The yields on U.K. 2-year<\/a>, 10-year<\/a> and 30-year<\/a> bonds, known as gilts, were all down by around 2 basis points.<\/p>\n It has been a rocky month for U.K. yields, which spiked and then eased<\/a> as investors sought to position for tariff turbulence.<\/p>\n Bank of America analysts said in a Wednesday note that the decline in both headline and services inflation in March supported the case for a quarter-point rate cut in May by the Bank of England.<\/p>\n They added that odds were “rising for a faster cutting cycle than our base case of quarterly cuts” due to downside growth risks and the potential disinflationary impact of tariffs. Those factors are likely to offset rising energy bills and business tax contributions in the coming quarters, they said.<\/p>\n The British pound was 0.27% higher against the U.S. dollar amid a wider decline in the greenback<\/a>, but slipped 0.34% against the euro.<\/p>\n Stock Chart IconStock chart icon British pound vs. U.S. dollar.<\/p>\n \u2018Too early to tell\u2019 tariff impact on ASML, analyst says Ben Barringer, equity research analyst at Quilter Cheviot, discusses Dutch chip equipment giant ASML’s first-quarter results and the potential impact U.S. tariffs may have on the semiconductor industry.<\/p>\n CNBC Pro: A \u2018stimulus wave\u2019 is set to wash over Germany \u2014 and these stocks could benefit<\/p>\n Between\u00a0Germany’s new coalition agreement<\/a>\u00a0and the country’s recent fiscal U-turn, stimulus is set to soar in Europe’s biggest economy.<\/p>\n The\u00a0fiscal package<\/a>\u00a0enshrined in Germany’s constitution in March includes changes to long-standing debt rules, paving the way for higher defense spending and a 500 billion euro ($548 billion) infrastructure and climate fund.<\/p>\n Germany’s\u00a0coalition agreement<\/a>, meanwhile, suggests the new government could establish a further 100-billion-euro fund to boost growth and innovation, adjust tax rules for businesses, work to adjust energy prices and more.<\/p>\n “Now the question is how investors can participate in this deal and ride along the stimulus wave for the German economy,” Deutsche Bank strategists and analysts led by Maximilian Uleer said in a note on Tuesday, naming their top stocks.<\/p>\n CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u2014 Sophie Kiderlin <\/p>\n Europe stocks open lower<\/p>\n Europe’s regional Stoxx 600<\/a> index slipped 1% in early deals, snapping a short winning run. <\/p>\n The index jumped 2.69% on Monday and 1.63% on Tuesday, beginning to shake off sharp losses from the previous weeks in which U.S. tariff uncertainty sparked market chaos. <\/p>\n Germany’s DAX<\/a> and France’s CAC 40<\/a> were both down by around 1% at 8:30 a.m. in London, while the U.K.’s FTSE 100<\/a> was down 0.44%. <\/p>\n Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Stoxx 600 index.<\/p>\n Heineken revenue beats estimates but beer sales wane<\/p>\n Beers on display at\u00a0Winn-Dixie grocery store in Miami, Florida.<\/p>\n Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images<\/p>\n Dutch brewing giant Heineken<\/a> posted a 4.9% year-on-year decline in first-quarter revenue to 7.78 billion euros ($8.85 billion) as beer sales fell 2.1%.<\/p>\n Organic net revenue before exceptional items was more resilient, up 0.9%, above the 0.6% decline predicted in a company-compiled consensus forecast.<\/p>\n CEO and Chairman Dolf van den Brink said overall weaker beer sales had been expected, and that premium brands expanded 1.8%.<\/p>\n The company reaffirmed its full-year outlook for organical operating profit growth of 4% to 8%.<\/p>\n “We anticipate ongoing macroeconomic volatility that may impact our consumers, including weak sentiment, global inflationary pressures, and currency devaluations in relation to a stronger Euro,” it said in a statement.<\/p>\n Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Heineken share price.<\/p>\n “Additionally, there are broader uncertainties, including recent tariff adjustments and potential increases, as we go forward. To navigate this fluctuating environment, we remain agile in our allocation of capital and resources.”<\/p>\n While the beer sector will be hit by the expected global pullback in economic growth and consumer confidence as well as business uncertainty related to tariffs, analysts say<\/a> it may be more protected than other industries given its highly localized nature.