its benchmark rate steady at a target range of 3.5% to 3.75%.

In its post-meeting statement, the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee said that indicators are suggesting that “economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace” and that the unemployment rate “has shown some signs of stabilization.”

Fed funds futures trading are still pricing in two quarter-percentage-point cuts by the end of 2026, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. Asia-Pacific markets mostly traded lower Thursday.

— CNBC’s Pia Singh contributed to this market report.