By European equity markets rallied to new highs Thursday, propelled by brisk gains in semiconductor names and renewed speculation about U.S. monetary easing.
The STOXX Europe 600 jumped ~0.7 % to around 568.7 points, breaching previous records. Germany’s DAX outperformed with a ~1.3 % gain.
Semiconductor stocks garnered outsized focus: ASML and ASMI gained strongly, buoyed by a deal to supply memory chips to OpenAI via Korean firms Samsung and SK Hynix. Healthcare also added momentum, rising ~0.6 % after positive developments around Pfizer’s drug pricing.
Automakers also saw upward momentum: Stellantis surged ~7 % and Volvo Cars rose ~5 %. The strength was underpinned by surprisingly resilient U.S. sales that eased concerns over looming tariffs.
Despite the strong advance, markets remain cautious. A potential U.S. government shutdown threatens to delay key employment data that could influence Fed decisions. Chinese and global macro factors also loom.
Traders will be watching upcoming economic reports, corporate earnings, and developments in U.S. fiscal policy to gauge whether this momentum can endure.