Jul 31 ,2026
Synopsis:
European equity markets ended mixed, off best levels. Stoxx 600 hit a new record high during the session and saw the fourth monthly gain in a row (see related StreetAccount comment Macro Month in Europe: July 2026). FTSE also near intraday record. Follows decent gains for US markets in prior session amid a bounce in momentum stocks. Asian equities posted decent gains. Kospi recorded record rally, with gains over 17%. Oil firmer, with WTI crude up 2% over $85/bbl.
Positive sentiment after rebound in US markets. Memory rally the big story in Asia and semis also performing well. Nothing specific behind move although more discussion about deleveraging largely done. Investors more willing to return to AI trade after big rout this week. Earnings supportive for Europe. Positive takeaways from US Mag 7 reports. Afterhours earnings from AMZN well received. Meanwhile, downbeat reaction to AAPL update. European tech sector was up on the ripple effect and also helped by some broker upgrades in the space, eg Aixtron (AIXA.GR) upgraded to outperform at Oddo and Siltronic (WAF.GR) upgraded at both Deutsche Bank and DZ Bank.
In other big European sector moves, Media sector came under heavy pressure, closing down (5.5%). Universal Music Group (UMG.NA) dived (25%) after Q2 results were received with disappointment, mainly due to paid streaming, which posted growth of just +6.7% in Q2 (excluding Downtown), vs +10.5% expected. Kepler Cheuvreux downgraded UMG.NA, cutting price target to €18 from €23. Also in the media sector, Ipsos (IPS.FP) (14.2%) CEO Jean Laurent Poitou steps down to focus on personal projects. Ipsos' board unanimously decided to appoint Kelly Beaver as the company's new CEO. Analysts at Kepler Cheuvreux comment Beaver has done a good job but is less experienced in a general sense, relatively unknown to the market and on paper is a similar profile to the previous incumbent Ben Page. Kepler Cheuvreux says this is not a good look, a setback after less than one year in the job and a good Q2 (+3% organic) with stock just starting to recover. Pearson (PSON.LN) (2.8%) traded slightly lower despite H1 headline results marginally ahead of consensus and reaffirmation of FY26 group guidance. From a divisional perspective there was a mix of positive and negatives.
Among other stocks in focus, NatWest (NWG.LN) +3.2% reported Q2 results ahead of expectations. Strengthened guidance for 2026. Announced an interim dividend of 12.0p per share and said will consider share-buybacks from full year 2026, six months earlier than previously planned. bp (BP.LN) announced that it is launching a process to market its North Sea business for a potential sale. Saint-Gobain (SGO.FP) +6.9% reported a solid Q2 with organic growth of 3.5%, well above expectations, driven by both price and volume gains across regions; H1 EBITDA beat consensus and FCF was strong; full-year guidance for an EBITDA margin above 15% was left unchanged. Euronext (ENX.FP) Q2 results beat expectations across the board; outperformance was driven mainly by non-volume businesses and stronger-than-expected contribution from the recently acquired Athens exchange. Leonardo (LDO.IM) +2.6% also with strong Q2 beat,
On macro data front, Eurozone inflation edged up in July. Headline CPI in line with expectations, core firmer than forecast. Germany unemployment increased in July. Lloyds Bank UK business barometer moved up to a four-month high in July. UK Nationwide house price index edge higher in July, as expected. In line with other readings showing that subdued conditions dampening price momentum. In Asia, China manufacturing and non-manufacturing PMIs unexpectedly fell back into contraction.
Market looking through Middle East developments despite more military strikes. Iran said it launched drone strikes targeting US facilities in Kuwait in response to recent US attacks in Iran. Other reports said Saudi Arabia preparing sea and possible land offensive against Houthis. Elsewhere, Trump announced that deal has reached for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw forces in structured phases.
