European stock markets started Wednesday’s session on a weaker footing, with the regional Stoxx 600 index dipping as investors contended with hotter-than-expected inflation data from both the US and the UK, ongoing concerns about the semiconductor sector, and a profit warning from automaker Renault.
About 30 minutes after the opening bell, the pan-European Stoxx 600 was trading 0.2% lower, reflecting a cautious sentiment across the continent.
While sectors showed mixed performance, major national bourses were mostly in the red. France’s CAC 40 index led the losses with a decline of 0.24%.
This downbeat mood for regional markets follows a difficult start to the week, primarily driven by US President Donald Trump’s announcement last weekend that he would impose a 30% tariff on goods imported from the European Union, starting August 1.
Hopes that the EU could negotiate a favorable trade deal with the White House before the end of the month were dampened on Tuesday by renewed global growth concerns, after data showed that US inflation had risen to 2.7% from 2.4% in June.
UK inflation heats up, adding to policy headaches
Adding to the inflationary pressure, the UK’s annual inflation rate came in hotter than expected, hitting 3.6% in June, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday.
Economists polled by Reuters had anticipated that inflation would reach 3.4% in the twelve months to June, after it had already registered a 3.4% reading in May.
This persistent, above-target inflation could influence expectations for the Bank of England’s future policy decisions.
EU pushes back: Trump’s tariffs ‘completely unacceptable’
The U.S. tariff threat continues to be a major point of contention. Marie Bjerre, Denmark’s minister for European affairs, told CNBC that President Trump’s plans to slap 30% tariffs on EU goods are “completely unacceptable.”
“It is certainly interesting times — now, President Trump announced that he will impose 30% tariffs on Europe, and I have to say that is completely unacceptable, that is unjustified,” she said in an interview with CNBC’s ‘Europe Early Edition’.
Bjerre emphasized Europe’s position as a reliable trading partner but also signaled the bloc’s readiness to defend its interests.
Europe is a trading partner that you can rely on, that you can trust in, and we will go into negotiation with the US in good faith – but we also know that Europe … having a single market with 450 million consumers, we are very attractive market, and therefore we also ready to defend our interests, and we are ready to come with countermeasures if required.
When asked if the EU could reach a trade compromise with Washington before Trump’s August 1 deadline, Bjerre expressed deep uncertainty.
“We keep being surprised about which [tariff rate] is now imposed on us,” she said.
It started [at] 10% then it was even more, then it was back to 10%, then it was suspended, and now it’s 30% – it is, I have to say, quite unreliable.
Corporate news: a mixed picture for tech
On the corporate front, there was a bright spot in the semiconductor sector. Dutch chip equipment maker ASML posted stronger-than-expected second-quarter earnings and net bookings, pointing to continued strength in the high-demand industry.
However, this positive news was not enough to lift the broader market sentiment, which was weighed down by a profit warning from French automaker Renault, further pressuring the auto sector.
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