Squawk Box Europe Express

The White House and Republicans are reportedly inching towards a debt deal that will remain in place until past the 2024 elections. On Wall Street, the Nasdaq closes up 1.7 per cent, powered primarily by Nvidia shares. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo holds ‘candid and substantive’ talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Wengtao after months of tit-for-tat incidents and raised trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. And we are live in Valencia ahead of pivotal regional elections across much of the country this weekend. The poll is seen as a key test for parties going into this winter’s general election.

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Political wrangling over the debt ceiling continues in Washington D.C., prompting Fitch to place the U.S.’ AAA rating on negative watch. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy still manages to strike an optimistic note. There are differing opinions emerging at the Federal Reserve over the future rate path. The most recent FOMC meeting’s minutes show members now less certain that further hikes are needed. Chip maker Nvidia sees shares soar in after-hours trade, adding more than $200bn in value to take its market cap beyond $1tn as the firm posts its largest quarterly beat in 5 years. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis officially throws his hat into the 2024 presidential race. However, his Twitter Spaces announcement alongside owner Elon Musk suffers numerous technical glitches upon launch.

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Wall Street is in the red as the debt ceiling negotiations drag on, with the deadline just over a week away. Speaking at the CNBC CEO Council Summit, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon says that the chance of recession this year is worsening as inflation remains stickier than predicted. Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel believes the ECB must hike several more times in its fight against inflation in the euro zone as the central bank marks its 25th anniversary. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is reportedly due to announce his presidential run later today during a special Twitter conversation with billionaire owner Elon Musk. And, according to the Janus Henderson Global Dividend Index, global dividend payouts have soared to a record $327bn during the first quarter this year.   

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President Biden says talks with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the White House have been productive as negotiators seek to strike a debt ceiling deal ahead of the 1 June deadline. Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari tells CNBC he is open to either hiking rates or skipping an increase next month but warned that investors should not expect a cut any time soon. JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon has said he plans to continue as boss of America’s largest bank so long as he is energized by the role. Facebook parent Meta is hit with a record $1.4bn fine by the EU for transferring user data to the U.S. The company has pledged to appeal the decision.  

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Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy attends the G-7 summit in Hiroshima and laments the destruction of the city of Bakhmut which Russian forces claim to have taken over the weekend. U.S. President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are to meet at the White House to discuss stalled debt ceiling talks. Biden says the GOP must compromise over its “extreme positions”. China slaps trade restrictions on U.S. chip maker Micron, claiming the company poses security risks. In aviation news, Ryanair posts FY profits of €1.4bn on the back of strong recovery in traffic. However, the carrier warns that its fuel bill will soar by €1bn next year. And in Greece, incumbent Prime Minister Kyriako Mitsotakis claims victory in parliamentary elections but his New Democracy party falls short of an outright majority. New elections are likely to held in the summer.

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The G-7 summit kicks off in Hiroshima, Japan. Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy will reportedly attend the meeting where Western leaders have vowed to harden their stance against Russia. In the U.S., there are signs an agreement on the debt ceiling could be reached with a vote as a early as next week to avoid a default ahead of the June 1st deadline. Wall Street indices are on track to post their best week since March and in Asia, the Nikkei hits its highest level since 1990. In retail news, Alibaba shares are down after the e-commerce giant missed expectations while Walmart hikes full-year guidance on the back of a robust Q1.

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It appears U.S. President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy may be closing in on a deal to avert a default. As Biden flies to Hiroshima to attend a G-7 summit, McCarthy tells our U.S. colleagues that the size of the debt issue can no longer be ignored. The optimism pushes the Dow by 400 points and regional banks also surge with Western Alliance reporting strong deposits for the quarter. In retail news, U.S. giant Target sees shares rise on an earnings beat but warns that organised retail theft could cost the company up to $1bn. Deutsche Bank agrees to settle a lawsuit concerning Jeffrey Epstein’s victims with a $75m payout following accusations that the lender enabled the late financier’s sex trafficking activities. Global debt has soared by $8tn in the first quarter this year as rising interest rates drive costs up. Total global debt has now stabilised at 335 per cent of GDP.

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Tesla CEO tells our CNBC colleagues Stateside that this year will be challenging for the electric car maker. In a wide-ranging exclusive interview, Musk said that U.S.-China trade tensions should concern everyone. We also hear from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella who says Musk is wrong to claim that the software maker controls OpenAI. U.S. President shortens his Asian tour to return to help secure a debt ceiling agreement to avoid a default. In banking news, UBS says it will suffer a $17bn hit from its takeover of former rival Credit Suisse as it aims to close the deal by next month. Siemens raises its FY outlook, now expecting comparable revenue growth of 9-11 per cent for the year.  

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Asian stocks hold steady following disappointing retail and manufacturing data out of China. The U.S. moves closer to a default with no agreement between lawmakers. Budget talks will resume at the White House later today. Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater Capital offloads its shares in 5 of the largest regional American banks following the recent turmoil. However 13- F filings show that two major hedge funds have bought regional bank stakes despite the volatility. The EU passes Microsoft’s $69bn Activision takeover in contrast with the UK’s denial of the deal. The bloc’s anti-trust chief Margrethe Vestager tells CNBC exclusively that the decision is not a contradiction. And President Emmanuel Macron has courted €13bn of blue-chip investment money during the Choose France business summit.

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Turkish presidential elections look set to head to a run-off after as neither candidate garners enough support outright but President Erdogan believes he will win another 5-year mandate. In the U.S., the debt ceiling wrangling intensifies as congressional leaders attempt to arrange a deal. President Biden believes a default will be avoided this week. G-7 finance ministers meet in Japan and target Russian energy and trade with tighter sanctions in a bid to blunt Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelenskyy performs a whistle-stop tour around European capitals in a bid to bolster the region’s military support for his country. In financial news, insurer AXA posts a 1 per cent revenue jump to €32bn in the first quarter but AUM drops by 7 per cent.

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