Squawk Box Europe Express

Chinese retail sales deliver but concerns remain over the property sector which drag on fixed asset investment. Minneapolis Fed Chairman Neel Kashkari signals a rate cut may happen in December as he calls for more evidence inflation is falling. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemns his generals’ decision to allow for tactical pauses in fighting to permit daily aid to Gaza. Paris sees protests against Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party which has taken an early lead in polls ahead of next month’s snap election.  

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G7 nations agree on a $50bn aid package to Ukraine, using frozen Russian assets to underwrite the deal. We are live in Bari for the latest where EU Council President Charles Michel tells CNBC that Russia must pay up for its invasion of the country. In Asia, the yen slides as the BoJ keeps rates on hold but signals that quantitative tightening is on the way. Tesla shareholders approve CEO Elon Musk’s $56bn pay package for the second time to make it the largest public company compensation in history. In the UK, the Labour Party unveils its election manifesto with pledges on the economy at its core. A new YouGov poll puts Reform in second place ahead of the incumbent Conservative Party.

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The Federal Reserve leaves interest rates on hold at a record 20-year high and indicates it will make only one cut this year. Chairman Jerome Powell says the fight against inflation continues. Equity markets react to cooling inflation. The S&P 500 hits a fresh new high while Apple temporarily overtakes Microsoft as the world’s most valuable company. French President Emmanuel Macron holds a briefing to explain his decision to hold July’s snap election. Meanwhile, the EU is set to slap Chinese EVs with tariffs of up to 38 per cent. Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis tells CNBC the bloc deserves a level playing field. And we are live in Bari, Italy ahead of the G7 summit where the U.S. are to broaden sanctions against Russia with leaders aiming at using interest from frozen assets.  

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Disappointing Chinese consumer activity keeps a lid on consumer prices in the world’s second-largest economy while manufacturing activity fell for the 20th consecutive month. The EU is set to more than double tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, risking further confrontation. Apple posts its best daily performance since 2002 as investors turn bullish over its A.I. push while in the UK, the Conservative Party launch their election manifesto with financial security being a key tenet of the plan.

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European equities are lower as they digest the weekend’s EU election results. However, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq hit new record highs ahead of this week’s Fed meeting. In France, right-wing parties hold emergency coalition talks following President Emmanuel Macron’s snap election decision following his party’s poor result on Sunday. In tech news, Apple launches long-awaited A.I. features, announcing a partnership with OpenAI which would allow Siri to connect with Chat GPT. And in the UK, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveils his Conservative Party manifesto with a pledge to cut taxes. The opposition Labour Party has slammed the proposals as “the most expensive panic attack in history.”

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A shock in France: President Emmanuel Macron takes a gamble, calling a snap parliamentary election after his party suffers a humiliating defeat in EU elections. The Centre holds but the Far-Right sees record support, unsettling the bloc's mainstream establishment. Germany's ruling coalition suffers its worst ever result as the rise of the right raises questions over the government's stability. And, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni comes out on top - solidifying her mandate and positioning herself as one of the most powerful figures in the European Union. 

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Chinese exports surge more than 7-and-a-half percent in May, but slower import growth points to signs of weakness in domestic demand. The ECB cuts rates for the first time since 2019, but persistent price pressures have markets pricing in just one more cut this year - while President Christine Lagarde refuses to commit to further easing. Exit polls in the Netherlands show the Labour-Green Left coalition in the lead - securing eight seats in Brussels, while Geert Wilders' anti-immigration PVV makes strong gains, just one seat behind. And Gamestop shares surge in extended trade after a near 50-percent pop in the session, as 'Roaring Kitty' schedules a YouTube livestream later on Friday.

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The ECB is set to cut interest rates for the first time in nearly 5 years. We are live at the ECB head of today’s decision. Former ECB board member Peter Praet tells CNBC that markets are still adjusting to the central bank’s looser policy. The tech giant Nvidia’s market cap breaches the $3tn mark, overtaking Apple to take second position as the world’s most valuable public company behind Microsoft. The Nasdaq hits new highs as U.S. services activity gathers momentum. However, private jobs creation contracts in May, further fuelling speculation of a September rate cut. And in Normandy, world leaders gather to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.  

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U.S. jobs numbers come in at their lowest level since February 2021. Wall Street remains in a holding pattern as investors await Friday’s non-farm payroll data. Indian equities steady after yesterday’s market cap loss of $371bn due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi failing to win a clear majority for his third term in office. U.S. tech giant Intel announces its latest generation of A.I. semiconductors, seeking to regain market share. CEO Pat Gelsinger tells CNBC foundry profitability is key. Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms a CNBC report that he redirected thousands of Tesla-bound Nvidia chips to X and X-AI as he had no place to send them.

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Indian prime minister Narendra Modi looks set to secure a third term in office with a narrower-than-expected parliamentary majority. We are live in New Delhi as the vote count continues. On Wall Street the Dow falls 100 points on the first trading day of June as U.S. manufacturing numbers indicate the economy is contracting. Gamestop shares rally following renewed social media activity by the investor known as Roaring Kitty. CNBC learns that Paramount and Skydance agree to merger terms after months of negotiations. Shipping giant Maersk hikes its guidance for the second time in just over a month as Red Sea tensions and soaring demand push freight rates higher.  

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