<\/p>\n \u2014 Jenni Reid<\/p>\n UK inflation slows to cooler-than-expected 2.6%<\/p>\n General view of the City of London skyline, the capital’s financial district.<\/p>\n Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images<\/p>\n The U.K.’s annual inflation rate fell to 2.6% in March, coming in below analyst expectations, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Economists polled by Reuters had anticipated the consumer price index would hit 2.7% in the twelve months to March.<\/p>\n The rate of price rises in Britain hit 2.8% in February, after rising sharply to 3% in January.<\/p>\n Read the full story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014 Holly Ellyatt <\/p>\n ASML posts lower-than-expected net bookings in first quarter<\/p>\n Dutch semiconductor equipment firm\u00a0ASML<\/a>\u00a0on Wednesday missed on net bookings expectations, suggesting a potential slowdown in demand for its critical chipmaking machines.<\/p>\n ASML reported net bookings of 3.94 billion euros ($4.47 billion) for the first quarter, versus a Reuters reported forecast of 4.89 billion euros.<\/p>\n Global chip stocks have been fragile over the last two weeks amid worries about how U.S. President\u00a0Donald Trump’s<\/a>\u00a0tariff plans will affect the semiconductor supply chain.<\/p>\n Read the full story here<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u2014 Ryan Browne <\/p>\n China’s first-quarter GDP tops estimates at 5.4% as growth momentum continues amid tariff worries<\/p>\n China’s economy expanded by a better-than-expected 5.4% in the first quarter, maintaining a strong momentum, even as U.S. tariff threats have prompted major investment banks to slash the country’s annual growth outlook.<\/p>\n The first-quarter GDP topped Reuters’ poll expectations for a 5.1% growth year on year, building on a recovery that began in late 2024, thanks to a broad policy stimulus push.<\/p>\n Retail sales in March rose by 5.9% year on year, sharply beating analysts’ estimates for a 4.2% growth. Industrial output expanded by 7.7% from a year earlier, versus median estimates of 5.8%.<\/p>\n Read the full story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014Anniek Bao<\/p>\n Asia chip stocks fall after Nvidia flags $5.5 billion costs in exporting to ChinaGold hits another record high amid tariff uncertainty<\/p>\n Gold prices climbed to another fresh all-time high amid tariff uncertainties, with spot gold rising to 3,261.62 per ounce, according to LSEG data.<\/p>\n Gold futures<\/a>\u00a0on the U.S. Commodity Exchange were up 0.63% at $3,261.6 per ounce.<\/p>\n “We believe risk-off purchases for gold are yet to pick up. Increasing downside risks for equity markets will see institutional investors increasing allocation to gold,” ANZ’s analysts wrote in a research note published Wednesday. The investment bank sees gold prices going towards $3,400 per ounce.<\/p>\n \u2014 Lee Ying Shan<\/p>\n European markets: Here are the opening calls<\/p>\n European markets are expected to open in negative territory Wednesday.<\/p>\n The U.K.’s FTSE 100<\/a> index is expected to open 33 points lower at 8,217, Germany’s DAX<\/a> down 53 points at 21,174, France’s CAC<\/a>\u00a053 points lower at 7,279 and Italy’s FTSE MIB<\/a> 168 points lower at 34,814, according to data from IG.<\/p>\n U.K. inflation data and ASML and Heineken’s earnings are in focus for regional investors.<\/p>\n \u2014 Holly Ellyatt<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UK bond yields fall after inflation eases Britain’s borrowing costs were broadly lower at 11 a.m. in London,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24497,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5174],"tags":[15156,5189,3085,7426,7425,3686,32,2000,299,5187,1880,15158,15157,5191,49],"class_list":{"0":"post-24496","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-eu","8":"tag-asml-holding-nv","9":"tag-breaking-news-europe","10":"tag-business-news","11":"tag-cac-40-index","12":"tag-dax","13":"tag-donald-j-trump","14":"tag-donald-trump","15":"tag-eu","16":"tag-europe","17":"tag-european","18":"tag-ftse-100","19":"tag-ftse-mib","20":"tag-heineken-nv","21":"tag-stoxx-600","22":"tag-united-states"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114347165856673620","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"hide](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/a54b41835a8b60db28c2.svg.svg+xml\")
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