The week ahead sees Jul manufacturing/services PMIs from across the region as well as earnings/updates from Ahold Delhaize (AD.NA), Allianz (ALV.GR), bp (BP.LN), Deutsche Telekom (DTE.GR), Diageo (DGE.LN), Eutelsat Communications (ETL.FP), Generali (G.IM), Glencore (GLEN.LN), HSBC Holdings (HSBA.LN), Novo Nordisk (NOVO.B.DC), Siemens (SIE.GR) and Swiss Re (SREN.SW). (See related StreetAccount Summary - Europe Week Ahead: Aug 03-07)
Digest:
Sectors - STOXX Europe 600:
Outperformers:
Oil & Gas +1.17%, Utilities +0.53%, Basic Resources +0.52%, Banks +0.34%, Technology +0.32%, Ind Goods & Svcs +0.27%, Construct & Mtls +0.18%, Insurance (0.03%)
Underperformers:
Media (5.49%), Retail (1.50%), Travel & Leisure (1.28%), Chemicals (1.13%), Health Care (0.94%), Autos & Parts (0.93%), Telecom (0.85%), Persnl & HHold Goods (0.69%), Food & Beverage (0.61%), Real Estate (0.27%), Financial Svcs (0.16%)
Macro:
UK
Markets
Geopolitics
Company news:
Notable Gainers
+28.1% TRMED.NO (Thor Medical NOK5.79, +1.27) -- announces the AlphaOne production facility at Herøya Industrial Park has commenced commercial production
+24.2% HEAD.LN (Headlam Group £0.07, +0.01) -- trading update and strategic review
+22.2% WLN.FP (Worldline €12.19, +2.22) -- H1 eanrings
+13.2% TEP.FP (Teleperformance €69.00, +8.02) -- H1 earnings
+8.2% AMP.IM (Amplifon €12.15, +0.92) -- Q2 earnings
+6.9% SGO.FP (Compagnie de Saint-Gobain €81.28, +5.24) -- H1 earnings
+6.2% ENX.FP (Euronext €158.60, +9.20) -- Q2 earnings
+5.5% HFG.LN (Hilton Food Group £5.99, +0.31) -- to sell its Dutch-based Vegan and Vegetarian business Dalco Food B.V. to Livekindly Production NL B.V. for £5.4M
+5.3% AIXA.GR (Aixtron €36.27, +1.82) -- Oddo upgrade
+4.0% ENGI.FP (ENGIE €27.11, +1.04) -- H1 earnings
+3.2% NWG.LN (NatWest Group £7.06, +0.22) -- Q2 earnings
+2.9% WAF.GR (Siltronic €76.10, +2.15) -- Deutsche Bank and DZ upgrades
+2.7% BITTI.FH (Bittium €28.45, +0.75) -- to enter OMX Helsinki 25 index on 3-Aug; reports Q2 results 7-Aug
+2.6% ACA.FP (Credit Agricole €19.28, +0.49) -- Q2 earnings
+2.6% LDO.IM (Leonardo €55.12, +1.40) -- Q2 earnings
+2.6% UMI.BB (Umicore €21.60, +0.54) -- H1 earnings
+2.4% RWAY.IM (Rai Way €4.64, +0.11) -- Q2 earnings
+2.3% RBI.AV (Raiffeisen Bank International €59.40, +1.35) -- Q2 earnings
+2.2% UNI.SM (Unicaja Banco €3.33, +0.07) -- Q2 earnings
+1.8% BP.LN (BP £0.00, +0.10) -- to market North Sea business
+1.0% SBRY.LN (J Sainsbury £3.59, +0.04) -- agrees sale of Argos to Swift Partners, Cash proceeds of at least £120m
+0.1% CVSG.LN (CVS Group £12.52, +0.01) -- Barclays upgrade
Notable Decliners
-25.4% UMG.NA (Universal Music Group €0.00, -4.92) -- Q2 results, Kepler Cheuvreux downgrade
In sympathy: VIV.FP -19.5%
-14.4% IGG.LN (IG Group Holdings £14.60, -2.46) -- discloses the proposed acquisition of Underdog for total consideration of up to ~$1.3B; H1 earnings
-14.2% IPS.FP (Ipsos €35.74, -5.92) -- CEO steps down
-11.8% FUR.NA (Fugro €8.51, -1.14) -- Q2 earnings
-10.1% SLP.LN (Sylvania Platinum £0.74, -0.08) -- Q4 earnings
-7.5% GRG.LN (Greggs £18.80, -1.52) -- RBC Capital Markets downgrade
