Investing.com - European stock markets traded in a lackluster fashion Thursday, with investors wary ahead of the release of key US inflation data.
At 03:05 ET (07:05 GMT), the DAX index in Germany traded 0.1% lower, the CAC 40 in France fell 0.2%, while the FTSE 100 in the U.K. climbed 0.2%.
European markets look to US inflation, China
European traders have traded in a cautious manner Thursday ahead of the release of U.S. inflation data later in the day, as this report could influence Fed rate cut expectations.
Last week’s hot payrolls number saw traders scale back expectations of more outsized interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, and signs of inflation remaining sticky could hit these rate cut expectations further.
There was some positive news from Asia for the market to digest, after the People’s Bank of China announced some 500 billion yuan in liquidity support for capital markets.
Additionally, the Chinese finance ministry said it will hold a briefing this Saturday to outline plans for fiscal stimulus measures aimed at boosting growth.
The move came after a briefing held on Tuesday, regarding recent monetary stimulus measures, largely disappointed investors.
China is a major export market for a number of Europe’s major companies, and the second-largest economy in the world has been struggling in the face of sluggish consumer spending and a real estate crisis.
Germany downgrades 2024 growth forecast
Back in Europe, German retail sales rose 1.6% in August on a monthly basis, a small improvement from the 1.5% gain seen the prior month.
However, this good news was tempered by the German government downgrading its 2024 growth forecast, with Economy Minister Robert Habeck predicting late Wednesday that gross domestic product in the eurozone’s largest economy would shrink 0.2% this year, down from an earlier forecast of 0.3% growth.
This would mean that Germany is expecting its first two-year recession in almost two decades.
The European Central Bank meets next week, and is expected to ease policy once more having already cut rates twice this year.
Givaudan impresses with Q3 sales
In the corporate sector, Swiss fragrance and flavour maker Givaudan (SIX:GIVN) reported third-quarter sales that beat expectations on Thursday, driven by sustained high demand across its markets.
While the rest of the European chemicals sector, and Germany in particular, is grappling with weak demand amid a sluggish economy, companies engaged in the fragrance and flavour markets have seen strong growth in sales.
Crude gains as Milton lands
Oil prices rose Thursday as Hurricane Milton hit Florida hard, adding to concerns about potential supply disruptions in the Middle East.
By 03:05 ET, the Brent contract climbed 0.3% to $76.81 per barrel, while U.S. crude futures (WTI) traded 0.4% higher at $73.51 per barrel.
Both contracts have fallen around 5% over the last two sessions.
In the U.S., Hurricane Milton has made landfall in Florida, and while the storm has largely dodged the oil infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico it has already driven up demand for gasoline in the state, which has helped support crude prices.
Additionally, traders remained on edge over a potential escalation in the conflict in the Middle East, especially if Israel targets Iran’s oil facilities.
Elsewhere, EIA data on Wednesday showed US crude inventories jumped by 5.8 million barrels to 422.7 million barrels last week, a bigger build than expected.