Squawk Box Europe Express

HSBC launches a $3bn buyback while Deutsche Bank beats on both the top and bottom line. Spain declares a state of emergency following a massive power outage with flights and other transport suspended and mobile and internet connections lost. Portugal was also hit by the blackout. Mark Carney and the Liberal Party are voted into power in Canada setting up a showdown with U.S. President Trump on trade tariffs and independence.  

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President Trump says he has signed more than 200 trade deals to mark his first one hundred days in office amid varied recent polling. U.S Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says progress is being made in trade talks with many Asian nations. European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen announces she will meet with President Trump for trade talks following a brief meeting on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral. U.S. equities suffer their worst start to the year in more than 30 years.

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Alphabet shares rose in extended trade after reporting a top and bottom line beat, with its search and advertising units showing strong growth despite increasing AI competition. At the annual IMF meeting, ECB Governing Council Member Robert Holzmann told CNBC that he expects further rate cuts to come, but that the outcome of tariff talks will ultimately decide how much lower the base rate will fall. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey told CNBC exclusively that he doesn't think that the U.K. economy is on the brink of a downturn - despite the latest warning from the IMF. Over in Asia, Nissan flags a record loss of up to $5.3 billion dollars due to impairment charges as new CEO Ivan Espinosa attempts to turn around Japan's third largest automaker.

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President Trump is reportedly mulling slashing tariffs on Chinese imports, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the country won’t act unilaterally. In Europe, the Kering crisis continues, as Gucci first quarter sales slide by 25%. Meanwhile, Adidas bounces back, posting its strongest start to a year following the company’s turnaround plans. BNP Paribas posted a first quarter beat and confirms its guidance, with CFO Lars Machenil telling CNBC that the French lender is outperforming on all key units. And there’s more bad news for Tesla as its EU car registrations almost halve in the first quarter, while China’s SAIC surge.

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President Trump eases back on Jerome Powell, insisting he has no intentions to fire the Fed Chair – spiking U.S. futures and calming concerns over the Fed’s independence. U.S. markets rebound after Trump backs up comments made by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, saying that the tariff standoff with China is “unsustainable”. Elon Musk pledges to step back from his government work as Tesla posts its biggest earnings miss in half a decade. The IMF slashes its global growth forecast for 2025, warning that President Trump’s tariff policies risk unleashing “major negative shock”. In Europe, the newly crowned most valuable company SAP posts a first quarter operating profit beat – up by 58%.

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The Dow falls as tech stocks fall after President Trump slams U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for failing to cut interest rates. The dollar falls to a three-year low on tariff concerns. Chinese battery maker CATL unveils new cells, claiming faster charging times and longer range than rival BYD. Also in autos news, Tesla shares plunge 6 per cent ahead of earnings due out later today with one analyst calling the decline a ‘Code Red’ moment for the firm.   

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U.S. markets tumble after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says the central Bank is waiting on ‘greater clarity’ of the impact of President Trump’s tariffs. Powell warns that the U.S. economy could face rising inflation and a decreased jobs market as a result of the levies. Nvidia shares slump by 6.87 per cent after revealing a $5bn hit from U.S. export controls. Other semi-conductor companies follow suit into the red. In Europe, Siemens Energy hikes its outlook after a stellar Q2 result. The German firm posts its highest profit margin since being spun off from Siemens almost 5 years ago. And in luxury news, Milan-based fashion house Moncler defies the general slump in the sector to post a Q1 beat.  

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China’s economy expands by 5.4 per cent in the first quarter but President Trump’s levies on the country fuel concerns about further stimulus measures from Beijing. ASML net bookings are down with the Dutch chip maker warning the Trump tariffs have heightened demand uncertainty. The U.S. president has called for a tariff probe into critical minerals, pushing mining stocks down and potentially opening a new front in his tariff offensive. Nvidia shares tumble after the semi-conductor giant warned of a $5.5bn charge for Q1 related to GPU chip exports to China.  

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The U.S. announces it is launching investigations into the chip and pharmaceutical imports. President Trump says that goods with strategic and security importance must be produced Stateside. The move could provoke further tariffs. Global auto makers see shares rise as President Trump hints at potential tariff relief for the sector. In luxury goods news, LVMH misses Q1 sales targets, falling 3 per cent on disappointing performance in Asia. Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Vietnam as part of a diplomatic tour of the ASEAN region in a bid to bolster regional ties as economic tensions with the U.S. increase.  

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President Trump outlines tariff exemptions including smartphones, chips and other tech components but U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says the move is only temporary. The tech sector rallies in Asia with the Hang Seng leading gains. Chinese exports surge more than 12 per cent in March. President Xi Jinping slams the trade was with the U.S., saying that protectionism has ‘no way out’. The founder of Bridgewater Associates Ray Dalio tells NBC News tariffs and a falling dollar could signal a potentially serious economic downturn.

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