-7.4% NOVO.B.DC (Novo Nordisk DKK0.00, -24.40) -- headline results from the ZEUS cardiovascular outcomes phase 3 trial; did not translate into MACE risk reduction vs placebo
-7.1% PSG.SM (Prosegur Compania de Seguridad €3.02, -0.23) -- H1 earnings
-6.1% TW.LN (Taylor Wimpey £0.78, -0.05) -- to commence £41.9M buyback
-6.0% CLTN.SW (Coltene Holding CHF48.90, -3.10) -- H1 earnings
-5.5% INRN.SW (Interroll Holding CHF1,352.00, -78.00) -- H1 earnings
-5.4% ANA.SM (Acciona €238.60, -13.60) -- H1 earnings
-5.1% SUR.GR (Surteco Group €8.45, -0.45) -- H1 earnings
-4.4% MRO.LN (Melrose Industries £4.54, -0.21) -- H1 earnings
-3.7% SIFG.NA (Sif Holding €3.93, -0.15) -- H1 earnings
-3.0% ORA.FP (Orange €16.57, -0.50) -- France explores sale of partial stake in telecom operator Orange S.A. in a deal that could be valued at ~ €1.1B - Reuters
-2.9% CRBN.NA (Corbion €18.93, -0.57) -- Q2 earnings
-2.7% MEL.SM (Melia Hotels International €10.37, -0.29) -- Q2 earnings
-2.7% PSON.LN (Pearson £12.57, -0.36) -- H1 earnings
-2.5% PUM.GR (Puma €27.50, -0.70) -- Q2 earnings
-2.0% ABVX.FP (Abivax €106.30, -2.20) -- announces completion of its pre-NDA interaction with the FDA for obefazimod
-1.5% IAG.LN (International Consolidated Airlines Group £4.32, -0.07) -- Q2 earnings
-1.3% VOD.LN (Vodafone Group £1.18, -0.02) -- completes buyout of CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holding Limited's 49% stake in VodafoneThree for £4.3B
-0.8% BRNL.NA (Brunel International €7.51, -0.06) -- Q2 earnings
-0.3% IMI.LN (IMI £29.36, -0.10) -- H1 earnings
EU companies reporting on Monday:
Earnings:
Benelux: PostNL (PNL.NA)
DACHs: Stabilus (STM.GR), Amadeus FiRe (AAD.GR), Bertrandt (BDT.GR)
Nordics: Aspo (ASPO.FH)
Southern Europe: ENAV (ENAV.IM), Anima Holding (ANIM.IM), ElvalHalcor Hellenic Copper & Aluminium Industry (ELHA.GA)
UK: Senior (SNR.LN), FDM Group (Holdings) (FDM.LN)
Trading Update:
France: Bonduelle (BON.FP)
Sales: Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS (MOEX.RU)
CMD/Events: ALNG (ALNG.NO) EGM
Data:
Economics:
Jul Preliminary CPI
Netherlands +3.1% y/y vs consensus +2.9% and prior +2.9%
Austria+2.7% y/y vs consensus +3.2% and prior +3.2%
Portugal +3.0% y/y vs consensus +3.6% and prior +3.2%
Italy +2.8% y/y vs consensus +2.8% and prior +3.0%
Eurozone +2.9% y/y vs consensus +2.9% and prior +2.8%
France
Jul Preliminary CPI +2.1% y/y vs consensus +1.8% and prior +1.8%
Jun PPI +2.6% y/y vs consensus +2.7% and prior revised +3.1% from +3.0%
Retail Sales
Greece May +6.8% y/y vs consensus +3.0% and prior (0.1%)
Switzerland Jun +1.5% y/y vs consensus +3.1% and prior revised to +3.4% from +3.5%
Italy Jul Business Confidence 89.6 vs consensus 88.9 and prior revised 88.6 from 88.4
UK Jul Nationwide House Price Index +1.8% y/y vs consensus +1.9% and prior +2.2%
Finland Jul Preliminary HICP +2.6% y/y vs consensus +2.7% and prior +2.7%
Germany Jul Unemployment Change +6K vs consensus +5K and prior (1K)
Markets:
WTI Crude (Sep 26): +$1.66 or +1.99% to $85.25
€-$ (0.0019) or (0.16%) to 1.1509
£-$ (0.0001) or (0.01%) to 1.3466
€-£ (0.0014) to 0.8548
S&P 500 (0.04%)
Performance year-to-date
FTSE 100: +9.43%
DAX: +4.65%
CAC: +4.42%
MIB: +16.08%
Stoxx 600: +9.63%
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