A bear statue stands outside the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on April 7, 2025 in Frankfurt, Germany. <\/p>\n
Florian Wiegand | Getty Images<\/p>\n
Futures data pointed to a broadly negative open in Europe on Friday, as uncertainty over U.S.-Iran peace talks weighed on investor sentiment. <\/p>\n
Pan-European Stoxx 50 futures were down 0.6% shortly before 7 a.m. in London (2 a.m. ET), with futures tied to London’s FTSE 100 and Paris’s CAC 40 down 0.8% and 0.6%, respectively. German DAX futures were flat, and futures tied to Switzerland’s SMI index were 0.6% lower. <\/p>\n
Investor attention remains focused on developments in the Middle East. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters, “don’t rush me,” when questioned on a long-term deal with Iran. He also said he won’t put a “timetable” on when the war will end. <\/p>\n
Overnight, it was reported that U.S. forces had boarded and searched another tanker thought to be carrying Iranian oil through the Indian Ocean. <\/p>\n
Oil prices edged higher on Friday morning, with global benchmark Brent crude futures adding 0.4% to settle at $105.44 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were marginally higher at $95.88. <\/p>\n
Back in Europe, investors will be monitoring another flurry of corporate earnings, with Eni, Orange, Volvo and Renault among the firms set to update shareholders on their finances. <\/p>\n
Economic data releases on Friday will include U.K. retail sales, French consumer confidence figures, and a German Ifo Business Climate update.<\/p>\n